Council updates local code to align with state ‘Live Local’ housing changes

The City Council approved amendments to City Code Chapter 17.5 that revise the city’s affordable‑housing site plan approval process to match changes in state law.

Derek Kilborn, manager of Urban Planning and Historic Preservation, told the council the revisions incorporate changes adopted in Florida’s recent legislative cycle, including adjustments tied to the Live Local Act and follow‑on updates in Senate Bill 328. “What we’re doing now… is incorporating those changes into our local code so that we can utilize some of those changes,” Kilborn said.

Kilborn described four principal changes in the ordinance: synchronization of floor‑area‑ratio (FAR) language with state law while preserving units‑per‑acre density limits; exclusion of airport‑impacted areas from the program and new requirements for transit‑oriented development (TOD) areas; new references for parking regulation within TODs (including identifying SunRunner as a TOD area); and revised conforming/nonconforming provisions.

Kilborn also listed four projects that had used the city’s prior affordable‑housing procedure, noting construction activity at Fairfield Apartments and other approved projects including Palm Lake Christian Church, the Raytheon site on the city’s West Side, and a Hanover project at the JB Carpet site on 20th Street North.

Council members did not request further action beyond approval at this meeting. The clerk announced the ordinance passed unanimously with Council member Richie Floyd recorded as absent.

Why it matters: The amendments are intended to keep local code consistent with state statutory changes so developers and staff can continue to use the city’s affordable‑housing streamlined process. The council said it would monitor further state legislation and return with any necessary adjustments.

Speakers quoted in this article are cited from the meeting record: Derek Kilborn (city planning staff).