Palmetto Bay adopts code change to let corner-lot secondary driveways match garage openings, capped at 24 feet

The Palmetto Bay Village Council moved forward on March 16 with a villagewide amendment to the land development code allowing wider secondary-frontage driveways on corner lots to match garage door openings, addressing a recurring permitting problem for homeowners.

Vice Mayor Mark Meritzer sponsored the amendment and told council the change was prompted by a constituent’s permitting experience in which a 16-foot garage door could not be matched to the existing 12-foot code cap for secondary-frontage driveways. "This amendment will update the code to allow the secondary frontage driveway width to match the garage door plus a maximum of 2 feet on each side, not to exceed the maximum width of 24 ft," staff said during the presentation.

Planning staff confirmed the change will leave other driveway and impervious-surface requirements unchanged and that the 24-foot hard cap mirrors existing primary-frontage limits. The council voted to incorporate LPA comments and approved the ordinance on first reading by unanimous roll call (4-0). The amendment is intended to reduce permit denials where side-loading double garages conflict with the 12-foot driveway limit.

Vice Mayor Meritzer noted the change responds to multiple permitting incidents, not just one homeowner. The amendment included a technical clarification to measure width at the property line; staff will carry the ordinance to second reading for final adoption.