Tamarac adopts new certificate-of-use rules, adds short compliance period for plaza owners

The Tamarac City Commission on Feb. 26 approved new rules requiring certificates of use for new commercial tenants and tightened processes for dealing with blighted or noncompliant plazas, adding a three-month education-and-compliance period and a manager-level discretionary path for owners who present credible plans.

The ordinance, adopted on second reading after a motion to reconsider and an amendment, is intended to prevent landlords from leasing space in properties with outstanding code violations or liens and to give the city a clearer tool to require repairs and maintenance. The commission also removed a proposed $75 landlord-registration fee from the fee schedule earlier in the meeting.

The measure grew out of weeks of public attention to aging and poorly maintained shopping centers in Tamarac and a long staff review. Deputy Community Development Director Maxine Calloway told the commission the certificate-of-use provision is intended to “ensure a business tax receipt is not issued until code and safety violations are remedied,” and staff recommended a process that includes an option for property owners to submit an improvement plan for limited administrative relief.

The item prompted lengthy testimony from plaza owners and tenants. Jack…