Zoning explained · Broward County

General Industrial (I) District Fort Lauderdale, Florida

General Industrial District (I) is intended for industrial, manufacturing and related uses not involving potential nuisances in terms of noise, odor, emissions of particulate matter, lighting and other potential nuisance factors.

28 buildings zoned I51 permitted business types

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Insights › Zoning & land use › Fort Lauderdale — I

Permitted uses

What you can operate in I, Fort Lauderdale

The businesses the I district in Fort Lauderdale allows. The ones on the left are permitted by right; the ones on the right need a special approval first. (Zoning codes are set by each municipality, so I here means specifically Fort Lauderdale's I district.)

Allowed by right

Automotive Detailing, Alarms, Window TintingAutomotive Service Station (Sec. 47-18.5)Aircraft Sales, Service and RepairAutomotive Repair Shop, including major repair (Sec. 47-18.4)Automotive Sales, Rental, new or used vehicles (Sec. 47-18.3)Mobile Homes, sales, service and repairRecreation Campers and Trailers Sales, Rental (Sec. 47-18.27)Towing ServiceTruck Sales, Rental, new or used (Sec. 47-18.34)SailmakingWatercraft Repair Shop (Sec. 47-18.37)Watercraft Sales, Rental, new or used (Sec. 47-18.36)Apparel, Textile, Canvas & related uses (manufacturing/processing)Automotive, Trucks and Mobile Homes (manufacturing/processing)Contractors YardsIndustrial Machinery and Equipment (manufacturing/processing)Manufacturing of Animal Feed from refuse, mash or grainManufacturing of Products from Stone, Clay, Concrete or GlassMeat Packing, Plants, Stock or Slaughter YardsProcess and assembly of previously prepared materialsActive and Passive Park (Sec. 47-18.44)Police and Fire SubstationFreight and Rail TerminalCommunication Towers, Structures and Stations (Sec. 47-18.11)Automotive Wrecking and Salvage Yards, Junk Yards (Outdoor Storage, Sec. 47-19.9)Lumber Yards (Outdoor Storage, Sec. 47-19.9)Self Storage Facility (Sec. 47-18.29)Storage Yard, except as provided hereinWarehouse FacilityWholesale Sales/Rental: Building Supplies, Materials and EquipmentWholesale Sales/Rental: Plumbing EquipmentWholesale Sales/Rental: Pump and WellWholesale Sales/Rental: Restaurant and Hotel EquipmentWholesale Sales/Rental: SignWholesale Sales/Rental: Swimming Pool and Pool SuppliesUrban Agriculture (Sec. 47-18.41)

With special approval

Marina (Sec. 47-23.8)Marine Service Station (Sec. 47-18.20)Shipyard (Sec. 47-23.8)Tugboat Service (Sec. 47-23.8)Acid ManufacturingAsphalt ManufacturingCement and Lime ManufacturingFertilizing Plants or Fertilizer MixingManufacturing of ExplosivesManufacturing of Plastics, Rubber, Leather ProductsPrivate Recycling FacilityRadio Broadcast Facility, Radio/Television and Motion Picture ProductionFood Distribution Center (Sec. 47-18.31)Fuel Storage, sales, other than Automotive Service Station (Sec. 47-18.13)Petroleum Storage, Refining and Transfer (Sec. 47-18.13)

Build envelope

Development standards

Headline dimensional limits for this district. Confirm exact figures against the current code for your specific parcel.

REQUIRED USEproperty fronting a navigable waterway must be used for marina or shipyard uses (Sec. 47-23.8)

Note Aonly wholesale sales of products are permitted

Note Bretail sales/services, including offices, permitted only when accessory to manufacturing, processing, assembly, maintenance, repair or warehousing

Note Cany industrial use within 300 ft of residential property requires a Conditional Use Permit (Sec. 47-24.3)

StandardConditional uses require an operational plan, risk-management study and environmental performance standards (Sec. 47-7.20)

Dimensional (Sec. 47-7.30)max height 150 ft; no min lot size/width; no max FAR; yards 30 ft when contiguous to residential, otherwise 5 ft

Accessory usesAutomotive Service Station, when accessory to Automotive Repair Shop (Sec. 47-18.5); Outdoor Storage (Sec. 47-19.9)

StandardRead from ULDR Sec. 47-7.10 (list of permitted and conditional uses); intent Sec. 47-7.2; dimensional Sec. 47-7.30; permitted = by right, conditional = needs conditional-use/special approval

StandardBroward County district — confirm the parcel is inside City of Fort Lauderdale limits

The fine print

In plain English

BY RIGHT No hearing needed

If your business is on the by-right list, you can occupy a space in this district and open — no zoning hearing. Building permits and licensing still apply, but the use itself is already allowed.

SPECIAL Approval first

Special-approval uses can work here too, but they go through a public review before opening. Plan for extra time and possible conditions — we'll tell you which path a space needs.

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