Riviera Beach staff preview 'General Mixed Use' comp‑plan changes; residents press for clarity on property impacts and enforcement

Riviera Beach staff on Dec. 11 presented proposed updates to the city’s comprehensive plan that would add a General Mixed Use (GMU) future land‑use category to allow limited mixed commercial and residential development outside downtown corridors. The presentation framed GMU as a tool to support local retail, dining and walkable neighborhood amenities while retaining compatibility with adjacent residential areas.

Long‑range Principal Planner Sunita Simon said staff drafted GMU after community outreach and that the category is intended for smaller mixed‑use centers that are pedestrian‑ and transit‑friendly. "Our new land use is gonna be a general mixed use," Simon said, explaining that the designation would permit vertical and horizontal mixed uses at lower intensities than downtown and allow net residential densities up to 15 units per acre.

Staff proposed converting some office‑designated parcels to GMU or back to single‑family residential where the office designation no longer reflected existing neighborhoods. A resident, Sybil Mitchell of 1691 Essex Lane, asked whether the changes signal imminent‑domain takings for homes shown on the map. Simon replied: "There is no taking being had. The city is not trying to take the homes" and said the map corrections are intended to align future‑land‑use designations with current neighborhood character.

Board members and residents also raised questions about property values, whether existing businesses would be grandfathered, and how the city will communicate changes to affected property owners. Staff said the county property appraiser’s office had been consulted and that existing businesses in reclassified areas would be legally nonconforming but allowed to continue.

Several audience members and board members urged stronger enforcement of voluntary community benefits tied to development approvals — notably the promise to advertise jobs locally and use local vendors. Public commenter Margaret Shepherd said contractors are building projects "and none of us was out there" to see whether Riviera Beach residents are being hired. Staff acknowledged a gap in enforcement when conditions are voluntary, said a status update had been provided previously, and promised further follow‑up and a future agenda item on monitoring commitments.

Simon and staff framed the hearing as an early feedback opportunity rather than a final vote; commissioners were invited to provide comments prior to the plan’s transmittal to City Council. Staff said the remaining elements of the comprehensive‑plan update will be returned to the board for additional review and that outreach materials and the draft plan will be posted for public review.