An upcoming virtual Coral Gables commission meeting on a controversial proposal to allow redevelopment of Miracle Mile is now the subject of a lawsuit, which claims it’s breaking state law by illegally barring in-person public participation.

The lawsuit comes as Coral Gables, known as the City Beautiful and developed by George Merrick, is considering a zoning code overhaul. It would incentivize developers to build on Miracle Mile—a stretch as emblematic as Rodeo Drive in Los Angeles that has fallen on hard times with shuttered storefronts—by allowing remote parking. Builders won’t have to add parking on the lot they are redeveloping, but can account for it elsewhere in downtown.

This would allow six-story buildings on historically low-rise Miracle Mile, although the suit says even seven-story structures could rise.

Opponents say they’ve gotten little notice of the plan and virtual meetings have excluded them from the process, allegations the city vehemently denies.

The suit by nonprofit Historic Preservation Association of Coral Gables Inc. against the city says the upcoming Feb. 9 virtual commission vote is illegal as it bars in-person public attendance and participation. Only city-authorized attendees will be allowed in-person, in light of the coronavirus pandemic.