With opposition mounting, District 1 Commissioner Miguel Gabela, who backed the legislation, requested the item be permanently withdrawn from consideration.
The Miami City Commission brought an abrupt end – for now – to efforts to rewrite the city’s tree protection ordinance, a measure many advocates believed would pave the way for unchecked canopy loss citywide.
Miami District 1 Commissioner Miguel Gabela, who sponsored the amendment, surprised many in the packed commission chambers early Thursday by requesting the item be withdrawn from consideration prior to any vote, prompting thunderous applause.
“I should have worn my green T-shirt today,” Commission Chair Christine King told the crowd, referencing the matching colors of those opposing the ordinance.
Gabela has repeatedly said changes to the city’s tree laws are needed to ease the costs and regulatory burdens faced by ordinary citizens seeking permission to prune or remove trees.
But his proposed fix, critics say, amounted to a grab bag of developer-friendly changes that would expose many areas to unchecked canopy loss. The ordinance also would have allowed officials to redirect the mitigation fees it collects for tree-removal away from new tree planting programs.
Opposition to the changes had been fierce, forcing repeated deferrals from commission consideration. A coalition of civic and environmental advocacy groups had been pushing for a permanent withdrawal of the measure, arguing that true reform can only come from an open and inclusive process.
Earlier this week District 3 Commissioner Joe Carollo publicly declared his misgivings about the amendments. King had previously expressed similar concerns – signaling a tough road to the required three votes needed to pass.
Both critics and supporters of the changes agree that legislative fixes are needed to streamline a permitting process that many describe as cumbersome and poorly administered.
Earlier this year the city’s Climate Resilience Committee and its Historic, Environmental and Preservation Board passed resolutions offering to kickstart the initiative.
