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The Planning and Zoning Department offers services for zoning plan review, short-term vacation rental licenses, and general inquiries.
Walk-ins and appointments are welcome. To schedule an appointment, please call 305.792.1740 or email infopz@sibfl.net.
The Planning and Zoning Department is in charge of updating, implementing, and evaluating the planned urban fabric of the City of Sunny Isles Beach. The Department utilizes tools such as comprehensive planning, site planning, and zoning regulations to achieve existing visions and goals, known as Land Development Regulations (LDRs).
The purpose of the LDRs are to implement the Comprehensive Plan for the City by establishing regulations, procedures, and standards for review of all development and uses of land and water in the City. The Comprehensive Plan was established in the year 2000 through a series of visioning sessions with city residents, planning consultant, City Commissioners, and City staff. It is updated every seven years to make certain the vision is still consistent with the views of our citizens as well as proper planning principles. The LDRs are adopted and amended from time to time in order to foster and preserve the public health, safety, comfort, and welfare and to aid in the harmonious, orderly, and progressive development and redevelopment of the City.
The City has endeavored to make the development process efficient, in terms of time and expense; effective, in terms of addressing the natural resource and public facility implications of proposed development; equitable, in terms of consistency with established regulation and procedures, and show respect for the rights of property owners, while at the same time considering the interests and vision of all the citizens of the City.
The Department is responsible to review plans, transfer of development rights (TDRs) applications, prepare recommendations, advertise zoning public hearings for site plan review, conditional use, variances, zoning changes, and amendments to the Comprehensive Plan. A Zoning Hearing Application(PDF, 1MB) requires Commission approval. Each hearing application must follow the 2024 Development Review Schedule(PDF, 111KB).
The Department also reviews required legal documents such as Unity of Title, Covenants, and Agreements. Each application is put to test, as to whether it meets the design standards and complies with all Land Development Regulations. In addition, the Department reviews all building permits submitted to the Building Department, as well as Certificates of Use and Alcohol applications.