Two South Florida coastal cities are moving in opposite directions on waterfront development, as localities grapple with regulating construction on the region’s most valuable real estate.
Deerfield Beach is considering looser guidelines for building on the waterfront, while West Palm Beach has temporarily reined in development.
Deerfield Beach commissioners voted 3-2 Tuesday for charter amendments that would loosen decadeslong restrictions, including eliminating floor area ratio maximums for commercial and multifamily properties between the Intracoastal Waterway and the Atlantic Ocean, the South Florida Business Journal reported. The change also would lift limits on mixed-use developments and projects with accessory use that includes commercial, multifamily or a hotel.
The vote was preliminary, with commissioners expected to give their final vote on Aug. 4. Residents will have a final say in a Nov. 3 referendum.
Under the proposal, height caps and lot coverage limits will remain, but the requirement for voter approval for the sale or lease of city property valued at over $750,000 would be scrapped.
The changes would be made as part of a slew of city charter amendments, which also include the schedule for elections and eligibility requirements for elected officials. The suggested tweaks came from the city charter review board, which conducted a year-long study.
The goal is to free up blighted beachfront parcels that can’t be redeveloped, yet also keep the city’s low-rise look, Mayor Todd Drosky said.
“We like our small village feel, and we want to maintain that going forward,” he told the publication. “We don’t want large skyscrapers on the beach.”
Still, most of the 20 residents at the meeting spoke against the proposed charter amendments, including the waterfront development regulations.
Meanwhile, roughly 50 miles north, West Palm Beach commissioners voted unanimously on Monday to do the opposite: Freeze for six months new development that requires rezoning for the area between Monroe Drive and Southern Boulevard, east of Washington Road, SFBJ reported.
The moratorium runs until Jan. 20, and the city will hire a consultant to recommend zoning changes to the area.
Seven properties are covered by the pause, several of which are owned at least in part by billionaire Steve Ross’ Related Ross and Nadim Ashi’s Fort Lauderdale-based Fort Partners.
The real estate includes Harbor Towers & Marina Condo, Southbridge Condo, Crystal Condominium, Flagler Yacht Club Condominium, Portofino South Condominium and a pair of apartment buildings.
Members of the Flagler Yacht Club condo pressed commissioners to vote against the moratorium, saying it could derail their negotiations with a developer for a bulk buyout of units, a welcomed reprieve for residents due to high assessments.
The two votes reflect broader tension across South Florida municipalities over its coastline and how to best protect it from over-development amid the building boom while also regulating construction and maintaining character. At the same time, some longtime waterfront condo dwellers are ready to sell their homes amid skyrocketing insurance and post-Surfside collapse mandates on condo buildings have led to soaring assessments.
Deerfield Beach, which has a modest profile compared to Miami and Palm Beach, may be signaling openness to change. West Palm Beach, one of the epicenters of development activity in recent years, is instead hitting pause. —Lidia Dinkova