The Live Local Act in Stuart
How each rule works, how LiveLocalZoning applies it to Stuart's code, and where the readings are still open.
What counts as a qualifying project
The Act applies to a proposed multifamily or mixed-use residential development where:
- at least 40% of the residential units are rental units affordable to households earning up to 120% of area median income, for at least 30 years;
- for a mixed-use project, at least 65% of the total floor area is residential (the city may limit non-residential space to 10%);
- the site is in an eligible category: commercial, industrial or mixed-use zoning (including flexibly zoned areas), public land, or qualifying religious-institution land.
A qualifying project must be approved administratively, with no rezoning, land-use amendment, special exception or variance required for the use, density or height the Act allows. It still has to meet the city's other development rules, such as site plan, landscaping, stormwater and building code standards.
Density: a citywide test
The city may not limit density below the highest density currently allowed on any land in the city where residential development is allowed. Bonus, variance and other special-exception densities don't count. Live Local projects themselves don't count either.
Height: the one-mile benchmark
The city may not limit height below the highest height currently allowed, or allowed on 1 July 2023, for a commercial or residential building within one mile of the proposed development, or three storeys, whichever is higher. Since 1 July 2026 the city also may not reach a lower height indirectly through setbacks or stepbacks.
The tool buffers the parcel boundary by one mile, lists every zoning district inside, and takes the tallest by-right height.
Single-family adjacency
Where the site is adjacent, on two or more sides, to parcels zoned for single-family residential use, the city may restrict height to 150% of the tallest building on adjacent property, or three storeys, whichever is higher.
The tool offers two readings of "adjacent": touching, or across a street of up to 100 feet. Building heights aren't in local GIS data, so the tallest adjacent building has to be surveyed and entered by hand.
Floor area ratio
A qualifying project is entitled to 150% of the highest floor area ratio currently allowed in the city for land where residential use is allowed. Impervious surface and open space requirements still shape the site layout.
How Stuart's zoning districts are treated
This is the district table the tool uses. A district qualifies when it permits any commercial or industrial use by right, even a limited one such as neighbourhood shops in a residential district. Hover a row for the planner's notes.
| Districts | Use by right | Live Local | Max height by right |
|---|---|---|---|
| Loading districts… | |||
Exclusions
- Airports. Development in airport-impacted areas is excluded unless the airport's governing body approves.
- Conservation and open space. Land under a recorded conservation easement, and open space and park districts in existence before 1 July 2026.
- Areas of critical state concern. Excluded wherever they apply.
- Farms. Since 2026, farm operations don't count as commercial use.
Data the tool uses
All queries run live from your browser. Nothing you search is stored on this site; your recent parcels are kept only in your own browser and can be cleared at any time.
Frequently asked questions
Is a screening result a zoning verification?
No. It is a first read based on the city's GIS and the district table above. A zoning verification letter from the city, and advice from a land-use attorney, are needed before relying on any figure.
Does administrative approval mean automatic approval?
No. It means staff approve the project without a hearing if it complies. The project still has to meet the city's site plan, stormwater, landscaping, building code and other requirements that the Act doesn't preempt.
My application was filed before 1 July 2026. Which rules apply?
HB 1389 lets applicants who filed before 1 July 2026 proceed under the earlier version of the statute or amend their application to use the 2026 changes.
Why does the tool say my parcel is outside Stuart?
The tool screens only parcels in Stuart's zoning layer. Parcels outside it fall under Martin County's code; unincorporated county land is covered by the parallel county provision, F.S. 125.01055. If the parcel is in another place LiveLocalZoning covers, open that place from Places.
Why are two density figures shown?
Each place has a strict figure, the highest base density allowed anywhere residential is allowed, and a broader one that adds densities the statute may exclude as bonus, variance or special exception, such as PUD and exception densities or a transit bonus. Which applies is unsettled, so the tool shows both and the Density section above explains Stuart's.
Why is the evacuation zone a "check" rather than a firm answer?
The public statewide layer dates from the 2013 evacuation studies. Zones may have changed, so confirm with the county emergency management office's current Know Your Zone map.
Statute and sources
- F.S. 166.04151, Florida Senate (2025 statutes; read with the 2026 amendments)
- SB 102 (2023), the Live Local Act
- SB 328 (2024)
- HB 1389 (2026)
- 2026 summaries: Holland & Knight, Bilzin Sumberg, Becker, Carlton Fields
- Local code: see the district table above.