West Palm Beach’s Flagler Drive Height Vote, Explained: What the City Commission Takes Up on Oct. 26
The West Palm Beach City Commission meets Monday, Oct. 26, 2026, at 5:00 p.m. to hold a first reading of Ordinance 5185-26, the Downtown Master Plan update. The city’s staff report says a 25-story incentive for the Flagler Waterfront District was proposed after community feedback and that the city intends to keep the district’s current five-story height.
West Palm Beach is rewriting the rules that govern how tall and how dense its downtown can grow, its first full update since 2007-2009, per the city’s staff report (as of Oct. 22, 2026). The most watched piece is the waterfront: whether buildings in the Flagler Waterfront District could rise to 25 stories. This explainer sets out what the city’s own agenda and staff report say ahead of Monday, what has changed since the first draft, and what happens after the vote.
The meeting: Monday, Oct. 26, 2026, 5:00 p.m.
The city’s draft City Commission agenda for Monday, October 26, 2026, 5:00 PM lists the item as 7.1 under Public Hearing (City of West Palm Beach, draft agenda, accessed Oct. 22, 2026). It covers:
- Ordinance No. 5185-26 on first reading: amendments to the Downtown Master Plan Element of the Comprehensive Plan, to Map 2 (Generalized Future Land Use, 2050) and Map 8 (Coastal High Hazard Areas), and an expansion of the Downtown Master Plan area to take in three parcels at 420 Okeechobee Boulevard and 915 South Dixie Highway.
- A discussion of proposed amendments to Article IV, the Downtown Master Plan urban regulations in the zoning code, “for discussion and feedback purposes only.”
The staff-recommended motion is to approve Ordinance 5185-26 on first reading and submit it to FloridaCommerce for state review (agenda, as of Oct. 22, 2026). The agenda is marked DRAFT, so check the final agenda on wpb.org before the meeting.
What was proposed for Flagler Drive
The staff report for Code Revision Case No. 26-03 (Planning Board, Sept. 15, 2026) says a previous draft of the update “included an incentive increased for the Flagler Waterfront District to allow height to increase from 5 stories to 25 stories, but due to community feedback the incentive has been removed.” It adds that “it is the city’s intention to keep the FWD height as currently adopted” (staff report, accessed Oct. 22, 2026).
The same report notes a wrinkle: the existing Comprehensive Plan already identifies the Flagler Waterfront District as eligible for incentives from five to 15 stories, but the current zoning does not codify that incentive, “therefore projects are not allowed to utilize such incentive” (staff report, as of Oct. 22, 2026). The report also says existing incentives fronting Flagler Drive, from Lakeview Avenue north to 7th Street, are unchanged.
| Flagler Waterfront District height | Stories | Source (as of) |
|---|---|---|
| Current zoning limit | 5 | Staff report, CRC 26-03 (Oct. 22, 2026) |
| Comprehensive Plan incentive, not codified in zoning | Up to 15 | Staff report, CRC 26-03 (Oct. 22, 2026) |
| Earlier draft incentive, since removed | Up to 25 | Staff report, CRC 26-03 (Oct. 22, 2026) |
| Staff position going into Oct. 26 | Keep FWD height as adopted | Staff report, CRC 26-03 (Oct. 22, 2026) |
Where 25 stories is still proposed downtown
The update does propose 25-story incentive heights elsewhere in the urban core, near the Tri-Rail and Brightline hubs, per the staff report (as of Oct. 22, 2026):
- Transit Oriented District, between Tamarind and Sapodilla: from 12 and 15 stories to 25.
- Quadrille Business District, between Sapodilla and Rosemary from Datura to the south side of Evernia: from 12 stories to 25.
- Quadrille Business District, between Banyan and Datura and along Clematis: 15 stories.
- Quadrille Garden District corridor, between Dixie Highway and Olive Avenue: from 10 stories to 15.
Why the waterfront question is back on the table
The Planning Board, meeting Tuesday, Oct. 20, 2026, recommended that the City Commission reconsider the increased waterfront heights that had been dropped, Stet News reported on Oct. 21, 2026, adding that a city spokesperson said the plan will not be altered before Monday’s meeting and staff will wait for direction from the Commission. That recommendation is not in the published staff documents, so treat it as the only reported, non-city fact on this page and watch the meeting record.
The approval path so far
Per the agenda’s background section and the staff report (as of Oct. 22, 2026):
- Since February 2025: the city and consultant Zyscovich Inc. prepare the update; the agenda cites more than 50 meetings.
- Aug. 24, 2026: Mayor-Commission work session.
- Sept. 2, 2026: notice sent to the Interlocal Plan Amendment Review Committee; no objections received to date, per the agenda.
- Sept. 9, 2026: Downtown Action Committee recommends approval, 3-1.
- Sept. 15, 2026: Planning Board, as Local Planning Agency, recommends approval, 7-0.
- Oct. 20, 2026: Planning Board presentation on the zoning regulations (staff report schedule).
- Oct. 26, 2026: City Commission first reading of Ordinance 5185-26.
What happens after Monday
If the Commission approves on first reading, the Comprehensive Plan changes go to the state for review. The staff report puts tentative final Commission approval in January 2027; the agenda says the Article IV zoning amendments will come back after state review, “tentatively scheduled for February 2027” (both as of Oct. 22, 2026). Ask the city clerk which date governs, since the two documents differ.
What it means for buyers on Flagler Drive
None of the projects on our West Palm Beach board is described in these documents as relying on the waterfront incentive. For buyers, the questions are about views and future neighbors: what can be built across or beside a given site, and under which version of the code. Our West Palm Beach market page and West Palm Beach new construction by delivery year list the active projects. For building detail, see South Flagler House, Mr. C Residences West Palm Beach, Edgeworth and Olara. South Flagler House is from $5.7M per our new-developments card (subject to change), and Mr. C Residences West Palm Beach from $1.4M per our new-developments card (subject to change), as of Oct. 22, 2026.
Before signing anywhere, our guides to Florida pre-construction deposits and reserves and inspections in a new condo cover the documents to request. The full pipeline is on our new-developments board.
Sources: City of West Palm Beach, City Commission DRAFT agenda for Oct. 26, 2026, item 7.1 (wpb.org, accessed Oct. 22, 2026); City of West Palm Beach, Downtown Master Plan Update staff report, Code Revision Case No. 26-03, Planning Board, Sept. 15, 2026 (wpb.org, accessed Oct. 22, 2026); Stet News, “Taller building plans along West Palm’s waterfront revived” (Oct. 21, 2026). Prices, availability and delivery dates are subject to change.
FAQ: West Palm Beach Flagler Drive height vote
When does the West Palm Beach City Commission vote on the Downtown Master Plan update?
Monday, Oct. 26, 2026, at 5:00 p.m., per the city’s draft agenda as of Oct. 22, 2026. Item 7.1 is the public hearing and first reading of Ordinance 5185-26.
Does the plan allow 25-story buildings on Flagler Drive?
Not as proposed. The staff report, as of Oct. 22, 2026, says the 25-story Flagler Waterfront District incentive was removed after community feedback and the city intends to keep the district’s height as adopted.
What part of Flagler Drive was affected?
The Flagler Waterfront District on Flagler Drive, where the earlier draft proposed up to 25 stories. The staff report says existing incentives fronting Flagler from Lakeview Avenue north to 7th Street are unchanged, as of Oct. 22, 2026.
What is the current height limit there?
Five stories under current zoning, per the staff report as of Oct. 22, 2026. The Comprehensive Plan names a five-to-15-story incentive, but zoning does not codify it, so projects cannot use it.
Where would 25 stories be allowed downtown?
Via incentives in the Transit Oriented District between Tamarind and Sapodilla and part of the Quadrille Business District between Sapodilla and Rosemary, from Datura to Evernia, per the staff report as of Oct. 22, 2026.
Why is the waterfront height being discussed again?
Stet News reported on Oct. 21, 2026 that the Planning Board on Oct. 20 recommended the Commission reconsider the dropped waterfront heights. The city’s published documents did not reflect that as of Oct. 22, 2026.
Is Monday’s vote final?
No. It is a first reading. If approved, the changes go to state review, with tentative final approval in January 2027 per the staff report, and zoning amendments tentatively in February 2027 per the agenda, as of Oct. 22, 2026.
How did earlier boards vote?
The Downtown Action Committee recommended approval 3-1 on Sept. 9, 2026, and the Planning Board recommended approval 7-0 on Sept. 15, 2026, per the Oct. 26 agenda as of Oct. 22, 2026.