Plantation council approves first reading, site plan and waivers for 18-unit ‘Isabella’ development on State Road 7

The City of Plantation on May 7 approved a first reading ordinance and related site approvals to permit an 18‑unit multifamily development at 849 South State Road 7, known in staff materials as the Isabella project.

Planning and zoning staff described the project as a roughly 30,701‑square‑foot redevelopment within the Gateway Artist and Commerce (BAC) district that will provide 18 two‑bedroom “garden apartment” units. Staff said 4 of the units, or 20 percent, will be designated as workforce housing and will be enforceable by the city.

City Planning, engineering and applicant presentations showed the three‑story building would be sited on the east side of the narrow parcel to maximize buffering from adjacent single‑family homes to the north and west. The council approved an ordinance allocating 18 local activity center (LAC) garden apartment units to the site, plus a site plan, a plat and several waivers tied to landscaping, setbacks and parking islands. The approvals included an allowance for reduced parking after applying Gateway District and transit proximity reductions; the applicant proposed 32 parking spaces, which staff said meets the code‑adjusted requirement.

Why it matters: staff and the applicant said the parcel has limited…