Deputy City Manager Maxine Callaway reviewed proposed changes to Tamarac’s zoning code to align with recent state changes to the Live Local Act during the Oct. 20 staff agenda review.

Callaway said the ordinance amendment updates the city’s text at section 10.2.8 to add the Planned Development (PD) district to the list of zoning districts eligible for Live Local Act projects and to reflect Senate Bill 1730 changes to project composition. “Essentially, it lowers the required nonresidential component to a minimum of 10%,” Callaway said, “and it requires the residential component to be at least 65% of the total square footage.”

She summarized the Live Local Act’s implementation effects the city must follow: projects that set aside at least 40% of units as affordable housing for 30 years can be processed administratively rather than through public hearings; such projects can claim maximum height up to the maximum within a one‑mile radius and the highest allowed density in the city. The state law also limits applicability near airports and military installations, she said.

Key changes presented: the city must include the PD district, allow a 15% reduction in parking for qualifying projects (subject to proximity to transit or transportation hubs), and require a minimum commercial component of 10% for cities like Tamarac that have less than 20% industrial/commercial zoning—meaning projects will generally be mixed use.

Callaway noted staff added language to preserve the city’s ability to require parking demand and circulation studies from applicants. She said the planning board had reviewed the ordinance and recommended the changes; staff said the item will appear on the commission agenda for ordinance first reading.

Why it matters: the changes adjust local development review procedures and land‑use approvals for qualifying affordable housing projects, narrowing the city’s discretion on certain zoning approvals when a proposal meets the Live Local Act thresholds.