Palm Beach Gardens, FL Environmental Rules: Erosion Control (2026)

Section 78-323, part of the city's landscaping and land-clearing article, sets a general performance standard rather than a numeric erosion limit: erosion must be controlled and held to a minimum throughout every development activity covered by chapter 78, from initial grubbing and grading through construction. The trigger provision addresses the common failure mode the growth management department sees on stalled projects. When vegetation or ground cover has been removed under an approved site plan and the site is then abandoned, for any reason, for more than six months, the property must be reseeded with ground cover or grass immediately upon the city's request.

If the owner does not act, section 78-323 authorizes the city to perform the seeding work itself and bill the owner for the full cost, giving code enforcement a self-help remedy instead of relying only on citations. Because this section sits inside the same article that requires a permit before any clearing, grubbing, or tree removal under section 78-303, an erosion complaint on an active or stalled site typically starts with a records check for the approved site plan and clearing permit, then moves to a site inspection by the city forester or growth management staff before the six-month abandonment clock and reseeding demand come into play.