Coral Gables to investigate claims of paid speakers at zoning hearings. What to know

Coral Gables commissioners have ordered an investigation into allegations that some people used fake names and addresses to voice support for a controversial nine-story apartment project. Despite the claims, commissioners still approved the Crystal Residences development in a 3-1 vote.

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Here are key takeaways:

• Attorney David Winker, representing resident Bonnie Bolton and others opposed to the project, played video clips showing individuals speaking at hearings using different names at different meetings or providing nonexistent Gables addresses. Some had also spoken at Miami-Dade County meetings about the old Calusa Golf Course redevelopment.
• Mayor Vince Lago called the alleged conduct “atrocious” and “shameful,” referring the matter to authorities. He noted it wasn’t the first time fake supporters had surfaced in the city, citing fake signatures on a 2024 petition to recall him from office.
• Police Chief Ed Hudak acknowledged that lying under oath is a crime but compared giving fake names and addresses to lying about one’s age, saying the matter likely wouldn’t end in prosecution.
• Sarina Sorrentino, vice president of development for the project’s developer, Fifield, said she was shocked by the allegations. “This is not how we do business,” Sorrentino told the Miami Herald. “We do not condone lying or misleading information.”
• Commissioners approved rezoning for Fifield’s project in a 3-1 vote, with Melissa Castro opposed and Ariel Fernandez absent. The Mediterranean-style complex at 110 Phoenetia Ave. will include live-work units, residential units and a new rent-free facility for Crystal Academy, a school for children with autism.

This report was produced with the assistance of a proprietary tool powered by artificial intelligence and using our own originally reported, written and published content. It was reviewed and edited by our journalists.

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