Planning board backs major land‑use and zoning changes to add thousands of housing units and create an affordable‑housing bonus overlay

The Planning and Development Board on May 20 voted to forward multiple coordinated land‑use and zoning proposals to the City Commission that, together, would significantly increase the city’s residential capacity in targeted corridors and create a new zoning overlay to incentivize affordable housing.

Actions recommended to city commission include: (1) allocation of 1,000 flexibility units to the Regional Activity Center (RAC) from the citywide pool; (2) a local land‑use plan amendment proposing an additional 8,000 mid‑ and high‑rise residential units in the RAC; (3) a local land‑use plan amendment proposing an additional 4,379 mid‑ and high‑rise residential units in the Transit‑Oriented Corridor (State Road 7 Activity Center); and (4) a zoning text amendment establishing an Affordable Housing Bonus Density Overlay (article 4, new §4.25) to allow bonus density in exchange for affordable units and related design requirements.

Staff planning manager Anand Durham and project consultants explained the package as a coordinated effort to address measured growth shortfalls in activity centers, support transit‑oriented development, and incentivize affordable housing while maintaining no‑net‑change commitments for infrastructure capacity. Durham said the RAC had an original capacity (per the comprehensive plan) of about 16,100 units including a pre‑existing 1,000 flexible units, and staff’s audit found approximately 5,567 units were built since the last comprehensive accounting — creating a measured overage of about 194 units against the earlier capacity. Staff proposed allocating 1,000 flex units immediately to avoid entitlements stalling while the city pursues a longer land‑use amendment that would add capacity. The board approved a recommendation to forward allocation of 1,000 units to the commission.

Separately, staff proposed a Local Land Use Plan Amendment (LUPA) to add 8,000 mid‑ and high‑rise units to the RAC’s capacity, coupled with reductions in commercial and office square footage so the amendment would show no net adverse change to traffic, water/wastewater or schools. Staff described those reductions as part of a mathematical rebalancing and said they had preliminary confirmation from utility and other agency partners; staff added a condition that outstanding letters from those agencies be submitted before commission first reading. The board recommended forwarding that LUPA to commission.

A companion LUPA to add 4,379 mid‑ and high‑rise units in the State Road 7 Activity Center (the transit‑oriented corridor) was also recommended to commission. Staff said the corridor originally anticipated lower‑rise typologies when first adopted, and the proposed amendment aligns the land‑use map and zoning to allow mid‑ and high‑rise types along State Road 7.

Finally, the board recommended forwarding a zoning text amendment to add an Affordable Housing Bonus Density Overlay. The proposed overlay follows Broward County policies (referenced as policies 2.163 and 2.164) and Florida Statute §163.3161 in allowing bonus market units in exchange for on‑site affordable units (county bonus ratios cited: 6:1 for moderate income units, 9:1 for low income, 19:1 for very low income). Staff described urban‑design requirements for eligible developments — privately owned publicly accessible open space (minimum 5% of site or 2,000 sq ft), active ground‑floor uses for at least 50% of frontage, urban design briefs, tertiary (block) plans for sites larger than a single parcel, and other requirements intended to protect surrounding neighborhoods and the city’s fiscal health by retaining or replacing nonresidential space when appropriate.

During deliberation the board added two conditions to the overlay recommendation: (1) require developers using the overlay to include adjacent pedestrian crosswalk improvements as part of their permits and (2) require improvements to nearby bus stops as part of project mitigation (board also asked staff to explore allowing certain publicly accessible terrace/roof spaces as an alternative to at‑grade open space where appropriate). The board voted to forward the overlay and the land‑use amendments to city commission with those conditions.

Board members emphasized the local urgency: without reallocating units the RAC could face a de‑facto cap on new entitlements, delaying projects; members also discussed the role of these changes in supporting future transit investments, walkability, and affordable housing goals. Consultants and staff said the amendments are intended to be implemented over the city’s planning horizon and that technical studies will be used to confirm no‑net‑service impacts to traffic, water, wastewater, drainage and schools before final adoption.

Votes at a glance: Recommendation to commission to allocate 1,000 flexibility units to the RAC — approved; recommendation to commission for RAC LUPA (add 8,000 units) — approved (with condition to submit outstanding agency correspondence); recommendation to commission for TOC LUPA (add 4,379 units) — approved; recommendation to commission for Affordable Housing Bonus Density Overlay (new §4.25) — approved with conditions requiring adjacent pedestrian crosswalks and bus‑stop improvements and staff to explore terrace/open‑space options.

Next steps: Recommendations will be transmitted to City Commission for first reading and to Broward County for concurrent review where required. Final adoption will depend on subsequent county and state review and satisfaction of the technical correspondence requested by staff.