Florida Senate - 2025                        COMMITTEE AMENDMENT
       Bill No. SB 1730
       
       
       
       
       
       
                                Ì768966fÎ768966                         
       
                              LEGISLATIVE ACTION                        
                    Senate             .             House              
                  Comm: RCS            .                                
                  04/02/2025           .                                
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       The Committee on Community Affairs (Calatayud) recommended the
       following:
       
    1         Senate Amendment (with title amendment)
    2  
    3         Delete lines 62 - 425
    4  and insert:
    5  paragraph (p), a new paragraph (l) and paragraphs (m), (n), and
    6  (o) are added to that subsection, subsection (9) is added to
    7  that section, and paragraphs (a) through (f) and (k) of
    8  subsection (7) of that section are amended, to read:
    9         125.01055 Affordable housing.—
   10         (7)(a) A county must authorize multifamily and mixed-use
   11  residential as allowable uses in any area zoned for commercial,
   12  industrial, or mixed use, and in portions of any flexibly zoned
   13  area such as a planned unit development permitted for
   14  commercial, industrial, or mixed use, if at least 40 percent of
   15  the residential units in a proposed multifamily development are
   16  rental units that, for a period of at least 30 years, are
   17  affordable as defined in s. 420.0004. Notwithstanding any other
   18  law, local ordinance, or regulation to the contrary, a county
   19  may not require a proposed multifamily development to obtain a
   20  zoning or land use change, special exception, conditional use
   21  approval, variance, transfer of density or development units,
   22  amendment to a development of regional impact, or comprehensive
   23  plan amendment for the building height, zoning, and densities
   24  authorized under this subsection. For mixed-use residential
   25  projects, at least 65 percent of the total square footage must
   26  be used for residential purposes. The county may not require
   27  that more than 10 percent of the total square footage of such
   28  mixed-use residential projects be used for nonresidential
   29  purposes.
   30         (b) A county may not restrict the density of a proposed
   31  development authorized under this subsection below the highest
   32  currently allowed, or allowed on July 1, 2023, density on any
   33  unincorporated land in the county where residential development
   34  is allowed under the county’s land development regulations. For
   35  purposes of this paragraph, the term “highest currently allowed
   36  density” does not include the density of any building that met
   37  the requirements of this subsection or the density of any
   38  building that has received any bonus, variance, or other special
   39  exception for density provided in the county’s land development
   40  regulations as an incentive for development.
   41         (c) A county may not restrict the floor area ratio of a
   42  proposed development authorized under this subsection below 150
   43  percent of the highest currently allowed, or allowed on July 1,
   44  2023, floor area ratio on any unincorporated land in the county
   45  where development is allowed under the county’s land development
   46  regulations. For purposes of this paragraph, the term “highest
   47  currently allowed floor area ratio” does not include the floor
   48  area ratio of any building that met the requirements of this
   49  subsection or the floor area ratio of any building that has
   50  received any bonus, variance, or other special exception for
   51  floor area ratio provided in the county’s land development
   52  regulations as an incentive for development. For purposes of
   53  this subsection, the term “floor area ratio” includes floor lot
   54  ratio.
   55         (d)1. A county may not restrict the height of a proposed
   56  development authorized under this subsection below the highest
   57  currently allowed, or allowed on July 1, 2023, height for a
   58  commercial or residential building located in its jurisdiction
   59  within 1 mile of the proposed development or 3 stories,
   60  whichever is higher. For purposes of this paragraph, the term
   61  “highest currently allowed height” does not include the height
   62  of any building that met the requirements of this subsection or
   63  the height of any building that has received any bonus,
   64  variance, or other special exception for height provided in the
   65  county’s land development regulations as an incentive for
   66  development.
   67         2. If the proposed development is adjacent to, on two or
   68  more sides, a parcel zoned for single-family residential use
   69  which is within a single-family residential development with at
   70  least 25 contiguous single-family homes, the county may restrict
   71  the height of the proposed development to 150 percent of the
   72  tallest building on any property adjacent to the proposed
   73  development, the highest currently allowed, or allowed on July
   74  1, 2023, height for the property provided in the county’s land
   75  development regulations, or 3 stories, whichever is higher, but
   76  not to exceed 10 stories. For the purposes of this paragraph,
   77  the term “adjacent to” means those properties sharing more than
   78  one point of a property line, but does not include properties
   79  separated by a public road.
   80         (e) A proposed development authorized under this subsection
   81  must be administratively approved without and no further action
   82  by the board of county commissioners or any quasi-judicial or
   83  administrative board or reviewing body is required if the
   84  development satisfies the county’s land development regulations
   85  for multifamily developments in areas zoned for such use and is
   86  otherwise consistent with the comprehensive plan, with the
   87  exception of provisions establishing allowable densities, floor
   88  area ratios, height, and land use. Such land development
   89  regulations include, but are not limited to, regulations
   90  relating to setbacks and parking requirements. A proposed
   91  development located within one-quarter mile of a military
   92  installation identified in s. 163.3175(2) may not be
   93  administratively approved. Each county shall maintain on its
   94  website a policy containing procedures and expectations for
   95  administrative approval pursuant to this subsection.
   96         (f)1. A county must, upon request of an applicant, reduce
   97  consider reducing parking requirements by 20 percent for a
   98  proposed development authorized under this subsection if the
   99  development:
  100         a. Is located within one-quarter mile of a transit stop, as
  101  defined in the county’s land development code, and the transit
  102  stop is accessible from the development;.
  103         2. A county must reduce parking requirements by at least 20
  104  percent for a proposed development authorized under this
  105  subsection if the development:
  106         b.a. Is located within one-half mile of a major
  107  transportation hub that is accessible from the proposed
  108  development by safe, pedestrian-friendly means, such as
  109  sidewalks, crosswalks, elevated pedestrian or bike paths, or
  110  other multimodal design features; or and
  111         c.b. Has available parking within 600 feet of the proposed
  112  development which may consist of options such as on-street
  113  parking, parking lots, or parking garages available for use by
  114  residents of the proposed development. However, a county may not
  115  require that the available parking compensate for the reduction
  116  in parking requirements.
  117         2.3. A county must eliminate parking requirements for a
  118  proposed mixed-use residential development authorized under this
  119  subsection within an area recognized by the county as a transit
  120  oriented development or area, as provided in paragraph (h).
  121         3.4. For purposes of this paragraph, the term “major
  122  transportation hub” means any transit station, whether bus,
  123  train, or light rail, which is served by public transit with a
  124  mix of other transportation options.
  125         (k) Notwithstanding any other law or local ordinance or
  126  regulation to the contrary, a county may allow an adjacent
  127  parcel of land to be included within a proposed multifamily
  128  development authorized under this subsection.
  129         (l) This subsection does not apply to:
  130         1. Airport-impacted areas as provided in s. 333.03.
  131         2. Property defined as recreational and commercial working
  132  waterfront in s. 342.201(2)(b) in any area zoned as industrial.
  133         3. The Wekiva Study Area, as described in s. 369.316.
  134         4. The Everglades Protection Area, as defined in s.
  135  373.4592(2).
  136         (m) The court shall give any civil action filed against a
  137  county for a violation of this subsection priority over other
  138  pending cases and render a preliminary or final decision as
  139  expeditiously as possible.
  140         (n) If a civil action is filed against a county for a
  141  violation of this subsection, the court must assess and award
  142  reasonable attorney fees and costs to the prevailing party. An
  143  award of reasonable attorney fees or costs pursuant to this
  144  subsection may not exceed $200,000. In addition, a prevailing
  145  party may not recover any attorney fees or costs directly
  146  incurred by or associated with litigation to determine an award
  147  of reasonable attorney fees or costs.
  148         (o) As used in this subsection, the term:
  149         1. “Commercial use” means activities associated with the
  150  sale, rental, or distribution of products or the performance of
  151  services related thereto. The term includes, but is not limited
  152  to, such uses or activities as retail sales; wholesale sales;
  153  rentals of equipment, goods, or products; offices; restaurants;
  154  food service vendors; sports arenas; theaters; tourist
  155  attractions; and other for-profit business activities. A parcel
  156  zoned to permit such uses by right without the requirement to
  157  obtain a variance or waiver is considered commercial use for the
  158  purposes of this section, irrespective of the local land
  159  development regulation’s listed category or title. The term does
  160  not include home-based businesses or cottage food operations
  161  undertaken on residential property, uses that are accessory,
  162  ancillary, incidental to the allowable uses, or allowed only on
  163  a temporary basis. Recreational uses, such as golf courses,
  164  tennis courts, swimming pools, and clubhouses, within an area
  165  designated for residential use are not commercial use,
  166  irrespective of the manner in which they are operated.
  167         2. “Industrial use” means activities associated with the
  168  manufacture, assembly, processing, or storage of products or the
  169  performance of services related thereto. The term includes, but
  170  is not limited to, such uses or activities as automobile
  171  manufacturing or repair, boat manufacturing or repair, junk
  172  yards, meat packing facilities, citrus processing and packing
  173  facilities, produce processing and packing facilities,
  174  electrical generating plants, water treatment plants, sewage
  175  treatment plants, and solid waste disposal sites. A parcel zoned
  176  to permit such uses by right without the requirement to obtain a
  177  variance or waiver is considered industrial use for the purposes
  178  of this section, irrespective of the local land development
  179  regulation’s listed category or title. The term does not include
  180  uses that are accessory, ancillary, incidental to the allowable
  181  uses, or allowed only on a temporary basis. Recreational uses,
  182  such as golf courses, tennis courts, swimming pools, and
  183  clubhouses, within an area designated for residential use are
  184  not industrial use, irrespective of the manner in which they are
  185  operated.
  186         3. “Mixed use” means any use that combines multiple types
  187  of approved land uses from at least two of the residential use,
  188  commercial use, and industrial use categories. The term does not
  189  include uses that are accessory, ancillary, incidental to the
  190  allowable uses, or allowed only on a temporary basis.
  191  Recreational uses, such as golf courses, tennis courts, swimming
  192  pools, and clubhouses, within an area designated for residential
  193  use are not mixed use, irrespective of the manner in which they
  194  are operated.
  195         4. “Planned unit development” has the same meaning as
  196  provided in s. 163.3202(5)(b).
  197         (9)(a) A county may not impose a building moratorium that
  198  has the effect of delaying the permitting or construction of a
  199  multifamily residential or mixed-use residential development
  200  authorized under subsection (7) except as provided in paragraph
  201  (b).
  202         (b) A county may, by ordinance, impose such a building
  203  moratorium for no more than 90 days in any 3-year period. Before
  204  adoption of such a building moratorium, the county shall prepare
  205  or cause to be prepared an assessment of the county’s need for
  206  affordable housing at the extremely-low-income, very-low-income,
  207  low-income, or moderate-income limits specified in s. 420.0004,
  208  including projections of such need for the next 5 years. This
  209  assessment must be posted on the county’s website by the date
  210  the notice of proposed enactment is published, and presented at
  211  the same public meeting at which the proposed ordinance imposing
  212  the building moratorium is adopted by the board of county
  213  commissioners. This assessment must be included in the business
  214  impact estimate for the ordinance imposing such a moratorium
  215  required by s. 125.66(3).
  216         (c) If a civil action is filed against a county for a
  217  violation of this subsection, the court must assess and award
  218  reasonable attorney fees and costs to the prevailing party. An
  219  award of reasonable attorney fees or costs pursuant to this
  220  subsection may not exceed $200,000. In addition, a prevailing
  221  party may not recover any attorney fees or costs directly
  222  incurred by or associated with litigation to determine an award
  223  of reasonable attorney fees or costs.
  224         (d) This subsection does not apply to moratoria imposed due
  225  to unavailability of public facilities or services or imposed to
  226  address stormwater or flood water management, if such moratoria
  227  apply equally to all types of multifamily or mixed-use
  228  residential development.
  229         Section 2. Present paragraph (l) of subsection (7) of
  230  section 166.04151, Florida Statutes, is redesignated as
  231  paragraph (p), a new paragraph (l) and paragraphs (m), (n), and
  232  (o) are added to that subsection, subsection (9) is added to
  233  that section, and paragraphs (a) through (f) and (k) of
  234  subsection (7) of that section are amended, to read:
  235         166.04151 Affordable housing.—
  236         (7)(a) A municipality must authorize multifamily and mixed
  237  use residential as allowable uses in any area zoned for
  238  commercial, industrial, or mixed use, and in portions of any
  239  flexibly zoned area such as a planned unit development permitted
  240  for commercial, industrial, or mixed use, if at least 40 percent
  241  of the residential units in a proposed multifamily development
  242  are rental units that, for a period of at least 30 years, are
  243  affordable as defined in s. 420.0004. Notwithstanding any other
  244  law, local ordinance, or regulation to the contrary, a
  245  municipality may not require a proposed multifamily development
  246  to obtain a zoning or land use change, special exception,
  247  conditional use approval, variance, transfer of density or
  248  development units, amendment to a development of regional
  249  impact, or comprehensive plan amendment for the building height,
  250  zoning, and densities authorized under this subsection. For
  251  mixed-use residential projects, at least 65 percent of the total
  252  square footage must be used for residential purposes. The
  253  municipality may not require that more than 10 percent of the
  254  total square footage of such mixed-use residential projects be
  255  used for nonresidential purposes.
  256         (b) A municipality may not restrict the density of a
  257  proposed development authorized under this subsection below the
  258  highest currently allowed, or allowed on July 1, 2023, density
  259  on any land in the municipality where residential development is
  260  allowed under the municipality’s land development regulations.
  261  For purposes of this paragraph, the term “highest currently
  262  allowed density” does not include the density of any building
  263  that met the requirements of this subsection or the density of
  264  any building that has received any bonus, variance, or other
  265  special exception for density provided in the municipality’s
  266  land development regulations as an incentive for development.
  267         (c) A municipality may not restrict the floor area ratio of
  268  a proposed development authorized under this subsection below
  269  150 percent of the highest currently allowed, or allowed on July
  270  1, 2023, floor area ratio on any land in the municipality where
  271  development is allowed under the municipality’s land development
  272  regulations. For purposes of this paragraph, the term “highest
  273  currently allowed floor area ratio” does not include the floor
  274  area ratio of any building that met the requirements of this
  275  subsection or the floor area ratio of any building that has
  276  received any bonus, variance, or other special exception for
  277  floor area ratio provided in the municipality’s land development
  278  regulations as an incentive for development. For purposes of
  279  this subsection, the term “floor area ratio” includes floor lot
  280  ratio.
  281         (d)1. A municipality may not restrict the height of a
  282  proposed development authorized under this subsection below the
  283  highest currently allowed, or allowed on July 1, 2023, height
  284  for a commercial or residential building located in its
  285  jurisdiction within 1 mile of the proposed development or 3
  286  stories, whichever is higher. For purposes of this paragraph,
  287  the term “highest currently allowed height” does not include the
  288  height of any building that met the requirements of this
  289  subsection or the height of any building that has received any
  290  bonus, variance, or other special exception for height provided
  291  in the municipality’s land development regulations as an
  292  incentive for development.
  293         2. If the proposed development is adjacent to, on two or
  294  more sides, a parcel zoned for single-family residential use
  295  that is within a single-family residential development with at
  296  least 25 contiguous single-family homes, the municipality may
  297  restrict the height of the proposed development to 150 percent
  298  of the tallest building on any property adjacent to the proposed
  299  development, the highest currently allowed, or allowed on July
  300  1, 2023, height for the property provided in the municipality’s
  301  land development regulations, or 3 stories, whichever is higher,
  302  not to exceed 10 stories. For the purposes of this paragraph,
  303  the term “adjacent to” means those properties sharing more than
  304  one point of a property line, but does not include properties
  305  separated by a public road or body of water, including man-made
  306  lakes or ponds.
  307         (e) A proposed development authorized under this subsection
  308  must be administratively approved without and no further action
  309  by the governing body of the municipality or any quasi-judicial
  310  or administrative board or reviewing body is required if the
  311  development satisfies the municipality’s land development
  312  regulations for multifamily developments in areas zoned for such
  313  use and is otherwise consistent with the comprehensive plan,
  314  with the exception of provisions establishing allowable
  315  densities, floor area ratios, height, and land use. Such land
  316  development regulations include, but are not limited to,
  317  regulations relating to setbacks and parking requirements. A
  318  proposed development located within one-quarter mile of a
  319  military installation identified in s. 163.3175(2) may not be
  320  administratively approved. Each municipality shall maintain on
  321  its website a policy containing procedures and expectations for
  322  administrative approval pursuant to this subsection.
  323         (f)1. A municipality must, upon request of an applicant,
  324  reduce consider reducing parking requirements for a proposed
  325  development authorized under this subsection by 20 percent if
  326  the development:
  327         a. Is located within one-quarter mile of a transit stop, as
  328  defined in the municipality’s land development code, and the
  329  transit stop is accessible from the development;.
  330         2. A municipality must reduce parking requirements by at
  331  least 20 percent for a proposed development authorized under
  332  this subsection if the development:
  333         b.a. Is located within one-half mile of a major
  334  transportation hub that is accessible from the proposed
  335  development by safe, pedestrian-friendly means, such as
  336  sidewalks, crosswalks, elevated pedestrian or bike paths, or
  337  other multimodal design features; or.
  338         c.b. Has available parking within 600 feet of the proposed
  339  development which may consist of options such as on-street
  340  parking, parking lots, or parking garages available for use by
  341  residents of the proposed development. However, a municipality
  342  may not require that the available parking compensate for the
  343  reduction in parking requirements.
  344         2.3. A municipality must eliminate parking requirements for
  345  a proposed mixed-use residential development authorized under
  346  this subsection within an area recognized by the municipality as
  347  a transit-oriented development or area, as provided in paragraph
  348  (h).
  349         3.4. For purposes of this paragraph, the term “major
  350  transportation hub” means any transit station, whether bus,
  351  train, or light rail, which is served by public transit with a
  352  mix of other transportation options.
  353         (k) Notwithstanding any other law or local ordinance or
  354  regulation to the contrary, a municipality may allow an adjacent
  355  parcel of land to be included within a proposed multifamily
  356  development authorized under this subsection.
  357         (l) This subsection does not apply to:
  358         1. Airport-impacted areas as provided in s. 333.03.
  359         2. Property defined as recreational and commercial working
  360  waterfront in s. 342.201(2)(b) in any area zoned as industrial.
  361         3. The Wekiva Study Area, as described in s. 369.316.
  362         4. The Everglades Protection Area, as defined in s.
  363  373.4592(2).
  364         (m) The court shall give any civil action filed against a
  365  municipality for a violation of this subsection priority over
  366  other pending cases and render a preliminary or final decision
  367  as expeditiously as possible.
  368         (n) If a civil action is filed against a municipality for a
  369  violation of this subsection, the court must assess and award
  370  reasonable attorney fees and costs to the prevailing party. An
  371  award of reasonable attorney fees or costs pursuant to this
  372  subsection may not exceed $200,000. In addition, a prevailing
  373  party may not recover any attorney fees or costs directly
  374  incurred by or associated with litigation to determine an award
  375  of reasonable attorney fees or costs.
  376         (o) As used in this subsection, the term:
  377         1. “Commercial use” means activities associated with the
  378  sale, rental, or distribution of products or the performance of
  379  services related thereto. The term includes, but is not limited
  380  to, such uses or activities as retail sales; wholesale sales;
  381  rentals of equipment, goods, or products; offices; restaurants;
  382  food service vendors; sports arenas; theaters; tourist
  383  attractions; and other for-profit business activities. A parcel
  384  zoned to permit such uses by right without the requirement to
  385  obtain a variance or waiver is considered commercial use for the
  386  purposes of this section, irrespective of the local land
  387  development regulation’s listed category or title. The term does
  388  not include home-based businesses or cottage food operations
  389  undertaken on residential property, uses that are accessory,
  390  ancillary, incidental to the allowable uses, or allowed only on
  391  a temporary basis. Recreational uses, such as golf courses,
  392  tennis courts, swimming pools, and clubhouses, within an area
  393  designated for residential use are not commercial use,
  394  irrespective of the manner in which they are operated.
  395         2. “Industrial use” means activities associated with the
  396  manufacture, assembly, processing, or storage of products or the
  397  performance of services related thereto. The term includes, but
  398  is not limited to, such uses or activities as automobile
  399  manufacturing or repair, boat manufacturing or repair, junk
  400  yards, meat packing facilities, citrus processing and packing
  401  facilities, produce processing and packing facilities,
  402  electrical generating plants, water treatment plants, sewage
  403  treatment plants, and solid waste disposal sites. A parcel zoned
  404  to permit such uses by right without the requirement to obtain a
  405  variance or waiver is considered industrial use for the purposes
  406  of this section, irrespective of the local land development
  407  regulation’s listed category or title. The term does not include
  408  uses that are accessory, ancillary, incidental to the allowable
  409  uses, or allowed only on a temporary basis. Recreational uses,
  410  such as golf courses, tennis courts, swimming pools, and
  411  clubhouses, within an area designated for residential use are
  412  not industrial, irrespective of the manner in which they are
  413  operated.
  414         3. “Mixed-use” means any use that combines multiple types
  415  of approved land uses from at least two of the residential use,
  416  commercial use, and industrial use categories. The term does not
  417  include uses that are accessory, ancillary, incidental to the
  418  allowable uses, or allowed only on a temporary basis.
  419  Recreational uses, such as golf courses, tennis courts, swimming
  420  pools, and clubhouses, within an area designated for residential
  421  use are not mixed use, irrespective of the manner in which they
  422  are operated.
  423         4. “Planned unit development” has the same meaning as
  424  provided in s. 163.3202(5)(b).
  425         (9)(a) A municipality may not impose a building moratorium
  426  that has the effect of delaying the permitting or construction
  427  of a multifamily residential or mixed-use residential
  428  development authorized under subsection (7) except as provided
  429  in paragraph (b).
  430         (b) A municipality may, by ordinance, impose such a
  431  building moratorium for no more than 90 days in any 3-year
  432  period. Before adoption of such a building moratorium, the
  433  municipality shall prepare or cause to be prepared an assessment
  434  of the municipality’s need for affordable housing at the
  435  extremely-low-income, very-low-income, low-income, or moderate
  436  income limits specified in s. 420.0004, including projections of
  437  such need for the next 5 years. This assessment must be posted
  438  on the municipality’s website by the date the notice of proposed
  439  enactment is published and must be presented at the same public
  440  meeting at which the proposed ordinance imposing the building
  441  moratorium is adopted by the governing body of the municipality.
  442  This assessment must be included in the business impact estimate
  443  for the ordinance imposing such a moratorium required by s.
  444  166.041(4).
  445         (c) If a civil action is filed against a municipality for a
  446  violation of this subsection, the court must assess and award
  447  reasonable attorney fees and costs to the prevailing party. An
  448  award of reasonable attorney fees or costs pursuant to this
  449  subsection may not exceed $200,000. In addition, a prevailing
  450  party may not recover any attorney fees or costs directly
  451  incurred by or associated with litigation to determine an award
  452  of reasonable attorney fees or costs.
  453         (d) This subsection does not apply to moratoria imposed due
  454  to unavailability of public facilities or services or imposed to
  455  address stormwater or flood water management, if such moratoria
  456  apply equally to all types of multifamily or mixed-use
  457  residential development.
  458  
  459  ================= T I T L E  A M E N D M E N T ================
  460  And the title is amended as follows:
  461         Delete lines 13 - 32
  462  and insert:
  463         density, floor area ratio, or height below which
  464         counties and municipalities may not restrict certain
  465         developments; requiring the administrative approval of
  466         certain proposed developments without further action
  467         by a quasi-judicial or administrative board or
  468         reviewing body under certain circumstances; requiring
  469         counties and municipalities to reduce parking
  470         requirements by a specified percentage for certain
  471         proposed developments under certain circumstances;
  472         requiring counties and municipalities to allow
  473         adjacent parcels of land to be included within certain
  474         proposed developments; revising applicability;
  475         requiring a court to give priority to and render
  476         expeditious decisions in certain civil actions;
  477         requiring a court to award reasonable attorney fees
  478         and costs to a prevailing party in certain civil
  479         actions; providing that such attorney fees or costs
  480         may not exceed a specified dollar amount; prohibiting
  481         the prevailing party from recovering certain other
  482         fees or costs; defining terms; prohibiting counties
  483         and municipalities from imposing certain building
  484         moratoriums; providing an exception, subject to
  485         certain requirements; providing applicability;
  486         authorizing