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Top 10 Development Considerations in South Florida |
Crucial considerations that must be taken before tackling a development project in South Florida. |
November 11, 2021 |
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Every development project poses unique site development challenges. Local land use and zoning requirements can complicate development plans; geographic and geological characteristics of the site can necessitate creativity and flexibility; and of course, local politics often come into play. As you prepare your real prop... |
Here are the Top 10 Site Development Considerations for your project in South Florida: |
1. LAND USE AND ZONING APPROPRIATENESS |
All municipalities and counties in Florida have a comprehensive plan with an established land use and zoning map that will serve as your guide for how you can and can’t develop a given site. The maps break down geographic sections of the city or town into categories of development, with each category having specific us... |
Developed site in florida |
The first step in any development is to understand how these regulations impact your intended development and whether your plans are consistent with community standards. Based on your review of current regulations, you’ll be able to understand if your project can be built “as of right,” or if land use and zoning change... |
2. ENVIRONMENTAL REGULATIONS AND REQUIREMENTS |
Most development projects encounter some type of environmental regulation or requirement. Development can impact sensitive ecosystems or may have historical issues, such as contamination, and local communities understandably want to make sure that projects don’t have a negative impact on their environment. |
There are many potential environmental considerations, including threatened and endangered species, wetlands, and open-space requirements. also, a geological assessment might be necessary to determine whether the land the project is being developed upon has sensitive features, like sinkholes, caves, and wetlands, that ... |
marsh land |
Other environmental considerations aren’t always related to ecosystems, from cultural or historic preservation to site contamination. Site contamination is a particularly important issue because as communities increasingly become more densely developed, it’s often necessary to reclaim land that was previously used for ... |
3. DRAINAGE |
Water is a constant concern for any development. Allowing for proper drainage is vital, not just to keep the site from flooding but to prevent downstream flooding that could impact other areas and contaminate water sources. |
Water quality is always a primary consideration. Natural or engineered filtering systems are often required to clean the first flush of stormwater runoff, either by an appurtenance inside a pipe or sand filter basins. In some jurisdictions, water-quality treatment is considered an environmental consideration rather tha... |
drainage pipe |
Historically, development in South Florida focused around our coastlines, then migrated inland based on land availability. Natural waterways and man-made canals provide a hydraulic means to move water toward our coastal areas and provide flood relief. As developable land becomes more scarce, identifying a parcel with a... |
4. UTILITY ENTITLEMENTS |
Water and wastewater availability and capacity is always an essential consideration for any new development. Can sewer systems handle the discharge from a new development? Can water systems provide sufficient water to meet the needs of the new development, including for fire flow? Pipes have finite capacity and if exis... |
5. TRAFFIC IMPACT |
Traffic is always a primary concern for local leaders and residents. It’s important to understand how your development will impact local roadways, and you might need to plan for impact fees that will be used to underwrite the cost of new road infrastructure. If your development is going to increase traffic on local roa... |
low traffic road in suburb |
6. FLOODPLAINS |
Flooding is a problem across the United States, and its impacts are exaggerated in localized areas based on weather patterns and geography. Many states, particularly Florida, have tidal action that can cause flooding along coastlines. Near these areas, that flooding can cause tides to create a tailwater condition (back... |
Additionally, most navigable waterways are designated as Waters of the U.S. and require Army Corps of Engineers sign-off, so if your project impacts a navigable waterway, expect to be working with the Corps — a federal agency — to obtain approvals for your project. |
7. IMPACT FEES |
Impact fees are the checks you must write to satisfy community infrastructure requirements — before you even put a shovel in the ground. These fees can cover improvements to water and wastewater systems (AKA tap fees), affordable housing fees, fees in lieu of parkland dedication, tree removal mitigation fees, or any nu... |
building next to road |
8. AFFORDABLE HOUSING REQUIREMENTS |
Many jurisdictions have affordable-housing requirements mandating that a certain amount of lower-cost housing is created in conjunction with new development. others offer bonus programs for including the housing. Each community has different requirements and knowing those expectations up-front are quite important. |
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