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Palm Coast planning board reviews broad LDC updates including vertiports, data centers and garage rules
Summary
City staff presented proposed Land Development Code amendments to Chapters 3 and 4 and the glossary, adding uses such as data centers and vertiports, aligning home-based business rules with state law, and adjusting accessory-structure and garage standards; the item was discussed in workshop form and no formal votes were taken.
Staff presented a comprehensive set of proposed amendments to Palm Coast’s Land Development Code intended to align the code with the city’s recently adopted comprehensive plan and several recent state statutory changes.
Michael Hansen, senior planner for Community Development, told the Planning and Development Regulation Board the update assigns new residential district labels (SFR‑2 through SFR‑5, Estate 1 and 2, and Master Plan Development) and adjusts permitted uses to reflect the comprehensive plan. "This LDC update is to be consistent with our recently adopted comprehensive plan from last year," Hansen said.
Key changes staff highlighted include: adding "bulk fuel depot" and "oil refineries" to the list of uses that require a City Council supermajority for approval; restoring community‑residential home categories to align with Florida statute (noting the 1–6 and 7–14 person distinctions); and incorporating the city’s short‑term vacation‑rental ordinance into the LDC’s use table. Hansen said the prohibited‑use language functions as a high bar, not an absolute ban: "It basically requires a super majority vote of the city council for that use to be approved," he said.
On nonresidential uses, staff recommended permitting data centers in several commercial and industrial districts and in MPD (master plan development) zoning, and adding microdistilleries and park‑and‑ride facilities to the use tables. Hansen said the data‑center entry formalizes a practice already used in recent amendments to the town‑center MPD.
The update also proposes to list vertiports (for VTOL/EVTOL aircraft) as a permitted land use in multiple nonresidential zoning districts. Board members pressed staff on safety and jurisdiction: one member asked how the city would "control the airspace," and Hansen answered that land use siting is a local matter but air operations are preempted to FDOT and the FAA. "The city will essentially be unable to actually regulate it once the aircraft is off the landing pad," Hansen said, adding that the code change is intended to address siting, design and compatibility concerns rather than air‑traffic control.
Chapter 4 changes include expanded accessory‑structure rules (sheds, pergolas, gazebos, play sets), a restoration of an accessory‑size cap tied to 50% of a dwelling’s living area (with agricultural exemptions), and removal of fixed detached‑garage caps so garage area is instead tied to the 50% living‑area standard. Hansen said the garage changes respond to resident requests to accommodate recreational vehicles and storage needs while remaining subject to setbacks and impervious‑surface limits.
Staff reiterated that the workshop required no formal action; the board will have a wrap‑up session on June 17 before the matter moves to City Council workshops in June and July, with a target second reading in August. The board recorded public comment time but took no votes at this workshop.
What happens next: staff will incorporate minor clarifications suggested by board members (including clearer wording on the 25‑unit recreation‑facility threshold and glossary definitions) and return to the planning board for a final wrap‑up before City Council review.
