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Planning board defers student‑housing ordinance after questions about parking, unit mix and enforcement
Summary
The board deferred an ordinance that would define and allow a lease‑by‑bed student‑housing product in the TSDD, asking staff for clearer data on parking ratios, unit/bed counting and common‑area minimums before forwarding a recommendation to the City Commission.
The Planning & Zoning Board deferred discussion of a proposed ordinance to allow a new type of off‑campus student housing in the Transit Supportive Development District after members raised questions about parking, unit mix, density measurement and enforceability.
Planning consultant Mark Albers told the board the draft ordinance would define "student housing" as a residential use limited to students and require leases by bedroom, proof of enrollment, a maximum number of bedrooms per unit (staff proposed four, with discussion about allowing five or six), a minimum bedroom size (proposed 180 sq ft), bicycle parking and a proposed parking ratio of 0.25 spaces per bedroom. "We want to make this very distinct from multi‑family," Albers said, explaining the rationale for lease‑by‑bed management and enforcement.
Board members pressed staff on whether density should be counted by beds rather than units, whether common‑area minimums should be required to avoid degrading unit quality, and whether the proposed parking standard is realistic in a Miami market that many board members said remains car‑dependent. One board member said the ordinance "isn't fully cooked" and moved to defer the item so staff could return with comparables, revised parking analysis and suggested unit mixes; the motion passed and the item was continued to the October 14 meeting.
