Aventura commission authorizes negotiations for school site, approves zoning, tax and budget measures
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Summary
On April 7, 2026 the Aventura City Commission voted unanimously to allow the city manager to negotiate purchase of a 0.84‑acre Gulfstream Park parcel (not to exceed $6,000,000) for a future charter high school and approved several ordinances, a mid‑year budget amendment and a 5% business tax increase.
The Aventura City Commission on April 7, 2026 authorized the city manager to continue negotiating to purchase an additional 0.84‑acre parcel from Gulfstream Park for a total campus of about 4.5 acres, directing the manager to negotiate a price not to exceed $6,000,000 for the parcel for use as a new charter high school.
Mayor Howard Weinberg framed the vote as a long‑term investment in local education, saying the city will "build that high school" and that the project will "take 1000 kids off that waiting list." The commission approved the resolution by roll call vote.
The meeting also produced several unanimous votes on land‑use and administrative items: the Local Planning Agency and the commission approved a code change (LDR26030001) to add a conditional use allowing hotels of at least 100 units in the Town Center‑1 district; the commission approved first reading of the same TC‑1 hotel ordinance; and the body deferred two related overlay zoning items to May 5, 2026 at staff request.
Finance and governance actions included adoption of a biennial 5% increase to local business tax rates for fiscal year 2026‑27 (projected to generate approximately $55,000 in additional revenue), passage of a mid‑year budget amendment that increased the general fund by about $1,490,000 to reflect higher revenues and grants (including roughly $243,000 for crisis intervention training), and an amendment to advisory‑board rules to allow the city manager to increase board sizes and remove the strict residency requirement while keeping resident preference. All of these measures passed on unanimous roll calls.
Votes at a glance (selected): • Gulfstream Park parcel (Item 10, resolution): authorized manager to negotiate purchase of 0.84 acres for school; motion passed unanimous roll call. • LDR26030001 / TC‑1 hotels (LPA and commission first reading): staff presentation accepted into record; ordinance action approved (unanimous roll call). • Ordinance 8b (business tax rate adjustment): 5% increase adopted; estimated $55,000 additional revenue; passed unanimously. • Item 9 (mid‑year budget amendment): general fund net increase ≈ $1,490,000; passed unanimously. • Ordinance 8c (advisory boards): manager authorized to expand board size up to seven and residency requirement removed; passed unanimously.
What happens next: The manager will continue negotiation on the Gulfstream parcel as authorized; several zoning overlay items have been deferred to the staff‑recommended May 5, 2026 meetings for further review. The first reading of the TC‑1 hotel change proceeds through the ordinance process.
(Reporting note: votes and motions paraphrase the clerk's roll calls and in‑meeting motion language; all direct quotes are attributed to Mayor Howard Weinberg.)
