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Cutler Bay council presses for alternatives to repairing Cutler Ridge pool as Legacy Park work continues
Summary
Council members questioned spending on a quick repair to Cutler Ridge pool that could reopen only months before Legacy Park’s new pool, and asked for monthly redlined timelines from the town’s owner’s representative while staff pursues interim pool access with partners.
Cutler Bay — Council members on April 15 pressed town staff to prioritize interim options and public updates rather than invest significant funds to repair the aging Cutler Ridge pool when Legacy Park’s new pool is on a near horizon.
The town manager presented a phased schedule and permitting plan for repairs to the Cutler Ridge pool and said an earlier Stantec report produced a planning estimate “in that $7,682,000 range,” adding the final cost will be confirmed through bidding. He outlined a conservative timeline that would, in the manager’s presentation, put repair completion in November 2027 while Legacy Park pool elements are scheduled to open shortly thereafter.
Council members questioned whether limited remaining life for the repaired pool and the cost justified the outlay. Council Member Lord said residents expressed distrust of the earlier repair figures and asked for more transparent, regular updates: “maybe Emma Jones can give us the same sort of updates every month … the same timeline that we maybe redline through,” referring to Emma Jones, the town’s owner’s representative with Stantec.
Town Manager (title used in meeting) responded that the repair and Legacy Park timelines were vetted by the building official and the owner’s representative and that the presentation used cautious assumptions about permitting and ADA triggers. Emma Jones told the council the team had lengthened the schedule in its planning to be conservative and that DURM (Miami‑Dade County permitting) staffing is stretched, which can affect approvals.
Several council members argued the best use of limited funds was to secure interim options and oversight rather than invest heavily in a repair that would be open only about four months before the new Legacy Park pool. Council Member Duncan said staff should front‑load the community center and pool work in Legacy Park “so that we can kind of alleviate that timeline.” Council Member Ramirez added that spending several hundred thousand dollars for a short usable window was difficult to justify.
As a result, the council coalesced around two near‑term directions: (1) staff will continue negotiating interlocal and partner agreements (examples discussed included the YMCA and nearby municipal pools) to provide interim access and explore transit options with MetroConnect, and (2) the council requested monthly redlined schedule updates from Emma Jones and the construction team so the public can track milestones and any slippage.
The manager also said staff will present GMP2 (the underground/site utilities package) to council in May and is willing to pursue a special council meeting to approve the package early if negotiations finish ahead of schedule, which the council supported as a means to compress the Legacy Park timeline.
What’s next: Emma Jones said a GMP2 draft is under review and the team expects a May presentation. Council members asked staff to continue seeking interim pool options and to provide the requested monthly timeline updates to build public confidence.
