The Planning, Zoning and Appeals Board recommended adopting a new Resilience Trust Fund (chapter 62) and a related text amendment to Miami '21 that would allow qualifying properties in two designated coastal resilience fund areas to increase residential density by up to 100 percent in exchange for contributions to a new fund to pay for stormwater and coastal resilience infrastructure.

Staff presentation and purpose: Planning staff explained the fund’s intent is to capture developer contributions tied to a locally‑specified interpretation of the comprehensive plan’s future land use map so that those funds are targeted to stormwater, shoreline and other resilience capital improvements in high‑risk coastal planning zones. Chapter 62 would create geographically defined “resilience fund areas” (Exhibit A) and allow the Planning Director to post and adjust a per‑unit contribution amount periodically; staff proposed an initial contribution of $45,000 per additional unit and an option for a 15% discount when developers deliver documented on‑site resilience infrastructure that exceeds baseline requirements.

Geography and qualifying criteria: staff limited eligibility to properties zoned T4, T5 or T6 that lie inside the resilience fund areas mapped in Exhibit A—areas chosen through an analysis of future land use, transect zoning, historic storm‑surge planning zones and current OCI stormwater project planning. At this hearing staff proposed two initial resilience fund areas covering parts of Edgewater and nearby coastal neighborhoods where demand for housing is high and stormwater/flooding issues are significant.

Discounts and on‑site work: the ordinance allows a developer to receive a 15% discount on the per‑unit contribution if they sign an agreement and complete on‑site infrastructure that exceeds minimum requirements and does not create negative impacts on adjacent properties. Staff said such on‑site projects must include detailed scopes, surveys and executed agreements recorded with the city.

Board discussion and parking amendment: board members extensively debated traffic, parking, and neighborhood impacts. A late‑meeting amendment — proposed and adopted by the board — clarified that T4 transects remain eligible for the density increase but would not receive the 100% parking reduction tied to the density incentive; the 100% parking reduction was limited to double‑density units in T5 and T6 in the resilience fund areas. After that substitution the board recorded approval: chapter 62 (the trust fund) passed 11‑0 and the accompanying Miami '21 text amendment passed 9‑2 following the parking/eligibility clarification.

Why it matters: planners and developers described the fund as a way to accelerate resilience projects that are expensive and typically funded through multi‑year capital budgeting processes. Critics on the board and from the public warned that increasing density in coastal areas without strong parking and transit mitigation could exacerbate traffic and access problems. Supporters argued the measure targets dense, transit‑accessible corridors and that the fund’s revenues will be invested into the same areas to reduce flooding risk.

Next steps: staff will finalize ordinance text and the map of resilience fund areas for City Commission hearings. The per‑unit contribution will be posted and updated by the Planning Director; final City Commission action will determine the fund’s start date and any additional guardrails.