TO: Mayor and Commissioners
FROM: Timothy Stillings, Development Services Director
THROUGH: Mark R. Lauzier, City Manager
DATE: December 11, 2018
Title
ALWAYS DELRAY COMPREHENSIVE PLAN UPDATE: PRESENTATION OF THE COASTAL MANAGEMENT ELEMENT
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Recommended Action:
Recommendation
Provide comment and direction regarding the proposed Coastal Management Element of the Always Delray Comprehensive Plan.
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Background:
The update to the Delray Beach Comprehensive Plan, which has been branded “Always Delray,” began in 2016 with the creation of a Steering Committee, appointed by the City Commission. Community workshops were held to discuss and receive public input on each element. This input was utilized to formulate the draft elements, along with the input of Subject Matter Experts on each topic, which consisted of City Staff, consultants, and community members.
Florida Statutes 163.3177(g) and 163.3178 require the inclusion of a Coastal Management Element. The Coastal Management Element sets forth the community’s principles and strategies for the use and protection of the City’s coastal resources. Coastal management is a multifaceted effort. Proper management ensures both the protection of life and property from natural disasters, as well as the conservation of natural resources. It strives at once to maintain and enhance the quality of life of citizens who value the area as a recreational asset, to protect wildlife and natural ecosystems, to maximize economic benefits generated from tourism, and to safeguard human life and public investment from natural disasters. Coastal Management requires a careful balance between the natural and built environments.
Revisions to the Element include an updated definition of the Coastal High Hazard Zone per current Florida Statutes; the inclusion of the updated FEMA Flood Zone areas, and the projected impacts from potential sea level rise. The City’s award-winning beach nourishment program is chronicled and planne...
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