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Board of County Commissioners Meeting Minutes - Final September 9, 2025 would maintain building height limitations in the LDRs and respective zoning district regulations to preserve the low-density character of neighborhoods and protect the low -intensity commercial nodes. Commissioner Moss raised concerns about proposed changes that involved moving certain standards from the Plan to LDRs. She strongly objected, particularly regarding the Future Land Use Element, as the LDRs could be changed more easily without community input, unlike the Plan, which required formal approval from Tallahassee. This shift threatened long-standing community standards, such as height restrictions. Commissioner Moss expressed gratitude for the thorough discussions during a subsequent PZC meeting and emphasized the importance of retaining Elements within the Plan to protect the community's character and lifestyle. Commissioner Adams sought clarification as there appeared to be some misinformation about how the Plan related to LDRs and, in turn, how those related to zoning. Acting Planning and Development Services Director Ryan Sweeney clarified that Policy 1.38 specifically applied to "New Towns." This policy was the only reference in the Plan's Future Land Use Element that mentioned building heights. He explained that height restrictions were not detailed for other land uses, such as L 1 and Cl. According to the policy, residential buildings could be up to 35 feet tall, while non-residential or mixed-use buildings could reach up to 50 feet. This allowed heights greater than 35 feet in "New Towns," especially west of Interstate 95, which were outside the Urban Service Boundary (USB). Mr. Sweeney noted that there were no other references to building heights in the Future Land Use Element. Commissioner Adams addressed the broader conceptual issue of the Plan and its relationship to the LDRs. She asked if everything included in the LDRs was also part of the Plan. Then, for the sake of efficiency, could the Board eliminate one or the other. In response, Mr. Sweeney suggested an alternative perspective. He explained that there was a policy stating that the building's height shall not exceed 35 feet Countywide. However, in a low-density residential area, the LDR can set a lower limit, capping it at 25 feet. The Plan establishes an upper limit, while the LDRs can be more restrictive. For instance, the L1 LDR allows up to three units per acre, the RS2 zoning permits two units per acre, and the RS3 zoning allows three units per acre. The LDRs can have more stringent regulations. LDRs establish definitive parameters like building coverage, setbacks, and lot sizes, which would not be appropriate to include at the Plan level. Administrator Titkanich followed up by outlining that the Plan was the underlying Indian River County, Florida Page 11