Zoning explained · Palm Beach County

Northwest Neighborhood District, 2-story subdistrict (Downtown Master Plan, residential enclave planning area) West Palm Beach, Florida

NWD is the Northwest Neighborhood District (a residential-enclave district of the Downtown Master Plan); the '-2' is the maximum height in stories (DMP subdistrict naming convention). Table IV-3 permits residential (single-family, multifamily, live/work, ground-floor residential), professional office, bed and breakfast, and small-scale retail/restaurant/other commercial (capped at 2,500 sf or 75 patrons) by right; hotels, structured parking and primary surface parking lots are prohibited.

4 buildings zoned NWD-221 permitted business types
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Insights › Zoning & land use › West Palm Beach — NWD-2
Permitted uses

What you can operate in NWD-2, West Palm Beach

The businesses the NWD-2 district in West Palm 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 NWD-2 here means specifically West Palm Beach's NWD-2 district.)

Allowed by right
Ground floor residentialMultiple family dwellingLive/workSingle-family dwellingOutbuildingGround floor retail (P8: limited to 2,500 square feet)OfficeBed and breakfast (P11: limited to rehabilitation of existing structures; per Sec. 94-109 max 8 rooms, stays up to 14 days, owner/manager living quarters, breakfast only)Restaurant (P12: limited to occupancy of 75 patrons)Other commercial (P8: limited to 2,500 sf; defined in Sec. 94-109 as barber/beauty shops, clubs and lodges, exercise studios and health clubs, financial institutions serving the public, laundry/dry cleaning with no cleaning on premises, music and dance studios, pet grooming, postal services, travel agencies, printing services)Brewpub / microbrewery / micro-distillery / micro-winery - by right in all subdistricts except NWD-R-C1, BPD-R, PPD-R, PPD-PO; max 6,000 sf new / 6,300 sf existing building; must include a restaurant, bar or tasting room; no outdoor storage (Sec. 94-106(a)(1.a))Community centers - by right in all non-R subdistricts (Sec. 94-106(a)(2))Schools and places of worship - by right in all non-R subdistricts (Sec. 94-106(a)(12)(a))Day care facilities for children as a primary use - permitted in the residential enclave planning area except R subdistricts, with Sec. 94-273 requirements (Sec. 94-106(a)(4)(a))Veterinary clinics, pet grooming, animal daycare and boarding (no livestock/equines) - permitted in residential enclaves except R subdistricts, in an enclosed building, with attendant, noise, waste and fire-detection standards (Sec. 94-106(a)(13))Motor vehicle sales and rental offices (no service) and passenger transportation operation offices - all planning areas except R subdistricts; surface lots for vehicle storage prohibited (Sec. 94-106(a)(10))Micro-units - permitted in all districts, with car-share/bicycle/trolley-fee conditions (Sec. 94-106(a)(8.a))Parks, recreation areas, urban open spaces; local utility lines; public and private streets; railroad rights-of-way; water/sewer/gas lines; public water canals - permitted in all districts without listing (Sec. 94-105(b))
With special approval
Cultural uses - permitted in residential enclave districts except PPD-R only with a class B special use permit; max lot area 20,000 sf, 10 ft interior setback when adjacent to residential, parking behind main structure or max 40 percent of lot frontage (Sec. 94-106(a)(3)(b))Adult day care facilities for three or more clients - class B special use permit in all planning areas except R subdistricts; overnight lodging prohibited (Sec. 94-106(a)(5)(a),(d))Family and transitional community residences - class B special use permit in the residential enclaves planning area, with Sec. 94-273 requirements (Sec. 94-106(a)(7)(b))
Build envelope

Development standards

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

StandardMaximum height 2 stories (subdistrict designation; the Table IV-38 building requirements table is not in the archived file)
StandardHotel, structured parking as primary use, surface parking as primary use and off-site accessory surface parking are prohibited ('-') in NWD-2 (Table IV-3)
NWD-2 along Tamarind Avenue south of 6th Streetrequired setback may include the 5-ft landscape buffer for surface parking lots; parking areas located behind the building (Sec. 94-128(e)(1))
Prohibited in all DMP districts (Sec. 94-105(c))outdoor sales of motor vehicles; motor vehicle service stations; drive-in facilities except banking; pawn shops; chemical manufacturing; storage or distribution as primary use; unscreened outdoor storage; enameling/painting/plating except artist studios; off-premises signage; carting/moving/hauling terminal or yard; prisons; detention centers; hazardous-waste sites; scrap yards; mobile homes; mineral extraction; exterior kennels; rooming houses; halfway houses; adult entertainment; adult-material retail
StandardDMP regulations supersede conflicting Ch. 94 zoning; NWD intent is to preserve historic residential scale with adaptive reuse along Tamarind Ave, Rosemary Ave and Palm Beach Lakes Blvd (Sec. 94-128(a))
Accessory usesHome occupations - permitted in all planning areas, Sec. 94-273(a) standards (Sec. 94-106(a)(8)); Family day care homes for six children or fewer, accessory to a residential use - by right in all planning areas (Sec. 94-106(a)(4)(c)); Adult day care for not more than two adults, accessory to a residential use - by right (Sec. 94-106(a)(5)(c)); Sec. 94-109 definition: accessory use = use customarily incidental and subordinate to the primary use on the same lot; Large family child care homes for 12 or fewer children, accessory to residential - only in the zoning districts reflected in Table IX-1 (Sec. 94-106(a)(4)(d))
StandardRead from Sec. 94-128 (NWD); Sec. 94-105 (Table IV-3, notes P8, P11, P12); Sec. 94-106; Table IV-38 (NWD-2 building requirements); 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.

Available now

Spaces zoned NWD-2 in West Palm Beach

1 space available in this district, largest first. Click any space to view it.

FOR LEASE 1,151 SF
1011 N Tamarind Ave — 1st Floor
West Palm Beach
$26/sfView →

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Based on the West Palm Beach zoning code.
Educational content — not legal or zoning advice. Verify permitted uses with the municipality for your specific parcel.