The proposed bill, titled the "Infill Redevelopment Act," aims to facilitate the development of environmentally impacted land in urban areas of Florida. It establishes a new section in the Florida Statutes, defining terms and outlining the applicability of the law. Local governments are required to permit the development of qualifying parcels—defined as environmentally impacted land of at least 5 acres in counties with populations over 1.475 million and at least 10 municipalities—up to the highest density and intensity allowed in adjacent zoning districts. The bill prohibits local governments from imposing certain restrictions on these developments, such as limiting density to less than 30 units per acre or requiring larger lot sizes.
Additionally, the bill mandates that developers of qualifying parcels with recreational facilities must demonstrate that these facilities have not been in use for at least 12 months and pay double the applicable impact fees. Property owners adjacent to these recreational areas are given the option to purchase the land for maintaining it as open space, with specific conditions regarding pricing and timeframes. The bill also includes provisions for administrative approval of development applications, requires local governments to maintain relevant policies on their websites, and preempts any local laws that impose more restrictive requirements on the development of qualifying parcels.