Cutler Bay council votes to fund engineered drawings for Cutler Ridge pool repairs

The Town of Cutler Bay council voted unanimously March 18 to authorize up to $50,000 for engineered repair drawings and permitting for the Cutler Ridge pool, a first step staff said is required to determine the true scope, cost and timing of repairs.

Residents packed the meeting’s public-comment period, many describing the pool as an irreplaceable community hub. “It’s a shame that after all these years it’s going to be shut down,” said Charles Ellis, who said he learned to swim in the facility and has used it daily for decades. Former lifeguards, parents and a nurse urged the council to avoid a lengthy closure that would interrupt learn-to-swim classes and programs that feed local lifeguard and public-safety certifications.

Vice Mayor Callahan, who led the parks committee review, told the council the parks committee reviewed a…