St. Petersburg, FL Zoning Overlays & Bonuses: Density Bonus Law (2026)
Key Facts
- Commitment term
- minimum 30 years, per bonus density agreement
- Affordability formula
- per 6 units: 80/120/120/80/80/120% AMI
- Annual report due
- June 1 each year
- Violation fine
- $500.00 per violation, per day
- Application path
- separate zoning application under § 17.5-99
- Variance body
- Development Review Commission
Summary
St. Petersburg lets developers build extra dwelling units, or gain an exemption from floor-area-ratio limits, in exchange for setting aside workforce housing, under City Code § 17.5-98. Any project using this density bonus must sign a workforce housing bonus density agreement irrevocably committing the units to affordability for a minimum of 30 years.
(a)Any development proposing to utilize the density bonus, or the exemption from FAR calculations allowed in a zoning district, as set forth in the City's Land Development Regulations found in chapter 16 of the City Code, shall enter into a workforce housing bonus density agreement which shall irrevocably commit the developer and/or property owner to provide a specific number of workforce housing bonus density dwelling units for a minimum of 30 years on the property subject to the development agreement... For each multiple of six workforce housing bonus density dwelling units approved:(1)The first unit shall be offered at 80 percent AMI or below.(2)The second and third units shall be offered at 120 percent AMI or below.(3)The fourth unit shall be offered at 80 percent AMI or below.(4)The fifth unit shall be offered at 80 percent AMI or below.(5)The sixth unit shall be offered at 120 percent AMI or below.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 54).
Full Breakdown
5-98(a) requires the developer or property owner to enter a workforce housing bonus density agreement with the City, irrevocably committing a specific number of bonus units to workforce housing for at least 30 years. 5-98(b): for every six bonus units approved, the first must be offered at 80 percent of area median income (AMI) or below, the second and third at 120 percent AMI or below, the fourth and fifth at 80 percent AMI or below, and the sixth at 120 percent AMI or below; projects with fewer than six bonus units may seek a variance from the Development Review Commission for the partial set.
5-99 must state the number of market-rate versus bonus units, bedroom counts, unit square footage, phasing, and estimated sale price or rent. 5-100 requires bonus units to be mixed throughout the development rather than clustered, proportional in bedroom count to the market-rate units, and built with comparable exterior and interior materials. 5-102.
Violations & Fines
Failing to file the required annual report by June 1, renting or selling a bonus unit to a household that isn't income-eligible, or giving the City false information about the program are each violations of Article V punishable by daily fines from the Code Enforcement Board under § 17.5-104; any person who participates in a sale or lease that violates the article, buyer, seller, lender, realtor, or title insurer, faces a $500.00 fine per violation, with each day counted separately, and the City may also seek an injunction with costs and attorneys' fees.
Frequently Asked Questions
How does the workforce housing density bonus work in St. Petersburg?
What income levels must workforce housing bonus units serve?
What happens if a bonus density unit is rented to an ineligible household?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in St. Petersburg
Florida rules heatmap·Compare St. Petersburg to another location·View the Florida zoning overlays & bonuses overview
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