Title
MOTION TO PASS PROPOSED ORDINANCE NO. 2025-17 ON FIRST READING
PROPOSED ORDINANCE NO. 2025-17 IS AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF PEMBROKE PINES, FLORIDA, PERTAINING TO THE SUBJECT OF ZONING AND LAND DEVELOPMENT; AMENDING CHAPTER 155 OF THE CITY OF PEMBROKE PINES CODE OF ORDINANCES TO UPDATE PROVISIONS, DELETE PROVISIONS THAT HAVE EXPIRED, HAVE BECOME OBSOLETE, HAVE HAD THEIR EFFECT, HAVE SERVED THEIR PURPOSE, OR HAVE BEEN IMPLIEDLY REPEALED OR SUPERSEDED; REPLACING INCORRECT CROSS-REFERENCES AND CITATIONS; CORRECTING GRAMMATICAL, TYPOGRAPHICAL, AND LIKE ERRORS; REMOVING INCONSISTENCIES, REDUNDANCIES, AND UNNECESSARY REPETITION IN THE CHAPTER; AND IMPROVING THE CLARITY OF THE CHAPTER AND FACILITATING THEIR CORRECT INTERPRETATION; PROVIDING FOR CONFLICT; PROVIDING FOR SEVERABILITY; PROVIDING FOR CODIFICATION; AND, PROVIDING FOR AN EFFECTIVE DATE.
Summary Explanation and Background
SUMMARY EXPLANATION AND BACKGROUND:
1. The City Commission at its March 17, 2021, meeting voted to approve the Land Development Code (LDC) update to the City's Code of Ordinances via Ordinance 1963. The intent of the update was to modernize, consolidate and clarify the City's Land Development regulations. On April 21, 2021, the City Commission approved the LDC update effective date of April 26, 2021.
2. As a living document, city staff is committed to updating the LDC on a regular basis to ensure that it reflects the latest State Statutes as well as changing policies and procedures within the City.
The City Commission has approved amendments to the Land Development Code at the following meetings:
• June 15, 2022, via Ordinance 1989
• June 18, 2024, via Ordinance 2022
3. City staff is now presenting the third amendment to the LDC’s for review. The proposed amendments include corrections of typos, updated terms and definitions, clarifications of procedures, and updates due to recent legislative actions.
4. The following sections of the LDC are being recommended for changes as a result of this third amendment:
• 155.203 Definitions- Removed Electric Vehicle Charging Station definitions (Not used), Removed Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) definition (not used), Added beverage to restaurant definition, added school definition, removed solar water heaters definition (not used).
• 155.204 Acronyms -Added the following acronyms: ANSI (American National Standards Institute), AOR (Architect of Record), E&O (Errors and Omissions), EOR (Engineer of Record), FFE (Finished Floor Elevation), LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design), LOS (Level of Service), NTS(Not to Scale).
• 155.301 Development Applications - Removed plat review and process. Plats will now be administratively approved as per recent passage of SB 784. Changed term "letter of zoning" to "zoning letter".
• 155.306 Application Submittal Procedures - Added verbiage and timetables regarding the processing of applications and determination of completeness per recent passage of Florida Statute §166.033.
• 155.311 Application Appeal Process - Added a reference to the city fee schedule for appeal applications.
• 155.314 Live Local Approval Process - State Statute required language clarifying city timetables and processing of Live Local applications. (NEW SECTION)
• 155.426 Residential Multi-Family (R-MF) - Reduced minimum unit size from 750 square feet to 550 square feet consistent with Affordable Housing Advisory Committee recommendation.
• 155.521 Pawn Shops - Typo correction. No substantive change.
• 155.605 Minimum Off Street Parking Requirements - Reduced outdoor dining ratio from 15 spaces per 1,000 square feet to 5 spaces per 1,000 square feet. Clean up item - Place of assembly parking indicated twice in chart. One of the references removed.
• 155.606 Parking Space Dimensions - Added compact parking spaces as an allowable use for parking areas. Limited number of compact spaces as a percentage of total spaces provided (5% in non-residential lots and 10% in residential lots).
• 155.611 Drive-Thru Stacking Spaces - Drive-Thru automatic car wash stacking clarifies. 18 inbound stacking spaces total required.
• 155.620 General - Accessory Buildings and Structures - Clarification that artificial turf is considered an at grade structure.
• 155.621 Supplemental Regulations for Accessory Buildings and Structures - Updated rules related to artificial turf, consistent with recent State Statute 125.572 F.S.
• 155.632 Bufferyard Between Residential and Non-Residential - Clarifying language for alternative buffer section of code. References to new site plan application vs site plan amendments.
• 155.655 Fences, Walls and Hedges - Clarifies an inconsistency in section from landscape code. Height requirement for ground covers, shrubs and hedges in swales and interior landscaped areas will continue to be limited to 2 feet in height.
• 155.657 Landscape Plan Requirements - . Deleted duplicative text at beginning of section.
• 155.666 Irrigation Standards - Clarifies that the use of water for irrigation purposes will be consistent Section 50 of the Code of Ordinances
• 155.670 Duties of Property Owner for General Landscape Maintenance - Clarifies city permit requirement to remove invasive species.
• 155.675 Standards for Tree Removal or Relocation Permit Issuance - Clarifies that at least one criteria must be met from existing list to remove a tree. If a tree needs to be removed as a result of a new development then the new development cannot be built until tree removal and development permits are all issued.
• 155.686 General Lighting Standards - Added Private recreation facilities to list. Correlated Color temperature (CCT) allowance subject to study in accordance with IES standards.
• 155.687 Non-Residential Lighting Standards - States that the director may consider illumination standards (footcandles) for Private recreation facilities upon submittal of a study prepared in accordance with IES standards.
• 155.699 Permanent Signs - Added criteria for car dealerships and allows for pre menu boards for drive thru facilities.
• 155.6107 Prohibited Signs - Clarifies that the use of vinyl on a flat surface for signage is prohibited.
5. City staff also provides a separate attachment outlines the specific changes to the Code in strikethrough and underline format.
6. Staff notes that the restrictions included in Senate Bill 180 impacted the addition of certain updates that were considered more restrictive than our current standards. The city will revisit these updates once SB 180 restrictions expire.
7. Administration recommends passage of proposed Ordinance No. 2025-17 on first reading.
8. Second and final reading is tentatively scheduled for December 17, 2025 meeting.
Financial Impact
FINANCIAL IMPACT DETAIL:
a) Initial Cost: None.
b) Amount budgeted for this item in Account No: Not Applicable.
c) Source of funding for difference, if not fully budgeted: Not Applicable.
d) 5 year projection of the operational cost of the project Not Applicable.
e) Detail of additional staff requirements: Not Applicable.
FEASIBILITY REVIEW:
A feasibility review is required for the award, renewal and/or expiration of all function sourcing contracts. This analysis is to determine the financial effectiveness of function sourcing services.
a) Was a Feasibility Review/Cost Analysis of Out-Sourcing vs. In-House Labor Conducted for this service? Not Applicable
b) If Yes, what is the total cost or total savings of utilizing Out-Sourcing vs. In-House Labor for this service? Not Applicable
BUSINESS IMPACT ESTIMATE:
Pursuant to Section 166.041, F.S., a Business Impact Estimate (BIE) must be prepared for certain ordinances that impact the operations of local businesses.
a) Is a Business Impact Estimate (BIE) Form attached to this Ordinance? Yes.
b) Is this Ordinance exempt from requiring an Business Impact Estimate (BIE)? No.