The City of Parkland Commission on Wednesday approved on first reading Ordinance 20204-014, establishing a new Village in the Park (VIP) zoning district and accompanying design guidelines for redevelopment of the former Heron Bay golf course site.

The ordinance and design guidelines set a regulatory “envelope” and the qualitative expectations for future development on the roughly 33–34 acre site that includes about 25 acres already in the city plus roughly 8.5 acres being annexed from Coral Springs. Caitlin Forbes of the planning department summarized the next steps: a developer will be selected through an RFQ/RFP process, then submit rezoning, a development agreement, master plan, plat and site plans for additional review.

Why it matters: the ordinance creates a custom zoning structure to support a mixed-use “village” — retail, dining, public spaces, plazas and a central park — where the city said prior commercial districts would not accommodate the vision. The planning department and the consultant team led by John Moore presented guidance on massing, materials, public spaces, pedestrian and bike connections and waterfront design to set a tone for prospective developers.

Key changes and commission direction
- Commissioners discussed and then adopted policy direction to split amusement/entertainment uses into categories so the city can both encourage activity and preserve control over potential impacts. Vice Mayor Israel moved to approve the ordinance on first reading with edits that: (a) break amusement/entertainment into three line items (indoor uses by right, outdoor uses by right, and a third category of other or unknown uses subject to special exception); (b) add a line item to allow a gourmet grocery (defined and sized by subsequent code text) as a permitted retail use; and (c) allow consideration of accessory alcoholic beverage establishments for certain uses (with the alcohol component subject to additional review). The motion was seconded by Commissioner Kanterman and passed unanimously on roll call.

- Staff said the VIP zoning text is intended to work together with the separate design guidelines: zoning sets envelopes (heights, setbacks, lot coverage, parking standards), while the design guidelines and, later, the development agreement, will capture architectural materials, signage, public-space details, and finer-grain commitments such as AEDs or “blue light” safety stations.

Project background and fiscal context
Mayor Walker recapped earlier land transactions: the city purchased the golf course several years ago; he told the commission the city paid $25,500,000 for the property, sold a 21‑acre dogleg to Toll Brothers for $19,500,000 and sold the clubhouse parcel (in Coral Springs) that will eventually become a Lifetime Fitness for $6,000,000, leaving the city with roughly 25.3 acres plus the 8.5‑acre annexation parcel. He said the annexation with Coral Springs will proceed through state review and he expects it to be effective later in the year.

What the design guidelines emphasize
John Moore, the consultant, described the design approach: a central green or park as the community gathering place, a commercial “main street” framing the green, strong landscape buffers along the west and north edges, pedestrian and bike connectivity, and a material palette favoring traditional, warm, “Main Street” textures. The guidelines include sample elevations, public-space “outdoor rooms,” and a signage/environmental graphics program intended to create a unified character.

Use table and permitting approach
Planning staff presented a revised permitted‑use table based on the city’s B‑district lists but revised to the VIP vision. Staff recommended keeping some uses by special exception to preserve commission review for uses with higher potential impacts, but also flagged the cost/time burden of special exception approvals — fees and consultant study requirements can deter small, independent businesses. In response, commissioners negotiated a compromise: pre‑identify and permit by right a subset of entertainment and retail uses likely to be compatible (including a proposed gourmet grocer), permit other common indoor entertainment uses by right, and leave novel or higher‑impact proposals subject to special exception review so the commission retains discretionary oversight.

Next steps
The ordinance passed on first reading and returns for second reading and final action. Staff said subsequent steps will include finalizing definitions for identified uses (for example, how “fast‑casual” differs from “fast food,” and what qualifies as a gourmet grocer), drafting development‑agreement terms to capture operational or infrastructure commitments, and issuing an RFQ/RFP to select a developer to submit the master plan and site plans for detailed review.

Quotes
"So we are extremely excited to be before the commission tonight with the next step in the Village in the Park project," Caitlin Forbes, planning department, said at the start of the presentation.
"We want to create adventurous discovery moments, highly activated places... harmony with the land," said John Moore (Cooper Carry), describing the design principles.
Vice Mayor Israel, explaining his motion to approve with edits, said: "I'm gonna make a motion, a motion to approve with the amusement broken down into 3 lines... Add a line item for gourmet grocer."

Ending
The commission voted unanimously on the motion to approve the Village in the Park zoning district and the design guidelines on first reading. The ordinance returns for a second reading where commissioners and staff said additional text — including precise definitions, size caps, and any conditional special‑exception language — will be finalized.