Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Land Use topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Boca Raton staff outline plan to streamline downtown approvals and finish code rewrite
Summary
City staff presented a quarterly update on council‑sponsored code amendments and told the council they expect draft streamlining ordinances and consultant work on architectural standards within months, while leaving policy choices — like granting additional downtown development rights — to the council.
City staff on Monday told the Boca Raton City Council they are moving forward on a package of code amendments intended to speed permitting and update downtown development rules.
Brandon Shatter, Development Services Director, told the council the office has completed or substantially advanced several sponsored items — including CAB process improvements, implementing ordinances for the Live Local housing changes, and reductions to medical office parking via Ordinance 5658 — and is prioritizing a downtown IDA (incentive/approval) streamlining ordinance and the larger land development code rewrite. "We're just beginning the streamlining part," Shatter said, and he estimated drafts should appear in the next few months, with architectural revisions from a consultant expected imminently.
The staff summary outlined specific administrative approvals under consideration for the downtown: allowing administrative approvals for up to 50,000 square feet of building construction and up to 25,000 square feet for changes of use; administrative adjustments for parking counts and layout changes up to 10%; minor open‑space adjustments where minimums remain met; administrative changes to residential bedroom counts; and administrative review of architectural elevation changes. Shatter said transfers or conversions would still require Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) approval.
Council members pressed staff about timing and scope. Mayor Scott Singer asked whether the streamlining work and the architectural consultant draft would be ready for the December meeting; Shatter said the architectural item is "very likely" and the streamlining ordinance would be close — possibly January if not before. Councilmember Mr. Wigdor asked whether the council should make an interim adjustment to the OE mechanism for downtown development rights before a full rewrite of DRI ordinance 4035; Shatter replied that is a policy decision for the council to make rather than a staff obligation.
Shatter also listed other pending projects: incorporation of unified land development codes (ULDCs) from annexed areas, a minimum multifamily dwelling unit size amendment pending additional research, and a yet‑to‑start revision and readoption of PMD regulations.
The presentation emphasized staff capacity: Shatter told the council the department has processed several large amendments in recent years and currently has the bandwidth to focus on the major code rewrite and the 4035 updates. "I do" have the necessary resources, he said, noting prior work on the Live Local changes and redevelopment facilitation for the Boca Raton Innovation Campus as examples.
Next steps: staff will circulate draft ordinances and the consultant's architectural recommendations and return to council for direction; the council retained decision authority over any changes that would grant additional development rights downtown.
