Pembroke Pines, FL Sidewalk & Pedestrian Rules: Encroachment Permits (2026)

The swale is defined in § 52.20 as the land immediately adjacent to the paved road surface, lying between the edge of the pavement and the lot line of the sidewalk or the property line, and § 52.22 explains it exists to drain surface water by percolation. Because that strip is city right-of-way even though it borders private lots, § 52.23 requires a Building and Zoning Department permit before any owner alters swale contours or paves them, and the applicant must first submit plans and specifications and meet the Department's conditions.

Section 52.24 sets the standards the permit has to satisfy: paved swales are banned outright except on commercially or industrially zoned lots, where paving needs a permit plus subsurface drainage that keeps runoff off neighboring land and the public right-of-way; other impervious paving or stabilizing material in the swale is prohibited; grass sodding or seeding is required and encouraged; and single-trunk trees are allowed only from an approved species list, spaced at least 25 feet apart, at least 20 feet from a corner, at least six feet tall at planting, and trimmed to an 8.5-foot clearance over sidewalks and 14.5 feet over the roadway.

Section 52.26 separately lets the Department permit driveway aprons crossing the swale, sized by lot frontage for single or double drives, graded flat from the sidewalk to the pavement without a dip, and built with a 2.5-foot radius where the drive meets the road. Abutting owners, not the city, must maintain the swale under § 52.25, and county tax-assessor records showing ownership serve as prima facie proof of who is responsible when a violation is found.