Zoning explained · Palm Beach County

MU-FH - Mixed Use - Federal Highway Lake Worth Beach, Florida

MU-FH is intended to provide limited retail, office, hotel/motel and low-density multiple-family residential development along Federal Highway. By right: single-family, two-family and multifamily dwellings, low-intensity office and personal services, essential services and small community residences; medium-intensity office and personal services, hotels, places of worship, schools, day care and a three-story mixed-use project need administrative or conditional approval.

8 buildings zoned MU-FH49 permitted business types

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Insights › Zoning & land use › Lake Worth Beach — MU-FH

Permitted uses

What you can operate in MU-FH, Lake Worth Beach

The businesses the MU-FH district in Lake Worth Beach 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 MU-FH here means specifically Lake Worth Beach's MU-FH district.)

Allowed by right

Community Residences, Type I (6 or less residents)—Former Group HomeDwelling, Single FamilyDwelling, Two-FamilyDwelling, MultifamilyAdministrative/Professional Services (non-medical) (low intensity)Gyms/Studios, Fitness or Dance (low intensity)Holistic Health Care Facility (low intensity)Personal Grooming Services & Day Spa (low intensity)Pet Grooming (low intensity)Repair and Maintenance Services —Specialty (low intensity)Pocket Parks (low intensity)Recreation Park (Passive) - Less than Two (2) Acres (low intensity)Essential Services (low intensity)

With special approval

Community Residences, Type III - C (conditional use permit, board-level review)Retirement Homes/Facilities - C (conditional use permit, board-level review)Townhouses - C (conditional use permit, board-level review)Specialty Retail (medium intensity) - C (conditional use permit, board-level review)Financial Institution w/o Drive Through (high intensity) - C (conditional use permit, board-level review)Lodging Facility (high intensity) - C (conditional use permit, board-level review)Bed and Breakfast Inns (medium intensity) - C (conditional use permit, board-level review)Indoor Commercial Recreation (Reference Ordinance Chapter 14) (medium intensity) - A (administrative use permit, staff-level review)Administrative/Professional Services: (non-medical) (high intensity) - C (conditional use permit, board-level review)Out Patient Clinics/Medical Office (high intensity) - C (conditional use permit, board-level review)Administrative/Professional Services: (non-medical) (medium intensity) - A (administrative use permit, staff-level review)Out Patient Clinics/Medical Office (medium intensity) - C (conditional use permit, board-level review)Gyms/Studio, Fitness or Dance (medium intensity) - A (administrative use permit, staff-level review)Holistic Health Care Facility (medium intensity) - A (administrative use permit, staff-level review)Personal Grooming Services & Day Spa (medium intensity) - A (administrative use permit, staff-level review)Educational or Tutoring Business (excluding trade schools), indoor only and including music and supplementary academic programs (low intensity) - A (administrative use permit, staff-level review)Parking Facilities (medium intensity) - C (conditional use permit, board-level review)Transitional or Temporary Parking Facilities (medium intensity) - C (conditional use permit, board-level review)Colleges and Universities (high intensity) - C (conditional use permit, board-level review)Day Care Center (high intensity) - C (conditional use permit, board-level review)Day Care Center Accessory to Place of Worship (high intensity) - C (conditional use permit, board-level review)Nursing homes/assisted living facilities (high intensity) - C (conditional use permit, board-level review)Places of Worship (high intensity) - C (conditional use permit, board-level review)Schools, elementary (high intensity) - C (conditional use permit, board-level review)Schools, intermediate and secondary (high intensity) - C (conditional use permit, board-level review)Colleges and Universities (medium intensity) - A (administrative use permit, staff-level review)Day Care Center (medium intensity) - A (administrative use permit, staff-level review)Nursing Homes/Assisted Living Facilities (medium intensity) - A (administrative use permit, staff-level review)Places of Worship (medium intensity) - A (administrative use permit, staff-level review)Artisan or Art Studio (medium intensity) - A (administrative use permit, staff-level review)Light Utility Facility Services - C (conditional use permit, board-level review)Recreation Public (Outdoor) w/o Team Sports Facilities - C (conditional use permit, board-level review)Recreation Park (Passive) - More than Two (2) Acres - C (conditional use permit, board-level review)Flea Market (high intensity) - C (conditional use permit, board-level review)Wireless Communication Facilities (high intensity) - C (conditional use permit, board-level review)Cemetery/Mausoleum (Public/Private) (medium intensity) - C (conditional use permit, board-level review)

Build envelope

Development standards

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

Lot area6,500 sf with max density 1 du per 2,175 sf; max 20 du/gross acre; lot width 50 ft

Heightprimary 30 ft (not to exceed 2 stories), +5 ft under Sustainable Bonus Incentive Program; accessory 24 ft; conditional use permit required for a mixed-use project of 3 stories

Setbacksfront 10 ft min (not to exceed 22 ft); rear 10 ft general, 15 ft or 10% of lot depth next to residential; side 10% of lot width, min 3 ft up to 10 ft for lots over 100 ft wide; 5 ft for two-story buildings

Minimum living areaefficiency 400 sf; 1BR 600 sf; 2BR 750 sf; 3BR 900 sf; 4BR 1,350 sf

StandardFinished floor of residential structures 2-4 ft above grade

StandardHotels and motels not allowed on parcels adjacent to North Federal Highway north of 13th Avenue North; 250 sf minimum per guest room and bath unit

Accessory usesAccessory Dwelling Unit - P; Accessory Mechanical Equipment - P; Accessory Structure(s) - P; Family Day Care (Accessory to Residence per Florida Statutes) - P; Home Occupation (low intensity) - P; Any use accessory to and customarily incidental to a principal use permitted by right (Sec. 23.3-16(c)(3)B); Child day care centers and nursery school uses accessory to places of worship - administrative or conditional (Sec. 23.3-16(c)(4)A); Residential apartments as secondary uses in structures with office uses as primary uses - administrative or conditional (Sec. 23.3-16(c)(4)B); Restaurants accessory to motels - administrative or conditional (Sec. 23.3-16(c)(4)C)

StandardRead from Ch. 23 Sec. 23.3-16 (MU-FH) and Sec. 23.3-6 permitted use table; 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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