ORDINANCE NO. 2008-__

 

AN ORDINANCE OF THE TOWN OF MELBOURNE BEACH, BREVARD COUNTY, FLORIDA, RELATING TO THE TOWN COASTAL SETBACK LINE; MAKING FINDINGS; AMENDING THE SECTION 5A-2, LAND DEVELOPMENT CODE, APPENDIX A, TOWN CODE OF THE TOWN OF MELBOURNE BEACH, FLORIDA; AMENDING THE DESCRIPTION AND LOCATION OF THE TOWN COASTAL SETBACK LINE; PROVIDING FOR SEVERABILITY AND INTERPRETATION; PROVIDING FOR THE REPEAL OF INCONSISTENT RESOLUTIONS AND ORDINANCES; AND PROVIDING FOR AN EFFECTIVE DATE.

 

WHEREAS, a coastal setback line was created in 1981 for Brevard County that ran roughly along the crest of the beach dune line;

WHEREAS, the then-existent Florida Department of Natural Resources now known as the Florida Department of Environmental Regulation to implement Chapter 161, Florida Statutes, in the mid-1980’s conducted surveying activities in Florida coastal counties to set a coastal construction control line (“CCCL”);

WHEREAS, the purpose of the CCCL was intended to protect the beaches and shores from erosion by protection of the coastal dune system and to protect structures built along the coast from the natural effects of shoreline erosion by setting a construction setback seaward of which construction should only be permitted under certain circumstances;  

WHEREAS, the CCCL was set using scientific and engineering data;

WHEREAS, the Town of Melbourne Beach and other municipalities were asked to further protect the beaches and shores from erosion by protection of the coastal dune system and to protect structures built along the coast from the natural effects of shoreline erosion by setting a local construction setback line, which could be varied through a variance system;

WHEREAS, by adoption of Town Ordinance No. 85-8 on January 20, 1986, the Town of Melbourne Beach adopted local construction setback line regulatory system and adopted a temporary coastal construction setback line 25 feet landward of the 1981 Brevard County setback, all pending completion of surveying, data collection, and adoption of the new State of Florida CCCL by the then-existent Florida Department of Natural Resources;

WHEREAS, at the time of adoption of the local construction setback line regulatory system the Town Commission specifically indicated plans to amend the location of the new coastal setback line to be the same as the CCCL, then under preparation by the State of Florida;

WHEREAS, the Town Commission’s legislative intent to do so was memorialized in Section 5A-3, Appendix A, Melbourne Beach Town Code, which states:

§ 5A-5.  RELOCATION OF LINES.

     The Town Commission hereby declares that as a result of anticipated long-term coastline changes, due to storm events, beach erosion, dune damage, and rising relative sea level, causing the coastline to continue to move landward, it shall be the intent of the Town Commission to reconsider the location of the coastal setback line from time to time as such coastline changes dictate the necessity therefor.

 

WHEREAS, on December 4, 1986, the State of Florida adopted the new CCCL by adoption of Rule 16B-26.017, Florida Administrative Code, which as since been moved and re-adopted by the Florida Department of Environmental Regulation as Rule 62B-26.017, Florida Administrative;

WHEREAS, the CCCL in many portions of the Town generally follows the West side of the A-1-A right-of-way;

WHEREAS, the Town Commission for reasons unknown never followed “reconsider[ed] the location of the coastal setback line” and implemented the CCCL by adoption of an amendatory ordinance;

WHEREAS, during the 1990’s and in the first decade of the new millennia the Town Board of Adjustment periodically adopted   variances based on the CCCL as if in fact it had been re-set by the Town Commission;

WHEREAS, the Town Commission hereby registers its intent to formally reset the Town’s Coastal Setback Line to coincide with the CCCL adopted by the State of Florida in late 1986;

WHEREAS, the Town’s adopted Comprehensive Plan includes in its Coastal Zone Management/Conservation Element the following objectives and policies supportive of this Ordinance, including:

Objective 1.0:  Protect the coastal dune system, associated native vegetative communities and beaches from the impacts of development.

Objective 2.0:  Enhance and improve existing dune systems, and maintain permanent public access to he beaches and shores according to the level of service standards outlined in the Recreation Open Space Element. (emphasis supplied)

Policy 2.3:  Increase vegetation on the dune system to prevent erosion and plant “barrier vegetation” adjacent to dune crossovers to discourage pedestrian access around the structure.

Objective 4.0:  Protect the sea turtle, the manatee [and] other wildlife and wildlife habitat from the adverse effects of human interference and enhance Melbourne Beach as a wildlife breeding area.

 

WHEREAS, the Town Planning & Zoning Board, sitting as the Local Planning Agency, has recommended adoption of this Ordinance as being in promotion of the public safety and welfare as a means of protecting the beaches and shores from erosion by protection of the coastal dune system and to protect structures built along the coast from the natural effects of shoreline erosion and finds that based on the foregoing Objectives and Policies in the Comprehensive, among others, this Ordinance is consistent with the Town’s Comprehensive Plan.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE TOWN OF MELBOURNE BEACH, FLORIDA:

SECTION 1.  That Section 5A-2, Appendix A, of the Town Code of the Town of Melbourne Beach, Florida, is hereby amended to read as follows:

§ 5A-2.  COASTAL SETBACK LINE ESTABLISHED.

     There is hereby established and exists a town coastal setback line, for all property located within the town.  The coastal setback line shall be in the same location as located 25 feet in a landward direction. from the Florida Coastal Construction Line as adopted on December 4, 1986 by the Department of Environmental Protection and described in Rule 62B-26.017, Florida Administrative Code.

     SECTION 2.  Severability/Interpretation Clause. 

(a)  In the event that any term, provision, clause, sentence or section of this Ordinance shall be held by a court of competent jurisdiction to be partially or wholly unenforceable or invalid for any reason whatsoever, any such invalidity, illegality, or unenforceability shall not affect any of the other or remaining terms, provisions, clauses, sentences, or sections of this Ordinance, and this Ordinance shall be read and/or applied as if the invalid, illegal, or unenforceable term, provision, clause, sentence, or section did not exist.

(b)  In interpreting the provisions of this Ordinance, the following rules and symbols shall apply:

(1)  Words underlined are additions to existing text.

(2)  Words stricken through are deletions from existing text.

(3)  Asterisks (* * *) indicates a deletion from the Ordinance of text existing in the Code of Ordinances.  It is intended that the text in the Code of Ordinance denoted by the asterisks and not set forth in this Ordinance shall remain unchanged from the language existing prior to adoption of this Ordinance.

     SECTION 3.  Ordinances and Resolutions in Conflict.  All ordinances or resolutions or parts thereof that may be determined to be in conflict herewith, except portions of the Comprehensive Plan, are hereby repealed.

     SECTION 4.  Effective Date.  This Ordinance shall become effective upon adoption.

PASSED by the Town Commission of the Town of Melbourne Beach on first reading on the ___ day of ____________, 200__,

 

 

 

 

 

          [Intentionally Left Blank]

 

and ADOPTED by the Town Commission of the Town of Melbourne Beach, Florida, on final reading on the ___ day of ______________, 2008.

 

 

TOWN OF MELBOURNE BEACH, FLORIDA

 

 

 

By:____________________________

   William G. Stacey, Mayor

 

ATTEST:

 

                             (TOWN SEAL)

_______________________

Lenore R. Milan, CMC,

Town Clerk