New Height Measurement Ordinance for Buildings

Published on November 08, 2024

The City is proposing to change how we measure the height of buildings and structures. More specifically, where the measurement begins. Right now, the height measurement begins at the middle of the adjacent road and ends at the top of the building. This proposed ordinance changes that, so the height measurement will now begin at a higher point, called the Design Flood Elevation (DFE), which is related to flood safety regulations.

Why the Change?

The goal is to help protect buildings from flooding by aligning the Zoning Code with the Florida Building Code. Many areas of the City are in special flood hazard areas, where the water level could rise during a storm. To protect against this, the Florida Building Code and American Society of Civil Engineers already requires the first floor of new buildings to be built above a certain flood level.

Currently, when buildings in special flood hazard areas are measured from the road, they lose several feet of allowable height because they need to be elevated for flood protection. This  discourages additional floodproofing for new buildings, even though they need extra elevation to stay safe from floods.

What’s Different Now?

• Height will be measured from the Design Flood Elevation (DFE): This is the level required to keep buildings safe from floods that are located in the special flood hazard areas. It’s a higher starting point than the middle of the road. The Florida Building Code requires the first floor of these properties to be constructed at least 1’ above Base Flood Elevation (BFE). Many of the properties within the AE flood zone have an 8’ BFE, which means the DFE of the structure must begin at 9’.
• Floodproofing Encouraged: By measuring height from this beginning point, it’s easier for buildings to be designed with better flood protection without losing allowable height. 
• No Change to Maximum Height Limits: This ordinance doesn’t change the overall height limits for buildings set by the zoning rules. It just changes where the height measurement begins from.
• Single-family homes: The maximum height of 35’ for single-family homes in the R-1 zoning district does not change. This ordinance will allow new single-family homes to be approximately 3’ to 5’ taller than existing homes, depending on the design and location.
• Consistency: This ordinance ensures that the City Zoning Code is in compliance with any future updates to the Florida Building Code that could require buildings to be further elevated.

What are the next steps?

The final reading of the proposed ordinance is during the City Commission meeting on Thursday, November 21. Public comments can be emailed to the City Clerk’s office or provided during the Commission meeting.

For more information, please call the Planning and Zoning Department at 305.792.1710 or email at infopz@sibfl.net.

Read Ordinance(PDF, 224KB)

View Diagram(PDF, 63KB)