By Roberta C. Solera, Community Development Director

The City of Sunny Isles Beach as a municipality is responsible to ensure the proper use of land and water in the City. Within the organizational structure of the City, this responsibility is assigned to planning and zoning within the Community Development Department. My intent for this article is to increase awareness of planning and zoning by providing information about its mission and purpose.

Mission of Planning and Zoning
The mission of planning and zoning is “To promote and achieve a high quality standard of life for the current and future residents of the City of Sunny Isles Beach through the enforcement and implementation of the City’s Comprehensive Master Plan (CMP), Land Development Regulations (LDR’s) and other regulations in an efficient, effective, and professional manner.”

Purpose of Land Development Regulations
The purpose of the LDR’s is to implement further the Comprehensive Plan for the City by establishing regulations, procedures, and standards for review and approval of all development and use of land and water in the City. Further, the LDR’s are adopted in order to foster and preserve public heath, safety, comfort and welfare, and to aid in the harmonious, orderly, and progressive development and redevelopment of the City. It is the intent of these LDR’s that the development process in the City be:
• 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 regulations and procedures.
• respectful of the rights of property owners.
• considerate for the interest of the citizens of the City.

Planning and Zoning is the mechanism with which municipalities design and control the development of private land. Without this type of control, uncoordinated land use is created and the public services provided in a hazardous manner, often adversely affecting the quality of life within the community. Zoning is designed to protect the public interest.

On October 5, 2000 the City adopted the Comprehensive Master Plan (CMP) which calls for zoning decisions to be governed by the common good of the community as whole rather than by what is best for an individual land owner. On December 10, 2002, the City of Sunny Isles Beach adopted the Land Use Development Regulations. Prior to its adoption the City of Sunny Isles Beach relied on Chapter 33 better known as the Zoning Code of Miami Dade County.

The most important factor to take into consideration is that the principal purpose of zoning is to ensure that the land uses of the City are properly situated in relation to one another, providing adequate space from each type of development. It allows the City of Sunny Isles Beach to adequately control density, provide needed recreation areas, utilities, and waste disposal systems throughout all areas of the community.

Authority to Regulate:
The City’s planning and zoning regulatory authority comes from State Statute 163 part II (Local Government Comprehensive Planning Land Development Regulation Act), and the general powers conferred to the City of Sunny Isles Beach under the Florida State Statute Chapter 166 (Home Rules Powers Act). The requirements of the Planning and Zoning Section are enforced by the City’s Code Enforcement Division.