Riviera Beach City Council on Feb. 5 approved Resolution No. 21-25, granting site-plan approval to the Riviera Beach Housing Authority to construct four two-bedroom, two-bath multifamily units on a vacant parcel on West Blue Heron Boulevard.

Why it matters: The approved development is a small, straight-zoning site plan intended to add affordable housing inventory. Staff said the units are approximately 900 square feet each and that the project complies with the Downtown General zoning and downtown mixed-use future land use.

Staff presentation and conditions: Principal planner Kurt Thompson told council the lot is about 7,840 square feet and that the submission included six vehicular parking spaces — four resident spaces, one Americans with Disabilities Act–compliant space and one guest space — matching the code’s small-site layout for affordable housing. Thompson noted staff recommended substituting live oaks with smaller- or deeper-rooted species because “live oaks’ root system is very shallow and tends to push up through concrete,” and the applicant agreed to use silver buttonwood or gumbo limbo as alternatives.

Public comment: Two neighborhood residents spoke in support. Margaret Shepherd praised the Housing Authority’s work and urged council to approve the resolution; Mary Brown said the project represented “revive, renew” priorities for the city and urged timely construction.

Vote: The council approved Resolution 21-25 by unanimous roll call. Staff and the applicant will proceed to permitting and implementation per the conditions listed in staff’s report.