Zoning commission recommends approval of Southland Water Resource Project, 5-3, sending it to county commissioners

Palm Beach County Zoning Commission members voted 5-3 to recommend approval of CA20231791, the Southland Water Resource Project, a proposed Class A conditional use to allow a Type 3 excavation on 8,611.52 acres that the applicant says will be reclaimed as a shallow water storage reservoir and used to supply existing stormwater treatment areas.

The recommendation moves the project to the Board of County Commissioners for final local action; county staff and the applicant said the project cannot proceed with any ground disturbance until the state issues an Environmental Resource Permit (ERP) and any required agreements with the South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD) are in place.

Why it matters: Commissioners and public speakers framed the project as both a potential water-storage asset for Everglades restoration and as a commercial rock-mining operation. Supporters said the excavation would provide near-term storage capacity to hydrate Stormwater Treatment Area (STA) 56 and deliver jobs for local communities; opponents and environmental groups urged postponement until SFWMD and Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) reviews are complete and legal questions about county plan language are resolved.

Applicant presentation and staff recommendation Phillips & Jordan, the applicant and design‑builder, described the Southland project as a low‑hazard, shallow reservoir adjacent to existing Everglades projects and to the Miami Canal. Matt Eidson, vice president of Phillips & Jordan, said the plan delivers an initial 20,000…