Highland Beach planning board accepts comprehensive-plan edits, forwards them to town commission

The Town of Highland Beach Planning Board voted unanimously Aug. 14 to accept proposed amendments to the town comprehensive plan and asked staff to transmit the package to the Town Commission for the next step in the adoption process.

The revisions, prepared by Inspire (Inspire Place Making Collective) and presented by project manager Emily (Inspire project manager), update goals, objectives and policies across the future land use, transportation and housing elements. Planning Board members said the changes respond to concerns raised at the July 10 board meeting about flexibility for housing, references to assisted-living facilities and small markets, and references to transit along State Road A1A.

The changes the board accepted include a clarified objective on State Road A1A traffic service, a revision to future land use language allowing existing buildings to renovate at their original densities where permitted, a transportation policy that replaces a narrower reference to “bus stops” with broader “transit service” language, and housing-policy edits that add “as applicable” and replace the phrase “land use framework” with “land use regulations.” Emily said the edits were intended to clarify intent and add flexibility to the town’s policies: “We drafted it to become ‘promote the maintenance of a safe and efficient level of traffic service on State Road A1A to help reduce congestion-related impacts, such as noise levels and air pollution, and to preserve the overall quality of life in the town,’” she said.

Why it matters: comprehensive-plan language guides later land-use rules, permitting and zoning decisions. The Planning Board’s acceptance is a recommendation only; the Town Commission must vote to transmit the updated plan to the Florida Department of Commerce for a roughly 60-day agency review, after which the town will respond to agency comments and then hold an adoption hearing.

Key edits and discussion

- Future land use objective 1.1: clarified language about maintaining a safe and efficient level of traffic service on State Road A1A to reduce congestion-related impacts and preserve quality of life.

- Redevelopment/renovation language: a proposed policy would allow existing buildings to renovate at previous densities where local code permits; the board discussed substituting “renovate” for wording that read as “redevelop.”

- Transportation policy T-1.10.4: the draft now reads that the town “may consider expansion of present area transit service to include service along State Road A1A, where consistent with community preferences and in coordination with the Florida Department of Transportation and regional transit providers.” Board members requested broader wording to cover future modes (for example, shuttles or other transit) rather than only buses; the board agreed to change “bus stop locations” to “transit service locations/stops.”

- Housing policies (series 1.5.x): language was revised to add flexibility. One policy now reads that the town “shall coordinate, as applicable, with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Florida State Housing Initiatives Partnership Program (SHIP), and other relevant agencies regarding the facilitation of affordable and workforce housing within the context of the town’s land use regulations.” Board members debated replacing the broader term “framework” with “land use regulations” or “land development regulations” so the town’s current zoning rules are explicitly referenced; the project team and staff agreed to use “land use regulations” or similar binding language.

Process and next steps

Planning staff told the board that, if the commission votes to transmit the updates, the Florida Department of Commerce (agency review) typically provides comments in about 60 days. Staff will coordinate responses to agency comments and return to the Town Commission for an adoption hearing after transmittal review is complete.

Votes and motion

The board’s motion to accept the consultant’s revisions (including the board’s requested change from “bus stops” to “transit service” language and the change from “framework” to “regulations” in the housing policy) passed unanimously. Chairperson Mendelson called the roll; all members present voted yes.

Presentation and participants

Inspire project manager Emily presented the revisions; Chris Daugherty, principal planner with Inspire, was online and available to answer questions. Town planner Alan and staff member Ingrid provided packet references and noted nonsubstantive corrections (map legend, existing land-use labeling corrections). Chairperson Mendelson thanked the project team for the revisions.

For the record, the board’s acceptance is a recommendation to the Town Commission. The transmittal hearing date is to be determined and will be published when scheduled.