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Commission adopts zoning change to raise allowable seawall heights to align with sea-level projections
Summary
The commission adopted a zoning text amendment to raise the maximum seawall elevation to 7.27 ft NAVD88 based on NOAA 2070 projections and added submittal requirements, living-shoreline encouragement and design conformity to the city Engineering Design Criteria Manual.
On second reading Feb. 18, the Sarasota City Commission unanimously adopted a zoning text amendment that raises the permitted maximum seawall and bulkhead elevation from the current limit (measured to mean low water) to a fixed elevation of 7.27 feet NAVD88, tied to the NOAA 2070 sea-level projections.
Chief planner Brianna Dobbs summarized the changes made since first reading: the amendment establishes clearer submittal requirements, addresses potential adverse impacts on neighboring properties and encourages "living shoreline" features where appropriate. Staff added explicit language that seawalls, groins, bulkheads and protective devices must be designed to conform to the standards in the city's Engineering Design Criteria Manual (EDCM). Dobbs also said the climate adaptation center reviewed the proposal and expressed support.
Dobbs told commissioners the code change uses the NOAA 2070 water-level projections and the NAVD88 vertical datum to set the new allowable elevation as a planning and resiliency tool. The ordinance does not mandate private work; it sets the maximum permissible structural elevations where property owners seek permits.
Commissioner discussion was limited; Vice Mayor Trice thanked staff for improving the language and clarifying the food-pantry definition in a separate zoning text item. The ordinance passed unanimously on second reading.
Implications: The amendment gives property owners and permit reviewers a clear target elevation to design against, aligns permitting language with the city's engineering criteria and encourages non-structural resilience approaches. The ordinance includes process language for submittal and mitigation of adverse neighbor impacts and refers design details to the EDCM.
