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 January 28, 2026 technical memorandum and a September 2022 40-year assessment by Stantec. The consultant and staff identified required repairs that they estimate at roughly $358,760 — line items listed included plans and permitting ($50,000), electrical bonding ($30,231), gutter drain replacement ($85,345), pressure-line replacement ($64,000), pool beam and curb work ($22,500), electrical panel upgrades ($27,000) and a contingency — plus a second tier of likely additional items (lighting, new collector tank, resurfacing and markings) that could add roughly $244,250, bringing known potential repairs near $602,000.

Town staff cautioned that unknown “hidden conditions” — such as subsurface degradation or large cracks visible when the pool is drained — could increase costs further. “We won’t know until the plans get into permitting,” the town manager said, estimating the plans-and-permit package could be prepared within about 60 days and the repairs could take roughly eight months once permitted.

Several council members said the decision balanced fiscal responsibility and community need. Council member Lord said the town had previously budgeted conservatively and emphasized the need for a clear cost estimate before committing larger funds. Council member Duncan pointed to past precedent of investing in long-used community parks and said the $50,000 step would align with those prior decisions.

The council recorded a roll-call vote with all five members — Lord, Duncan, Ramirez, Vice Mayor Callahan and Mayor Mayorbot — voting yes. The motion authorizes the town manager to spend up to $50,000 to develop engineered repair drawings that can be submitted to Miami-Dade County and the Florida Department of Health to obtain permits and a definitive cost estimate.

Town staff said the engineering effort is required whether the town repairs the existing pool or not, because permitting will reveal what regulators require to bring the facility up to current code. The manager’s office and parks staff also said they are pursuing temporary alternatives for residents while the facility is out of service, including talks with nearby pool operators and the YMCA on promotional swim access, and a proposed schedule of low-cost Aqua Aerobics through a nonprofit partner starting in April.

The council’s next procedural step is to complete the engineered designs and submit them for permitting; staff said they expect to return to council with a full cost estimate and a recommendation once permitting reviews are complete.