Pensacola launches Phase 2 rewrite of land development code, schedules public workshops

Pensacola City Council on Thursday heard a presentation launching Phase 2 of a multi-year rewrite of the city’s Land Development Code, with consultants saying the work will focus first on reorganizing and clarifying the code before pursuing more substantive policy changes.

The presentation, led by Inspire Placemaking Collective planner Pat Tajeski and senior urban designer Leslie Del Monte with support from Planning and Zoning Division Manager Cynthia Cannon, summarized a 2024 assessment and a 268-item matrix that consultants will use to guide the rewrite. Tajeski said the first tasks are reorganization, clarification and implementation of the assessment’s action items.

The matrix, officials said, catalogs comments from staff, stakeholders and the consulting team, identifies recommended responses and records an action column that flags which items can be completed in this phase and which should be deferred. "The main purpose of doing what we're gonna be doing for the next 2 years is to reorganize and clarify this code," Tajeski said.

Why it matters: City staff and the consultant team said a clearer, reorganized code will reduce cross-referencing and inconsistent language that currently forces users — architects, developers, homeowners and staff — to jump between chapters to find rules. The rewrite is intended to make implementation more predictable and to reduce the number of ad-hoc or ambiguous interpretations during project review.

Key elements and issues discussed

• Scope and schedule: Consultants said they will deliver a first…