Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Council advances Singer Island zoning change on first reading amid resident pushback
Summary
The Riviera Beach City Council advanced a text amendment to RM-20 zoning on first reading that would ease high-rise setbacks in exchange for a fee-in-lieu parks trust; council members and residents debated shadowing, wind, process and possible special-exception safeguards before the 3–2 vote.
Council members on Feb. 18 voted in favor of advancing Ordinance No. 4279 — a text amendment to the RM-20 zoning code affecting Singer Island — on first reading, despite sharp public opposition and calls to return the proposal to Planning & Zoning for further review.
The amendment would alter the city’s “high-rise” setback requirement (currently a 20-foot minimum plus 2 feet of additional setback for each story above the second) by allowing developers to reduce the enhanced setback in exchange for payments into a newly created open-space/parks trust fund. Staff told the council it identified five narrow parcels in the RM-20 district that are constrained by the existing high-rise setback standard and that the proposed text includes a fee-in-lieu formula: $50,000 per quarter-acre of required on-site open space not provided, with a stated minimum contribution of $100,000 per project.
Why it matters: supporters say the amendment would allow redevelopment of narrow lots and generate new revenues for parks, impact fees and ad valorem taxes; opponents say it…
Already have an account? Log in
Subscribe to keep reading
Unlock the rest of this article — and every article on Citizen Portal.
- Unlimited articles
- AI-powered breakdowns of topics, speakers, decisions, and budgets
- Instant alerts when your location has a new meeting
- Follow topics and more locations
- 1,000 AI Insights / month, plus AI Chat
