At the August 8, 2024, Special Council Meeting (SCM), the City presented proposed amendments to the Land Development Code (LDC), Title XVII, Palm Bay Code of Ordinances. Palm Bay City Council voted to table Public Hearing items 1 and 2 to Thursday, August 22, 2024, to allow staff time to solicit additional input on the proposed amendments. A video of the August 8, 2024, SCM is available on the City’s website and YouTube channel, and additional information related to the Land Development Code can be found at www.pbfl.org/LDCupdates.

The City will hold three (3) public input sessions to obtain feedback, address questions, and provide clarification on proposed amendments. The dates, times, and locations are outlined below. There are two ‘Open House’ sessions and one ‘Virtual’ Open House for those unable to attend in person. The open house format provides a window of time for members of the public to ‘drop in’ for one-on-one discussions with a member of the team.

Thursday, August 15 from 3 PM to 6 PM – OPEN HOUSE

Ted Whitlock Community Center at Fred Poppe Regional Park, 1951 Malabar Road NW

Friday, August 16 from 1:30 PM to 4:30 PM – OPEN HOUSE

Dawn Reid Community Room, Palm Bay City Hall, 120 Malabar Road SE

 Monday, August 19 from 3:30 PM to 5:30 PM – VIRTUAL

Registration is required. Register at www.pbfl.org/LDCupdates

Anyone wishing to submit questions or feedback on the proposed amendments to the Land Development Code may also do so by emailing input@pbfl.org by August 19, 2024. As the LDC is a living document, any input received after that deadline may be considered in Phase 2, which will kick off at the start of the 2025 calendar year.

 In accordance with 163.3202, Florida Statutes, the City is required to amend the Land Development Code within one year to ensure consistency with the adopted Comprehensive Plan. The LDC is designed to establish policies that guide the development of property within the Palm Bay city limits. The Palm Bay ‘Vision 2045’ Comprehensive Plan Future Land Use Element was adopted on May 1, 2023, and became effective on June 10, 2023. The remaining elements of the Palm Bay Comprehensive Plan were adopted on May 18, 2023, and became effective on July 20, 2023.

The City, in coordination with Inspire Placemaking (formerly S&ME), kicked off amendments to its Land Development Code in April 2023, followed by a public workshop on September 21, 2023 and three (3) virtual stakeholder workshops on October 2, 2023 (10 AM, 3 PM, and 6 PM). Inspire Placemaking was contracted by the City through a competitive solicitation process to update the City’s Comprehensive Plan and make related updates to the LDC.

In addition to amendments necessary to ensure consistency with the recently adopted Comprehensive Plan, the City sought further input on specific chapters of the LDC in response to concerns from the development community regarding the Planned Unit Development and subdivision processes. The City solicited the services of Land Development Strategies LLC to assist in obtaining input from development stakeholders on specific concerns through one-on-one meetings. Following input, the City held a virtual workshop on April 17, 2024 to present the proposed amendments to Chapters 184 (Subdivision Code) and 185 (Planned Unit Development). These proposed amendments are also included for consideration.

Amendments to the LDC shall be adopted by ordinance, which requires two public hearings. Palm Bay City Council will hold the first public hearing at a Special Council Meeting on Thursday, August 22, 2024. The second and final public hearing is scheduled to occur at the Regular Council Meeting on Thursday, September 19, 2024, at 6:00 PM in Palm Bay Council Chambers.

While additional public input sessions are being provided prior to first hearing, members of the public will still be able to comment and address City Council under each Public Hearing item shown on the agenda. Public comments shall address only those items specifically listed on the agenda. Individuals wishing to address council will raise their hands at the appropriate time, and the presiding officer will call upon the individuals to approach the podium. The speaker shall be limited to three (3) minutes.

Interested parties may access the Palm Bay City Council agendas by visiting www.pbfl.org/agenda.