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An Ordinance of the City Commission providing for a text amendment to the City of Coral Gables official Zoning Code by striking Appendix E “Business Improvement Overlay District (BIOD),” Section E1 “Business Improvement Overlay District (BIOD),” Subsection B(1)(D) “Temporary Window Signs/Wraps”, and creating Article 11 “Signs”, Section 11-101 “Purpose and Applicability,” Subsection C(9) “Temporary Window Wraps,” to uniformly regulate temporary window wraps within the City; providing for severability clause, repealer provision, codification, and providing for an effective date.
(Sponsored by Mayor Lago)
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At the January 11, 2022 Commission Meeting, the City Commission discussed the need to improve the appearance of vacant storefronts in the commercial areas of the City by disallowing unsightly window coverings. Currently, window wraps are regulated in both the City Code and the Zoning Code, which has created confusion in the application and enforcement of the City’s regulations.
The City Commission desires to uniformly regulate the appearance of vacant or unoccupied storefronts, in a content-neutral manner, to improve the appearance of commercial areas in the City, reduce visual clutter, and allow for the effective communication of information. In furtherance of these goals, and in the spirit of partnership, City staff met with leadership from the Coral Gables Chamber of Commerce and the Coral Gables Business Improvement District on numerous occasions to solicit their feedback in the preparation of the ordinances.
The purpose of these ordinances is to strike the portions of the City Code that regulate window wraps, eliminate window wrap provisions from the Business Improvement Overlay District and to create Zoning Code Section 11-101, Subsection C(9) “Temporary Window Wraps,” to uniformly regulate temporary window wraps within the City. The Zoning Code amendment was approved by the Planning and Zoning Board 5-0).