Palm Beach Gardens, FL Fence Regulations: Retaining Walls (2026)

Section 78-230 governs 'site plan elements' for development inside the Northlake Boulevard Overlay Zone created by section 78-225, a corridor overlay running along Northlake Boulevard from Military Trail to U.S. Highway One that includes properties within the City of Palm Beach Gardens as well as Lake Park, North Palm Beach, and unincorporated Palm Beach County. Subsection (e)(5) requires that any retaining wall built as part of that review be 'constructed as necessary,' but conditions it on matching 'the same architectural style, materials, and color of the principle structure,' the identical design-compatibility standard the code applies in the surrounding subsections to dumpster enclosures and vending-machine surrounds.

The provision does not set a separate maximum height, footing depth, or engineering-certification threshold for retaining walls; structural requirements, where they apply, come from the Florida Building Code sections adopted elsewhere in chapter 86. Because NBOZ standards are layered onto the applicable jurisdiction's own site plan review under section 78-225(b)(3) as 'minimum requirements,' a retaining wall proposal is evaluated by the growth management department alongside the rest of a project's architectural elements rather than under a stand-alone retaining-wall permit. Chapter 78's enforcement article makes it unlawful to violate any requirement of the land development chapter, so a retaining wall installed out of step with this compatibility standard is treated the same as any other site plan violation under that chapter's general enforcement provisions.