Zoning explained · Broward County

Broward County M-3 Intense Manufacturing and Industrial District (retained on annexed land in Davie) Fort Lauderdale, Florida

County M-3 is Broward County's intense manufacturing district for the heaviest industrial uses, including hazardous materials and substantial open-air storage. In the County Master Business List M-3 and M-4 share one column, permitting heavy manufacturing, outside-storage contractor yards, recycling, salvage yards, concrete and chemical uses, trash and medical waste transfer, warehouse and distribution; offices/showrooms and restaurants are accessory only.

2 buildings zoned M-3 COUNTY85 permitted business types

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Insights › Zoning & land use › Fort Lauderdale — M-3 COUNTY

Permitted uses

What you can operate in M-3 COUNTY, Fort Lauderdale

The businesses the M-3 COUNTY 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 M-3 COUNTY here means specifically Fort Lauderdale's M-3 COUNTY district.)

Allowed by right

Acid and corrosives manufacturing or storageAirports, heliports and other transportation facilitiesAmmunition reloading (handguns)Assembly (pre-manufactured components)Asphalt manufacturing from raw materialsAutomobile, truck and equipment auctionsAutomobile detailing or cleaning (other than car washes)Automobile, truck, and equipment repair garage (mechanical, paint, or body repairs) [see Subsection 39-313(b)]Automobile storage or transport facility (operable vehicles)Automobile, truck, and recreational vehicle salvage or wrecking yards [see Subsection 39-313(c)]Aviation related uses (sales of planes, parts, ground support equipment, repairs and maintenance)Boarding or breeding kennel [see Subsection 39-313(d)]Boat salesBoat building, repair and storageBreweries and bottling facilitiesBuilding and construction materials manufacturing and storageCabinet shops, woodworking shopsCatering or food delivery serviceChemical and acid manufacturing or storage and distributionClothing donation bin [see Subsection 39-313(e)]Clothing manufacturingConcrete batching or mixingConcrete products manufacturingContractor's shops, including outside storage yardsContractor's shops, inside storage onlyCosmetics and pharmaceuticals manufacturingCourier serviceCrematory for human or animal remains (no medical wastes)Dry-cleaning and laundry plantElectronics manufacturing and repairEmployment agency, day laborEquipment rental and sales, commercial and contractors' [see Subsection 39-313(f)]Essential services (utilities and accessory structures)Fabrics (canvas, textiles and vinyl) manufacturingFertilizer, compost and mulch compounding, storage and distributionFireworks, explosives, firearms, and ammunition manufacturing, storage, and distribution [see Subsection 39-313(g)]Food processing, packaging and distribution including meat packing (no slaughtering)Fuel retailer (See Section 39-300(q))Furniture manufacturingGlass and mirror shopHazardous materials storage, handling or manufacture not otherwise listedJunkyards (other than auto wrecking or salvage) [see Subsection 39-313(c)]Laboratory (medical, dental, research and development)Machine shopMedical waste transfer stationMedical waste incineration or sterilization [see Subsection 39-313(h)]Metal manufacturing (from raw materials)Mobile collection center [see Subsection 39-313(i)]Motor freight terminal or moving and storage companyPackaging and delivery servicePaint, sealant, coating or adhesive manufacturingPaper and cardboard products manufacturing (from pre-manufactured paper or cardboard)Paper, cardboard and plastic manufacturing (from raw materials)Parts store, vehicles or boats [see Subsection 39-313(l)]Penal institutions [see Subsection 39-313(m)]Pest control servicePetroleum products and bottled gas bulk storagePlastic and vinyl product manufacturing (from pre-manufactured plastic or vinyl)Printing and engraving, bookbindingQuarry [see Subsection 39-313(n)]Recording or broadcasting studio (music, radio, television, film)Recycling facility [see Subsection 39-313(o)]Repair shop, household and personal itemsSanitation companies and waste haulers [see Subsection 39-313(q)]School, trade or vocational [see Subsection 39-313(s)]Semi and diesel repair garage (mechanical, paint, or body repairs) [see Subsection 39-313(b)]Septic tank serviceSign manufacturing and paintingStorage yards (operable vehicles, usable equipment or other items)Swimming pool chemicals [see Subsection 39-313(r)]Synthetic materials (not otherwise listed) manufacturing from raw materialTool rental (small tools and equipment)Transportation facilities (airports, heliports, shipping ports, etc.)Trash transfer stationUpholstery shopVehicle sales, rental or leasing (autos, trucks, recreational)Veterinary clinicVeterinary hospital [see Subsection 39-313(t)]Warehouse, distributionWarehouse, self-storage [see Subsection 39-313(u)]Welding and sheet metal shops, machine shopsWholesale storesWireless communication facilities [see Section 39-102]

With special approval

Mobile food unit [see Subsection 39-313(j)]Outdoor events [see Section 39-238]

Build envelope

Development standards

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

StandardMin plot size 10,000 sf in M-3/M-4 (Sec. 39-310(b)); 5 acres for manufacture of any product from raw materials (Sec. 39-310(c))

StandardMax plot coverage 35% of net acreage (Sec. 39-311)

StandardHeight 35 ft within 200 ft of one/two-family/townhouse plots; 55 ft beyond 200 ft; up to 120 ft if more than 500 ft from such plots (Sec. 39-312)

Setbacks10 ft from street line; 30 ft where separated from a residential/commercial plot by street, alley, canal, water, railroad or open space; 100 ft where contiguous to residential and 25 ft where contiguous to a commercial business district (Sec. 39-307(e))

StandardOutside display/storage allowed in M-2 to M-4 if shown on the approved site plan and contiguous to the principal building; open-air storage visible from residential must be screened by a 6 ft opaque/translucent wall (Sec. 39-307(a),(g))

StandardOffices and showrooms are accessory only (max 50% of principal-use GFA, inside principal building); restaurants only as accessory to an industrial complex, max 10% of GFA (Sec. 39-313(k),(p))

StandardNo rezoning to M-3 within 500 ft of residential or 200 ft of a commercial business district; M-3/M-4 intended for the heaviest industrial uses with hazardous materials or substantial open-air storage (Sec. 39-306(c))

StandardAny use not specifically listed is prohibited unless the zoning official finds it the most similar to a listed use (Sec. 39-308, 39-309)

Accessory usesAccessory dwellings (caretaker or security quarters) [see Subsection 39-313(a)]; Offices and showrooms [see Subsection 39-313(k)]; Restaurant, fast food [see Subsection 39-313(p)]; Restaurant, take-out [see Subsection 39-313(p)]

StandardRead from Broward County Code Sec. 39-305 to 39-313 (Art. XVIII); cross-ref Davie LDC Sec. 12-2.1(B)(1), 12-33(MM); permitted = by right, conditional = needs conditional-use / special-exception approval

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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