Former Miami Springs City Councilman and Miami Springs City Attorney, Dan Espino, was appointed to the Miami-Dade County School Board by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis this week. The appointment came after Miami-Dade County School Board Member Christi Fraga resigned in order to run for Mayor of the City of Doral.
This isn’t the first time Espino has shown interest in the County School Board position. Espino had previously run for the Miami-Dade County School Board about ten years ago, but lost to Susie Castillo.
While serving as the Miami Springs City Attorney, Espino was the architect of the infamous Gateway Overlay District. Following the three block zoning change, the Old Circle Theater quickly changed hands for a sizable profit. It led to the development of the Miami Springs Town Center at One Curtiss Parkway (which is still not complete) and a downtown parking problem that will only get worse.
One of his final acts as the City Attorney was shutting down the Runway Inn. The Hotel was notorious for criminal activity and unsafe conditions at the property. The City worked with the State Attorney’s Office and the Court System to gain an injunction to close down the Runway Inn.
Shortly thereafter, Espino left the firm of Weiss-Serota. Today, he is a partner and attorney at Bercow Radell Fernandez Larkin & Tapanes Law, a law firm that describes itself as “Zoning, Land Use, and Environmental Law.” The firm also highlights itself as the Best Law Firm for Land Use and Zoning Law in Miami according to U.S. News and Word Report.
