ZoningVerdict

Variances and appeals in Miramar, FL

What the Miramar zoning ordinance says about variances and appeals, district by district. Section numbers link to the official ordinance.

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A variance provides limited relief from LDC requirements where strict application creates a practical difficulty or undue hardship (distinct from mere inconvenience); use variances (changing what use is allowed) are prohibited (Sec. 315.1). Variances affecting an individual single-family or duplex dwelling are given final consideration by the Planning and Zoning Board; all other variances are decided by the City Commission (Sec. 315.3). Department staff and the Development Review Committee review the application and prepare a staff report before it reaches the board or commission (Sec. 315.4). The Planning and Zoning Board or Commission holds a public hearing and may approve or deny based on the application, Code standards, staff reports, and public comment (Sec. 315.5-315.6). A variance requires a preponderance-of-the-evidence showing of undue hardship or, failing that, practical difficulty, under the detailed criteria in Sec. 315 (Sec. 315.19 governs zoning relief specifically). Miramar's LDC does not use a separate "Board of Adjustment" name; the Planning and Zoning Board (established by Sec. 107) performs that role for single-family/duplex variances, with the City Commission handling all other variances.

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