SATELLITE BEACH, Fla. — Beachside residents have seen how storm surge can flood coastal streets when a tropical system heads their way. Now, Satellite Beach is taking proactive steps to prevent future businesses from suffering from flood damage.

  • Satellite Beach looking to change its building codes
  • City wants to help prevent damage from flooding, storm surge
  • Officials want to increase max. commercial building height to 45 feet
  • More Brevard County coverage

Satellite Beach officials are hoping to add a possible referendum by the November 2020 ballot that would make changes to the city’s building codes to decrease the amount of damage caused by flooding and storm surge.

Currently, the maximum commercial building height is 35 feet, but the city is considering increasing that to 45 feet to allow for buildings to be up on 10-foot high stilts.

A study Satellite Beach commissioned looked at future water-level projections by 2070, predicting increased flood risk.

 


A map from the September 18 Satellite Beach agenda shows the increased flooding risk by 2070.

 

“A lot of road is prone to flooding particularly down by the river that’s where the flood zones are. This area is out of the sea-level rise zone, but it gets the storm surge,” said Satellite Beach City Manager Courtney Barker.

Dave Allison bought Beach Plaza about two years ago with the intention of building about six-seven units on the second floor. The density code wouldn't allow it, but Satellite Beach officials are hoping to change that by increasing density.

Although Satellite Beach’s city manager said stilts make buildings more storm-surge resistant, Allison said he believes that comes with a whole new set of challenges.

“I think you're going to run into a lot of problem if you put it on stilts, as far as elevators for people who are handicapped,” he explained.

A part of the proposed change would also involve using 20 percent of the commercial property for onsite stormwater treatment to prevent untreated water ending up in the Indian River Lagoon.

The proposed code change still has a long way to go, with two town halls down and more to go. A draft of the ballot language will then go to planning advisory board, then city council, and if approved, it will make its way to the Supervisor of Elections office.

Barker says residents can check the city's website, social media accounts, and will get letters in the mail about upcoming town halls about the topic.