Board backs text amendment to allow residential uses on civic institution parcels with workforce housing requirement

The Planning, Zoning & Appeals Board recommended approval of a citywide text amendment (file 18402) that amends Article 4 (standards and tables) of Miami ’21 to permit residential development on parcels owned or controlled by religious institutions, not‑for‑profit organizations, and government entities that contain a place of worship or educational facility. The change is intended to align local zoning with recent state affordable‑housing legislation (staff cited Florida SB 1730) and to create a clear process for applying density allowances on civic institution (CI) properties.

Amber Fortein of the planning department described the proposal and its scope: the department identified approximately 688 civic‑institution properties across the city (about 790 acres) and proposed by‑right allowances for co‑living and multifamily housing on parcels owned or controlled by religious institutions or governmental entities, provided the parcel contains a place of worship or school. The amendment also specifies workforce‑housing requirements for residential developments on CI parcels: a minimum of 25% of dwelling units must serve residents between 60% and 80% of area median income (AMI), with the remaining affiliated workforce units serving households up to 100% AMI, consistent with staff’s summary of the proposed language.

Board members asked about impacts on Miami‑Dade County Public Schools property and whether underutilized school assets could be affected; staff said parcels would generally be capped to the most restrictive abutting transect but that the board could add an exception to permit CI parcels abutting T3 to develop to T4 standards by an exceptions process. The board added that amendment language during discussion and then voted 7–0 to recommend the ordinance with the added exception.

The board’s recommendation is to forward the text amendment to the City Commission with the board’s added language permitting a T3‑abutting CI to seek a T4 standard by exception and the workforce‑housing set‑aside included in the draft text. The recommendation does not itself change zoning or land use on individual parcels; any project-specific development remains subject to separate review and permitting.