Planning board endorses North Flagler overlay with annual inflation adjustment for height bonus fee

The Planning Board on July 15 recommended City Commission approval of a city‑initiated text amendment establishing the North Flagler Overlay District, including new height, floor‑area, setback and streetscape rules, and a developer contribution mechanism for height bonuses that the board amended to be inflation‑adjusted. City planner Kevin DeFrank presented the overlay draft, saying the proposed base building height would be 40 feet but that buildings on properties with aggregate upland plus submerged acreage of 2.5 acres or more could reach up to 300 feet under the district rules; a height bonus would be allowed in exchange for a monetary contribution of $10.98 per square foot of gross building area above the base height, the staff presentation said. DeFrank said the proposal includes a maximum floor‑area ratio of about 2.53, a requirement for a 12‑foot multipurpose path and 7‑foot landscape strip along North Flagler Drive, active‑use liner requirements for ground‑floor frontage and illumination limits (staff referenced a half‑foot‑candle measurement at property lines). The draft also would prohibit plan developments and certain variances within the overlay and set conditional setback rules and parking screening requirements. Board members questioned how long the $10.98 fee would remain fixed. Anna Maria Fonta, the city’s development services director, said the city calculates capital improvement costs about every five years and that the board could direct the draft to include an automatic inflation adjustment. The board amended the staff recommendation to require the $10.98 figure be adjusted annually for inflation from the date of City Commission approval. Neighborhood representatives voiced conditional support. Angela Ockburn, president of Northwood Harbor, thanked staff for working with the community and asked that the area benefiting from the fee focus stay north of 30th Street. John Faella of Regency, Surf and Racquet Club commended staff responsiveness and asked clarifying questions about prohibited plan developments; staff said rezonings would still be possible but proposed plan‑development rezoning would be prohibited in the overlay. On a motion incorporating the inflation‑adjustment amendment, the Planning Board voted unanimously to recommend approval; the recommendation will go to the City Commission for a final decision.