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After years of complaints, Fort Lauderdale commissioners direct staff to draft SED permit rules and consider "descertifying" troubled Himmerschy district
Summary
Staff proposed replacing district-level Special Entertainment District rules with an establishment-based annual permit requiring security and maintenance plans and tiered penalties; commissioners and cultural institutions urged stronger enforcement and asked the city attorney to prepare draft descentification/permit language focused on the Himmerschy/Second Street area.
Fort Lauderdale staff proposed code amendments to move Special Entertainment District (SED) regulation from a district-based model to an establishment-based annual permit system requiring security and maintenance plans, video/camera standards and tiered enforcement. The aim is to give staff clearer authority to suspend or revoke privileges for noncompliant venues while preserving incentives for compliant businesses.
The presentation, delivered by Trisha Logan of Development Services, described the permit concept: annual applications for each establishment within defined SED geographic boundaries, required security/maintenance plans (identity scanners, camera/video access, private-detail coverage for events), retention of selected incentives and a tiered infraction/fine/suspension process culminating in permit revocation for repeat or severe breaches. Logan said staff heard during outreach that some stakeholders wanted district-by-district tailoring; the proposal therefore centers on an establishment permit that can be enforced per business.
Public comment was extensive: cultural institutions and longtime property owners (including the Broward Center and Museum of Discovery and Science) described repeated late-night violence, underage drinking and operational noncompliance on Second Street/Himmerschy and urged decisive action. Owners and several operators urged not to "punish the good actors" and supported a permit approach that targets bad actors.
Commissioner Beasley Pitman said she wants to "descertify" the Himmerschy SED (remove the district'level certification) while allowing existing businesses a path to operate under the new establishment-permit rules; staff and the city attorney were asked to prepare draft ordinance language to enable that option. Commissioners sought explicit penalty tiers, enforcement roles (who monitors compliance and how cameras or private-detail requirements would be enforced) and a timeline for first reading.
Next steps: staff and the city attorney will draft ordinance language for an establishment-based permit and a descertification pathway for the troubled Himmerschy area, including proposed enforcement mechanisms and penalty schedules; the commission asked for a letter/summary in advance of the first-reading ordinance to give commissioners time to gather stakeholder input.
