Environmental Rules in Pembroke Pines, FL

If you live in Pembroke Pines or are thinking about moving there, environmental rules are one of those things you probably won't think about until they affect you directly. Pembroke Pines has 5 specific rules on the books covering different aspects of environmental rules, and some of them might surprise you.

Stormwater Management

Pembroke Pines Code of Ordinances Section 94.02 bars anyone from placing material in a canal, culvert, catch basin, weir, or other drainage way that would alter, impede, or block stormwater flow, unless the city has permitted the work. Unpermitted obstruction is a code violation enforced citywide by the Code Enforcement Officer.

Key details: Governing section: Code of Ordinances Section 94.02. Adopted: Ordinance 1070, passed 5-4-94. Covers: canals, culverts, catch basins, weirs, flood gates. Exception: material permitted and authorized by city. Penalty: up to $500 fine or 90 days jail.

Section 94.02 carries no stand-alone penalty clause, so it falls under the citywide general penalty at Section 10.99: a fine of not more than $500, imprisonment for up to 90 days, or both, for any code violation lacking its own specified penalty. Section 10.99(B) makes each day the obstruction remains in place a separate offense, so an unpermitted blockage left in a canal or catch basin for a week can multiply into several distinct violations rather than a single fine.

Compared to other cities, Pembroke Pines takes a harder line on stormwater management. The enforcement and penalty structure reflects that.

Flood Zones

Pembroke Pines requires a floodplain development permit before any construction or land-disturbing work in a mapped flood hazard area. The City Engineer, serving as Floodplain Administrator, reviews applications against Broward County's Flood Insurance Study and FIRM maps. Building without the required permit is a misdemeanor punishable by fine and jail time under the city's Floodplain Management Ordinance.

Key details: Governing chapter: Ch. 152, Floodplain Management Ordinance. Enforcing official: City Engineer as Floodplain Administrator. Map basis: Broward County FIS/FIRM adopted 7-31-2024. Permit validity: Void if work not started within 180 days. Maximum penalty: $500 fine or 10 days jail, per day.

Under Section 152.070, any development performed without an issued permit, in conflict with an issued permit, or that does not fully comply with Chapter 152 is deemed a violation; a structure lacking documentation of lowest-floor elevation is presumed in violation until proof is provided. The Floodplain Administrator may serve notices of violation or stop work orders. Continuing work after such notice is a separate offense under Section 152.072. Section 152.073 makes violation of the chapter a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of not more than $500 or imprisonment of not more than ten days, or both, plus costs, with each day of continued violation treated as a separate offense.

Flood Elevation Requirements

Pembroke Pines requires new and substantially improved buildings to elevate their lowest floor above the highest of five separate flood-datum benchmarks, effectively adding freeboard well beyond the FEMA base flood elevation. The standard, adopted under Broward County's administrative provisions to the Florida Building Code, applies to residential, nonresidential, commercial, and industrial structures alike.

Key details: Base freeboard: 6.5 feet above FIRM datum (NAVD). Alternate benchmark: 18 inches above nearest roadway crown. Alternate benchmark: 2 feet above base flood elevation. Applies to: Residential, nonresidential, commercial, industrial. Governing ordinance: Ord. 1775, passed 5-7-14.

Failing to meet the freeboard elevation is treated as a Chapter 152 violation: a building lacking lowest-floor elevation certification is presumed noncompliant under Section 152.070 until documentation is produced. The Floodplain Administrator can issue a notice of violation or stop work order, and continuing work afterward is a separate offense. Section 152.073 sets the penalty as a misdemeanor: a fine of up to $500 or up to ten days in jail, or both, plus costs, with each day of continued noncompliance a separate offense.

Erosion Control

Pembroke Pines does not run a citywide construction erosion-and-sediment ordinance; its erosion-control standard is written into the floodplain code and governs fill placed in a flood hazard area. Section 152.104 requires that fill be engineered to resist erosion and scour under flooding, and any displaced flood storage volume must be offset by matching excavation.

Key details: Governing section: § 152.104, Limitations on Placement of Fill. Fill compaction standard: ASTM D-698 or equivalent (§ 152.091(D)). Excavation-fill balance: Hydraulically equivalent volume required. Design approval: Registered engineer or City Engineer. Scope: Fill placed within mapped flood hazard areas.

Placing or grading fill in a flood hazard area without meeting Section 152.104's erosion and excavation-balance requirements is a Chapter 152 violation under Section 152.070, subject to a stop work order or notice of violation from the Floodplain Administrator. Section 152.073 makes the violation a misdemeanor carrying a fine of up to $500 or up to ten days in jail, or both, plus costs, with each day the violation continues counted as a separate offense.

Boat Dock Permits

Pembroke Pines allows a private dock, boat landing, pier, or mooring pile as an accessory use in any residential district on a waterway, but § 155.622 caps how far it can reach: no waterway narrower than 100 feet qualifies, and the structure can extend only 10% of the water's width or 20 feet, whichever is smaller.

Key details: Governing section: § 155.622. Minimum waterway width: 100 feet. Max extension: 10% of width or 20 ft. Max dock width: 20 feet parallel to shore. Max dock area: 300 square feet.

Chapter 155 sets no dock-specific fine, so a violation falls to the city's general penalty, § 10.99: up to a $500 fine, up to 90 days in jail, or both, with each day of continuing violation a separate offense. An oversized, overextended, or too-close dock can also be ordered removed or rebuilt to conform to § 155.622 before the city will sign off on the work.

The Bottom Line

Pembroke Pines's environmental rules rules are a mixed bag. Some areas are strict, others are relaxed, and the details matter. The best approach is to check the specific rule that applies to your situation rather than assuming Pembroke Pines is broadly strict or permissive.

Keep in mind that Pembroke Pines can amend these rules at any council meeting. For the most current version of any rule mentioned here, check the specific ordinance page, where we track updates as they happen.