Gulf Breeze City Manager Blasts State Zoning Bill, Council Embraces 1828 Founding Date

Gulf Breeze, FL (Newsradio 92.3) -- Gulf Breeze City Manager Sam Abel is pushing back against a state bill that would strip local governments of zoning control over residential development.

Senate Bill 948 would preempt local land use decisions, set minimum lot sizes at 1,200 square feet, eliminate setback requirements, and limit parking mandates. The bill has passed one Senate committee and has a House companion bill. The League of Cities is asking municipalities to sign a letter opposing the legislation.

Abel, whose background is in planning and economic development, said the bill undermines decades of local governance.

"The whole purpose is having that local empowerment, local voices, local choices," Abel said. "I spent my career working to get people out of manufactured homes and to stable housing and to stabilize neighborhoods. And so the solution is apparently I've been doing it wrong my whole career."

Abel warned that combined with existing state preemption on short-term rentals, the bill could flood neighborhoods with small rental units.

"All of these small homes that would be preempted to the state with no local review can all be used for short-term rentals," Abel said.

In other business, the Gulf Breeze City Council voted to update the city logo to say "Established 1828" based on historical documents found in the National Archives. The city clerk discovered records showing Presidents John Quincy Adams and Andrew Jackson played key roles in setting aside land that is now Naval Live Oaks, Shoreline Park, and Woodland Park.

"Our heritage, our identity is tied to those public lands and the connection to our natural resources," Abel said. "This is to start bringing recognition to our rich history, working up to our 200-year anniversary."

The city's official seal will continue to reflect the 1961 incorporation date. Gulf Breeze's bicentennial is in 2028.

The full interview with Sam Abel can be found on the Newsradio 92.3 website or on our mobile app.