Spotlight 201-260428

Good morning. What we’re covering in today’s Spotlight:

Growing Concern over Miami’s Tree Policies
Who Speaks for the Grove in Tallahassee?
Miami’s $450-Million Bond Proposal
Grant Funding for the Historic Ace Theater

Tree Policy Delayed as Removal Permits Rise, Advocates Warn

Environmental groups say the City of Miami has yet to launch a promised public process to overhaul its tree ordinance — even as permits accelerate and oversight questions mount.

By David Villano

A growing coalition of environmental advocates, civic leaders and residents is calling for a moratorium on tree removals, warning that canopy loss across Miami appears to be accelerating as a long-promised overhaul of the city’s tree protection policies has stalled.

The group is also demanding an update on the status of a citizen-led “Tree Committee” to guide the policy review, along with a broader public engagement process — outsourced to a civic mediator last year by city officials — which has yet to materialize.

In a letter sent April 20 to Mayor Eileen Higgins and the City Commission, more than 160 signatories — including former Miami-Dade Commission candidate Cindy Lerner, former South Miami Mayor Philip Stoddard, and climate leaders such as Yoca Arditi-Rocha of The CLEO Institute and Sierra Club Miami President Noel Cleland — called for action.

More than two dozen civic and environmental groups are represented in the coalition.

Who’s Representing Coconut Grove in Tallahassee?

With a special legislative session set to begin this week in Tallahassee, Coconut Grove is down to one representative in the Florida House, and even she is a mystery.

By Charles Rabin

As an elected member of the state legislature representing Coconut Grove, Coral Gables and South Miami, State Rep. Demi Busatta (R-114) co-sponsored the controversial Live Local Act that allows developers to bypass local zoning laws.

But when a group of concerned residents met to discuss how the legislation would affect Coconut Grove, Busatta was a no-show – despite an invitation.

Earlier this year, when a state lawmaker from Miami Beach sought to wrest control of the Coconut Grove Playhouse away from Miami-Dade County, Busatta was missing in action again, playhouse advocates say.

Now in her third term, Busatta’s lack of visibility hasn’t endeared her to some of her Coconut Grove constituents.

Miami Delays Vote on $450-Million Bond Proposal

Mayor Eileen Higgins wants voters to approve $450 million in new bond funding to repair and replace the city’s aging public safety buildings, but the proposal was deferred last week after residents expressed skepticism about the cost of the initiative.

By Daniel Rivero

This August, City of Miami voters might or might not have the chance to decide whether the city should take out $450 million in loans to address what public safety officials and Mayor Eileen Higgins call “deteriorating” conditions at fire and police stations due to a lack of maintenance.

The decision of whether to put the proposed bond funding on the August ballot was supposed to take place at last week’s commission meeting. But after heated debate by residents and first responders, Higgins asked to defer the decision until the next commission meeting on May 14.

A Commission Recap: Parks, Prese rvation, and The Hangar

The City Commission approved a $200,000 grant to support the restoration of the historic Ace Theater, allocated $13 million for park improvements and affordable housing in District 2, and granted The Hangar a waiver to host more events in 2026.

By Spotlight Staff

Dorothy Wallace got her birthday wish last week – a little late but right on time. Wallace, whose family owns the historic Ace Theater on Grand Avenue, turned 97 on April 6.

On Thursday, she asked the Miami City Commission to approve a $200,000 grant to help her family revive the former “colored only” movie house that stands as a sentinel of Coconut Grove’s segregated past.

“We can’t change what has been, but we certainly can continue with what we have now, and make it speak for the past,” Wallace said. “Indeed, this is a birthday present to me.”

Letters to the Editor

Readers React: Spotlight readers ponder the future of Miami and the fate of Coconut Grove after watching “The Future We Build” and a recent City Commission meeting.

Read more…