Miami Beach committee hears overview of major LDR and resiliency code rewrite; public hearings planned

City of Miami Beach staff and consulting teams presented a two-part proposal on June 6 to update the city's Land Development Regulations and to add a standalone resiliency code, and the Land Use and Sustainability Committee agreed to continue formal consideration to its July 7 meeting to allow additional public outreach.

The proposal, described by staff as an update to a code last comprehensively revised in 1989, would reorganize and clarify current zoning and development rules and add a new resiliency code intended to address long-term issues such as sea-level rise, drainage and elevation standards. Tom (administration staff) told the committee the final working draft should be released before the Planning Board community workshop on June 17, with Planning Board transmittal expected in July and first and second readings before the City Commission planned for September and October.

Consultant Jose Helebert Navea of Perkins and Will told the committee the effort is twofold: bring the code into the 21st century and simplify conflicting or contradictory language so property owners can more easily determine what is allowed on a site. "We are taking a code that is 30 years old... it almost takes a zoning attorney to take you through it," Navea said. He described plans for user-friendly charts and an interactive code system in partnership with a vendor called Gritics.

Consultants and staff emphasized the resiliency portion would be a significant addition. Tom said many piecemeal resiliency ordinances enacted in recent years would be folded into a more comprehensive approach. The consultants also noted some future measures may require voter approval, and staff said any change that would require a comprehensive plan amendment would be sent to the state for review.

Committee members and the consultants discussed outreach: consultants reported roughly ten early focus-group meetings and the first Planning Board workshop on June 3; staff and consultants said more public workshops are scheduled, including June 17, and individual briefings for commissioners will be arranged. Committee members urged targeted outreach to single-family neighborhoods, HOAs and multifamily stakeholders and suggested producing a plain-language handbook to guide homeowners and developers through resiliency-related requirements such as elevation, driveway runoff and tree requirements.

No formal action on the content of the draft code was taken; the committee agreed by acclamation to continue consideration of the item to its July 7 meeting so staff and consultants can gather public input and provide additional briefings to commissioners.

The committee and consultants said further, more substantive amendments (for example, transfer-of-development-rights incentives and living shoreline programs) could follow after the code's initial adoption.