Multifamily zoning approvals in West Palm Beach

West Palm Beach approves a qualifying Live Local rental project administratively, as Fla. Stat. 166.04151(7) requires of every Florida municipality. Affordable housing reviewed under the older 166.04151(6) goes to the City Commission under interim standards the Commission adopted in 2022, and a downtown project adds the Downtown Action Committee and the plan now being updated for the whole 767-acre downtown.

Affordable housing approval under Fla. Stat. 166.04151(6)

Florida Statutes Section 166.04151(6) lets a city's governing body itself review an application for affordable housing on land zoned residential, commercial or industrial. West Palm Beach's Resolution No. 306-22 (December 12, 2022) set interim standards for that review: after Plans and Plats Review Committee (PPRC) comments are addressed, the planning and zoning administrator schedules the application for a Special Site Plan Review before the City Commission, which holds a public hearing and may approve, approve with conditions, or deny, and may defer action up to 60 days for more information. The resolution's density bonus guidelines set a minimum 50 percent of bonus units at or below 100 percent AMI for a 20-year affordability period, varying by zoning district, and state that they do not apply within the Downtown Master Plan area.

Separately, the Live Local Act (Fla. Stat. 166.04151(7)) requires West Palm Beach, as every Florida municipality, to allow qualifying rental multifamily on land zoned commercial, industrial or mixed use, with at least 40 percent of the units affordable for 30 years, and to approve it administratively at the height, density and floor area the statute sets.

The Downtown Master Plan

A project within the Downtown Master Plan area adds a Downtown Action Committee review ahead of the Planning Board and City Commission, and the City Commission holds two hearings before its final decision. The City has been updating the Downtown Master Plan with Zyscovich Architects since February 2025: the update sets a 25-year vision across roughly 767 acres of downtown, through districts, subdistricts and building envelope standards, and was moving through Planning Board and City Commission hearings toward adoption as of this guide's verification date.

Questions

Does a Live Local project in West Palm Beach need City Commission approval?

No. Fla. Stat. 166.04151(7) requires administrative approval of a qualifying project; the City Commission's Special Site Plan Review under Resolution No. 306-22 applies to affordable housing reviewed under 166.04151(6).

Do the city's workforce housing density bonus guidelines apply to downtown projects?

No. Attachment A to Resolution No. 306-22 states the guidelines do not apply within the Downtown Master Plan area, which is reviewed under its own standards.

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