A Faithful Reader….on the LBTS Height limits….
TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN:
THERE IS MUCH MISINFORMATION, SLANTED AND BIASED INFORMATION, AND INCOMPLETE INFORMATION GOING AROUND CONCERNING ZONING ISSUES IN LBTS, PARTICULARLY PERTAINING TO HEIGHT LIMITS. BOTH THE TOWN CHARTER AND CODE OF ORDINANCES DEAL WITH THIS SUBJECT. IT HAS BEEN SUGGESTED THAT THE CHARTER PROVISIONS DEALING WITH HEIGHT LIMITS DOESN’T ACCURATELY REFLECT THE RESULTS OF REFERENDUM INITIATIVES PASSED BY MAJORITY VOTE OF THE ELECTORATE.
BUT IF ANYONE IS INTERESTED IN SEEING WHAT THE TOWN CHARTER AND CODE OF ORDINANCES REALLY SAY, APART FROM WHAT SOME WISH IT WOULD SAY, AND COMING TO THEIR OWN CONCLUSIONS, THEY CAN CHECK IT OUT ONLINE RELATIVELY SIMPLY BY LOGGING ON TO www.Municode.com AS FOLLOWS.
ONCE ON THE MUNICODE WEBSITE:
-CLICK ONLINE LIBRARY
-CLICK ON THE STATE OF FLORIDA
-SCROLL DOWN AND CLICK ON LAUDERDALE BY THE SEA
-CLICK ON FREE ONLINE VIEWING: LAUDERDALE BY THE SEA CODE OF ORDINANCES
-CLICK ON PART I CHARTER, ARTICLE VII PLANNING AND ZONING
-VIEW AND/OR PRINT SEC. 7.1: MAXIMUM HEIGHT FOR BUILDINGS ESTABLISHED; REFERENDUM REQUIRED FOR INCREASES IN ZONED RESIDENTIAL-DISTRICT HEIGHT LIMITS. THIS SECTION IS ONLY 3 & 1/2 PAGES LONG AND DOESN’T REQUIRE A LAW DEGREE. EXCERPTS FOLLOW:
PARA. (1) ” No building…shall have more than four (4) stories above grade, and the maximum height …shall be forty-four (44) feet above grade as defined in the Florida Building Code, or above a horizontal plane eighteen inches above the crown of the roadway at the highest point…whichever of those levels is higher.”
“In accordance with the Florida Building code, bulkheads and penthouses used solely to enclose stairways, tanks, elevator machinery or shafts or ventilation or air conditioning apparatus shall not be included in determining building height…”
PARA. (2) “In any building…that has more than three (3) stories…the first shall be for parking…storage, refuse, security…”
PARA. (6) “The maximum building height limits…established in paragraphs (1), (2)… of this section of the charter, shall be applicable to all real property located within the boundaries of the Town as the boundaries exist on March 20, 2006.”
PARA. (9) “The Town Commission may not increase …the maximum building height limits established in paragraphs (1)…” “The maximum height limits established in residential zoning districts…may be increased, or such districts rezoned for any other use whatsoever, only by a referendum vote of registered voters…”
PARA. (10) “The maximum building heights established in paragraphs (1)…may be increased only by amendment to or repeal of this section of the Charter.”
PARA. (11) “Upon adoption of these provisions, and pending amendment of any portion or portions of the Town’s Code of Ordinances inconsistent with this section of the Charter, the more stringent provisions shall apply.
-NEXT CLICK ON PART II CODE OF ORDINANCES-CHAPTER 30-UNIFIED LAND DEVELOPMENT REGULATIONS-ARTICLE V. ZONING TO LEARN THE CURRENT STATUS OF HEIGHT LIMITS AS WELL AS OTHER ZONING ISSUES AS THEY EXIST. IF YOUR PARTICULAR INTEREST IS THE RM-25 DISTRICT, THE PREDOMINENT MULTI-FAMILY AREA OF TOWN, SCROLL DOWN TO SUBDIVISION E. RM-25 DISTRICT REGULATIONS.
AFTER YOU’VE BECOME INFORMED, CONTACT EACH COMMISSION MEMBER, AND EACH MEMBER OF THE PLANNING AND ZONING BOARD AS WELL AS THE MASTER PLAN STEERING COMMITTEE, TO VOICE YOUR OPINION AS TO WHETHER THE CODE OF ORDINANCES RELATING TO HEIGHT LIMITS SHOULD BE CHANGED TO CONFORM TO THE CHARTER. THIS IS AN IMPORTANT ISSUE FOR THE TOWN.
THIS, AND OTHER ZONING ISSUES WILL BE DISCUSSED AT SEVERAL MEETINGS AND WORKSHOPS OVER THE NEXT SEVERAL MONTHS, SO GET INVOLVED.
Thanks to the reader….
more to come….
Tags: Boards, Civic Organizations, lbts height limits, Local Politics, Scoops
