Coral Gables residents soundly reject annexing Little Gables; commission vote called for

Coral Gables residents overwhelmingly voted against the annexation of nearby Little Gables in Tuesday’s election, with nearly two-thirds of the voters nixing the plan.

More than 62% of the city’s residents who cast a ballot voted against absorbing the nearby neighborhood into the city, compared with 37 percent who approved of the measure.

The result is a blow to those who have long sought to absorb the adjacent pocket of unincorporated Miami-Dade County into the city of Coral Gables.

Gables Commissioner Ariel Fernandez called the result a “resounding message” in a statement released Tuesday night, saying that the people of Coral Gables “do not wish for the City to continue pursuing the annexation of Little Gables.”

The poll result is non-binding and not part of the formal annexation process mandated by the county, but the result is a clear sign that the residents of “City Beautiful” are less than eager to welcome Little Gables, bordered by Southwest Eighth Street to the north, Southwest 16th Terrace to the south, Cortez Street to the west and Southwest 40th Avenue to the east.

The straw ballot was scheduled last fall after the city of Coral Gables announced that it had received signatures in support of annexation from more than 21% of the Little Gables population, surpassing the 20% threshold required by county law to begin the application process.

Instead of submitting these signatures to the County Department of Elections, the City Commission decided to “pause” the application process and “seek input from Coral Gables residents via straw ballot,” said Joey Garcia, a spokesperson for the city, in an email to the Miami Herald.

READ MORE: ‘It’s just becoming messier.’ Financial concerns bog down Coral Gables annexation

However, Gables city commissioners made it clear that they would “retain the authority” to decide whether city would proceed with the annexation process regardless of the outcome of the ballot, according to a resolution passed in December.

It is unclear how Tuesday’s election results will impact the commission’s decision. In his statement, Fernandez wrote that he had already asked the city attorney to draft a resolution that would stop “all annexation efforts of Little Gables effective immediately.” Fernandez promised to put this resolution to a vote at the upcoming City Commission meeting on Tuesday, Aug. 27.

The idea that Little Gables might be absorbed by its well-heeled neighbor to the south has been bandied about for decades.

Most recently, in 2019, Coral Gables’ application for annexation was rejected by the Miami-Dade County Commission over concerns with the city’s plans to demolish a trailer park in Little Gables once the neighborhood was absorbed by the city. Coral Gables outlaws trailer parks, but it has since promised to leave the trailer park untouched should the annexation occur.

READ MORE: Coral Gables says expansion won’t doom trailer park, but annexation anxiety persists

Despite collecting the necessary signatures last year, as well as vocal support from Coral Gables Mayor Vince Lago, members of both communities oppose the possible annexation.

Some residents of Little Gables have fretted over Coral Gables’ onerous zoning codes that govern everything from the use of artificial turf to the paint color used on home exteriors. Coral Gables residents have also questioned the economic efficacy of the annexation plan, which is projected to lose money for the city during the first several years of the potential merger.

The Miami-Dade and Coral Gables firefighters unions have been among the most vocal opponents of the proposed annexation. In an open letter published last week, both unions, local 1403 and 1210 respectively, said that annexation would put undue strain on the already understaffed fire department in Coral Gables.

“Countless more lives will be at risk” if annexation happens, said the letter.

This story was originally published August 20, 2024 at 10:00 PM.