Zoning explained · Broward County

South Beach Marina and Hotel Area District (Central Beach) Fort Lauderdale, Florida

Central Beach resort district along the Intracoastal/A-1-A (Bahia Mar/Swimming Hall of Fame area) allowing hotels, residential, mixed use, tourist-oriented retail, restaurants, museums, parks and parking lots, with marinas, amphitheater, aquatic center and other tourist uses as conditional uses. Industrial, auto repair/service stations, drive-thru food, weapons sales, motorcycle sales and social service facilities are prohibited in all Central Beach districts.

1 building zoned SBMHA25 permitted business types

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Insights › Zoning & land use › Fort Lauderdale — SBMHA

Permitted uses

What you can operate in SBMHA, Fort Lauderdale

The businesses the SBMHA 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 SBMHA here means specifically Fort Lauderdale's SBMHA district.)

Allowed by right

MuseumsPerforming Arts Theater, less than 300 SeatsActive and Passive Park (Sec. 47-18.44)Bakery StoreBar, Cocktail Lounge (subject to Sec. 47-12.4.B.1.i: bars/nightclubs prohibited except accessory to a hotel with 100+ rooms or to a tourist-oriented commercial retail structure, with Conditional Use approval)Candy, Nuts StoreCoffee ShopDelicatessenIce Cream/Yogurt StoreRestaurantApparel/Clothing, Accessories StoreArt Gallery, Art StudioBook StoreFlorist ShopResidential (see Sec. 47-12.5)Mixed Use Development (Sec. 47-18.21 shall not apply)Bicycle, moped and scooter rentalCommercial retail uses offering services or goods for sale to tourists and visitors such as gifts and souvenirsHotels and suite hotelsParking Lots, permanent or temporaryUrban farms and community gardens (Sec. 47-18.41)

With special approval

AmphitheaterAquatic CenterOther tourist commodities and other uses catering to tourists as approved by the Planning and Zoning BoardMarinas (Sec. 47-24.3)

Build envelope

Development standards

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

StandardMax density 70 du/net acre; max FAR 5; max height 120 ft (Sec. 47-12.5.F)

StandardFront and corner yard 20 ft; side 20 ft; rear 20 ft; streetwall length/width max 200 ft

StandardPodium height 65 ft; tower stepback 12 ft; tower separation 30 ft; floorplate above 65 ft max 16,000 sf

Prohibited in all Central Beach districtsfortunetellers, headshops, service stations/auto repair/parts sales, motorcycle sales/rental/service, drive-thru food and beverage, weapons sales/service, pinball/video game principal use, bingo, vending machines visible from ROW, Social Service Facilities, trailers/mobile homes, SSRFs

Accessory usesAccessory buildings and structures; improvements outside the principal structure (fences, walls, landscaping, parking, signs, nonstructural exterior alterations); expansion or change of a permitted use within an existing structure; Automobile rental limited to twelve (12) cars per development site as an accessory to a hotel or marina in an enclosed structure only; Catering Services; Grocery store; Outdoor Dining and Sidewalk Cafes (Sec. 47-19.9); Uses listed in or substantially similar (Sec. 47-1.14.A) to uses under Food and Beverage Sales and Service, Retail Sales and Service/Office Facilities, as accessory to nonresidential development

StandardRead from Sec. 47-12.4.A (Central Beach use table, SBMHA column); Sec. 47-12.4.B (prohibited uses); Sec. 47-12.4.1 (dimensions); 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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