Learn More About Fort Lauderdale's Revised Tidal Barrier Ordinance
Post Date:March 24, 2023 9:00 AM
Following the passage of revisions to the City's tidal barrier ordinance at the March 23 meeting of the City Commission, you may be wondering "Do I have to raise my seawall?"
The ordinance addresses resiliency standards for tidal flood protection by raising the minimum height of seawalls and tidal barriers to comply with standards established by Broward County. The new standard of compliance is 5 feet NAVD, up from 3.9 feet NAVD. There are three conditions in which a property owner would be required to raise the height of a seawall: when building a new seawall, when a seawall is in significant disrepair (damage to more than 50% of the structure), or when the property owner has been cited for tidal flow breaching the seawall and impact a neighboring property or right of way. Between the first and second readings of the ordinance, city staff conducted community outreach that included a virtual town hall meeting and mailing more than 8,000 postcards to waterfront property owners.
Watch a presentation by Dr. Nancy Gassman, Assistant Director of the City's Public Works Department, to learn about the changes to the ordinance and get answers to this and any other questions you may have. The following is a recording of the public meeting that was held on Wednesday, February 1. It includes a 20-minute presentation followed by a 40-minute question-&-answer session.
