Is Commissioner Raquel Regalado Delaying Another Vote on Calusa Golf Course Development Until After the Election?

Danielle Cohen Higgins...Raquel Regalado News

Aug 7

Written By

At the July 16th, 2024, Miami-Dade County Commission hearing, Commissioner Raquel Regalado of District 7 attempted to suspend the rules in order to push forward a vote on a controversial development project in Commissioner Danielle Cohen-Higgins' district (District 8). However, this move was met with resistance. Commissioner Cohen-Higgins reminded commissioners that while Regalado was trying to force a vote on a project in District 8, the controversial Calusa Golf Course project in Regalado's own District 7 had been ready to come back before the Commission for months but had been mysteriously delayed.

Commissioner Cohen-Higgins Calls Out Regalado’s Double-Standard

The drama began when Commissioner Regalado requested her colleagues suspend the rules to vote on whether the County should move forward with purchasing the La Quinta Inn next to Southland Mall and convert it to efficiencies for elderly unhoused residents. She presented it as a matter of urgency, and asked the lobbyist Ron Book to explain the need for haste.

Previously, Commissioner Cohen-Higgins had placed a “hold” on this legislation to work with district residents and county officials on finding an alternative solution. A “hold” means the item cannot proceed unless another Commissioner moves to waive the rules and brings it before the body—precisely what Regalado attempted.

After Cohen-Higgins resisted the unprecedented suspension of the rules, and questioned the sudden need for haste, Commissioner Regalado said, "Clearly there is a personal issue here."

It was a fiery exchange. Watch:

https://youtu.be/PctArQR8Qso

Commissioner Cohen-Higgins brought up the delayed Calusa vote:

"The precedent that would be set by this vote today would be the equivalent of me placing on our next agenda a discussion item regarding, for example, let's say Calusa. We need to re-vote on Calusa at this body, but that has been sat on for months in the midst of a housing crisis, and nobody is being pushed to bring Calusa back before this board for a vote. Where we have to revote on it and the developer has been ready for months for that vote to be retaken.

So I want to caution our colleagues to walk down this road where we are going to consider overstepping a district commissioner and a legislative hold who is responding to the calls and the cries of her residents…"

—Commissioner Danielle Cohen Higgins, District 8

Then she brought up the election:

"I would ask my colleagues not to support the motion and allow the process to move forward the way that it always has happened and has always been intended. Unless we want to start throwing discussion items on agendas in each other's districts, that for one reason or another, whether it's an election or not, that we're avoiding tackling head on."

—Commissioner Danielle Cohen Higgins, District 8

Calusa Developer Loses Suit Over Improper Noticing

Just a few months ago, the Florida Supreme Court denied GL Homes' request to review a lower court's decision that halted the redevelopment of the 159-acre Calusa golf course in unincorporated Miami-Dade County. This ruling marks the latest chapter in a nearly three-year dispute. According to a May 2, 2024 article in The Real Deal by Lidia Dinkova, the developer declined to provide details about its revised site plan or whether the proposal would include fewer homes.

GL Homes stated:

“We look forward to returning to the county commission with a revised site plan. The county commission approved our vision by a 10-2 margin, and we are confident that our plan to transform this vacant site into a low-density community of single-family homes … will be well-received by commissioners once again.”

So, at this juncture, GL Homes does have the legal right to develop the property. Commissioner Cohen-Higgins’ comment about GL Homes wanting to come before the board again raises an intriguing question: Is Commissioner Regalado holding up that process until after her election campaign

Regalado's Rush to Vote Ignores Proper Public Notification

The irony was palpable as Regalado proposed taking a vote on a legislative item added to the agenda the previous day, with no proper notification given to affected residents. The Calusa project vote was mired in legal limbo for years because the meeting was improperly noticed. The original zoning hearing on November 17, 2021, was improperly noticed, violating County code, which requires such meetings to be advertised in a newspaper at least 14 days in advance.

Commissioner Regalado seemed unfazed by the fact that county residents, given less than 24 hours notice, would not have the opportunity to voice their opinions on the proposed project in their district. Unfortunately, this tactic is all too common in Miami-Dade.

“We could suspend our rules right now. Move this, suspend this meeting, have this meeting continue tomorrow. Have Cutler Bay be here. Listen to the item tomorrow. Give them a contract and solve their problem.”

— Commissioner Raquel Regalado, District 7

Chairman Oliver Gilbert had concerns about public input

“The town of Cutler Bay, I think they have a right to have their residents here and talk. They're going to be against that. We know what they're going to say. But I think that right is probably due to the public and how we do discourse. And I hope that something can be worked out.”

— Chairman Oliver Gilbert, District 1

Commissioner Eileen Higgins had reservations about suspending the rules

“I agree with the chairman on this. I'm not supportive today of suspending the rules to do this because it is too short notice, and I'm happy to have everyone from District 8 come here and complain in person. I like that, you know, residents need to be heard.”

— Commissioner Eileen Higgin, District 5

Recent Campaign Donations Point to Pending Legislation

As the saying goes, follow the money— and we did.

GL Homes and associated entities have been busy donating to County Commissioners. We uncovered $239,500 in campaign contributions from companies associated with GL Homes dating back to 2020. These companies are often named after the addresses of developments: “15500 Pines BLVD, LLC”; “9800 Calusa Club Dr”; “Home at 9810, LLC”; or simply “Kendall Associates.”

Going back before 2020, many associated companies and GL Homes founder Itzhak Ezratti’s family members donated to Carlos Gimenez’s 2016 County Mayoral re-election, contributing a whopping $41,000 between October 2015 and September 2016.

Campaign Donations from GL Homes associated businesses (since 2020)

$30,000 County Commissioner Keon Hardemon and his political committees

$25,500 County Commissioner Kevin Cabrera and his political committee

$25,000 Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava’s political committee

$19,000 County Commissioner Roberto Gonzalez and his political committee

$11,000 County Commissioner Anthony Rodriguez and his political committee

$8,000 County Commissioner Kionne McGhee and his political committee

$7,000 County Commissioner Juan Carlos Bermudez’s political committee

$7,000 County Commissioner Eileen Higgins’ political committee

$5,000 County Commissioner Danielle Cohen Higgins’s political committee

$3,000 County Commissioner Micky Steinberg (some of these donations were later returned)

$1,000 Former County Commissioner Joe A. Martinez

As the political maneuvering around the Calusa Golf Course development continues to unfold, the question remains: is Commissioner Raquel Regalado delaying the project until after the 2024 election to avoid constituent backlash? With significant campaign contributions flowing from GL Homes to various commissioners, the stakes are high, and the Calusa residents deserve transparency.