Supporting Documents (Data and Analysis) - Satellite Beach

CITY OF SATELLITE BEACH 

SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS (DATA AND ANALYSIS) 

Adopted separately and apart from the Comprehensive Plan


COMPREHENSIVE PLAN 

ADOPTED MARCH 31, 1998: RESOLUTION 681; ORDINANCE 716 

Amended September 23, 1998: Ordinance 735 

Amended February 17, 1999: Resolution 706 

Amended May 19, 1999: Ordinance 754 


Amended October 20, 1999: Ordinance 759 


Amended December 6, 2000: Ordinance 794 


Amended October 3, 2001: Resolution 745 

Amended March 6, 2002: Ordinance 825 

Amended June 26, 2002: Ordinance 831 

Amended October 15, 2003: Ordinance 863 

Amended November 19, 2003: Ordinance 812 

Amended October 18, 2006: Ordinances 926, 934 

Amended August 6, 2008: Ordinance 989 

Amended November 6, 2008: Ordinance 998 

Amended April 1, 2009: Ordinance 979 

December 2, 2009 

Revised: December 2, 2009 

ii


COMPREHENSIVE PLAN 

TABLE OF CONTENTS 

Part II 

Data and Analysis (Adopted through Resolution) 

1. Future Land Use Element 

Existing Land Use Map Series 

2. Transportation Element 

Existing Transportation Map Series 

3. Housing Element 

4. Infrastructure Element 

5. Coastal Management/Conservation Element 

6. Recreation and Open Space Element 

7. Intergovernmental Coordination Element 

8. Capital Improvements Element 

9. Community Appearance Element 

Revised: December 2, 2009 

iii

FUTURE LAND USE ELEMENT 

Introduction 

The Future Land Use Element guides the location and intensities of land uses in the City. The Future 

Land Use Element is intended to accommodate and enhance the physical, social, and economic needs 

of current and future residents of the city. Many considerations must be evaluated before designating 

future land uses; environmental concerns, the availability of public facilities and services, population 

growth trends, and existing development patterns. The policies included in this element are intended 

to manage growth in an orderly manner; with respect for the functions of natural systems, and 

consistency with the capabilities of public facilities and services. 

Land Development Opportunities 

The City of Satellite Beach encompasses approximately 2.86 square miles of land (1,833 acres). The 

City land area is 1.4 miles wide at its widest east-west dimension; however, the northwestern 

corporate limits extend to the Banana River channel adding an additional 3,000 feet along the 

northern line. About 2 percent of the City’s developable land remains vacant. While construction 

activity continues, due to a diminishing supply of available building sites, development of Satellite 

Beach occurs at a declining pace. Table 1-2 contains the 1995 – 2008 existing land use inventory 

comparison. 

Existing Population 

The 2007 year-round population was estimated at 10,768 by the University of Florida. The 

additional seasonal population is estimated to be 557 persons, resulting in a total peak population of 

11,325. The figure for seasonal population was derived by multiplying the 2000 U.S. Census 

Persons per Household figure of 2.42 times the number of existing seasonal units in the City. The 

City of Satellite Beach’s population estimates and projections are listed in Table 1-1. 

Availability of Facilities and Services 

Public services and facilities continue to be adequate to serve existing land uses within the City of 

Satellite Beach. 

Water Bodies 

The City of Satellite Beach encompasses .51 square miles (329 acres) of water area in addition to the 

2.40 square miles of land area. This water area is a combination of portions of the Banana River, the 

Grand Canal, and other canals. The City has 2.86 miles of ocean frontage to the east and 1.3 miles of 

frontage on the Banana River to the west. 

Future Land Use Element 

Data and Analysis 1-1

Flooding Conditions 

According to the Coastal High Hazard Area Map, areas within the City of Satellite Beach which 

generally lie east of SR A1A and west of South Patrick Drive have been determined to be within the 

one hundred year and five hundred year flood limits. The interior portion of the City, between arterial 

highways is within the 500-year flood limits. The impact of Hurricane Erin in August of 1995 with 

respect to flooding emphasized the need to improve stormwater management to avoid impassable 

streets. However, none of the flooding conditions warrant redevelopment in flood plain areas. The 

City continues to participate in the Federal Flood Insurance Program and regulates all new 

development through the enforcement of its floodplain management regulations. Section 30-278 of 

the City’s Land Development Regulations defines requirements for anchoring and elevation of 

structures and for hurricane wind and wave construction standards. 

Wetlands 

There are approximately 25 acres of created and restored estuarine wetlands on Samsons Island, a 

city-owned passive recreation park and nature preserve. Additionally, there is an estuarine wetland 

conservation easement around Lansing Island. These natural features have been delineated as 

“Conservation Use” (CU) on the Existing Land Use Map. Otherwise, except for manmade ditches 

and ponds, there are no existing wetlands as determined by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 

National Wetlands Inventory. 

Wellfields 

With the exception of a single ocean-front residence using a well for potable water, no potable water 

wellfields are located within the City of Satellite Beach. Therefore, existing wellfields have not been 

illustrated on the Existing Land Use Map. 

Minerals 

There are no known existing extractable minerals located within the 98 percent built-out City of 

Satellite Beach. Therefore, existing minerals are not depicted on the Existing Land Use Map. 

Soils 

Soils and topography are evaluated in the Coastal Management/Conservation Element. The Soils 

Map is included in the Future Land Use Element and the Coastal Management/Conservation 

Element. Soil conditions appear on the Soils Map. Current soil conditions present no identifiable 

problem, although topography in the City does result in recurrent localized flooding of streets and 

lawns during seasonally intense rain storms. 

Historic Resources 

There are no known historic sites or archeological resources located within the City of Satellite 

Beach. 



Dredge and Spoil Disposal Sites 

The City of Satellite Beach has a policy in which the City determines and designates dredge spoil 

disposal sites to meet future needs, maintains the City’s navigable waterways, is consistent with 

environmental and natural resource protection policies, and meets reasonable cost and transportation 

requirements. 

Adjacent Uses 

Land uses in the City of Satellite Beach are compatible with adjacent land uses lying in the City of 

Indian Harbour Beach directly to the south, unincorporated Brevard County to the north, the Atlantic 

Ocean to the east and the Banana River to the west. 

Beach Area Development 

The Beach Area is defined in the Comprehensive Plan as the land area in Satellite Beach lying to the 

east of SR A1A that extends a distance of 2.85 miles between the City’s northern and southern 

limits. Present development controls include the Ocean Bluff Protection Ordinance, the Coastal 

Construction Control Line, Land Development Regulation Sections: 30-278 - Anchoring and 

Elevation of Structures and Hurricane Wind and Wave Standards; 30-395 - Dune Protection and 

Construction Guidelines; and 30-801- Dune Vegetation Guidelines, as well as other permitting 

procedures. Current residential zoning allows development in the beach area at a maximum 

permitted density of fifteen (11) units per acre. 

Vacant Land Use Analysis 

The City’s land area is ninety-eight (98) percent developed. According to the Satellite Beach 

Building Department, a total of 393 dwelling units were permitted between 2003 and 2008. Because 

of a small amount of vacant developable land, the City’s goal is to ensure that future infill 

development and redevelopment are compatible with existing development so as not to alter the 

predominately residential character of the community. 

The Plan for Future Land Use 

The City of Satellite Beach has a well-defined land use arrangement which generally conforms with 

modern community planning principles and practices. The current overall pattern of land use will 

not change in the foreseeable future for several reasons: 

1. Only about 2 percent of the total City land area is in a vacant, undeveloped state. 

2. There are no conditions existing in adjacent or nearby communities which significantly affect 

the character, timing, or rate of development within the City. 



3. While the potential exists for expansion of the City’s boundaries through annexation, the 

only adjacent unincorporated lands lie to the north of the City. The development pattern of 

that unincorporated area is not materially different from existing patterns in Satellite Beach. 

4. Stringent land use and construction controls maintained by State, County, and City 

governments as appropriate for coastal areas severely limit the range of development options. 

5. An expressed desire by residents of the City and City Council to maintain the City's 

predominant character as a low-density residential community and to preserve its 

environment. 

Given the noted five conditions affecting the future development of Satellite Beach, the impacts of 

that development on infrastructure, traffic circulation, recreation facilities, the provision of 

customary public services, and the natural environment can be identified. Those impacts are 

analyzed in the appropriate elements. 

Future Land Use Map 

The Future Land Use Map is a graphic representation of the City’s land use goals, objectives, and 

policies to the extent that these can be referenced geographically. It serves as a guide in determining 

appropriate zoning regulations and other land use controls. It also indicates the location and type of 

natural environmental conditions which are considered important to the community and worthy of 

protection and/or enhancement as part of a sound land use management program. 

The following explanatory comments are presented to address noteworthy features of the Future 

Land Use Map: 

1. Beach Area - The land area lying east of A1A is designated Residential High Density which 

is defined as follows: 

Residential High Density is a land use category permitting residential land developments 

with development requirements and intensity/density ranges which assure reasonable 

protection of the beach and dunes ecological system and recognize the potential hazards to 

public health, safety, and welfare of development near the shoreline. 

The Residential High Density category, because of its mapped location, requires review and 

possible modification to assure that development provides adequately for protection of the 

vulnerable oceanfront bluff and dune system and protection of properties from damage, 

prevention of loss of human life for residents and compatible physical relationships with 

other land uses in the City. 

2. The Conservation category is included as a means of identifying and locating that portion of 

the Banana River Aquatic Preserve lying within the City, coastal uplands in Hightower and 

Pelican Beach Parks, Gemini Park, and portions of Samsons Island. 



3. The Future Land Use Map is generalized to the extent that it is not intended to be parcelspecific 

but rather to indicate general land use relationships and overall pattern of City 

developments. Minor variations in land use may exist within a given mapped area, due to 

zoning map amendments, approval of conditional use applications, or for other reasons. 

Likewise, the generalized nature of the Future Land Use Map does not define precisely the 

edge of all land use categories and should therefore be utilized only for interpreting broadly 

questions of consistency with mapped zoning districts. Additionally, properties lying at the 

end of or between areas of contrasting land use are well-suited for a transitional land use or 

other special consideration not conforming to standard land use designations. Transitional 

sites, if properly developed in accordance with criteria and requirements set forth in zoning 

regulations, can be a helpful means of creating land use buffer zones to prevent blighting 

influences from impacting established residential neighborhoods while, at the same time, 

allowing reasonable use of the properties so designated. 



Table 1-1: Population Estimates and Projections 2000-2030 

Year Population Percent Increase 

2000 9,577 --- 

2007 10,768 17.0 

2010 10,800 0.3 

2015 11,101 2.8 

2020 11,353 2.3 

2025 11,587 2.1 

2030 11,788 1.7 

Source: Shimberg Center for Affordable Housing, University of Florida 

Table 1-2: Existing Land Use, 1995-2008 Comparison 

1995 2008 Difference 

Land Use 

Acres 

% of 

% of % of 1995 

Acres Acres 

Total Total 

Acres 

Residential 805 52.3 992 54.1 187 23.2 

Commercial and Service 78 5.1 91 5.0 13 16.7 

Educational and Other Public Facilities 112 7.3 118 6.4 6 5.4 

Parks/Open Space 78 5.1 106 5.8 28 35.9 

Light Industrial 5 0.3 6 0.3 1 20.0 

Utility 0 0 0 0 0 0 

Conservation Use 40 2.6 52 2.8 12 30.0 

Church Use 19 1.2 16 0.9 -3 -15.8 

Vacant Land 154 10 151 8.2 -3 -1.9 

Streets 248 16.1 301 16.4 53 21.4 

Total Land Area 1,539 * 82.4 1,833 * 84.8 294 19.1 

* percentage pertains to Combined Land and Water Area 

Banana River 285.4 86.7 285.4 86.7 0 0 

Grand Canal/Connecting Canals 25.1 7.6 25.1 7.6 0 0 

Finger Canals 18.5 5.6 18.5 5.6 0 0 

Total Water Area 329 * 17.6 329 * 15.2 0 0 

* percentage pertains to Combined Land and Water Area 

Combined Land and Water Area 1,868 100 2,162 100 294 15.7 

Source: Ivey, Harris & Walls, Inc., 1995; Brevard County Property Appraiser, 2007; LaRue Planning & Management Services, 

Inc., 2008; City Staff, 2008 



Table 1-3: Units by Vacancy and Occupancy Status, 2000 

Unit Status 

Number Percentage 

of Units of Total 

Occupied 3,896 91.7 

Vacant 351 8.3 

Vacant for Sale 37 0.9 

Vacant for Rent 32 0.8 

Rented or Sold, Not Occupied 47 1.1 

Seasonal, Recreational or Occasional Use 230 5.4 

For Migrant Workers 0 0.0 

Other Vacant 5 0.1 

Total Units 4,247 100.0% 

Source: Affordable Housing Needs Assessment, Shimberg Center for Affordable 

Housing, University of Florida, 2000. 

Table 1-4: Vacant acreage by Future Land Use Category 

LAND USE CATEGORY 

ACRES 

Low Density Residential (RL-1, RL, and RLA) 136.3 (1) 

Medium Density Residential (RM) 4.4 

High Density Residential (RH) 5.7 

Commercial (C) 4.5 

Total 150.9 

(1) 

111 acres (75.6%) of these lands are located in the South Housing PUD, the vast 

majority of which are lands associated with recently demolished military housing 

units or units in the process of being demolished. 

Source: Property Appraisers GIS Database. 



EXISTING LAND USE 

MAP SERIES 



Figure 1-A – Existing Land Use 2007 



Figure 1-B – Existing Waterbodies, Wetlands and Beaches 



Figure 1-C – Existing Soil Associations 



TRANSPORTATION ELEMENT 

Introduction 

Planning for safe and efficient movement of people, goods and services is important to the City of 

Satellite Beach. Such planning must be based on a future land use concept and should provide for 

attractive neighborhoods; meet the service needs of businesses; provide for access to schools, parks, 

and community facilities; and accommodate traffic which passes through the City but which does 

neither serve the City’s residents, nor contributes to the City’s economy. 

The effects of motorized traffic can be undesirable if unsafe conditions or inadequate facilities are 

allowed to occur. However, roadways must not be extended, enlarged, or otherwise modified based 

solely on traffic needs. The impact on environmental and economic conditions must also be 

considered. 

Public transportation has the potential to play a significant role in expanding the capacity of existing 

roadways. Moreover, bicycle and pedestrian needs should be considered as essential components of 

the City’s overall circulation system. Increased bicycle and pedestrian traffic may reduce the rate of 

motorized traffic growth. 

The City of Satellite Beach is located on a barrier island and is constrained by its geography. The 

City’s surface transportation system is served by two north-south arterials and by several collector 

roadways. There are no limited access thoroughfares, airports, ports, or railroads within the corporate 

limits. 

Transportation Element 


I. TRAFFIC CIRCULATION DATA AND ANALYSIS 

A. EXISTING TRAFFIC SYSTEM 

Functional Classification 

Roadways are formally categorized by the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) through a 

statewide, cooperative process with county and local jurisdictions. This ongoing process, known as 

Functional Classification, is used primarily to assign governmental responsibility for maintenance 

and roadway improvement funding. 

According to the FDOT functional classification system, roadways within urban areas are ranked in 

hierarchical order as follows: State Principal Arterial, State Minor Arterial, County Minor Arterials, 

County Urban Collectors and City (or local unincorporated area) Urban Collectors. While FDOT has 

a very slightly different nomenclature for non-urban areas, this does not apply to the City of Satellite 

Beach. Table 2-1 summarizes the current FDOT functional classification of roadways within the City 

of Satellite Beach. In addition, these roadways are depicted on the Existing Roadway Characteristics 

Map, 2009. 

Arterial roadways can be broadly defined as those facilities which carry relatively heavy volumes of 

traffic for activities such as shopping, employment and the movement of goods and services. 

Arterial roadways provide for regional movement; for travel to destinations outside the City; or for 

non-locally-oriented traffic to travel through Satellite Beach to other destinations within the region. 

Collector facilities serve an intermediate function to collect/distribute traffic between regional 

arterial facilities and local roadways. Local streets, in turn, serve as site-specific terminal routes for 

each end of a trip. 

State Principal Arterial - A major highway designed for the movement of large volumes of 

traffic over relatively long distances. This type of facility carries the major portion of trips 

through the urban areas of the county, as well as many trips not destined or originating within 

the county. This facility class does not exclude access to property, though its primary 

function is to facilitate longer distance movement. Access to adjacent properties should thus 

be controlled to the maximum extent possible. 

State and County Minor Arterials - Similar in function to a major arterial, this facility class is 

designed to carry moderate volumes of traffic between urban areas and to connect with the 

principal arterial system. A main function is to provide an intermediate connection between 

the major arterial system and streets within the local area. This facility allows more access to 

adjacent properties than the previous types of facilities. 

County (Major) Collector - Roadways which serve the internal traffic movement within a 

given geographic subarea and connect the subarea to the arterial system. This type of facility 

is not intended to serve long, through trips, but mainly short to moderate length trips. 



Collector roadways carry a moderate volume of traffic at moderate speeds. Property access is 

an appropriate function of this facility, provided it does not inhibit local traffic movement. 

Municipal/City (Minor) Collector - Similar in function to that of a major collector, a minor 

collector is intended to serve a smaller geographic area. It often connects to major collectors 

and arterial roadways. Property access is generally a significant function of this facility. The 

City of Satellite Beach has designated collectors as shown on the Existing Roadways 

Characteristics Map. 

Local - A roadway or street having the primary purpose of providing access to adjacent 

property. Mobility is a secondary function. Average speeds and volumes are low; trips are 

usually of short duration with a purpose of connecting with a higher order facility. A local 

road should not carry through traffic. The trip being served should originate or be destined 

for the immediate surrounding area. 

Lane Geometry 

The number of through-lanes that exist within the City of Satellite Beach at this time are depicted on 

the Existing Roadways Characteristics Map. The existing number of lanes are also shown for arterial 

and collector roadways within the City. All other roadways are two (2) lanes. 

Traffic Signals 

The Existing Roadways Characteristics Map shows the location of the six (6) signalized intersections 

within the City of Satellite Beach. 

Level of Service/Roadway Capacity/Service Volumes 

Roadway Level of Service (LOS) is a qualitative measure of the efficiency of roadway operation. 

LOS is generally described through the assignment of highway segment or intersection operating 

“grades” ranging from LOS “A” (excellent) to LOS “F” (poor). A summary LOS grade is assigned 

through a quantitative comparison of traffic volume relative to roadway capacity. 

Highway capacity constitutes, under controlled conditions, the maximum number of vehicles which 

could pass a given point within a given period (usually daily or peak hour). Service volume relates 

to the number of vehicles that could be anticipated to pass the same point with less driver duress - 

that is, at a desired level of service. 

Existing Traffic Volumes 

The City is served by two north-south arterials and several collector roadways. Because of the City’s 

residential nature and constraints due to its geography, this roadway system provides the necessary 

means of circulation within and among residential areas; the City has also undertaken an ambitious 

effort to develop a network of paved, off-road pedestrian/bicycle paths (i.e., sidewalks) within rights- 



of-way that provide an alternative to automotive travel. There are no limited access thoroughfares, 

airports, ports, or railroads within the corporate limits. 

As shown in Table 2-1, the City’s major roads are maintained and operated by agencies other than 

the City of Satellite Beach. S.R. A1A and S.R. 513 (South Patrick Drive) are the maintenance 

responsibility of the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT). The local collectors listed in the 

table are the responsibility of the City of Satellite Beach. The City has adopted a LOS of “C” for all 

arterial and collector roads in the peak traffic hour. 

Table 2-2 shows the annual average daily trips (AADT) generated on the FDOT maintained 

roadways within Satellite Beach as well as those forecasted for 2009, 2014 and 2019. The 2008 

counts show that some segments of roadways are below the City’s LOS standards. However, there 

are FDOT maintained roads and within the FDOT LOS standards. 

Need for Existing Facility Upgrades 

The issue of strengthening storm evacuation and post disaster reconstruction policies is based on two 

primary areas: 

1. Minimize vulnerability; and 

2. Maximize preparedness for hurricanes. 

Over the past five years, there has been record setting hurricane activity in the State of Florida. In 

2004 there were 15 named storms with eight strengthening to Hurricanes. In 2005 there were 27 

named storms with 14 strengthening to hurricanes. This has caused a general state of heightened 

awareness regarding hurricane preparedness, response, and recovery. Lessons learned from 

communities that suffered the impact of a direct catastrophic hurricane strike demonstrate that the 

City of Satellite Beach must be vigilant in its preparation for potential hurricane impacts and that 

intensive and ongoing intergovernmental coordination before, during, and after a hurricane strike at 

the local, regional, state, and federal levels is key to successful mitigation, response, and recovery. 

The coastal location, built out condition, and significant investment on Satellite Beach results in the 

need for the City to be highly sensitive to its vulnerability to hurricanes. The City of Satellite, as well 

as the entire Space Coast Region, has been very fortunate over the past few years to avoid a direct 

strike by the numerous hurricanes that have crossed the State resulting in devastating losses for those 

directly struck. Nevertheless, impacts of these hurricanes were felt within the Space Coast Region 

with areas experiencing loss of power, flooding, and relatively minor damage. 

While the entire City is vulnerable to the most intense hurricanes, susceptibility to the effects of a 

Category 1 storm is limited to the immediate Atlantic coastline where the Coastal High Hazard Area 

(CHHA) includes some properties as close as 100 feet east of A-1-A. Most of the properties that 

may be affected by a Category 1 hurricane in this area are residential, although there are some 

commercial, recreational, and public/semi-public types of uses. 

All properties in the City that are located west of South Patrick Drive (SR 513) fall within the 

CHHA. This includes the entire park/conservation area and the residential uses to the north and 



south, as well as all residential uses between the Grand Canal and South Patrick Drive. Most of the 

commercial uses along the east side of South Patrick Drive south of Roosevelt Avenue also fall 

within the CHHA. 

Evacuation and sheltering are a regional concern. The planning and implementation of evacuation 

and sheltering must be done in close coordination with Brevard County, Brevard County 

Metropolitan Planning Organization, the East Central Regional Planning Council, the Florida 

Department of Transportation, and the American Red Cross. As a coordinated team, the ability to 

assure the safety of the citizens is greatly enhanced. 

There are also concerns as to egress during hurricane evacuation. All of Satellite Beach is designated 

by the Brevard County Division of Emergency Management/Communications as being in Evacuation 

Zone 6. Zone 6 includes the residents of Patrick Air Force Base south to the northern limits of 

Indian Harbour Beach. All citizens must evacuate over the Pineda Causeway in the event of a severe 

hurricane emergency. 

The Brevard County Office of Emergency Management has estimated that approximately 22,922 

people may be required to use the Pineda evacuation corridor; 10,938 of them from Satellite Beach. 

The Brevard County Growth Management Department has indicated the present capacity of the 

Pineda Causeway with three (3) lanes westbound and one (1) lane eastbound is 1,465 vehicles per 

hour. Evacuation egress is further complicated by the low elevation of the west side of the City 

which makes many of its roadways prone to flooding in major storm conditions. Such concerns 

focus on the potential impact on South Patrick Drive and its efficiency as a prime egress for 

hurricane evacuation. In 1990 FDOT determined that South Patrick Drive could not be widened 

because the 100-year flood plain elevations would require raising the roadway and the high cost of 

right-a-ways pushed the project close to 20 million dollars. 

Currently, evacuation clearance times for Brevard County are estimated to be 12 hours for Category 

1 and 2 hurricanes and 18 hours for Category 3 through 5 hurricanes (FDCA, 2005). The Florida 

Division of Emergency Management recommends that all counties achieve 12 hours or less clearance 

time for a Category 3 hurricane. This is due to the limited amount of time between the National 

Hurricane Center issuing a hurricane warning and when the tropical storm-force winds make 

landfall. Brevard County is not able to meet this standard now, and with continued growth and the 

limited road network of the region, it will be difficult to decrease this evacuation time. 

Hurricane shelters are designated annually by Brevard County Emergency Management and are 

opened dependent upon the level of hurricane threat. They are coordinated with the Satellite Beach 

Emergency Manager but operated solely by Brevard County with support from the City. Authority 

for this practice is derived from Florida Statute 252. The recommended public evacuation shelter for 

City residents is located at Brevard Community College’s Cocoa and Melbourne campuses. 



B. FUTURE TRAFFIC CIRCULATION 

Future traffic conditions including traffic volumes on the roadway network in Satellite Beach have 

been projected for the years 2009 and 2019. Future roadway network needs have been identified as a 

result of projected future traffic volumes. 

Future traffic volumes were developed based on the Future Land Use Map, proposed developments, 

population projections, tourist traffic and historic growth. 

A review of the proposed and funded capacity or improvement projects by the Space Coast 

Transportation Planning Organization (TPO) Major Transportation Improvement Projects FY 2008- 

2012 indicated corridor improvements were funded for a 3.15 mile stretch of S.R. 513 (South Patrick 

Drive) from DeSoto Parkway to S.R. 404 (Pineda Causeway). Right-of-way acquisition occurred in 

2008 and construction was to have been completed by 2009. However, these improvements have 

been removed from the list of short-term improvements and postponed indefinitely. With these 

improvements to S.R. 513, the over-capacity road’s level of service would have been improved 

significantly from D to B, meeting both the City and State standards. 

By 2010 another segment of FDOT roadway (S.R. AIA) will have exceeded capacity using City 

roadway level of services standards. However, by FDOT standards it has not. Because the City has 

no control or authorization of these particular road segments and could continually fall into the 

concurrency trap, for which they have no recourse. Based on the above, the City will recommend in 

the EAR-based Amendment phase to drop the LOS for State-controlled Arterials to “D”. 

Other transportation planning documents such as the Brevard 2025 Long Range Transportation Plan 

indicates no need or planning for any improvements within Satellite Beach. Therefore, the Level of 

Service appears not to be a critical issue at this time, nor is it anticipated to become one in the near 

future. Based on these County transportation reports and the projected LOS, an in depth 

transportation analysis is not warranted at this time. All other roads are considered "local", have no 

LOS problems, and are maintained by the City. Because the City is almost completely built out, its 

local streets cannot be expected to exceed LOS C in 2015. Based on this analysis, the transportation 

needs of Satellite Beach do not warrant the creation of a multi-modal transportation system. 

Pursuant to Section 163.3 180(10), Florida Statutes, each local government shall use a professionally 

accepted methodology for measuring impacts on transportation facilities for the purposes of 

implementing its concurrency management system. The methodology used by each jurisdiction for 

measuring transportation impacts should include the following components: 

• Adopted level of service standards 

• Traffic study area requirements 

• Background traffic assumptions 

• Trip generation data and trip distribution requirements 

• Impact analysis based on peak hour trips 



The City of Satellite Beach’s existing transportation facilities include two major Florida Department 

of Transportation (FDOT) maintained highways—S.R. A1A and S.R. 513, also known as South 

Patrick Drive. Both of these roads traverse the adjacent jurisdictions of Indian Harbour Beach to the 

south and Brevard County to the north. All other roads are considered “local” and are maintained by 

the City. 

With regard to transportation concurrency methodologies and measuring impacts on transportation 

facilities within the City of Satellite Beach, it has been the City’s policy to defer and coordinate any 

and all development review that may impact these arterial roads to their corresponding jurisdiction, 

as they would have the prevailing and final say in the approval process. To duplicate the review 

process would be arduous, redundant, and pointless for the development applicant. For projects that 

fall within the City’s jurisdiction, the City Code of Satellite Beach, Section 30-303(3)f and (4), (see 

below) provides the methodology the City utilizes to maintain concurrency on its roads. 

Bicycle and Pedestrian Ways 

Non-motorized transportation facilities serve bicyclists and pedestrians. The State Transportation 

Plan requires that bicycle and pedestrian ways be given full consideration in the planning and 

development of transportation facilities. Regional and local transportation plans and programs 

should include bicycle and pedestrian facilities. The state also requires that bicycle and pedestrian 

ways be established in conjunction with construction, reconstruction or changes in any state facilities 

within five miles of an urban area. Exceptions to this plan may be made if consideration of a nonmotorized 

way is contrary to public safety, cost is disproportionate to need or probable use or 

absence of need or use has been determined. 

The interface of pedestrians with vehicles requires careful design to ensure the safety and movement 

of the pedestrian, as well as the safety and movement of vehicles. The Satellite Beach City Code has 

required sidewalks for all new development since 1978. Sidewalks should be evaluated for need and 

prioritized; and means of implementation developed to correct public safety problems where 

necessary. 

The lack of adequate non-motorized transportation facilities is a concern that was clearly expressed 

in the last Comprehensive Plan. Few special provisions have been made for bicyclists and pedestrian 

facilities in Satellite Beach. The State Transportation Plan requires that bicycle and pedestrian ways 

be given full consideration in the planning and development of transportation facilities. Regional and 

local transportation plans should also include bicycle and pedestrian facilities. In addition, the State 

requires that bicycle and pedestrian ways be established in conjunction with construction and 

reconstruction, or changes in any state facilities within five miles of an urban area. 

Sidewalks and walkability have long been synonymous with the small town, low-density residential 

feel that the residents of Satellite Beach embrace. In order to create walkability and pedestrian 

linkages, opportunities to provide sidewalks where none currently exist must be planned for. This 

may necessitate developing and enforcing regulations that mandate their provision at time of 

development by the private sector, as well as acquisition of suitable properties in missing linkage 

locations by the public sector. 



The interface of pedestrians with vehicles requires careful design to ensure the safety and movement 

of the pedestrian as well as the safety and movement of vehicles. In an effort to provide continuous 

linkages throughout Satellite Beach the City must also continue to focus on missing sidewalk links to 

maximize the connectivity of exiting walkways. 

The City established an ad hoc committee of residents in 1999 to devise a plan for bicycle and 

pedestrian ways throughout the City. The recommendation of that committee was accepted by 

Council, and won an award from the Brevard County Metropolitan Planning Organization. 

Subsequently, the City submitted a major portion of the recommendation to the TPO for funding, and 

commenced completing the other portions as opportunity and finances allowed. The TPO approved 

the project and, in 2008, provided funds that allowed the City to complete implementation of the 

plan. 

Brevard County completed, through the City, a bicycle/pedestrian path along the east side of A1A as 

part of the County’s Coastal Corridor Multi-Use Trail stretching from Sebastian Inlet to Port 

Canaveral. The City’s redevelopment agency subsequently included in its A1A corridor 

improvement plan a companion bicycle/pedestrian path along the west side of A1A. This project has 

been submitted to the TPO for funding and is in the approval process for construction in the 2013 

time frame. 



II. PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION DATA AND ANALYSIS 

A. EXISTING PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM 

The City of Satellite Beach is essentially a residential community located on a barrier island with a 

narrow, but long configuration. Its residential identity has developed from mainly space related 

industry growth, and residents have relied upon private automobiles rather than public transportation. 

The current fixed route bus service is limited in its route coverage and schedule. Satellite Beach is a 

member of the South Beaches Coalition, which has membership in the Space Coast Transportation 

Planning Organization (TPO). The South Beaches Coalition participates in policy planning through 

the TPO. The TPO prepares the Transit Development Plan which covers all forms of transportation. 

The Role of SCAT 

The City is served by the Space Coast Area Transit (SCAT). SCAT is a division of the Human 

Services Department of Brevard County. SCAT provides fixed route service, subscription service 

for various social service agencies, demand response service through a private contractor, and a 

vanpool program. Medical transportation is supplied by a private provider, but administered by 

SCAT. 

All of these services are available to the citizens of Satellite Beach. With the exception of the fixed 

route service, these services are available upon demand and contract with the user. The fixed route 

service covers regular routes on a predetermined basis. 

Major Trip Generators and Attractors 

The major trip generators for the City of Satellite Beach are the areas of employment and the 

shopping areas. Since Satellite Beach is a “bedroom community”, many trips are external to the 

City. Both automobile and mass transit traffic concentrate on the following destinations: 

Space Industry - located north of the City at Patrick Air Force Base, Cape 

Canaveral Air Force Station and Kennedy Space Center. 

Aerospace Industry - located in Melbourne and Palm Bay. 

Tourism (Beach) - located along the eastern edge of the barrier island. 

Ability of Public Transportation to Serve Existing Land Use 

Satellite Beach, being predominately residential, does not have a strong need for public 

transportation to bring people into the City to serve its non-residential users. The current fixed route 

service has inconvenient routes for making short trips and return trips. However, based on the 

demand, this system serves the existing land uses adequately. Other forms of transportation, 

previously discussed, also serve the existing land use adequately. 



Adequacy of Bus and Paratransit Service to Evacuate Coastal Area 

The fixed route service does not have an extensive impact on the evacuation process. Paratransit 

service has the capability to move passengers to shelter areas in Rockledge and Melbourne. The 

Police Department has a program for transportation of handicapped residents in the event of an 

evacuation. 

Energy Conservation 

The City of Satellite Beach is a small, virtually built-out, island community with an established and 

limited roadway network and limited opportunities for annexation. Therefore, it is not possible to 

alter the land use pattern within the City, or to develop transportation strategies that will 

substantively discourage urban sprawl or reduce greenhouse gas emissions. However, the City has 

developed a pedestrian and bikeway system that as can be seen on the Existing Bicycle and 

Pedestrian Paths (2009), provides connectivity between residential areas and commercial 

concentrations, recreation areas, and areas of public and semi-public uses. Further, Satellite Beach is 

served by the Space Coast Area Transit system connecting the City with other parts of Brevard 

County. The South Beach Trolley provides transportation for residents and visitors alike, between 

and among residential, commercial, recreational, and public/semi-public concentrations not only in 

Satellite Beach but throughout the neighboring beach communities. The Energy Conservation 

Factors Map (2009) show the locations of bicycle and pedestrian ways, and public transit routes 

connecting residential areas and commercial, recreational, and public/semi-public concentrations 

within the City of Satellite Beach. 

B. FUTURE PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM 

An increase in ridership will not be significant enough to offset any projected increase in traffic 

volumes on City roadways. However, the City is making several commitments to the TPO through 

the South Beaches Coalition to study bus corridor routes, multi-modal programs, special needs and 

address bicycle and pedestrian needs in cooperation with the Brevard Bicycle Advisory Committee. 

Transportation and Future Land Use Compatibility 

If the City continues to rely on the existing public transportation system, there will be no discernable 

affect on land use. Given the characteristics of the nearly built-out community and the projected 

traffic volumes it is anticipated that there will be no incompatibility between transportation and 

future land use. 



Table 2-1: Satellite Beach Major Streets 

Street Direction Class Jurisdiction 

S.R. A1A N-S Principal Arterial FDOT 

S.R. 513 N-S Minor Arterial FDOT 

Cassia Blvd. E-W Collector Satellite Beach 

Cinnamon Dr. E-W Collector Satellite Beach 

DeSoto Parkway E-W Collector Satellite Beach 

Jackson Dr. E-W Collector Satellite Beach 

Park Ave. E-W Collector Satellite Beach 

Roosevelt Ave. E-W Collector Satellite Beach 

All Other Roads varies Local Satellite Beach 

Table 2-2: Annual Average Daily Trips (AADT) and Level of Service (LOS) for the Existing Road System 

Satellite 

AADT AADT AADT AADT AADT 

Beach 

Street Segment Class 2008/ 2009/ 2014/ 2019/ Capacity 

Adopted 

LOS LOS LOS LOS /LOS 

LOS 

S.R. Sea Park Blvd. S. to Park Principal 26,300/ 26,500/ 28,700/ 29,100/ 

32,700/D C 

A1A 

S.R. 

A1A 

S.R. 

513* 

S.R. 

513* 

Ave. (1.79 mi.) 

Park Ave. S. to Palm 

Springs Blvd. (2.08 mi.) 

Berkeley St. S. to 

Fountain Blvd. (0,87 mi) 

(2-lanes in 2008; 

widening to 4-lanes in 

2009) 

Fountain St. S. to 

DeSoto Pkwy. (1.59 mi) 

(2-lanes in 2008; 

widening to 4-lanes in 

2009) 

Arterial 

Principal 

Arterial 

Minor 

Arterial 

Minor 

Arterial 

D 

28,800/ 

B 

16,900/ 

D 

14,700/ 

D 

D 

29,100/ 

B 

17,500/ 

E 

14,900/ 

D 

D 

30,500/ 

C 

20,200/ 

F 

15,600/ 

D 

D 

31,900/ 

C 

22,900/ 

F 

16,400/ 

D 

35,700/D 

2-lane 

17,220/D 

2-lane 

17,220/D 

Source: FDOT, 2008; East Central Florida Regional Planning Council’s Central Florida Geographic Information System, 2008 

(www.cfgis.org) *Information has been modified by LaRue Planning & Management Services to reflect deleting of widening of 

SR 513. 

C 

C 

C 



EXISTING TRANSPORTATION 

MAP SERIES 



Figure 2-A – Existing Roadway Characteristics 



Figure 2-B – Existing Roadway LOS 



Figure 2-C – Public Transit Routes, Stops and Transit Generators and Attractors 



Figure 2-D – Future Bicycle and Pedestrian Paths 



Figure 2-E – Energy Conservation Factors 



HOUSING ELEMENT 

General Housing Conditions 

This Housing Element addresses the provision of adequate and affordable housing. Housing is 

primarily a function of the private sector. But, the City assumes an active role through 

developmental regulations and supportive measures for a mix of housing types that meet the 

market demands. Satellite Beach is a city with a development pattern characterized primarily by 

well-constructed single-family, detached homes on platted lots ranging in size from 7,500 square 

feet to over 10,000 square feet. Within Satellite Beach, there is a harmony in land use patterns, 

with complementary architectural character and consistency in building height and density. This 

quality results from the fact that 86 percent of the buildings were constructed during a thirty (30) 

year period of relatively strict building codes, as can be seen in Table 3-6. Therefore, the City 

has avoided problems commonly found in older communities developed without the benefit of 

modern land use regulations. 

Through-traffic in Satellite Beach is accommodated by SR A1A and South Patrick Drive (SR 

513). These provide corridors for retail, commercial, service, and institutional functions serving 

the year-round and seasonal population of Satellite Beach and nearby communities. These 

roadway corridors also provide direct access to higher-density residential areas located at the 

edge of neighborhoods and along the oceanfront. This appropriate relationship between 

residential areas and high traffic-volume thoroughfares makes it relatively easy for the City to 

retain attractive and viable residential neighborhoods. 

Housing Trends and Projections 

The housing data contained in this element is derived from the 2000 U.S. Census and the 2000 

Shimberg Center’s Affordable Housing Needs Assessment. The City of Satellite Beach has little 

vacant land area available for new residential development. This has been the case since the 

1980s as evidenced by the number dwelling units issued building permits between 2003 and 

2008 displayed in Table 3-17. Including single family, duplex and multi-family dwelling units, 

the City has permitted a total of only 393 dwelling units in the 2003-2008 period and 156 of 

those units were issued for the Patrick Air Force Base Pelican Coast PUD, which was the only 

redevelopment of existing housing. 

Substandard Housing 

The reason for making a distinction between standard housing and substandard housing is to 

determine the potential threat of structural or functional obsolescence to the health and safety of 

the general public. For community planning purposes, it is important to establish a definition of 

"substandard" which expresses the community’s minimum acceptable housing quality threshold. 

The only readily-available source of housing quality data, other than a dwelling-by-dwelling 

inspection, is the U.S. Census Bureau’s Decennial Census of Housing. The following housing 

quality indicators are reported at ten-year intervals: 

Housing Element 


a. Age of housing. 

b. Value of housing. 

c. Completeness of kitchen facilities (including sink, hot and cold water, stove, and 

refrigerator). 

d. Completeness and exclusive use by dwelling residents of bathroom (including hot 

and cold water, flush toilet, and tub or shower). 

e. Heating equipment in use. 

f. Persons per room (extent of overcrowding). 

Inasmuch as housing units may have various combinations of the indicators listed, the total 

number of dwellings reported for all indicators is not an accurate measure of a community’s 

substandard housing. This fact, coupled with the subjective nature of the "substandard" 

condition, suggests that a simple definition is needed to offer an opportunity for measurement 

against census or survey data. 

The "substandard" definition in this Comprehensive Plan to establish relevant housing objectives 

and policies is: 

Substandard Dwelling - A dwelling which lacks complete bathroom plumbing 

facilities for the exclusive use of the resident(s) of the dwelling; or which is 

occupied by more than one person per room; or which does not have an adequate 

level of exterior maintenance to assure that roof, walls, windows, doors, and 

foundation slab will withstand normal weather conditions to preclude visible 

structural deterioration. 

Dwellings which do not possess one or more of the conditions in the definition are considered to 

be "standard". 

Table 3-16 displays the number of dwelling units that are substandard according to the first two 

components of this definition. In 2000, there were no residential units lacking complete 

plumbing facilities or complete kitchen facilities. Thirty (30) units were overcrowded, having 

more than one (1) person per room within a single unit. As can be expected for a City with a 

relatively strict building code, the City's proportion of substandard housing is below the statewide 

proportion of substandard housing, which totals 6.5% for overcrowded units alone (See 

Table 3-16). As the housing stock continues to age and the potential for building decay 

increases, the City must adjust the code enforcement effort by increasing emphasis on 

rehabilitation and renovation activities in light of the decrease of new construction activity. 

Resident Population 

The resident population is comprised of persons residing in the community for periods of greater 

than six months. The count by the U.S. Census and estimates by the University of Florida are 

considered to reflect the resident population. During the winter season, November through April, 

the City’s population does not increase significantly with the influx of seasonal residents and 

tourists because less than 5% of the housing units are seasonally vacant or held for occasional 

use. 



The population projections for the resident population reflect the City’s ability to manage growth 

and the City’s Land Development Regulations also implement the City’s Comprehensive Plan 

policies in these important areas: 

1. Preventing overcrowding of land avoids undue concentration of population 

2. Facilitating the adequate provision of transportation, recreational facilities, housing, water 

and sewage treatment and other requirements and services 

3. Ensuring adequate hurricane evacuation capabilities 

4. Conserving, developing, utilizing, and protecting natural resources 

Maintaining these regulations, particularly the intensity of use requirements, remains important 

as build-out approaches and more redevelopment occurs. 

Housing Characteristics 

As represented in Table 3-2, Satellite Beach is a family oriented community with nearly 73% of 

the households being considered families by the U.S. Census Bureau and nearly 30% of the 

households containing individuals less than 18 years of age. There is also a considerable 

retirement population with 36% of households having residents 65 years and older. 

The predominant type of housing in Satellite Beach is the stand-alone single family dwelling, 

consisting of 68% of the housing units. If you add attached single family units to that figure, 

nearly 80% of the housing units are single family dwellings. The other 20% consist of 

multifamily units. Shimberg reports that there are eight mobile homes in the City limits, 

constituting a negligible 0.2% of the total housing units. 

In 1995, the Comprehensive Plan indicated that there were a total of 4,205 dwelling units. In 

2000, Shimberg Center indicated that there are a total of 4,257 housing units. This is an increase 

of 52 units (1.4%) in 5 years. Additionally, the average household size is 2.42 persons per 

household (2000 Census). 

Table 3-3 demonstrates the breakdown of housing units by type in the City. In 2000, the 

Shimberg Center and the US Census reports showed that 91.7% of housing units in the City were 

occupied. Of the 3,896 occupied housing units, 83.3% were owner-occupied units and 19.2% 

were renter-occupied units. For owner-occupied units, this is an increase of 3.5% from the 1995 

estimate of 80.8% reported in the Comprehensive Plan. Conversely, the percentage of renteroccupied 

units decreased from 19.2% in 1995 to 16.7% in 2000. Table 3-4 illustrates the ratio of 

owner-occupied housing units to renter-occupied as shown in the 1995 City of Satellite Beach 

Comprehensive Plan and estimated and projected by Shimberg for the following years. After 

2000, Shimberg projects a slow but steady increase in homeownership and a decrease in the 

proportion of renters at a proportionately inverse rate. 

As discussed earlier, of the 4,247 total housing units in the City, 91.7% are occupied and 8.3% 

are vacant for various reasons. Of the 351 units that Shimberg considers vacant, only 69 are 

available for sale or rent. (See Table 3-5.) 



The figures in Table 3-8 have been derived by dividing the population for each period by the 

average household size in 2007 to arrive at the number of dwelling units needed. The mix of 

dwelling units needed is assumed to be the same as the relationship between single family and 

multi-family building permits issued during the period 2003 – 2008 in the City. 

Tables 3-9 through 3-16 are additional housing characteristics in the City of Satellite Beach, such 

as Gross Rent, Value of Units, Cost Burden, and Monthly Owner Costs. Table 3-11 shows that 

35.4% of renter occupied households spend 35% or more of their income on rent and Table 3-13 

shows that 13.2% of owner occupied households spend 35% or more of their income on housing. 

Table 3-14 below shows that out of 4,459 households, 969 (22%) spend 30% or more of their 

income for housing and 425 (10%) pay 50% or more of their income for housing. These figures 

indicate a need for affordable housing in Satellite Beach. 

Affordable Housing Summary 

In the five year period from 2000 to 2005, median household income within Satellite Beach 

increased 7.4% from $55,571 to $60,0001. However, in the same five year period, the median 

housing costs increased 71.3% from $116,650 to $407,000 for condos, and 60.5% from $122,400 

to $310,000 for single family residences. This increase in housing cost is due to a number of 

factors including: the nearness to build out within the City, continuing development pressures, 

along with the scarcity of undeveloped land within the City, and the higher land values 

commonly associated with an oceanfront community; all of which has contributed to higher land 

values which are reflected in the cost of residential units within the City. Table 3-18 indicates the 

increasing median housing cost in Satellite Beach from 1997 to 2007. 

The dramatic increase of median housing costs has had a significant impact on moderate-income 

families trying to find affordable new or used homes in Satellite Beach by reducing the supply of 

affordable workforce housing within the City. To reasonably afford a single family house at the 

median cost of $310,000 would require an annual household salary of approximately $93,000. 

Federal housing program guidelines typically require that housing costs should not exceed 30% 

of a households’ income to be considered affordable. 

However, from 2004 to 2005 Florida saw record housing price increases in excess of 25% per 

year. This trend is certainly evidenced by the 26% and 21% increases in Satellite Beach single 

family housing from ’03 to ’04 and ’04 to ’05 respectively. This trend reached its peak in 2005, 

and then started deflating in 2006, and accelerating ever since. By the 4 th quarter of 2007, the 

median housing price in the City went from $310,000 to $262,000, a 15.5% decrease. This 15% 

reduction in median house values could then make it affordable for an annual household income 

of $78,600 to purchase the same house that only 18 months prior was out of range in terms of 

affordability. This is still out of the affordability range for most “work force” salaries; however, it 

is considerably closer than it was prior to the housing price decline. 

Affordability of housing also extends to monthly rents paid. The median rent paid by Satellite 

Beach households in 2000 was $791 per month, compared to a statewide median rent of $641. 

1 www.dataplace.org & www.city-data.com 



The term “affordable housing” is simply the relationship between the income of consumers 

(buyers and renters) and the cost (price) of the product (houses and apartments). Significant 

changes in either of these two variables can “produce” or “lose” affordable housing. Affordable 

housing is typically defined as “housing which costs 30% or less of a family’s gross income.” 

Households are typically defined as very low, low, and moderate income based on thresholds tied 

to the median income of a county or metropolitan statistical area. These thresholds are 50, 80, 

and 120 percent of median income, respectively. Workers in households earning between 80 

percent and 120 percent of area median income (AMI), HUD’s moderate income level, fill the 

majority of jobs in nearly every sector of the economy, especially in services and retail trade. 

These households are known as the “workforce.” Workforce households are diverse in character 

and composition, and may include single persons, with or without children, or married persons, 

one (or occasionally both) with a workforce job. Moreover, workforce households often serve as 

essential frontline servers in the economy. Examples of workforce jobs can include a police 

officer, construction worker, teacher, nurse, retail salesperson, and waiter. While many of these 

households may not fall within HUD’s target population, these are the workers who are finding it 

increasingly more difficult to find “affordable housing.” In the past, the efforts were concentrated 

on low and very low income residents but the issue of affordable housing has recently expanded 

to include the moderate income workforce population. 

While roughly half of Brevard County’s ten largest employers have a large percentage of 

employees that would exceed the annual income of those defined as “workforce” employees, 

there are still a great many that would make the annual income of the workforce population. 

Table 3-20 below shows the average annual income for several occupations that are part of the 

workforce population and the maximum mortgage an individual in that occupation would be able 

to afford based on income. 

In order to pay for a home at the median cost of $310,000 or even at $262,000 many Satellite 

Beach households would become cost-burdened. "Cost-burdened" households pay more than 

30% of income for rent or mortgage costs. In 2005, 1011 Satellite Beach households (22%) paid 

more than 30% of their income for housing. By comparison, 29% of households statewide are 

cost-burdened. In addition, 442 households (10%) in Satellite Beach pay more than 50% of their 

income for housing. 

Satellite Beach is not alone in its quest to provide more affordable housing to its residents. 

Communities throughout the State of Florida are re-analyzing their planning documents to ensure 

that appropriate measures are being taken to provide attainable housing. Local governments are 

searching for innovative ways, other than relying on Federal and State programs, to meet the 

need for affordable housing. 

Affordable housing is an issue that affects all segments of the local economy. The high cost of 

housing forces lower wage earners to live in outlying areas where housing costs are cheaper. 

This, in turn, increases travel costs for these workers as well as increasing government costs 

through the increased demand for services in areas where such services may not be readily 

available or able to be provided efficiently. This growth pattern also increases roadway 



congestion, thereby reducing the quality of life in affected communities and increasing costs to 

residents and taxpayers in a number of ways. 

Providing homeownership opportunities and attainable rents in the City of Satellite Beach will 

help working families and individuals live near their jobs. Enabling the City’s governmental 

(police, fire, municipal, teachers, etc.), healthcare, and service industry workers to live in the City 

will add to the sense of community in Satellite Beach. These workers and their families will be 

more likely to volunteer their time for programs and events and help promote civic pride in the 

City. 

In addition, as the City strives to increase a diversified tax base by encouraging new businesses to 

locate in Satellite Beach, these potential businesses could view the lack of attainable local 

housing for their workforce as a possible deterrent to locating in the City. Developing a 

comprehensive program to help foster the development of workforce housing in the City could 

help increase the commercial tax base. 

However, as the City works to address the issue of workforce housing, probably the single 

greatest factor in the City’s ability to provide programs, incentives, or plans will be the lack of 

available developable land in which to implement any of these strategies, as they typically occur 

as a component of new development. But as existing housing and residential development is 

redeveloped, programs, incentives, or plans can be implemented at that point. 

Subsidized Units 

There are no subsidized rental projects for low income residents within the City of Satellite 

Beach. In addition, the City of Satellite Beach does not operate any of its own local programs. 

The Shimberg Center for Affordable Housing recorded affordable housing units in areas where it 

is most needed. Presently, with the City 98% built-out and without a documented need for 

subsidized housing, the City will continue to coordinate with the County and participate in the 

county-wide Community Development Block Grant Program. 

Historically Significant Housing 

There are no known historical structures within the City of Satellite Beach. No such structures 

are listed on the Florida Master Site File at the Florida Department of State, Division of 

Historical Resources. In addition, neither the County nor the City identified historically 

significant housing within the City. 

Economic Characteristics of Housing 

The most important considerations in analyzing the economic characteristics of housing are: the 

ratio of housing cost to household income of the housing market population (affordability); the 

range of housing types and value/cost to assure housing opportunities for persons and families in 

various income groups (accessibility); and the ability of the private sector to provide housing in 

response to market demand (availability). The higher housing cost in Satellite Beach is largely 



due to the higher land values commonly associated with an oceanfront community having a high 

level of living amenities. Those who elect to live in communities having such amenities 

obviously do so as a matter of choice. 

The private sector’s ability to provide marketable housing of various types (even though at a 

higher cost than at other locations in Brevard County) at a rate which has led to the nearly 

complete development of the City indicates responsiveness to market conditions. 

Mobile Homes 

Mobile homes, while considered an appropriate housing alternative in some communities, are not 

suitable for a barrier island community where potential storm hazards would represent a threat to 

the safety and security of residents. For this reason, Satellite Beach has not permitted installation 

and occupancy of additional mobile homes except for security employee housing on County 

School Board and library properties to provide round-the-clock security. 

Summary 

The physical condition of housing in Satellite Beach meets high standards of quality, appearance, 

and economic value. Residential neighborhoods are generally free of blighting influences and 

conditions which impair stability. The section of this Comprehensive Plan entitled Community 

Appearance analyzes conditions and identifies activities to enhance neighborhoods and ensure 

adequate maintenance levels for residential areas. 



Table 3-1: Population Estimates and Projections 2000 - 2025 

Year Population Population Increase 

2000 9,577 

2007 10,768 1,191 

2010 10,800 32 

2015 11,101 301 

2020 11,353 252 

2025 11,587 234 

Source: Shimberg Center for Affordable Housing, University of Florida 

Table 3-2: Households by Type, 2000 

Type of Household Number Percentage 

Families 2,857 72.8 

With Own Children Under 18 Years 1,601 26.8 

Married-Couple Family 2,384 60.3 

With Own Children Under 18 Years 807 20.4 

Female Householder, No Husband Present 363 9.2 

With Own Children Under 18 Years 196 5.0 

Nonfamily Households 1,076 27.2 

Householder Living Alone 888 22.5 

Householder 65 Years and Over 423 10.7 

Households with Individuals under 18 Years 1,163 29.4 

Households with Individuals 65 Years and 

Over 

1,420 35.9 

Average Household Size 2.42 - 

Average Family Size 2.83 - 

Total Households 3,952 100 

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2000 



Table 3-3: Housing Units by Type, 2000 

Type Number Percentage 

Single Family – 1 Detached 2,891 68.1 

Single Family – 1 Attached 447 10.5 

Single Family Total 3,338 78.6 

Multifamily – 2 Units 132 3.1 

Multifamily – 3 or 4 Units 161 3.8 

Multifamily – 5 to 9 Units 77 1.8 

Multifamily – 10 to 19 Units 84 2.0 

Multifamily – 20 or More Units 447 10.5 

Multifamily Total 901 21.2 

Mobile Homes 8 0.2 

Other 0 0.0 

Total 4,247 100.00 

Source: Shimberg Center for Affordable Housing, University of Florida, 2000. 

Table 3-4: Households by Tenure, 2000 to 2025 

Owner 

Renter 

Year Number of 

Households 

Percentage of 

Total 

Number of 

Households 

Percentage of 

Total 

Total* 

2000 3,280 83.3 658 16.7 3,938 

2007 3,885 83.3 777 16.7 4,459 

2010 4,137 83.4 824 16.6 4,472 

2015 4,399 83.7 855 16.3 4,597 

2020 4,642 84.3 867 15.7 4,702 

2025 4,889 84.6 888 15.4 4,799 

*Total indicates the addition of the given number of owner and renter households and may not be the 

actual total number of households. 

Source: Shimberg Center for Affordable Housing, University of Florida; and Satellite Beach 

Comprehensive Plan. 



Table 3-5: Units by Vacancy and Occupancy Status, 2000 

Unit Status Number of Units Percentage of Total 

Occupied 3,896 91.7 

Vacant 351 8.3 

Vacant for Sale 37 0.9 

Vacant for Rent 32 0.8 

Rented or Sold, Not Occupied 47 1.1 

Seasonal, Recreational or Occasional Use 230 5.4 

For Migrant Workers 0 0.0 

Other Vacant 5 0.1 

Total Units 4,247 100.0% 


Table 3-6: Year Structure Built, 2000 

Year Number of Units Percentage of Total 

1999- March 2000 88 2.1 

1995- 1998 104 2.4 

1990- 1994 89 2.1 

1980- 1989 811 19.1 

1970- 1979 1,337 31.5 

1960- 1969 1,505 35.4 

1950- 1959 298 7.0 

1949 or Earlier 15 0.4 

Total 4,247 100 


Table 3-7: Reserved 

Table 3-8: Additional Permanent (Non-Seasonal) Housing – Projected Construction Need 

by Type by Period, 2007-2025 

Years 

Population Household Number of 

Change Size Units 

Single Family Multi Family 

2007 – 2010 32 2.41 13 10 3 

2010 – 2015 301 2.41 125 94 31 

2015 – 2020 252 2.41 105 79 26 

2020 – 2025 234 2.41 97 72 25 

Total 819 2.41 340 255 85 

Source: LaRue Planning & Management Services, Inc. 2009 



Table 3-9: Gross Rent: Specified Renter-Occupied Housing Units, 2000 

Rent Number of Units Percentage of Units 

No Cash Rent 19 3.2 

Less than $200 0 0.0 

$200-$299 5 0.8 

$300-$499 37 6.3 

$500-$749 194 32.8 

$750-$999 172 29.1 

$1000-$1499 137 23.2 

$1500 or More 27 4.6 

Total 591 100 


Table 3-10: Value of Owner Occupied Units, 2000 

Value Number of Units Percentage of Units 

Less than $50,000 8 0.3 

$50,000-$99,999 596 20.1 

$100,000-$149,999 1,734 58.6 

$150,000-$199,999 366 12.4 

$200,000-$299,999 182 6.2 

$300,000-$499,999 58 2.0 

$500,000-$999,999 15 0.5 

$1,000,000 or more 0 0.0 

Total 2,959 100 


Table 3-11: Cost Burden Summary, Renter, 2000 

Percentage of Income 

Spent on Rent 

Number of Units 

Percentage of Units 

Table 3-12: Monthly Owner Costs (Mortgage and Selected Monthly Costs) for Specified 

Owner-Occupied Housing Units, 2000 

Monthly Costs Number of Units 

Percentage of Percentage of Total 

Mortgaged Units 

Units 

Less than $300 0 0.0 0.0 

$300-$499 25 1.2 0.8 

$500-$699 168 8.3 5.7 

$700-$999 482 23.8 16.3 

$1000-$1499 977 48.3 33.0 

$1500-$1999 284 14.0 9.6 

$2000 or more 86 4.3 2.9 

Sub Total 2,022 100 68.3 

Not Mortgaged 937 - 31.7 

Total Units 2,959 - 100 


Table 3-13: Cost Burden Summary, Owner, 2000 

Percentage of Income Spent on Mortgage Number of Units Percentage of Units 

Table 3-15: Households by Size and Cost Burden, 2007 

Number of Persons in 

Amount of Income Paid for Housing 

the Household 0-30% 30-50% 50.01% or more Total 

1-2 2,327 363 324 3,014 

3-4 934 143 84 1,161 

5 or More 233 39 19 291 

Total 3,494 545 427 4,466 


Table 3-16: Substandard Housing, 2000 

Number 

of Units 

Percentage of 

Total Units 

Statewide 

Percentage 

Overcrowded Housing Units * 30 0.8 6.5 

Housing Units that Did Not Use Home Heating Fuel 29 0.7 1.8 

Housing Units Lacking Complete Kitchen Facilities 0 0.0 0.5 

Housing Units Lacking Complete Plumbing Facilities 0 0.0 0.4 

* meaning that they housed more than one person per room 


Table 3-17: Number of Dwelling Units Permitted 

2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 Total 

Single Family 10 20 194 34 18 18 294 

Duplex 4 12 0 0 0 0 16 

Multifamily 4 0 0 7 36 36 83 

Source: Satellite Beach Building Department, 2009 



Table 3-18: Median Sales Price for Single Family Homes and Condos, Satellite Beach 

Satellite Beach 

Brevard County 

Single Family Homes Condominiums Single Family Homes Condominiums 

1997 116,250 105,850 

1998 115,500 99,250 

1999 119,900 102,000 

2000 122,400 116,650 97,300 

2001 138,000 185,900 101,600 

2002 156,900 178,000 121,400 

2003 180,000 225,000 137,800 

2004 244,500 299,000 186,700 

2005 310,000 407,000 225,300 ‡247,000 

2007 *262,000 *354,000 †196,500 †215,800 

Source: County property appraiser tax rolls, compiled by Shimberg Center - Florida Housing Data Clearinghouse. 

*www.relohomesearch.com & www.trulia.com; †Florida Association of Realtors; 

‡http://www.housingbubblebust.com 

Table 3-19: Brevard Major Industry Employers (Top 10 by Employment) 

Employer 

# of Employees 

School Board of Brevard County 8,222 

United Space Alliance (Space industry training & support) 6,400 

Health First (Hospital System) 5,958 

Patrick Air Force Base 5,900 

Harris Corporation (communication & technology services) 5,000 

Space Gateway Support 3,000 

Publix 2,828 

Brevard Board of County Commissioners 2,929 

Wal-Mart 2,620 

Wuesthoff Health Systems (Hospital) 2,000 

Source: Socio-Economic Overview, Brevard County Planning and Zoning Office, Research Section 



Table 3-20: Income & Housing Statistics for Melbourne, FL 

Occupation 

Annual Maximum Mortgage 

Income Based on Income 

Statewide $52,550 $155,584 

Metro Melbourne $57,300 $169,440 

Police Officer $36,650 $109,205 

Elem. School Teacher $42,241 $125,514 

Accountant $52,790 $156,284 

Nurse (Registered) $53,602 $158,653 

Computer Programmer $60,258 $178,068 

To afford a median priced SF Home in Satellite Beach, 2005 $93,000 $310,000 

To afford a median priced SF Home in Satellite Beach, 2007 $78,600 $262,000 

Source: www.floridapricedoutreport.org 

Table 3-21: Households by Cost Burden, Satellite Beach, 2005 

Amount of Income Paid for Housing 

0-30% 30-50% 50% or more 

Owner 2,996 417 298 

Renter 494 127 127 

Total 3,490 544 425 

Source: Shimberg Center - Florida Housing Data Clearinghouse. 



INFRASTRUCTURE ELEMENT 

Introduction 

The sub-elements comprising this element constitute essential public services for an urban 

community such as Satellite Beach. Collectively, they serve as the single most important 

requirement for the existence and functioning of a modern community because they deal with the 

public health and welfare needs of the entire population. 

Planning for sanitary sewerage, solid waste, and potable water to serve the present and future 

population of Satellite Beach is not under the control of the City. These services are provided on a 

regional basis by other governmental entities through appropriate agreements. The City of Satellite 

Beach, therefore, must rely on effective long-range planning and operational management of 

facilities by other parties to meet its service needs. Both qualitative and quantitative aspects of those 

services are important to the City in meeting its goals of economic stability, orderly community 

development, and an attractive, healthful living environment. The City has the opportunity to 

contribute to the effective planning and provision of public services by non-City agencies through its 

Comprehensive Plan, ongoing coordination by the City of its development activities and public 

improvements with other governmental units and monitoring of service planning and programming 

activities of the involved agencies. 

Discharged drainage, stormwater management, and aquifer recharge are the primary responsibility of 

the City. This is implemented through its development permitting and drainage facility development 

programs. However, Federal, State, and county regulations aimed at reducing pollution and flooding 

conditions provide a regulatory framework for the City's activities and responsibilities. 

Being located within the "Coastal Area" as defined in Section 9J-5.003, Florida Administrative 

Code, the City of Satellite Beach has included within the Coastal Management/Conservation 

Element of this comprehensive plan extensive background information and analyses of existing 

conditions regarding the City’s infrastructure. 

Sanitary Sewer 

Responsible Agencies 

Sanitary sewerage service continues to be provided on a regional basis by Brevard County, under a 

November 28, 1967 Interlocal agreement with no expiration date; except for the Pelican Coast PUD 

area, which is provided service by Cocoa Beach. Since 1974, County Ordinance 74-18 has stipulated 

that all new construction will connect to the sanitary sewer system. 

Facilities/Level of Service 

In 1991, the South Patrick Shores and Indian Harbour Beach treatment plants were converted to 

master pump stations to move raw sewage to the South Beaches Regional Facility in Melbourne 

Beach, where a new 6.0 MGD treatment plant was placed into service in May, 1991. This plant 

Infrastructure Element 


increased the capacity of the facility to 9.0 MGD. Plant effluent is disposed of by deep well injection 

on-site, with reclaimed water also made available in the vicinity of the treatment facility. 

Use of reclaimed water has reduced deep well injection volumes. The County conducted a study to 

determine the feasibility of diverting all of the effluent from the South Beaches facility to water reuse 

purposes, completely eliminating deep well injection of effluent. It was estimated that the South 

Beaches facility could produce enough reuse water to provide service northward to Indialantic. The 

cost of the extra treatment and storage facilities was estimated at $19 million, with the average cost 

per household to plumb for water reuse being approximately $1,300. Thus, although technically 

feasible, economic considerations mitigate against disposal of all effluent through reuse. 

Since adoption of the Plan, Brevard County has been providing the City with sanitary sewer services. 

The City has an agreement with the County for transmission of wastewater to the South Beaches 

Wastewater Treatment Plant, in Melbourne Beach. This plant serves 22,484 residents and 724 

businesses in the cities of Satellite Beach, Indian Harbour Beach, Indialantic and Melbourne Beach. 

The Regional plant’s capacity is 9 million gallons per day (MGD) currently with the 2010 estimated 

demand being 7.72 MGD. The estimated average demand for the City will be approximately 98,700 

MGD of wastewater treatment capacity. This is less than 2% of the system’s capacity. The full 

capacity analysis for the plant will be completed by Brevard County in its Comprehensive Plan. The 

adopted LOS standard for sanitary sewer, as adopted by the City of Satellite Beach is as follows: 

Sanitary Sewer Generation Rate 

200* Gallons per residential unit per day (residential) 

200* gallons per equivalent residential unit per day (non-residential) 

9* million gallons per day peak flow 

*Based on Brevard County’s Comprehensive Plan 

South Beaches Wastewater Treatment Plant Capacity 

9 MGD, of which 6 MGD is used 

Available expansion is 3 MGD 

Currently, the City has had no deficiencies in LOS for Sewer for the past evaluation period and has 

been meeting its adopted LOS standard for this facility, but as previously stated, an evaluation of the 

plant capacity will be undertaken by Brevard County. Upgrading the City’s system has been and will 

continue to be the main priority throughout the 10-year planning period in order to maintain a sound 

system for the future population. 



Solid Waste 

For purposes of analyzing solid waste and hazardous waste conditions and future planning, these 

terms are defined as follows: 

Solid Waste: Rubbish, refuse, or other discarded material including solid, liquid, 

semi-solid, or contained gaseous material resulting from domestic, industrial, 

commercial, mining, agricultural, or government operations. 

Hazardous Waste: Solid waste or a combination of solid wastes which, because of its 

quantity, concentration, or infectious characteristics, may cause or significantly 

contribute to an increase in mortality or an increase in serious irreversible or 

incapacitating reversible illness or may pose a substantial present or potential hazard 

to human health or the environment when improperly transported, disposed, stored, 

treated, or otherwise managed. 


Waste Management, Inc., formally Harris Sanitation, Inc., in Melbourne, Florida, provides the City 

of Satellite Beach with refuse and recycling collection services. The City’s contract with Harris 

Sanitation, initially entered into prior to 1980, has been renewed multiple times and is currently 

pending renewal/renegotiation again with Waste Management, Inc. Brevard County operates the 

Brevard County South Transfer Station on Sarno Road in Melbourne and the Central Disposal 

Facility in Cocoa (formerly the Central Processing Facility). The County collects household 

hazardous waste twice per year at different locations within the County. In addition, the City’s 

public works department will accept household hazardous waste. Businesses are required to handle 

the disposal of their own hazardous wastes through contractors. 

Hazardous wastes (body wastes, dead animals, abandoned vehicles, vehicle parts, and large 

equipment items) are not collected unless specifically required. The City’s Code Enforcement Office 

and the Police Department are responsible for abandoned vehicles. The Fire Department provides 

emergency service for handling hazardous waste. 

Facilities/Levels of Service 

Solid waste collection is provided by Waste Management, Inc., formally Harris Sanitation, Inc., in 

Melbourne. Waste Management sanitation provides residents of Satellite Beach with collection of 

household wastes twice weekly. Yard waste and recyclables are each collected from all single-family 

residences once weekly. Solid waste disposal is provided by Brevard County. The adopted LOS 

standard for the City is 8.32 lbs/capita/day (Brevard County Comprehensive Plan) and a minimum of 

30% of the solid waste to be recycled or resource recovered. The current capacity for the Central 

Brevard Landfill is 1,400 tons per day, with an estimated remaining life of 7 to 10 years. Brevard 

County has purchased an additional 2,980 acres to serve as new landfill for the County to meet the 

demand through the year 2025. In Table 4-7 the City has projected the per capita solid waste 

generation based on population projections through 2025. 



In order to maintain the adopted LOS standard the City attempts to reduce solid waste generation by 

encouraging recycling programs. The full capacity analysis for the new landfill will be completed by 

Brevard County in its Comprehensive Plan. With continuing coordination efforts between the City of 

Satellite Beach, the residents of the City, and Brevard County, the City has had no deficiencies in 

LOS for Solid waste for the past evaluation period and expects to continue meeting its adopted LOS 

standard for solid waste throughout the 10-year planning period. 

Hazardous Waste 

There are no known activities involving generation, storage, processing, or transportation of 

hazardous wastes within the City of Satellite Beach which threaten maintenance of a healthful living 

environment or natural resource conservation. The Fire Department is responsible for handling 

hazardous waste emergencies. It responded well to an incident of spilled or dumped lawn pesticide 

several years ago. 

Summary 

The City is receiving curbside household and yard waste and recyclables pickup from Waste 

Management, formerly Harris Sanitation, for rates comparable to those charged to residents of other 

local cities. The County projects its ability to provide facilities to process and dispose of solid waste 

from the City as adequate to the year 2019 and is actively pursuing development of new facilities to 

handle future demand. The County, also, provides hazardous waste pickup services for the City’s 

residents on a twice-yearly basis. As such, indications are that the City faces no crises in waste 

management at least until beyond the year 2019. 

Stormwater Drainage System 

The City’s stormwater drainage system consists of approximately 85,500 feet of storm sewer pipes 

(including reinforced concrete, metal, and plastic pipes with sizes ranging from twelve (12) inches to 

sixty (60) inches) and 5,000 feet of open ditch. The system removes an average of over forty-six 

(46) inches of annual rainfall plus artesian groundwater and “run off” from City properties to the 

Banana River portion of the Indian River Lagoon west of the City. 

Drainage and stormwater management are important concerns for the City of Satellite Beach. 

Periodic street flooding occurring in locations throughout the City has prompted studies by a variety 

of ad-hoc citizen committees and professional engineers throughout the City's history, and 

preliminary testing of discharges from stormwater outfalls has shown levels of some nutrients and 

metals above State standards for industrial discharges. 



Flood Prone Areas 

Areas subject to flooding conditions at the time of this report are identified on The Coastal High 

Hazard Area Map in the Future Land Use Map Series. 

Flooding 

Periodic street flooding has been a concern in various parts of the City since early in the City's 

history. Conditions contributing to flooding are: 

A. Relatively flat terrain and associated low hydraulic gradient requiring large-size drainage 

structures. 

B. Wind, tidal, and water table characteristics which occasionally combine to produce a high 

stage in receiving waters at system discharge points and cause drainage system 

surcharging, diminishing the ability of the system to cope with storm loadings. 

C. Structures incapable of handling quantities of runoff characteristic of the area. 

D. Construction standards (or lack thereof) which in the past failed to provide structural 

integrity, alignment, and performance in stormwater management structures. 

E. Flow blockage and impediments (roots, sand, yard waste, news and advertising 

publications, and general debris) which restrict or block water flow. 

In 1974, the City of Satellite Beach funded a study to determine the extent of the drainage problem 

and obtained recommendations for improvements. In 1976, a drainage master plan was devised 

which provided for a five-year interval storm design by replacing and/or reconstructing the existing 

system at a cost of approximately $3 million (1976 dollars). The plan was completed in November, 

1976 and was submitted with the City's application for a Federal grant to upgrade the City's drainage 

system. The grant was not approved. A subsequent tax increase referendum to fund a recommended 

$4.5+ million (1984 dollars) in major improvements was rejected by 93% of the City's voters in 

1984. In 1985, citizens were polled on the City's level of services and expenditures; most responded 

that flooding was not perceived as a major problem. Since the failed referendum, the City was 

forced to continue to pursue drainage system repair and improvement. 

Drainage along State Road A1A 

Stormwater runoff along SR A1A would flow naturally from east to west given topographic 

conditions. However, the drainage system installed along SR A1A directs stormwater eastward. 

Two regulations addressing stormwater drainage on beaches and related matters are Department of 

Environmental Protection, Chapter 17-4.248, Florida Administrative Code and St. Johns River Water 

Management District, Chapter 40 C-4, Florida Administrative Code. 



Estuarine Pollution 

Estuarine pollution conditions in the Banana River lagoon are affected by discharges from 

stormwater outfalls in the City of Satellite Beach. Lacking significant industrial land areas, the 

major sources of pollution are runoff from residential areas, streets, and commercial parking lots. 

The City has adopted on-site stormwater detention-regulations for private development activities. 

Regulations currently in place and limited opportunity for future land development of the City 

(primarily residential uses) eliminate significant potential for increases in estuarine pollution. 

Level of Service 

The adopted LOS for the City of Satellite Beach is the 5-year design storm, 6.6 inch rainfall, with 24- 

hour concentration. This LOS is the result of a negotiated agreement with the SJRWMD recognizing 

that the City is essentially built-out and lacks the necessary open real estate in which to build storm 

water detention/retention facilities. The City is meeting its current level of service standard for 

drainage throughout the current and future 10-year planning period. With the amount of vacant land 

available in the City it is not anticipated that future development will cause an influx of additional 

adverse impacts on the City’s drainage systems. 

Improvements to the Drainage System 

Through enforcement of City regulations, all future residential development or redevelopment will 

be required to provide stormwater drainage facilities. Therefore, the majority of requirements for 

future stormwater drainage systems will be provided by developers; however, there are some City 

drainage improvement projects scheduled within the next 5-year schedule of capital improvements. 

The City entered into a joint agreement with FDOT to reduce storm water drainage to the 

beach/ocean at Grant Street, DeSoto Parkway, and Norwood Court. 

The City continues to use the City newsletter and other available media to conduct public education 

programs concerning City policies and codes to reduce careless actions that could further diminish 

the effectiveness of the City’s drainage system. 

Potable Water 


Potable water service has been supplied to the City of Satellite Beach by the City of Melbourne 

under a 1970 Interlocal agreement that was effective until March 10, 2000. A revised Ordinance No. 

782 was adopted on March 1, 2000, further extending the agreement for 30 more years to March 10, 

2030. Under this franchise agreement, the City of Melbourne agrees to continue to operate and 

maintain the system to service the City of Satellite Beach. Service level and rates shall continue to be 

uniform and non-discriminatory throughout the entire system, except that geographical areas with 

higher costs can be higher. It should be noted that Satellite Beach water rates have been and will 



continue to be 10% higher than Melbourne City rates. The Pelican Coast PUD is provided service by 

Cocoa Beach. 

As a customer, the City has no control over the cost, quality, or levels of service for potable water. 

As a result of action by cities in the South Beaches area, in 1995 the State enacted legislation 

limiting a supplying city's surcharge to non-city water customers to 10 percent without 

documentation that actual costs to provide the service are higher. 

History of Potable Water Availability in South Brevard 

In 1984 the State legislature established the South Brevard Water Authority to obtain a dependable 

long-term supply of potable water for the South Brevard area. By 1988 the SBWA had determined 

that the then-current water supply from Lake Washington was sufficient for an average daily demand 

of 18 million gallons per day (MGD) and a peak day demand of 22 MGD. Using these maximum 

demand estimates, the Lake Washington supply was determined to be sufficient to meet service area 

demands only until 1993. The SBWA also estimated the life expectancy of the treatment, storage, 

pumping, and transmission systems to be 20 years. The Water Authority produced and adopted the 

SBWA Water Supply Plan in 1988. It proposed development of a well field in Osceola County near 

the town of Holopaw (involving 19 wells within a 228-acre well field, a 54-inch transmission 

pipeline, a treatment plant, and storage facilities) as the best long-term source of water. The State 

Legislature disbanded the SBWA in 1995.In 1988 the distribution system serving Satellite Beach 

supplied 1.35 MGD at maximum use by the City. This figure was based on experience gained by the 

City of Melbourne with a system of approximately 3,500 water meters reported in the City. Using 

the University of Florida Bureau of Business and Economic Research estimate of the population of 

Satellite Beach, 10,098, the estimated per capita daily consumption of water in 1988 in the City was 

134 gallons. 

During 1996 the potable water system operated by the City of Melbourne provided an average of 

13.0 million gallons per day (MGD) to 48,295 metered customers (as of June 1, 1996) in its service 

area [Melbourne, West Melbourne, Palm Shores, unincorporated areas among these communities, 

and beachside communities between the Pineda Causeway and a point south of Melbourne Beach 

(except Patrick Air Force Base Pelican Coast PUD)]. With an estimated population of 135,000 in its 

service area, average consumption was 96.3 gallons per capita per day. Peak daily demand was 16.0 

MGD. Consumption of potable water by 3,656 metered customers within the City of Satellite Beach 

during the period April 1996 through March 1997 averaged 0.88 MGD, for an average consumption 

of 87.1 gallons per capita per day within the City. The City’s per capita rate of consumption was 90 

percent of the average for the Melbourne service area as a whole. This can be attributed to the lack 

of industry, a relatively large consumer of water, in the City. However, the 1996 per capita 

consumption value was also only 65 percent of the 1988 Comprehensive Plan estimated value. The 

latter relationship indicates a highly successful water conservation effort. 

Capacity Assessment 

The Melbourne Water System obtains its water from Lake Washington, a natural reservoir on the St. 

Johns River with a supplementary source from the Floridan Aquifer. There are two water treatment 

plants on the east side of Lake Washington. The Lake Washington surface water source potential has 



een identified at 30 MGD and the Florida Aquifer source at 6.5 MGD with a 6.5 MGD expansion 

by 2000. The present treatment plant capacity is 26.5 MGD with the projected demand in 2010 being 

20.43 MGD. The following are City of Melbourne Water Production and Distribution figures as 

reported by the City of Melbourne: 

• Number of Customers: 150,000 

• Daily Water Production Permitted Capacity: 26.5 million gallons (Surface Water Plant: 20 

MGD, Reverse Osmosis Groundwater Plant: 5.0 MGD, RO Blend: 1.5 MGD) 

• Average Daily Demand: 15.2 million gallons 

• Number of Storage Facilities: 9 (4 elevated storage tanks, 5 ground storage tanks) 

• Number of Production Wells: 3 

• Number of Pumping Stations: 4 

• Miles of Water Main: 2,127 

• Number of Fire Hydrants: 5,000 

• Number of Water Meters: 54,998 

• Number of Backflow Preventers: 2,553 

The City of Melbourne supplies drinking water for its population of about 77,000 and also for 

citizens located in surrounding cities and population centers in South Brevard County. This 

distribution service area is approximately 100 square miles and includes water service within its 

corporate limits and also has franchise agreements to serve Melbourne Village, Melbourne Beach, 

Satellite Beach, Indialantic, Indian Harbour Beach and some unincorporated areas. The City also has 

sold wholesale water to the City of Palm Bay and still sells to West Melbourne, which both own and 

operate their own distribution systems. The city has an agreement with Patrick Air Force Base for 

water service on an as-needed basis, as well as a reciprocal agreement with the City of Cocoa for 

emergency water supply. Current water accounts total close to 56,000, which equates to an 

equivalent customer base of approximately 150,000 persons. 

The average daily water demand for the City's system is approximately 15.2 million gallons per day, 

with a maximum demand flow rate of 17.9 million gallons per day and a maximum peak hourly 

demand of approximately 22.9 million gallons per day; this is a reduction 3.3 gallons per day from 

the previous year (2006) when the maximum peak hourly demand was 26.2 MGD. These demand 

conditions are met by two water treatment facilities with two ground storage tanks, five elevated 

storage tanks, and three booster pump stations with on-site storage facilities. 

Currently, two water treatment plants (WTPs) are owned and operated by the City of Melbourne: the 

John A. Buckley Surface Water Treatment Plant which treats surface water from Lake Washington 

that is a part of the St. Johns River, and the Joe Mullins Reverse Osmosis (R/O) Treatment Facility 

which uses a reverse osmosis treatment system to treat ground water drawn from the Floridan 

Aquifer. 

Water treated at the John A. Buckley Surface Water Treatment Plant is pumped from Lake 

Washington, which is the third uppermost of the naturally connected upper St. Johns River lakes. 

The lake is one of the few surface water supplies of drinking water in Florida. The John A. Buckley 

Surface Water Treatment Plant can produce 20 million gallons of drinking water per day. The facility 



also employs an innovative treatment process that makes possible very rapid adjustments to changing 

source water conditions. The new treatment process also allows Melbourne to meet evolving state 

and federal regulations. 

A chemical coagulant is added to the raw water as it enters a coagulation tank. The coagulant 

destabilizes the suspended solids and with proper mixing early stage floc formation begins. The 

coagulated water then flows over a weir into the injection tank where polymer and micros and are 

added to further enhance floc formation. Next, the water passes through the underflow passage into 

the maturation tank where the majority of ballasted floc formation occurs. After the water leaves the 

maturation tank, it enters the settling tank where the floc rapidly settles and is removed from the 

treated water via lamellar settling. Clarified water exits the system via a series of collection troughs 

or weirs for subsequent filtration, disinfection and delivery to the distribution network. 

Located nearby is the Joe Mullins Reverse Osmosis Water Treatment Plant, which utilizes well water 

and can produce up to 6.5 million gallons of water per day. The average daily demand on the 

drinking water system is 15.2 million gallons as water is distributed to Melbourne and most 

surrounding communities. This R/O Water Treatment Plant was put into operation in 1995 with a 6.5 

MGD capacity and a 4.0 million gallon ground water storage tank. The R/O WTP's raw water supply 

is obtained from three Floridan Aquifer wells at close to 850 feet underground. Each yields 

approximately 3.1 million gallons per day. 

The permitted peak capacity of the surface WTP is 20.0 MGD. The capacity of the R/O plant is 6.5 

MGD when 1.5 MGD of raw well water is blended with R/O product water. As a result, the total 

drinking water capacity now available is 26.5 MGD. Currently, the average daily demand of 15.2 is 

being met through the production and blending of 11.4 MGD of water from the surface WTP and 3.8 

MGD of water from the R/O WTP. 

The City of Melbourne continually strives to improve their water treatment processes and protect 

their water resources. Construction of Phase II of the John A. Buckley Surface Water Treatment 

Plant expansion and improvement project is underway. This $15 million project will provide for 

ozonation, which is an advanced system used for disinfections, as well as taste and odor control. 

Ozonation will replace choramination as the primary means of disinfections for the City’s drinking 

water system. 

Melbourne’s water supply is derived from two independent sources, Lake Washington and the 

Floridan Aquifer. Lake Washington is part of the St. Johns River, the largest river in Florida. Lake 

Washington is approximately four miles long, and mile wide, and 10 to 15 feet deep. Lake 

Washington is one of the few surface water supplies used for drinking water in Florida. The Floridan 

Aquifer is an extensive underground water source that covers some 82,000 square miles. 

Melbourne’s reverse osmosis water treatment plant is supplied by three Floridan Aquifer system 

wells. The wells are approximately 650 to 900 feet deep. Brackish water from the Floridan Aquifer is 

treated with a reverse osmosis filtering process to remove salts and impurities. The water from Lake 

Washington, which is treated through the Actiflo process and then filtered, is blended with treated 

reverse osmosis water. Chloramine booster stations in the water distribution system ensure that 

adequate levels of disinfectant are maintained throughout the system. Melbourne now has a peak 



capacity of 26.5 MGD. On a typical day, demand for water is about 15.2 MGD. The City of 

Melbourne has a diversified water-supply approach, using both groundwater and surface water to 

make sure high-quality water is always available when needed. 

The Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) has performed a Source Water 

Assessment on Melbourne’s system. This assessment was conducted to provide information about 

any potential sources of contamination in the vicinity of our wells and surface water intakes. 

Potential sources of contamination identified include underground petroleum storage tanks, dry 

cleaning facilities, and domestic wastewater sites. Melbourne’s state-certified laboratory 

continuously analyzes water quality throughout the treatment process to ensure superior quality 

drinking water is delivered to their customers. The state allows Melbourne to sample for some 

contaminants less than once per year because the concentrations of these contaminants do not change 

frequently. In Melbourne’s state-certified water quality laboratory, professional technicians perform 

tens of thousands of chemical and bacteriological tests on water samples each year. The results of 

this rigorous testing continually confirm that Melbourne’s water is safe to drink. 

Melbourne's water quality continues to exceed the standards set forth by both the federal 

Environmental Protection Agency and the State Department of Environmental Protection. 

Melbourne's water has fluoride added, which meets the optimum fluoride level guidelines as required 

by law. 

The overall water distribution system consists of approximately 1,100 miles of six- to 36-inch 

diameter transmission mains, and about 1,000 miles of two to six-inch diameter distribution piping. 

The city is continuing to upgrade the distribution system in accordance with its water distribution 

system master plan. 

There are two 20-inch pipelines that cross the Intracoastal Waterway to provide service to Satellite 

Beach. One crossing is an aerial/sub-aqueous crossing located along Melbourne Causeway over the 

Indian River, and the second crossing is a sub-aqueous crossing of the Indian River located 

approximately 3/4 miles south of the Eau Gallie Causeway. On the beach side, a 12-inch pipe runs 

north to Satellite Beach along South Patrick Drive, and a 16-inch pipe runs along SR A1A. Potable 

water is stored throughout the distribution system to help meet peak demands and provide for fire 

flow. Both elevated and ground storage tanks are provided. The capacity of these range from 250,000 

to 2.0 million gallons, with an aggregate storage capacity of 14.5 million gallons. Local aboveground 

storage tanks are located near the intersection of the Eau Gallie Causeway and State Route 

A1A, and immediately north of the City's northerly limits, near the Atlantic Plaza Shopping Center. 

Melbourne maintains continuous flow monitoring at the Lake Washington Water Production 

Facilities; this flow monitoring occurs at the point of entry to the distribution system. In addition, 

continuous flow monitoring is maintained at the three booster pumping stations when they are in use. 

These are the North Booster Pumping Station, the Canova Beach Booster Pumping Station, and the 

Hibiscus Booster Pumping Station. Finally, flow monitoring is provided at the four elevated water 

storage tanks. However, only the Patrick Elevated Water Storage Tank contributes flow in and out of 

the distribution system on a regular basis. 



Joe Mullins Reverse Osmosis Water Treatment Plant (ROWTP) is supplied by three 16-inch 

Floridan Aquifer production wells. The wells are approximately 650 to 900 feet deep. Associated 

with the three production wells are three eight-inch test/production wells and 11 monitoring wells of 

various sizes. Raw water from the Floridan Aquifer is treated with the reverse osmosis filtering 

system. The total permitted annual withdrawal capacity of the well field is 6.5 MGD for 2007. The 

total permitted maximum withdrawal from the ground water is 8.2 MGD for 2007. 

Raw water is provided from three 16-inch diameter lower Floridan Aquifer production wells. The 

wells are each approximately 850 feet deep with a capacity of 3.25 MGD. Two of the wells are 

located to the north of the Reverse Osmosis Water Treatment Plant (Nos. 1 and 2), and one is located 

to the west of the Surface Water Treatment Facility (No. 3A). Well No. 3A is equipped with two 

pumps (one to provide blending water directly to the (ROWTP) permeate if needed during peak 

demand periods and one to serve as a full capacity raw water supply to the ROWTP). The blend 

pump is equipped with a variable frequency drive unit capable of providing up to an additional 1.5 

MGD of raw water for blending with permeate of the ROWTP prior to degasification. 

A fourth production well is currently under construction. This well will provide additional 

redundancy to the existing system, and is the first step in increasing the groundwater supply required 

by the future expansion of the ROWTP. 

The St. Johns River Water Management District has jurisdiction over the issuance of permits for any 

wells of four inches in diameter or larger. In the year 2008, the city is permitted to withdraw a total 

of 19.2 MGD on an average daily basis using a combination of surface (12.7 MGD) and ground (6.5 

MGD) waters. For the same period, the maximum allowable withdrawal rate (on an annual average 

daily basis) is 18.7 MGD. The maximum permitted single day withdrawal rates from surface and 

ground waters are 25.0 MGD and 8.2 MGD, respectively, for a total of 33.2 MGD. 

Satellite Beach, because of its location, is at the end of water supply lines; and poor water quality 

tends to occur at "dead end" locations within a water distribution system. Melbourne has installed 3 

chlorine injection stations within the City to retain chlorine residuals above regulatory standards. 

Water storage is provided at the South WTP in a four million gallon (MG) ground storage tank and a 

0.65 MG underground clear well. The ROWTP has a baffled four MG ground storage tank that is 

used to blend and store the product waters from the two WTPs. The North booster pump station has 

a two MG ground storage tank. Spread throughout the distribution system are seven elevated steel 

storage tanks. A program is under way to reduce the number of elevated steel storage tanks to four, 

and to create new ground storage tanks having a combined capacity of 6.5 MG with additional pump 

stations to increase the water pressure on the beach. 

The City of Melbourne holds a Consumptive Use Permit (CUP) issued by the St. Johns River Water 

Management District which allows for the withdrawal of a combination of surface and ground waters 

of the state for public water supply. CUP No. 50301 was issued initially in June of 1999, with the 

first 5-Year Annual Update (50301-2) being approved in January, 2007. In the year 2008, the city is 

permitted to withdraw a total of 19.2 MGD on an average daily basis using a combination of surface 

(12.7 MGD) and ground (6.5 MGD) waters. For the same period, the maximum allowable 



withdrawal rate (on an annual average daily basis) is 18.7 MGD. The maximum permitted single day 

withdrawal rates from surface and ground waters are 25.0 MGD and 8.2 MGD, respectively, for a 

total of 33.2 MGD. 

The Florida Department of Environmental Protection has issued all necessary current permits and 

regulates the city's water treatment and distribution facilities. 

Satellite Beach as a customer has no control over the cost, quality, or levels of service for potable 

water; but has a vital interest in its water supply and must continue to maintain surveillance over the 

water resources of South Brevard County and participate in programs to improve the supply. Even 

though it has no control over the supply, the City has a vested interest in the quality and quantity of 

water delivered by Melbourne under the franchise agreement. The average demand for water service 

on the Melbourne system is 100 gallons per person per day. This has resulted in a demand for the 

Satellite Beach of 1.03 MGD in 2000 and will require 1.20 MGD in 2010. As a proportion of the 

system service area, this is 6.8 percent and 7.5 percent, respectively. The current demand on the 

Melbourne system is 1.0 MGD or 6.5 percent of the total population served. 

Potable Water Level of Service is ≤ 110 gallon per capita per day (gpcpd) for residential connections 

and ≤ 110 gallon per capita per day (gpcpd) for non-residential connections. 

However, recognizing that the City is located in an area that the SJRWMD identifies as a “priority 

water resource caution area”, the City shall maintain a community per capita usage of potable water 

at or below 110 gallon per capita per day (gpcpd) and should continue to work with the City of 

Melbourne and the SJRWMD to reduce the need for potable water within the City. 

Generally, water use projections can be forecast by multiplying the population of the service area by 

the gross per capita rate. Projections for the Melbourne’s future water supply requirements were 

estimated using population information received from the St. Johns River Water Management 

District (SJRWMD). A review of more recent data indicated that the actual growth in population 

slightly exceeded the SJRWMD Projections. Therefore, the percent increase in population was 

calculated for 2007, and all subsequent population projections were increased by that amount. The 

City of Satellite Beach populations were interpolated using data from the University of Florida’s 

Shimberg Center for Housing for the years 2005, 2010, 2015, and 2020. In regards to per capita 

demand, a review of the historic data indicated a per capita demand of a little over 100 gallons per 

day. However, the first two years of the historic data (1999 & 2000) were drought years, which 

resulted in uncharacteristically high per capita demands. The average was then calculated for the last 

seven years of the historic data (2001 – 2007), with an average per capita demand of 99 gallons per 

day as a result. Therefore, the 99 gallons per capita per day (gpcpd seems to reflect that the City of 

Satellite Beach maintains excellent water conservation practices. 

Melbourne’s total service area average daily water demand was forecast by multiplying the projected 

service area populations by the gross per capita rate as shown in the Table 4-4, Population and Per 

Capita Demand. 



Melbourne's water sources face three hazards. Lake Washington, like other lakes along the St. Johns 

River, contains a substantial growth of hydrilla, a fast-growing exotic aquatic plant. Unless 

controlled, hydrilla can degrade water quality due to decay, and it can clog water intake structures. 

Thus, Melbourne must continue a chemical treatment program to keep the hydrilla in check. Second, 

as a rain-fed, surface water supply, Lake Washington is subject to drought. This condition is 

exacerbated by a State mandate that the St. Johns River Water Management District, in its role of 

protecting aquatic habitat along the river, establish minimum levels and flows to be maintained in the 

River. This will limit the amount of water which can be withdrawn during droughts, regardless of 

whether there is water in the lake to be withdrawn. Third, removing dissolved salts, as such, from 

water is an energy-intensive process, whether the process is reverse osmosis, distillation, or other 

means. As such, the cost of water from the Floridan Aquifer is highly dependent on the cost of the 

electrical energy required to operate the system. 

Water Conservation 

The City adopted an Emergency Water Conservation Ordinance in 1982 which sets forth mandatory 

requirements for City businesses and residents and penalties for violations of various specified 

measures aimed at reducing water usage in accordance with restrictions of the St. Johns Water 

Management District. 

Water Quality Management 

The City has come to realize that water management is a central factor in sustaining the quality of 

life to which its residents have become accustomed. The City's location on a coastal island dictates 

that the quality of water in local marine, estuarine, and freshwater habitats, as well as subsurface 

aquifers, must be maintained or improved to permit continued use for potable water, irrigation, 

recreation, and habitat maintenance. As such, potable water, sanitary sewer, stormwater 

management, and aquifer recharge are not discrete areas of concern, but represent different facets of 

one issue: water quality. 

Reuse of wastewater treatment plant effluent for irrigation is a trend which the City believes should 

expand to address all venues in which water is managed. It has made a start in employing best 

management practices for storm water which: reduce local flooding, recharge the surficial aquifer, 

and reduce the quantity of runoff discharged into the Indian River Lagoon. Similar techniques can 

be used to eliminate runoff discharges into the Atlantic Ocean. In addition, the approximately 800 

million gallons of rainfall which are discharged annually from the City's stormwater outfalls into the 

brackish Banana River represent a potential source of supply for the approximately 300 million 

gallons of potable water consumed in the City each year - water withdrawn from the St. Johns River 

and the Floridan Aquifer. In these ways, wastewater plant effluent or stormwater runoff which causes 

or contributes to a problem now can be used beneficially. 



Table 4-1: Melbourne Historical Population, Water Use and Flows 

Year 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 

Population 138,940 140,909 142,591 144,273 145,596 147,638 149,321 151,015 152,710 


Beach NA 9,577* 9,710† 9,741† 9,738† 9,829† 9,811* 9,937†† 10,046** 

Population 

Average Day 

Demand 14.5 15.1 14.5 14.2 14.5 15.1 15.5 15.7 15.2 

(MGD) 

Max. Daily 

Flow (MGD) 17.9 18.3 16.8 18.2 20.7 18.9 17.7 19.0 17.9 

Max 

Max. Day 

Peaking 1.23 1.21 1.16 1.28 1.43 1.25 1.14 1.21 1.18 

Factor 

Permitted 

Capacity 

26.5 26.5 26.5 26.5 26.5 26.5 26.5 26.5 26.5 

Percent 

Utilization 

67.5 69.1 63.4 68.7 78.1 71.3 66.8 71.7 67.5 

Max. Peak 

Hour Demand 28.9 23.2 22.5 24.8 25.3 24.1 24.0 26.2 22.9 

(MGD) 

Per Capita 104.36 107.16 101.69 98.42 99.59 102.28 103.80 103.96 99.54 

Source: * US Census, † www.idcide.com/citydata/Satellite Beach.html, ‡www.flhousingdata.shimberg.ufl.edu, ††www.citydata.com/city/Satellite-Beach-Florida.html, 

**Interpolated from 2005 census data. 

Table 4-2: Water Treatment Plants 

Water Treatment Plant 

Location 

John A. Buckley Surface 

5985 Lake Washington Road 


Melbourne, FL 32934 

Joe Mullins Reverse Osmosis 

5980 Lake Washington Road 


Melbourne, FL 32934 



City 

ID 

District 

Well ID 

Casing 

Diameter (in) 

Table 4-3: Water Supply Wells 

Casing 

Depth 

(ft) 

Total 

Depth 

(ft) 

Year 

Drilled 

Status 

Flow 

(gpm) 

1 1019 16 250 844 1993 Active 2,200 

2 1020 16 250 867 1993 Active 2,200 

3A 1022 16 250 865 1993 Active 2,200 

4* 1023 16 177 550 2007 

Under 

Construction 

5 1024 16 250 850 Proposed Proposed 

6 1025 16 250 850 Proposed Proposed 

*Well 4 Start-Up scheduled for August, 2008 with an anticipated flow of 2,500 gpm 

2,500 

Table 4-4: Population and Per Capita Demand 

Year 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 

Melbourne Service Area 

Population 

138,940 140,909 142,591 144,273 145,596 147,638 149,321 151,015 152,710 

Satellite Beach 

Population 

NA 9,577* 9,710† 9,741† 9,738† 9,829† 9,811* 9,937†† 10,046** 

Average Total # of 

Customer Accts. 

50,713 51,431 52,045 52,659 53,142 53,887 54,502 55,120 55,815 

Average # of Satellite 

Beach Accts. 

NA 3,495 3,544 3,555 3,554 3,587 3,581 3,627 3,666 

Total Average Day 

Demand (MGD) 

14.5 15.1 14.5 14.2 14.5 15.1 15.5 15.7 15.2 

Satellite Beach’s 

Average Day Demand NA 1.03 .987 .958 .969 1.00 1.02 1.03 .999 

(MGD) 

Max. Daily Flow (MGD) 

Max 

17.9 18.3 16.8 18.2 20.7 18.9 17.7 19.0 17.9 

Max. Day Peaking 

Factor 

1.23 1.21 1.16 1.28 1.43 1.25 1.14 1.21 1.18 

Permitted Capacity 26.5 26.5 26.5 26.5 26.5 26.5 26.5 26.5 26.5 

Percent Utilization 67.5 69.1 63.4 68.7 78.1 71.3 66.8 71.7 67.5 

Max. Peak Hour 

Demand (MGD) 

28.9 23.2 22.5 24.8 25.3 24.1 24.0 26.2 22.9 

Per Capita (GPD) 104.36 107.16 101.69 98.42 99.59 102.28 103.80 103.96 99.54 

Source: * US Census, † www.idcide.com/citydata/Satellite Beach.html, ‡www.flhousingdata.shimberg.ufl.edu, ††www.city-data.com/city/Satellite-Beach- 

Florida.html, **Interpolated from 2005 census data. 



Table 4-5: Projected Water Demand Forecast for Entire Service Area and Satellite Beach in MGD 

Melbourne 

Service 

Area Pop. 



Pop. 

Avg. Day 

Demand 

(MGD) 

SB Avg. 

Day 


(MGD) 

Permitted 

Treatment 

Capacity 

(MGD) 

Surplus/ 

Deficit 

(MGD) 

SB 

Surplus/ 

Deficit 

(MGD) 

Combined 

CUP 

Allocation 

(MGD) 

Surplus/ 

Deficit 

(MGD) 

SB 

Surplus/ 

Deficit 

(MGD) 

Annual 

Avg. Day 

Withdrawal 

(MGD) 

Surplus/ 

Deficit 

(MGD) 

2007 

(Base) 

152,710 10,046 15.2 .999 26.5 11.3 25.50 18.5 3.3 17.50 17.3 1.2 

2008 154,405 10,677 15.6 1.08 26.5 10.9 25.42 18.7 3.1 17.62 17.4 1.3 

2009 156,100 11,310 15.8 1.14 26.5 10.7 25.36 18.9 3.1 17.76 17.6 1.3 

2010 157,795 11,941 15.9 1.20 26.5 10.6 25.30 19.1 3.2 17.90 17.8 1.3 

2011 159,688 12,073 16.1 1.22 33.0 16.9 31.78 19.3 3.2 18.08 18.0 1.3 

2012 161,581 12,206 16.3 1.23 33.0 16.7 31.77 19.6 3.3 18.37 18.3 1.3 

2013 163,475 12,338 16.5 1.25 33.0 16.5 31.75 19.8 3.3 18.55 18.5 1.3 

2014 165,368 12,470 16.7 1.26 33.0 16.3 31.74 20.0 3.3 18.74 18.7 1.3 

2015 167,262 12,604 16.9 1.27 33.0 16.1 31.73 20.2 3.3 18.93 18.9 1.3 

2016 169,205 12,736 17.1 1.29 33.0 15.9 31.71 20.5 3.4 19.21 19.1 1.4 

2017 171,148 12,868 17.3 1.30 33.0 15.7 31.70 20.7 3.4 19.40 19.3 1.4 

2018 173,092 13,001 17.5 1.31 33.0 15.5 31.69 21.0 3.5 19.69 19.6 1.4 

2019 175,036 13,133 17.7 1.33 33.0 15.3 31.67 21.2 3.5 19.87 19.8 1.4 

*Interpolated from 2005, 2010, 2015, and 2020 data (www.flhousingdata.shimberg.ufl.edu) 



Table 4-6: Melbourne’s Capital Improvement Projects 

Project Description 

Budgeted or 

Proposed 

Revenue Source Fiscal 

Year 

Replace deteriorated water distribution lines in the Budgeted Bonds and 2007-08 

Eau Gallie Area 

W&S Revenue 

Replace and Relocate Sub-Aqueous Crossing to Budgeted W&S Revenue 2007-08 

Tortoise Island 

Replace an existing 8” water main with a 12” Budgeted Bonds and Water 2007-08 

water main at Turtlemound Road 

Cap Reserve 

Lake Washington high service pump modifications Budgeted Bonds and Water 2007-08 

and replacement/North Raw Pump Station 

improvements 

Cap Reserve 

Replace North Booster Pump Station discharge Proposed W&S Revenue 2008-09 

piping 

Replace 2” and 6” water lines for improved flow 

and fire protection (various locations) 

Proposed Bonds and 

W&S Revenue 

2008-09 – 

2011-12 

Construct Pineda 2MG booster tank with booster Proposed Bonds and 2009-10 

pumps 

W&S Revenue 

Construction Phase II of RO Facility 

Proposed Bonds and 2009-10 

W&S Revenue 

Construct Well Field #5 expansion Proposed W&S Revenue 2010-11 

Construct new 16” water main crossing the Indian 

River at the Pineda Causeway 

Proposed Bonds and 

W&S Revenue 

2011-12 

Table 4-7: Solid Waste Demand, 2005-2025 

Year Population Pounds (per day) 

2005 11,206 93,200 

2010 11,941 99,400 

2015 12,604 104,900 

2020 13,205 109,900 

2025 13,715 114,100 

Source: LaRue Planning & Management Services, Inc. 2007. 



COASTAL MANAGEMENT/CONSERVATION ELEMENT 

Introduction 

Due to a change in the definition of the Coastal High Hazard Area by the State of Florida, only a 

portion of the City of Satellite Beach is within the CHHA. The Coastal Management Element and 

Conservation Element have been combined in this Comprehensive Plan because the requirements of 

the Coastal Management Element encompass nearly all the requirements of the Conservation 

Element. 

Land Use 

The City encompasses 2.86 square miles (1,833 acres) in land area and an additional .51 square miles 

(329 acres) of water area. The water area is comprised of 285.4 acres lying within the Banana River 

and 43.6 acres within the Grand Canal, intersecting finger canals, and three canals running to the 

Banana River. Land and water areas combined total 3.38 square miles (2,162 acres). The City's 

maximum north-south dimension is its 2.85 miles of ocean frontage. Its maximum east-west 

dimension is 1.9 miles extending from the beach to the Banana River Channel (0.95 miles from the 

beach to the shore of the Banana River). 

Development of the small amount of vacant land remaining in the City will be consistent with 

established land use patterns and the goals, objectives, and policies of this Comprehensive Plan. 

Therefore, such development will not affect materially the existing economic base of Satellite Beach. 

Seventy-four percent (74%) of the housing stock in the City was built between 1950 and 1979. As a 

consequence, the City is witnessing initial redevelopment activities. As the few remaining vacant 

lots in the City are built upon, the alternative for those interested in residing in a "new" home in the 

City will be to purchase and renovate, or demolish and replace, existing homes. The rate at which 

this process occurs will be influenced by the cost of purchasing and rebuilding or replacing existing 

housing on desirable lots. 

Existing Land Use Pattern 

The Existing Land Use Map shows the existing land use pattern for the City of Satellite Beach. 

Due to the fact that the entire City of Satellite Beach is within the coastal planning area, this land use 

map is the same as the existing land use map contained in the Future Land Use Element. The City's 

development pattern conforms with the Satellite Beach Zoning Code. It is primarily a single-family, 

low-to-medium density residential community which promotes a "family-city" character. Physically, 

the City can be divided into: (1) Beach Area, (2) Central Area, and (3) Island Area. The Beach Area 

lies to the east of SR A1A, the Central Area extends from SR A1A to the Grand Canal, and the 

Island Area is bounded by the Grand Canal and the Banana River. 

Coastal Management/Conservation Element 


The Beach Area 

The Beach area consists of the strip of land lying between mean high tide and SR A1A between the 

northern and southern City limits. It is 2.85 miles in length with an average width of approximately 

250 feet. 

The Central Area 

The Central Area is the largest of the City's land areas. It is bounded by SR A1A to the east and the 

Grand Canal to the west. South Patrick Drive (SR 513) runs through the area as a north-south 

arterial. A1A and South Patrick Drive are the only arterial highways in the City. Most of the area 

has been developed with single-family residences at a density of approximately 4 units per acre. 

The Central area contains the majority of the non-residential land uses serving the City. Nearly all of 

the retail, commercial, and service developments are located along SR A1A and South Patrick Drive 

(SR 513). Institutional uses such as places of worship, schools, governmental offices, and 

recreational facilities are located throughout the Central Area. 

The Island Area 

The Island area includes 116.4 acres of land and 310.5 acres of water area comprised of portions of 

the Banana River, the Grand Canal, and connecting canals. Land and water areas total 426.9 acres. 

The County dredged the Grand Canal along the entire length of the City in the mid 1950's for 

mosquito control. As a result, three islands, separated by two east-west canals, were created from the 

spoil as follows: 

Tortoise Island is located in the extreme northwestern portion of the City on the northern 

island and has been developed under Planned Unit Development (PUD) regulations as a 

single-family, low-density residential community. 

Samsons Island Nature Park is located in the middle, is owned by the City, and is being 

developed as a passive recreation park/nature preserve. 

Lansing Island is located in the southwestern portion of the City and has been developed as a 

single-family, low-density residential community. 

Beach and Dune Conditions and Influences 

The boundaries of the beach and dunes ecological system are SR A1A to the west and the mean 

high-water line to the east. The 2.85 miles of sandy beach along the Atlantic Ocean has a width 

varying from 50 to 120 feet between the dune bluff, or bulkheads, and mean low water, with most 

being between 75 and 100 feet wide. Approximately 200 feet east of the dune bluff interface is a 

patchy, irregular coquina rock formation, some of which is exposed during mean low tides. 



Beach Erosion 

The beach erosion rate, as determined by research undertaken for the preparation of the Brevard 

County Beach Management Plan (1987), averaged 0.5 feet per year between 1972 and 1985. Studies 

commissioned by the US Army Corps of Engineers and Brevard County have documented long-term 

loss of oceanfront land in the City. Historical data indicate the location of the top of the dune bluff is 

retreating at a rate of about 0.6 foot per year, with the mean high tide line along the beach retreating 

at a rate of about 0.3 foot per year. Comparison with surveys conducted in 1844 and 1859 suggests 

that in the century-and-a-half since that time there has been slight net accretion (perhaps 50 to 150 

feet) of land between Patrick Air Force Base and the northern end of the City, little change in the 

shoreline in the portion of the City north of Cassia Boulevard, and loss of as much as 1,700 feet (0.3 

mile) in the vicinity of Volunteer Way. 

Stormwater outfalls from SR A1A and some private residences also cause erosion in the vicinity of 

the structures. Surface water drainage onto the beach is a violation of the City Code and State 

regulations. As renovations are made to the properties drained by these outfalls, they will be 

removed so as to comply with Code and regulations. The apparent rise in sea level will also continue 

to cause dune migration westward along the entire beach. 

Habitats and Vegetative Cover 

The green sea turtle (threatened) and the loggerhead and leatherback turtles (endangered) nest along 

the stretch of beach in Satellite Beach and both to the north and south of the City. The beach 

provides habitat and food for ghost crabs and mole crabs as well as several bird species such as 

willets, plovers, sanderlings, terns, pelicans, and gulls. That portion of the beach from the foredune 

to mean low water exposed at low tide overlies a coquina shelf which forms irregular outcrops along 

the shoreline. 

The Brevard County, Florida Shore Protection Project Review Study Feasibility Report completed in 

1995 by the US Army Corps of Engineers reports that the coquina outcrops total approximately 32 

acres in the area between Patrick Air Force Base and Paradise Beach Park in Indialantic, with the 

best developed portion in the area immediately off Satellite Beach. In the same report, the US Fish 

and Wildlife Service reports that approximately 5 to 10 percent of these outcrops are inhabited by the 

reef-building tube worm Phragmatopoma lapidosa, citing the reef-rock habitat as "a unique 

biological feature of importance to the marine exosystem." The presence of the coquina outcrops, 

tube worms, and associated biological community of 350-plus identified species and, perhaps, 

another 350 yet to be identified (personal communication, Dr. Walter Nelson, Florida Institute of 

Technology) has resulted in a decision by those investigating beach renourishment south of Port 

Canaveral to not place sand on the beaches between Patrick Air Force Base and Paradise Beach Park. 

Vegetated sand dunes are found along most of the beach's length and provide the major defense 

against storm events. Native plant species found on the dunes include sea oats, palmetto, sea grape, 

railroad vine, dollar weed, coral bean, Spanish bayonet, wax myrtle, yaupon holly, and several grass 

species. More salt-tolerant and wind-tolerant species, such as sea oats and railroad vine, are found 

predominantly on the ocean side of the dune, while other dune vegetation species do not generally 



show such zonation. These plants assist in building the dune by trapping windblown sand and in 

stabilizing the dune with extensive lateral root systems. 

Means currently used to protect the dune line from pedestrian disturbance include: cross-over 

structures, fencing, strategic landscaping, and signs. Pedestrian traffic over the dunes is intended to 

be accommodated by the cross-overs, but pedestrians walk around these and damage dune vegetation 

at some public accesses. Cross-overs are also provided in front of private beachfront developments 

pursuant to Chapter 6, City Building Code. The City has also established an Ocean Bluff Protection 

Area in order to prevent disruption or removal of dune sand or vegetation. This area is determined 

by a surveyor's estimate of 50 feet from the bluff line on any given piece of property. The bluff line 

is defined as the "the easternmost projection of the top edge of the natural vegetated ocean bluff or 

dune" (City Code, Ch. 21, Art. I, Sec. 21-7, see Appendix A). The Building and Zoning Department 

has been effective in administering the Ocean Bluff Protection ordinance and will need to continue 

monitoring violations as beach usage increases. 

The City of Satellite Beach provides full cooperation on renourishment projects and the County's 

overall Beach Management program which is aimed at conserving and enhancing beach and 

shoreline areas for environmental and recreational purposes. Brevard County renourished dune 

locations at the two (2) County-owned parks within the City, Hightower Beach Park and Pelican 

Beach Park, in 1989. 

Litter, in the form of paper, bottles, cans, and drift debris, accumulates on the beach. Keep Brevard 

Beautiful, Inc.'s “Trash Bash” and community groups provide recurring beach cleanup services. In 

addition, uncontrolled and unauthorized pedestrian traffic and consequent impacts to the dune 

vegetation are most noticeable at two locations. They are near public crossovers at the ends of 

Palmetto and Sunrise Avenues in the southern part of the City. Plantings, signs, barricades, and 

nearby crossovers have mitigated, but have not yet eliminated, the problem. Two previous problem 

areas on private property in the northern part of the City are now free of damage due to pedestrian 

traffic, with one now having a dune crossover. In general, the City’s unhardened shoreline is wellvegetated, 

primarily with sea oats and beach morning glory. Both plants aggressively colonize the 

exposed dune front and help to anchor it against erosion and "blowouts" during severe storms. There 

are, however, areas immediately north and south of Pelican Beach Park and south of Magellan and 

Palmetto Avenues where the face of the dune is only sparsely vegetated. Despite the construction of 

cross-overs to accommodate pedestrian traffic over dunes and the adoption of City Ordinance No. 

548 - Dune Regulations (1991), dune damage resulting from pedestrian impacts continues to be a 

concern. 

Public Access 

Satellite Beach has made a concerted effort since early in its history to preserve public access to its 

ocean beach. As a result, 40% of the ocean shoreline is in public ownership, the City maintains an 

inventory of 16 dune crossovers, and has an easement for one more. Two of the crossovers meet the 

standards of the Americans with Disabilities Act. Pelican Beach Park provides 159 parking spaces 

and four crossovers, restroom facilities, and pavilions for ease of public access. Hightower Beach 

Park provides 16 parking spaces which are scheduled to be doubled to 33 spaces along with the 



addition of restroom facilities and a picnic pavilion. In addition, on street parking is available at 

seven of the City’s dune crossovers located at the end of streets. 

The only public access to the shoreline of the Banana River and canals is provided by the City dock 

behind the Fire Station. This is adequate only for launching canoes and kayaks which can be carried 

to the water. The next nearest locations where the public can gain access to these shorelines is at 

County boat ramps on the Eau Gallie and Pineda Causeways 2.5 miles south and 6.4 miles north and 

west of the Fire Station, respectively. 

Land Development Influences and Controls 

Approximately 30% of the 2.85 miles of oceanfront shoreline in Satellite Beach is hardened. While 

vertical sea walls, backshore sills and rock revetments protect the property behind them, they 

increase erosion rates immediately in front of and adjacent to the structures. This erosion is 

especially severe where property is adjacent to hardened structures. 

Water Dependent/Water Related Uses and Shoreline Conflicts 

Land use relationships along the ocean shoreline are restricted by the constraints of existing zoning 

which has limited development primarily to residential uses. These range from low density (singlefamily 

detached) to high density (fifteen units per acre maximum). In addition, a hotel across SR 

A1A from the Atlantic Plaza shopping center has been constructed as the only non-residential 

structure. Pelican Beach Park and Hightower Beach Park and the entire stretch of beach (including 

beach accesses) are the only water-related and water dependent land uses respectively. There are no 

shoreline developments reflecting incompatible relationships which interfere with proper shoreline 

management, access, and environmental requirements. 

Development along the shoreline of the Banana River consists of low-density, single-family 

residential uses and Samsons Island Nature Park. New development along the City's waterways has 

had to comply with FDEP regulations governing installation of seawalls and other hardening 

structures and preservation of conservation easements to protect the open water from runoff. Being 

built-out along its waterways except for scattered vacant bulkheaded lots and Lansing Island, there is 

little opportunity to apply current requirements within the City. Scattered mangroves which have 

volunteered along bulkheads lining the City's waterways represent an opportunity to improve 

management of the City's shoreline. Several organizations interested in improving the Indian River 

Lagoon have undertaken programs to plant mangroves under conditions not usually conducive to 

their success using split plastic pipes as surrogate seed beds until the trees become established on 

their own. Such a program may, at a future time, be implemented in the City if volunteers and 

resources can be mustered. On Lansing Island the FDEP has required a conservation easement of 

native vegetation and limited structures along the shoreline. Samsons Island Nature Park is, by its 

nature as an island, accessible only by boat, a water-related and dependent land use. 

As noted in the Recreation and Open Space Element, there is adequate beach access available to 

residents and tourists at the two ocean-front parks, along with free access to privately owned beach 

areas. These are sufficient to meet present and future needs of the City's population. Samsons Island 



Nature Park provides a 52-acre open space bordered by 1.0 mile of shoreline for public use on the 

Banana River. The City continues to investigate opportunities to develop increased access to the 

Banana River. The City has no marina facilities and has a policy to not provide such facilities in the 

future. 

The City will continue to provide public access to the oceanic shoreline, and the potential exists for 

providing additional access to the Banana River as Samsons Island Nature Park is developed. Given 

the current land use pattern of the City, no criteria for shoreline uses other than public access would 

be appropriate. 

Economic Base 

The economic base of the coastal area is comprised of residential land use, services, and facilities to 

meet the needs of the resident and seasonal population. As noted in the Future Land Use Element, 

less than 1.0% of the City's land area (5 acres in a single tract) will be developed with industrial uses 

at the time of build-out. Service businesses, as well as retail establishments within the City, 

primarily serve the needs of City residents. They also serve non-City clientele due to the regional 

trade area of some City businesses. The ratio of commercial land use to residential land use in 

Satellite Beach is approximately 1:10, which indicates the City does not have a substantial 

commercial/service trade area beyond the City’s boundaries. 

Historic Resources 

The City of Satellite Beach has no areas or structures known to be appropriate for historic 

preservation. Neither the Florida Master Site File maintained by the Division of Historic Resources 

nor the National Register of Historic Places contains references to sites or structures within the City. 

Holy Apostles Episcopal Church, built in Fort Pierce by local artisans with local materials in 1905 

and moved by barge to Satellite Beach in the 1950s when no longer needed at its original location, is 

the only known potential candidate for listing as a historic structure in the City. Aerial photography 

taken in 1954 shows no structures within current City boundaries. The only infrastructure evident is 

a two-lane SR A1A and east-west drainage channels. 

Coastal High-Hazard Area (CHHA) 

The Coastal High Hazard Area (CHHA) is the area defined by the Sea, Lake, and Overland Surge 

from Hurricanes (SLOSH) Model to be inundated from a category one hurricane as established by 

the most recent hurricane evacuation study prepared by the East Central Florida Regional Planning 

Council (ECFRPC). In the City of Satellite Beach, the CHHA encompasses a thin strip of land along 

the Atlantic Coastline and the westernmost part of the City, which is for the most part, located west 

of South Patrick Drive. As shown on the CHHA map. 

Coastal Construction Control Line (CCCL) 

Permit approval for oceanfront development must be obtained from both the Satellite Beach City 

Council and the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP). The FDEP administers 

the Coastal Construction Control Line (CCCL) and thirty-year erosion setbacks to minimize impacts 



on the beach and dune system, as well as minimizing hazards to the proposed development during 

storm events. The CCCL is a regulatory boundary and does not account for the rising sea level. 

Rising sea level is accounted for by the thirty-year erosion setback. The first CCCL was established 

in 1972, and in 1986 the CCCL was relocated along SR A1A, thus implementing the thirty-year 

erosion setback. Any proposed development seaward of the CCCL is subject to a site plan review 

and permit application process by the State, including a requirement that structures be safe from the 

advancing shoreline for at least thirty years. 

Infrastructure 

Additional information related to this subheading, including level of service standards and goals, 

objectives and policies, are included with the Infrastructure Element in another section of this 


Stormwater 

Prior to development on the barrier island, stormwater flowed from north to south along swales 

between dune ridges which, themselves, were aligned parallel to the coast. During the earliest stages 

of development, in the early-1950s, east-west trending channels were dug across the barrier island 

from south of Patrick Air Force Base (then the Banana River Naval Air Station) to Indialantic. 

Spaced approximately every half mile, they intercepted water which had previously accumulated 

during rainstorms and flooded the City of Indialantic. 

Subsequently, grading for development in the City further reduced the tendency for water to flow 

north-to-south. In the older sections of the City of Satellite Beach, primarily its northern half, 

incomplete removal of the dune ridges (most notably underlying Orange, Pineapple, and Avocado 

Streets) created shallow depressions where flooding has historically been a problem when 

undersized, obstructed, or collapsed stormwater drains could not remove water as fast as it 

accumulated. Currently, stormwater flows west and empties into finger canals and thence into the 

Grand Canal and, finally, the Banana River. The exception to this is several drainage outfalls along 

SR A1A which direct stormwater to the ocean. Those located within the City and under the 

responsibility of the DOT are located at Grant Avenue and a location midway between Cinnamon 

Drive and Norwood Avenue. In both locations the outfall causes significant beach erosion. An 

inactive outfall under the City's jurisdiction is located at Palmetto Avenue. Direct discharge of 

stormwater into the ocean is not permitted under current regulations; however, since these features 

predated the law, they have been permitted to remain in place. 

Satellite Beach has incorporated regulations set forth by the Florida Department of Environmental 

Protection (DEP) and the St. Johns River Water Management District (SJRWMD) into the City Code 

for guidance in the planning of drainage structures. Drainage plans for all new developments must 

show the sizes and types of all drainage structures from the proposed development to the outfall. An 

impact assessment of each drainage plan on the existing city drainage system and the surrounding 

area is also required based on an assumed rainfall for a five-year storm design as defined in the 1978 

edition of the Florida Department of Transportation Drainage Design Manual. 



Inadequacies in portions of the City's stormwater conveyance system cause some street flooding for 

brief periods after heavy rainfall. The City has identified problem locations and has underway an 

ongoing program of improvements. In planning to alleviate flooding, the City is addressing the dual 

considerations of stormwater removal and improvement of estuarine water quality by retrofitting 

existing systems and implementing best management practices in cooperation with the St. Johns 

River Water Management District. 

Estuarine Pollution 

The principal source of estuarine pollution originating within the City is "first-flush" of organic and 

metallic materials from streets and parking areas and nutrients and pesticides from residential 

landscapes entering the City's stormwater drainage system. These then discharge into finger canals, 

which flow into the Grand Canal. Improvement of estuarine pollution resulting from stormwater 

outfalls is a concern of the City and the St. Johns River Water Management District. The City has 

adopted on-site stormwater regulations for private development activities. In addition, siltation is an 

important source of pollution. This information is elaborated on in the Infrastructure Element of the 

Plan. Regulations currently in place and limited opportunities for future land development within the 

City (primarily residential uses) will eliminate any significant potential for increases in estuarine 

pollution. 

Well-water Discharge 

Well-water discharge contributes to the City's drainage. Well water empties into finger canals from a 

few remaining antiquated water-to-air air conditioner units. State law requires that water withdrawn 

from the Floridan Aquifer for heat exchange purposes be injected back into the Aquifer through a 

separate well, and City ordinances prohibit direct discharge of well water into the City's stormwater 

drainage system. To the degree that these laws and ordinances are enforced, well water discharge 

will occur only as sheet flow across lawns from shallow wells. As best as is known, the City has no 

problem with well water discharges into the City's stormwater system. 

In addition to flow from wells serving water-to-air air conditioners, well water used to irrigate lawns 

that does not evaporate or is not transpired by plants into the atmosphere enters the surficial aquifer 

at the water table. Water from free-flowing wells tapping the artesian Upper Floridan Aquifer that 

have failed below the surface of the ground (normally due to the iron well casing corroding through 

due to sulfuric acid in the well water (from dissolved sulfur dioxide)) also enters the surficial aquifer. 

This water then flows down-gradient until it encounters the bank of an open water body. With the 

network of drainage canals in the City draining into the Grand Canal in the western portion of the 

City, the groundwater almost inevitably seeps into the canals. This below-grade flow may be 

substantially more than the sheet flow and point discharges from pipes. Statistical analysis of ionic 

ratios in water samples collected at stormwater outfalls in the City in 1999 suggests that about 40% 

of the water in those samples had originated in the Upper Floridan Aquifer. Statistical analysis of the 

discharge from the DeSoto drainage basin versus rainfall for 2½ months in late 2001 suggests about 

one third of the water leaving that drainage basin at that time did not come from rain. Since the 

amount of potable Melbourne water discharged outside homes is negligible, this leaves water from 

wells as the likely source of this extra flow. These analyses are preliminary and do not constitute 



conclusive evidence of large amounts of artesian water in the City’s stormwater system. However, 

they point in that direction and, if considered important, suggest further, more precise, analyses are 

necessary. 

Groundwater Resources 

The top of the Floridan aquifer, the deep water artesian aquifer underlying Satellite Beach, locally 

occurs at 200 to 250 feet below mean sea level (MSL). Over pumping of the aquifer has resulted in 

local seawater intrusion. Otherwise, the aquifer provides water with a salinity of about 5,000 parts 

per million in Satellite Beach - useable for irrigation, but exceeding Federal standards of no more 

than 250 parts per million salinity for potable water. Confined under the impervious Hawthorn 

Formation, the water in the Floridan Aquifer is artesian; it will rise above the surface of the ground 

in a tightly cased well. As such, there is no recharge of the Floridan Aquifer in the City; that occurs 

in western Orange and Lake Counties where the rock formations containing it lie near the surface 

without overlying impervious formations. 

The surficial aquifer is a non-artesian source of groundwater, recharged directly by infiltration of 

water from the ground surface. The quality of water drawn from the shallow aquifer depends on the 

source of recharge water and minerals in the soil. Water from the surficial aquifer underlying 

Satellite Beach often contains iron and sulfur. Due to this fact, the surficial aquifer is used only for 

shallow well irrigation systems. 

Natural Environment 

Satellite Beach is part of an intricate and delicate system--the coastal barrier island. This area 

naturally serves as the mainland's first line of defense against storms. Barrier islands are naturallyformed 

dynamic features which act as a buffer system between the ocean and the mainland. They 

absorb the impacts of storms, which reshape their geography and topography in response to natural 

conditions. Therefore, they are particularly vulnerable to strong winds, flooding, and erosion. 

Furthermore, the barrier island has unique environmental features. 

Due to the moderating influence of surrounding water bodies, the climate on the barrier island 

supports tropical species of plants normally found far to the south. Brevard County's barrier island 

to, approximately, Cape Canaveral, constitutes the northernmost limit of the range of many of these 

plant species. At the same time, the infrequency and mildness of freezes in the Central Florida 

region serves to define the southern limit of many plants found in temperate zones. Thus, the barrier 

island in the vicinity of Satellite Beach represents a unique climatological region which sustains 

unique habitats characterized by mixed tropical and temperate plant species, in addition to a 

significant number of endemic species only found in the local region. 

In order to protect coastal resources and critical habitat within the City, it is necessary to encourage 

the preservation and restoration of native vegetation, and to discourage the placement or maintenance 

of noxious plant species. The City has no programs which directly involve residents in preserving or 

restoring native habitats on their property. However, the City is involved with several projects 



which are restoring, or creating, native habitats. Its largest effort has been creating a passive 

recreation park and nature preserve on Samsons Island Nature Park since 1990. 

Development of Samson’s Island has concentrated on the removal of Brazilian pepper trees, an 

exotic species, which had formed a monoculture over that portion of the island not covered with 

Australian pine trees, another noxious exotic species proscribed by the State. Significant acreage of 

the 52-acre island have been cleared of pepper trees and replanted with native species characteristic 

of native habitats found in Brevard County including: saline wetland, fresh water pond, pine 

flatwood, hardwood hammock, and oak scrub. 

The City was awarded Florida's first annual award for Excellence in Coastal Zone Management for 

its accomplishments on Samsons Island Nature Park. In a related, follow-on effort, volunteers 

assisted by City Public Works employees have removed Brazilian pepper trees from approximately 4 

acres of badly overgrown scrub on a 35-acre tract provided by the County to the City for 

development as a recreation complex (the Satellite Beach Sports and Recreation Park) by the City. 

This may encourage at least one family of scrub jays, a Federally-listed threatened species, to remain 

on the property. The City is in possession of a Scrub Habitat Restoration Plan prepared by a 

volunteer with assistance by local biologists, County staff, and the US Fish and Wildlife Service. 

Plans are to remove peppers from the remaining scrub on the property, totaling approximately 3 

acres. The City has, also, supported a volunteer who is removing pepper trees from properties in the 

City whose owners request the service. To-date he has removed trees from 80 to 100 of an estimated 

400 residences in the City harboring Brazilian pepper trees. 

Wildlife and Marine Resources 

The developed conditions within Satellite Beach leave only isolated areas of native vegetative cover 

and wildlife habitat. The major habitat area is the Banana River, designated as an aquatic preserve 

and an Outstanding Florida Water by the FDEP. Areas of natural vegetative cover serve as habitat to 

various wildlife species, depending on the type of vegetation. The mangrove fringe around Samsons 

and Lansing Islands is a unique vegetative community, and supports a highly diverse group of 

finfish, shellfish, birds, and crustaceans, serving as habitat and/or nursery grounds for these species. 

The twelve acres of wetland created as mitigation by a local developer on Samsons Island now 

provide nutrient-rich, sheltered aquatic habitat serving as finfish nursery and feeding ground for a 

diverse assemblage of birds and mammals. In addition, the City, in cooperation with a local 

ecological consultant, has established Samsons Island Nature Park as the only gopher tortoise 

relocation recipient site on the barrier island. It is now occupied by 42 relocated tortoises and 3 

which had been living on the island when development began. The City also has erected five osprey 

nesting platforms on Samsons Island Nature Park, from four of which young have been fledged. 

Efforts now under way are creating habitat which is to be managed for use by gopher tortoises and 

scrub jays. Finally, specialists associated with the St. Johns River Water Management District and 

the County have identified Salicornia marsh associated with the mangrove fringe on Samsons Island 

Nature Park as a habitat of high value which is disappearing from the County. The City is working 

with faculty of Florida Technical University in Melbourne to promote graduate student research and 



class projects on Samsons Island Nature Park to assist in devising and implementing maintenance 

programs to preserve and enhance desirable wildlife habitats. 

The loss of habitat for endangered/threatened species is always a concern in areas undergoing 

urbanization. Previously, replacement of a species was part of the natural process of faunal 

succession, allowing other species to supplant those which declined or disappeared due to changes in 

their niches and habitats. However, species are now approaching extinction at a rapid rate as a result 

of direct and indirect human activities which lead to loss of habitats. Besides threatened, 

endangered, or species of special concern, other native animal populations within City boundaries 

include rabbits, mice, rats, bobcats, armadillos, opossums, raccoons, squirrels, snakes, turtles, a wide 

variety of birds, and numerous species of small lizards, reptiles, and insects. According to Dr. 

Herbert Kale of the Florida Audubon Society, approximately 200 different species of birds can be 

observed in and around Satellite Beach over the period of a year, and up to 300 species over a period 

of several years. 

In 1956, a north-south canal was dredged for mosquito control. The dredge spoil was placed on the 

mangrove marsh area immediately to the west, thereby forming the island area characterizing the 

westernmost land portion of the City. During the next several years bulkheaded finger canals were 

dredged east of that canal to provide land for development as waterfront residential properties. 

These activities resulted in loss of a broad expanse of wetland habitats, dominated by mangroves, 

which had previously stretched from the approximate location of the north-south canal (Grand 

Canal) westward to the Banana River. 

On the east side of the Barrier Island lies the Atlantic Ocean. The marine waters with a sand-coquina 

bottom extend from the shoreline to the continental shelf offshore. This area is categorized into two 

major zones--intertidal and subtidal zones--which support differing biological communities. 

The intertidal zone experiences the regular pounding action of the waves and the constant littoral 

drift of sediment along the shoreline, resulting in a high-energy environment. The inhabitants of this 

area include the mole crab, ghost crab, and other mollusks and crustaceans. Other transient species, 

such as bluefish, king mackerel, Spanish mackerel, channel bass, pompano, and black drum, also are 

found here. The major bird species that use this area for feeding, breeding, and nesting are: willets, 

plovers, sanderlings, terns, pelicans, and gulls. 

The subtidal zone provides a suitable environment for planktivorous species, such as shrimp and 

other crustaceans, mollusks, and other benthic organisms, as well as carnivorous fish species which 

prey on the abundant planktivores. 

Both the Banana River and the Atlantic Ocean are Class III waters, which allows for recreation and 

the management of fish and wildlife. Populations of both finfish and shellfish in the Banana River 

have declined with increased development, due to over-harvesting and pollution. The decline in 

water quality in the Banana River is a result of both point source and non-point source pollution. 

According to Florida Sea Grant Technical Paper No. 44 (Overview of the Indian River Lagoon), the 

Banana River south of the Pineda Causeway showed signs of nutrient enrichment, primarily due to 

wastewater discharges by sewage treatment plants in the area at that time. Since 1989, State law has 



esulted in a stop to such wastewater discharges from the plants along this portion of the Banana 

River. Urbanization within Satellite Beach and surrounding areas has led to increases in impervious 

surface (roads, parking lots, etc.), and thus increases in non-point source pollution, such as 

freshwater runoff, oil and grease, eroded soil, nutrients, pesticides, and heavy metals. 

The Toxic Substances Survey for the Indian River Lagoon System published in 1993 for the St. 

Johns River Water Management District and the Indian River Lagoon National Estuary Program 

documents concentrations of metals, including silver, copper, and mercury in sediments and 

cadmium, chromium, and mercury in clams, in the Banana River from Patrick Air Force Base to 

Mathers Bridge as among the highest in the Indian River Lagoon. The values do not exceed 

regulatory standards, but they are indicative of sources lying in the vicinity of the City. 

Due to the nearly complete state of urbanization within Satellite Beach, there are no palustrine 

wetlands within the City, thus the Banana River and it estuarine wetland habitats represent the major 

natural environmental features of the City. The Banana River has been designated by the Florida 

Department of Environmental Protection as an aquatic preserve. The Banana River Aquatic Preserve 

Management Plan (1985) designates three ecological community types within the preserve; they are 

mangrove areas, marine grassbeds, and the salt marsh. The seagrass beds which dominated shallow 

waters off the City before the mid-1960s were gone by the mid-1970s, and at this time there are only 

a few salt marsh areas on Samsons Island Nature Park. Thus the mangrove fringe around the island 

represents the predominant remaining community type within Satellite Beach. The root structures of 

the mangroves stabilize sediments, providing erosion control, and serve as a protective nursery area 

for many of the finfish and shellfish species of the Banana River and Atlantic Ocean. Some of the 

finfish species which may be found there include tarpon, snook, snapper, and ladyfish. Shellfish and 

crustaceans would include blue crab, oysters, shrimp and clams. 

The goal of the Aquatic Preserves Program is to protect, preserve, and manage existing State 

submerged bottom lands so that their aesthetic, biological, and scientific value may endure for future 

generations. Habitat preservation is also linked to the preservation of endangered species. There are 

many endangered species which inhabit the City including wading birds, mammals, reptiles, and 

plants. Species which merit closer attention are the West Indian manatee and the five species of sea 

turtles inhabiting Florida (leatherback, green, Kemp's ridley, hawksbill, and loggerhead). The 

manatee, protected by State and Federal law, is commonly seen in the finger canals, Grand Canal, 

and Banana River. 

The threatened loggerhead sea turtle has historically used the beaches of Brevard County (including 

Satellite Beach) as nesting sites. Nesting densities within the City are not as high as in the southern 

portions of the County. This is probably due to the interference of civilization with the nesting 

process of the turtle, including pets digging up nests, bright lights disorienting hatchlings, and 

seawalls limiting potential nest sites. Satellite Beach has enacted an ordinance restricting the use of 

outdoor lighting on the beach during nesting season to reduce hatchling mortality. 

The abundance of forage provided by the Banana River estuarine environment attracts many 

difference species of birds. Although the list is too long to include here, some of the more common 

birds which are observed include brown pelicans, cormorants, anhingas, king fishers, osprey, two 



species of ibis, three species of both terns and gulls, four species of egret, and five species of heron. 

The Banana River area also supports a number of species listed as endangered or threatened. Table 

5-2 contains a listing of the endangered, threatened, and species of special concern which may be 

found in the Banana River area in the vicinity of Satellite Beach. 

The City of Satellite Beach is sited on a landform commonly referred to as a barrier island or, to use 

the technically-correct term, the North Florida Coastal Strand. This area is characterized by a lowlying 

sand dune system bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the east and the Indian River Lagoon 

system to the west. The eastern edge is a high-energy zone characterized by wind and salt spray. 

The plants which grow in this zone are influenced by and adapted to this high energy. Behind the 

second and third dune line (the first and second block west of A1A) the natural community is the 

sand scrub community. On the west side of the City, the original salt marsh has been completely 

replaced by filled land, landscaped suburban lots bordered by finger canals, and the spoil island. The 

undeveloped spoil island community was characterized by a high percentage of plant coverage 

represented by two alien plant species, Brazilian pepper and Australian pine, prior to development. 

The dominate ecosystem in the City is the suburban lot. While not normally included in an inventory 

of natural systems, it is included in this Plan, since the natural systems were almost completely 

eliminated when Satellite Beach was created and there is little natural system left. 

The only remaining original upland habitat exceeding 1/4 acre in extent remaining in the City is 

seven acres of oak scrub on the thirty-five acre tract on which the Satellite Beach Sports and 

Recreation Park is to be built. This remnant scrub, which harbors gopher tortoises and scrub jays, 

will be preserved and is being restored by the City from a badly degraded condition. Since all of the 

endangered species inventoried in the City occur as landscape plants or as restorations on public 

lands, it is important to understand the growing awareness on the part of the public of the importance 

of protecting the native plant species as an integral part of the City's environment. 

Table 5-1 includes native plants found or expected to be found in Satellite Beach. Table 5-2 contains 

a listing of the endangered, threatened, and species of special concern which have been observed in 

Satellite Beach. 

Effect of Future Development on Habitat and Estuarine Pollution 

Future land development within the city will be primarily in-fill development on scattered sites. 

There is generally no concentration of native vegetation or habitats that will be affected by such 

development. The only exception is the projected development of Lansing Island, lying between the 

Banana River and the Grand Canal. While most of the island is mixed exotic vegetation, there is a 

significant mangrove fringe. The exotic species do not tend to support a wildlife population; 

however, the mangrove serves as a valuable habitat. All development within the City, including 

Lansing Island, must conform with stringent requirements administered by the FDEP. Therefore, the 

mangrove fringe will be protected as development occurs. As of 1997, the FDEP has required an 

approximate 54-foot wide conservation easement to be established and maintained along the 

shoreline of Lansing Island within Satellite Beach. 



Future land development within the city will require development of sites lying within flood-prone 

areas. In such cases, development must meet the requirements of the City's floodplain management 

regulations adopted as a condition of City participation in the Federal Emergency Management 

Agency's (FEMA) flood insurance program. Floor slabs must be set above the established 100-year 

flood plain elevation or other flood-proofing measures must be taken. 

Air Quality in Satellite Beach 

The Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) considers air quality in Satellite Beach 

to be acceptable based on available data and observations by that agency. According to FDEP 

officials, there are no continuous air quality monitoring programs in the immediate vicinity of 

Satellite Beach; however, good air quality is surmised from a lack of major industrial land uses and 

other potential sources of air pollution on the coastal barrier island, as well as prevailing winds and 

air circulation patterns. With the very limited potential for development based on available land area 

in the City of Satellite Beach, future activities will have no significant effect on air quality, although 

development outside the City in the East Central Florida region may affect air quality. 

Soils 

The water quality of the region is significantly affected by the geology underlying and surrounding 

the area. The surficial deposits on the island are of Recent and Pleistocene ages and consist mostly 

of medium sands, coquina, and sand/shell/marl sediments. These unconsolidated sediments serve as 

the surficial aquifer of the area and may be up to 100 feet thick. Underlying these strata are 

unconsolidated deposits from the Miocene and Pliocene ages which consist of fine sand, shell, and 

clay. 

The soils of the area are classified with respect to their stratigraphic horizons. This is based on the 

lithological composition, organic content, acidity, permeability, distance above the water table, and 

numerous other factors. Due to urbanization and road construction, the percentage of impervious 

surface is an important factor. The City of Satellite Beach is covered predominately by three soil 

types--Galveston, Pomello, and Canaveral urban land complexes. The urban land complex 

designation is given to areas which are covered by 20-45% urban land, such as buildings and 

pavement (Brevard County Soil Survey, 1974). Descriptions of the three predominant soil types are 

as follows: 

a. Galveston urban land complex: Soils formed from sandy marine shell 

sediments that have been reworked by wind and wave action. These are 

found on the eastern half of the island. The soils are sandy, permeable, well 

drained, nearly level, and exhibit a naturally low fertility rate. 

b. Pomello urban land complex: Soils very similar to Galveston except that 

they are only moderately well drained and have a slightly shallower water 

table. This soil type is found on the low broad ridges of the western side of 

the island. 



c. Canaveral urban land complex: Soils having a mixture of sand and shell 

fragments that have been dredged from the Banana River, deposited on the 

tidal swamps and leveled off. 

While all of these soils have been formed through different processes, they, as well as the various 

other minor types found within City limits, have many of the same characteristics. They are welldrained, 

permeable, have naturally low fertility rates, and exhibit low available water capacities. 

These soils are naturally unsuitable for supporting lawn grasses and nearly all ornamental plant 

species. Such landscapes can normally be maintained in the City only through significant 

augmentation of surface soils with fertilizers, added organic matter, and regular irrigation. 

Soil erosion rates are directly affected by development activity where the land meets the water. The 

effects of seawalls along the Atlantic coast were described previously in the Beach and Dune section. 

Seawalls and bulkheading along the finger canals, which branch off of the Grand Canal, serve to 

mitigate soil erosion along the canals; however, if poorly maintained (cracked and/or undermined), 

these structures can lead to increased soil erosion and subsequent deposition in the canals. 

Regulation of construction activities along the Banana River, such as docks, seawalls, and dredging 

is exercised by a number of Federal, State, regional, and local agencies. 

Floodplains 

Approximately seventy percent (70%) of the City is situated above the 500-year floodplain as 

determined by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). The islands between the 

Grand Canal and the Banana River, about thirteen percent (13%) of the City, lie within the 100-year 

flood plain with a base elevation of three feet. That portion of the City west of South Patrick Drive 

along the finger canals, about twelve percent (12%), is designated as being within the 100-year flood 

plain with average depths less than one foot. Approximately five percent (5%) of the City extending 

about two thirds of the way from the dune bluff to SR A1A is designated as subject to inundation 

with wave action by a 100-year flood. 

There has been no instance of the 100-year floodplain being inundated since the City was founded. 

The City has enacted floodplain management regulations and participates in the Federal Flood 

Insurance Program. 

Commercially Valuable Minerals 

Despite the presence of significant deposits of sand, marl, coquina, and possibly phosphate within 

the City limits, there are no mining operations. Zoning regulations prohibit mineral extraction within 

the City. In addition, State licensing of mineral extraction activities on the coastal barrier island 

provides additional control of such activity. Finally, the cost of land within the City makes 

commercial extraction of minerals uneconomical. 



Hurricane Preparedness 

The location of the City of Satellite Beach on a coastal barrier island necessitates planning for 

evacuation in the event of a hurricane. Effective planning on a regional basis minimizes the risk to 

human lives in the event of a natural disaster. 

In 1987, the Brevard County Office of Emergency Management conducted a survey of upland public 

shelter spaces available in the event of a hurricane evacuation order being issued. That survey 

concluded that 55,000 spaces were available and suitable for designation to meet countywide needs. 

The County determined that the county-wide population in 1987 requiring evacuation was 135,000 

persons and that 37,900 public shelter spaces were required to serve the portion of that group 

estimated in need of public shelter. A surplus of 17,100 spaces was therefore available as of 1987. A 

new survey of public shelters and shelter space is due to be conducted in September of 1997. 

The City distributes a map and listing of public shelter locations available to the population residing 

in the City. A total of 42 shelter locations are identified within a ten-mile radius. These locations 

are conveniently accessible to other communities on the Barrier Island as well as mobile home 

occupants on the mainland. Through effective intergovernmental coordination, shelter needs of the 

entire South Brevard County area are being met in an appropriate manner. 

Evacuees from the City would proceed north on South Patrick Drive and SR A1A to SR 404 (Pineda 

Causeway) where traffic proceeds westward across the Banana River and Indian River to the 

mainland. The flood prone areas outlined on the CHHA map encompass the area which would 

become impassable as a result of pre-landfall storm effects during the 4 to 6 hours prior to landfall. 

Hurricane Evacuation 

Hurricane evacuation issues and procedures are discussed in the Transportation Element of the City’s 


Hazard Mitigation 

The vulnerability of Satellite Beach to the wind, wave, and flooding effects of major storms has been 

a constant consideration in terms of the structural integrity of the buildings of the City. This has 

been achieved through adoption and enforcement of a number of building and construction-related 

codes with revisions. In addition to the listed building and construction-related codes, the City has 

established by ordinance an "Ocean Bluff Protection Area." Provisions of the ordinance protect the 

dunes and dune vegetation from excavation and destruction. By preserving the integrity of the dune 

system, the natural storm protection provided by the dunes can be maintained. 



Post-Disaster Redevelopment 

Existing Conditions 

The incorporation of Satellite Beach occurred in 1957 and prior to 2004 there were no major coastal 

storms affecting the City. The Coastal High Hazard Area Map depicts the area subject to flooding in 

the event of a 100-year storm. 

Zoning regulations serve as the primary control for land use, site utilization, and development 

intensity. About two percent (2%) of the City's land area remains to be developed. The City's 

character and form is, therefore, established and future development is influenced by current 

development patterns. Permitted principal uses are limited to residential structures. Conditional 

uses, including office buildings, institutions, and personal service establishments, may be permitted 

by the City with conditions as determined to be appropriate by the City. Requirements are imposed 

by the City regarding setbacks from the bluff line and required breezeways (open spaces as 

percentage of lot width measures in a north-south direction). In addition, the zoning code contains 

provisions for establishing supporting structural beams above the base flood elevation and 

engineering certification of structural stability to withstand storm conditions occurring in a 100-year 

storm. 

The area west of SR A1A currently has a zoning height limit of 25 feet for all structures and an 

orderly development pattern consisting of low-density residential uses, low-intensity commercial 

uses, institutional uses, and public facilities giving the area an open and uncongested character. 

There is no evidence of widespread physical obsolescence or deterioration of structures and current 

codes adopted by the City and policies included in this Comprehensive Plan should help assure 

prevention of such conditions. 

Implications for Redevelopment 

No major alteration of land use patterns or development intensity ranges are necessary through 

redevelopment to achieve commonly-accepted community planning principals. Post-disaster 

redevelopment needs of the City will therefore be governed by the future occurrence of a coastal 

storm and the extent of damage resulting therefrom. The current land use pattern and permitted 

densities/intensities would be reasonable under a redevelopment plan should that become necessary. 

The proposed land uses within the City reflect existing zoning and development patterns. 

Aside from fundamental issues of land use, intensity of development, and the application of a full 

range of construction-related codes and regulations appropriate for a coastal community, other 

concerns must be addressed within the context of post-disaster activities by the City. An immediate 

response by the City to restore safe and healthful conditions for the citizens of Satellite Beach has the 

highest priority and must be initiated at the earliest practicable time following a storm in accordance 

with the Emergency Management System adopted and maintained by the City. Such a plan will be 

useful in the aftermath of minor storms where damage is limited to clean-up of tree branches and 

debris, as well as the more extensive activities associated with a major storm involving evacuation, 

structural damage, and interruption of essential public services. The emergency management team 



designated by the City's Emergency Management System will serve as the management and 

coordinating body. Intergovernmental coordination, restoration of services, assistance in securing 

disaster relief funds, recommendations for comprehensive plan amendments, and other related 

activities will be a major responsibility of the emergency management team. 



Table 5-1 

Table 5-3 

Native Plant Species - Satellite Beach 

Generally, Area East of SR A1A 

Trees: 

Cabbage Palm ( Sable palmetto) 

Saw Palmetto (Serenoa repens) 

Seagrape (Cocoaloba uvibera) 

Shrubs: 

Tallowwood (Xinema americana) 

Running Oak (Quercus pumala) 

Wax Myrtle (Myerica cerifera) 

Coral Bean (Erythrina herbacea) 

Marsh Elder (Iva imbricata) 

Herbaceous: 

Sea Purslane (Sesuvium sp.) 

Rattlebox (Crotolaria sp.) 

Clover (Desmodium sp.) 

Beach Croton (Crotan punctatus) 

Blanket Flower (Gailardia pulchella) 

Grasses: 

Wiregrass (Aristida stricta) 

Southern Sandspur (Cenchrua echinatus) 

Saltgrass (Distichlis spicata) 

Beachgrass (Panicum sp.) 

Sea Oats (Uniola paniculata) 

Vines: 

Green Briar (Smilax sp.) 

Muscadine Grape (Vitis munsoniana) 

Beach Morning Glory (Ipomoea sp.) 

Railroad Vine (Ipomoea pes-caprea) 

Spoil Island 

Trees and Shrubs: 

Cabbage Palm (Sabal palmetto) 

Saw Palmetto (Serenoa repens) 

Aloe Yucca (Yucca aloifolia) 

Coastal Willow (Salix caroliniana) 

Wax Myrtle (Myrica cerifera) 

Oak (Quercus sp.) 

Brazilian pepper (Schinus terebinthifolia) 

Red Mangrove (Rhizophora mangle) 

White Mangrove (Laguncularia racemosa) 

Black Mangrove (Avicennia nitida) 

Australian Pine (Casuarina equisetifolia) 

Punk-tree (Melaleuca quinquenrvia) 

Baccharis (Baccharis hamilifolia) 

Blueberry (Vaccinium sp.) 

Herbaceous: 

Fleabane (Erigeron sp.) 

Ragwort (Senecia sp.) 

Aster (Heterotheca sp.) 

Periwinkle (Vinca sp.) 

Ground Cherry (Physalis heterophylla) 

Grasses: 

Cordgrass (Spartina sp.) 

Broomsedge (Andropogon sp.) 

Sawgrass (Cladium jamaicense) 

Blackrush (Juncus roemerianus) 

Vines: 

Virginia creeper (Parthenocissus quinquefolia) 

Grape (Vitis sp.) 

Dodder (Cuscuta campistris) 

Clematis (Clematis sp.) 

Cactus: 

Prickly pear (Opuntia sp.) 

Source: Ecological Investigation of Four Mile Island, 1980, by Dr. John G. Morris, Department 

of Ecological Services, FIT 

Review by: Ivey, Harris & Walls, Incorporated, 1996. 



Table Table 5-2 5-4 

Endangered Species, Threatened Species, and Species of Special Concern 

Endangered Species 

Reptiles: 

Atlantic Green Turtle (Chelonia mydas mydas) 

Atlantic Ridley Turtle (Lepidochelys kempi) 

Leatherback Turtle (Dermochelys coriacea) 

Birds: 

Wood stork (Myecteria americana) 

Arctic Peregin Falcon (Falco peregrinus tundrius) 

Mammals: 

West Indian Manatee (Trichechus manatus) 

Plants: 

Coastal Vervain (Verbena maritima) 

Threatened Species 

Reptiles: 

Eastern Indigo Snake (Drymarchon corais couperi) 

Atlantic Loggerhead Turtle (Caretta caretta caretta) 

Atlantic Salt Marsh Snake (Nerodia fasciata taeniata) 

Birds: 

Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) 

Southeastern American Kestrel (Falco sparverius paulus) 

Roseate Tern (Sterna dougallii) 

Least Tern (Sterna antillaplum) 

Florida Scrub Jay (Aphelocoma coerulescens) 

Florida Sandhill Crane (Grus canadensis prutensis) 



Plants: 

Wild Pine (Tillandisa setacea) 

Catesby's Lily (Lilium catesbaei) 

Prickly Pear (Opuntia stricta) 

Coastal Vervain (Verbena maritima) 

Giant Leather Fern (Acrostichun danaeifolium) 

Beach Creeper (Ernodia littoralis) 

Species of Special Concern 

Fishes: 

Common Snook (Centropomus undecimalis) 

Rivulus (Rivulus marmoratus) 

Reptiles: 

American Alligator (Alligator mississippiensis) 

Gopher Tortoise (Gopherus polyphemus) 

Birds: 

Brown Pelican (Pelecanus occidentalis) 

Little Blue Heron (Egretta caerulea) 

Snowy Egret (Egretta thula) 

Tri-colored Heron (Hydranassa tricolor) 

Reddish Egret (Egretta rufescens) 

Roseate Spoonbill (Ajaia ajaja) 

American Oystercatcher (Haematopus palliatus) 

White Ibis (Eudocimus albus) 

Plants: 

none 

Sources: (1) Banana River Aquatic Preseve Management Plan, 1985 (reptiles, birds, and mammals), 

Ecological Investigation of Four Mile Island, 1980, Dr. John G. Morris, FIT (plants). 

(2) Listed status updated from 1996 Florida Game and Fresh Water Fish Commission Official List of 



RECREATION AND OPEN SPACE ELEMENT 

Introduction 

Recognizing that the City is 98% built-out, the purpose of the Recreation and Open Space Element is 

to maintain the level of service for recreation and open space that City residents have come to expect. 

The existing system of parks includes both public and private sites for a wide range of recreation 

activities. 

Recreation and open space are important in assuring a desirable living environment for residents of a 

community. There has been long-standing support in the community for active recreation facilities 

and protection of open space to assure ample opportunities for leisure time pursuits to meet the needs 

of a family-centered community. Indeed, Satellite Beach has such a diverse mix of recreation 

facilities that residents of nearby communities are willing to pay a non-resident-user fee to use City 

facilities. Availability of facilities to non-residents has secondary priority to the needs of Satellite 

Beach residents. However, participation by non-residents contributes to the quality of the City’s 

recreation programs. This has also led to the City's obtaining access to, and eventual ownership of, 

35 acres of additional open land to construct new facilities (the Satellite Beach Sports and Recreation 

Park, the site of a decommissioned sewage treatment plant that had been operated by Brevard County 

Utilities), to serve City and neighboring residents. 

Active time and financial involvement of community residents and businesses has made possible 

continuing recreation programs, facility development and additional support facilities. Volunteers 

and City staff cooperate in scheduling and supervising sports programs to assure effective 

management. 

Types of Facilities and Areas 

Recreation and open space facilities and areas available to the residents of Satellite Beach are as 

follows: 

Active Recreation Facilities--Community - These are indoor and outdoor facilities developed and 

used for team and individual sports competition, non-competitive active play, health and fitness 

training, and other active leisure-time activities. 

Active Recreation Facilities--Regional - These are facilities that serve populations residing in an area 

beyond the immediate community which may be owned and operated by a metropolitan, county, or 

other non-local government agency. Activities and services available at facilities and areas serving a 

regional population are often complementary to those provided by a local community and may range 

from major team athletic facilities to large, multi-use recreation complexes in park-like settings. 

Private Recreation Facilities--Community and Regional – These facilities are owned or operated by 

members of non-profit private clubs or operated as commercial, profit-making enterprises for 

Recreation and Open Space Element 


cultural and entertainment experiences. Such facilities provide specialized active recreation 

opportunities such as golf, bowling, and roller skating. 

Private recreation, cultural, and entertainment facilities are usually provided in response to market 

demands and are not appropriate for inclusion in level of service standards of a community’s 

comprehensive plan. Likewise, use of public recreation facilities for seasonal celebrations, concerts, 

dramatic performances, and festivals is often an important part of a community recreation program, 

but are not appropriate to include in a set of service standards. 

Some private recreation facilities located within Satellite Beach and the immediate surrounding area 

are as follows: 

a. The Kiwi Tennis Club 

b. Atlantic Cinema 

c. Teen Zone 

Two commercial recreation facilities that served the City for decades are no longer available. The 

Satellite Putt-A-Round miniature golf course closed in the 1990’s and has been replaced by an eating 

establishment. The Satellite Lanes Bowling Center was severely damaged during hurricanes in 2004 

and was demolished the next year. Current land costs make it unlikely that these areas will be 

replaced by other recreation facilities. 

In addition to the private recreation facilities listed within the city, active and retired military 

residents and their guests are permitted limited use of facilities located within Patrick Air Force 

Base, one mile north of the City. Facilities on the base include a recreation center, craft shops, 

bowling alley, gymnasium, movie theater, golf course, soccer/football fields, camping areas, beach 

areas, boat rentals, and marina. 

Open Space-Community and Regional - Open spaces may serve a variety of purposes. Conservation 

of native habitat, plants, and wildlife; preservation of unique areas of natural beauty; passive parks 

for relaxation and contemplation; and visual enhancement of an urbanized area are typical purposes 

achieved by open space lands. In the case of an island community such as Satellite Beach, with two 

sides bounded by broad expanses of water, vegetated (pastoral) open spaces become less important 

than would be considered desirable for a mainland community. Furthermore, the generally less 

intense and low building height of physical development in Satellite Beach, along with abundant 

residential lawns and public recreation areas, contributes to an open character for the City. 

As 98% of the City is built out, Satellite Beach must continue to take an active role in preserving and 

enhancing public open space within the City. Samsons Island Nature Park consists of 52 acres of 

open space created within the City as a refuge for native flora and fauna, as well as for those 

individuals looking for an alternative to concrete and asphalt. A 35 acre tract of land, provided to the 

City by the County, has been developed for active recreational use as the Satellite Beach Sports and 

Recreation Park, but contains seven acres of scrub and open areas that serve as accessible open 

space. The City has also acquired 17 acres of oceanfront land for conservation and open space using 

funds provided by Florida’s Preservation 2000 land conservation program. Fifteen acres span 



Brevard County’s Hightower Beach Park property and two acres abut the southern end of the 

County’s Pelican Beach Park. The City’s Community Redevelopment District also purchased one 

acre of oceanfront at the end of Sunrise Avenue specifically to preserve the last clear view of the 

ocean from SR A1A. The City also negotiated a trade of increased development density on the site of 

the demolished Ramada Inn in exchange for a 2-acre oceanfront site known as Gemini Park, in the 

intensely-developed central portion of the City opposite Ellwood Avenue. 

Facilities Outside Satellite Beach - Recreation facilities outside the City of Satellite Beach, but 

accessible to the City’s residents, add to the total public recreational resources available. There are 

five oceanfront parks, four with picnic facilities; one inland park with meeting facilities; one athletic 

complex; one municipal swimming pool; and a private tennis club on the island between the Pineda 

and Eau Gallie Causeway. 

The Greater Melbourne urban area offers a wide range of privately-owned recreational facilities, 

including museums, theaters, bowling alleys, boating facilities, clubs, and other leisure time 

opportunities not found in the immediate vicinity of the City. The availability of these facilities and 

organizations to the residents of Satellite Beach is generally convenient and their diversity makes 

living in Satellite Beach more appealing for all age groups. 

In addition to a wide diversity of recreational facilities available to City residents, both public and 

private within Brevard County, the diversity of commercial recreational facilities in the Orlando area 

is unsurpassed. These globally-known attractions are little more than one hour’s drive from the City, 

providing convenient day-trip opportunities for City residents. 

Inventory of Facilities and Areas 

The Satellite Beach Recreation Department is responsible for the coordination of City recreation 

programs, facilities, and open space areas. The youth athletic programs are independently operated 

within organized leagues, guided by their separate boards of directors. City recreation facilities are 

listed in Table 6-1. 

Non-City-owned public recreation facilities within Satellite Beach consist of two County-owned 

oceanfront parks (managed by the City) and four school sites on two campuses. The public library is 

operated by Brevard County on a 5-acre tract adjacent to the 35 acres the County is providing and the 

City is developing as the Satellite Beach Sports and Recreation Park. Those facilities are included in 

Table 6-2. 

Recreation and Open Space Standards 

Recreation and open space standards provide an effective means of relating the types and amounts of 

land and facilities appropriate for a given community in relation to its significant characteristics and 

projected population. The demand for certain facilities varies from community to community and 

over time, in accordance with changes in lifestyles. 



Demand for recreation and open space facilities and areas for Satellite Beach has been determined 

after a review of standards included in the Brevard County Comprehensive Plan, recommended 

standards of the Florida Statewide Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan, the standards of other 

communities, and recent deliberation by the City’s Recreation Board. The wide range of standards in 

use by communities reflects the importance of evaluating the many variables and producing a 

realistic and responsive set of standards. Such evaluation has served as the basis for the Recreation 

Facility Standards and Acreage and Service Area Standards contained in Tables 6-3 and 6-4, 

respectively. 

Since its founding, the City has been involved in and sponsored league sports activities and 

associated tournaments, such as for baseball and tennis. This involvement is a significant factor in 

establishing recreation and open space standards for the City. As a case in point, the United States 

Tennis Association requires a minimum of eight (8) courts for an organization sponsoring a 

sanctioned tennis tournament. Even without tournaments, league play requires multiple fields or 

courts to accommodate rounds of play among members of the league. Thus, the requirement for 

facilities will often be higher for league and tournament play than for individual games. If it were not 

for participation by residents of neighboring communities, there would be insufficient demand solely 

among City residents to support facilities adequate for league play in most, if not all, sports. 

Recreation and Open Space Facility Demand Analysis 

To determine the ability of the City of Satellite Beach to meet demands for community recreation 

and open space facilities in accordance with developed standards, the current population was used in 

analyzing the adequacy of each type of facility. Current supply and demand are presented in Table 

6-5. Recognizing that the City is 98% built out, a significant increase in demand is not anticipated 

through the planning horizon years of 2014 and 2019. However, the City is taking steps to improve 

the availability of active recreation opportunities for seniors over 55. These opportunities include 

indoor group activities, organized outdoor athletics, and facilities (such as paved pedestrian and 

bicycle paths) that promote an active lifestyle. Another active program is the Satellite Beach 

“Community for a Lifetime” Program. 

Recreation and Open Space Planning Implications 

The City maintains an ongoing program of expanding and upgrading its recreational facilities as 

needs are indicated. Operational costs of facilities are partially offset by user fees with higher fees 

charged for use by non-City residents. 

The City of Satellite Beach has recreational amenities consistent with the concept of a familyoriented 

community. The combination of City-owned facilities, two Brevard County parks on the 

oceanfront, facilities available at County schools, a County library, and 2.8 miles of oceanfront beach 

along the City’s eastern edge provides a wide range of recreational opportunities for all age groups. 

The commitment of City resources--both through budgetary appropriations and volunteer efforts by 

residents and community organizations--has been a critical factor in achieving the high standard of 

recreational services available within the City. Several observations can be made based on review of 



the facility inventories, as well as the comparison of existing supply versus demands for recreation 

facilities in relation to level of service standards contained in this Element. 

The City meets or exceeds the standards for most types of facilities. The City’s ability to meet 

standards takes into consideration that active recreation facilities located at school complexes are 

only partially counted in computing the supply figures. In this manner, the City recognizes the 

unavailability of specific facilities due to school use or policy, which states that available facilities 

will be unavailable during periods of use by the school, and the likelihood that non-Satellite Beach 

residents will also use these facilities. The portions counted toward the City’s available supply are 

considered realistic based on decades of experience. 

While it might be argued that the beach stretching along the City’s eastern edge provides open space 

that is available for enjoyment by the residents of Satellite Beach, this resource is treated separately 

in the level of service standards in terms of beach access because it is a unique recreational resource 

attractive to a larger population than City residents. The presence of the beach for ocean activities by 

City residents and the many private residential pools in the City result in the documented low level of 

interest in increasing the number of public pools. Therefore, no level of service standard has been 

established for public pools. 

Recreation and Open Space Plan Implementation 

The objectives and policies contained in this Element comprise the City’s recreation and open space 

implementation program. Development of Samsons Island Nature Park as a passive recreation site 

coupled with the development of the Satellite Beach Sports and Recreation Park as primarily an 

active recreation site sufficiently meet the identified need for additional community passive and 

active recreation facilities. As with most major efforts undertaken by the City, these projects were 

completed in an ad hoc manner based on general concepts of what the end result should include by a 

cooperative effort involving City staff and residents using available funding resources. 

In 1990, Samsons Island Nature Park, at the recommendation of an ad hoc citizen’s committee, was 

designated a passive recreation park and nature preserve. After over 50,000 hours of labor by 

volunteers of all ages, the island is now vegetated with a variety of maturing natural habitats, 

accessible by way of three docks located on the north, east, and south sides of the island. The City 

operates a pontoon boat on weekends which provides free public transportation to and from the 

island at specified times. The island’s amenities include: a fishing pond; one mile of nature trails; a 

picnic grove; two picnic shelters; three primitive campsites; one handicapped-accessible primitive 

campsite; an observation hill; a handicapped-accessible educational pavilion; two composting toilets, 

one handicapped-accessible; and a two-car garage used for storage of equipment and supplies used to 

maintain the island. In 1994 the City received from Governor Chiles the first annual Florida 

Excellence in Coastal Management Award for the work on Samsons Island. 

In 1995, the City’s ad hoc Capital Assets Planning Committee’s Final Report recommended that 

capital improvements be made to the 35-acre tract, formerly identified as a Brevard County utilities 

site, in the southwest corner of the City. The City held a public referendum in November 1997 on 



funding for full development of recreational facilities on the tract. The conceptual plan called for the 

development of three soccer fields and one multi-purpose soccer/football field; pavilion; skate park; 

shuffle board courts; walking trail; community center/gymnasium with adjacent playground; 

retention area; 290 parking spaces; and a native plant nursery. Residents voted down the concept by 

two-to-one based on the cost, not the need. However, by 2009 the tract had been transformed into 

the Satellite Beach Sports and Recreation Park as a result of a series of grants from the Florida 

Recreation Development Assistance Program to include: three soccer fields, a combination 

soccer/football field, two sand volleyball courts, picnic pavilions, playground, skate park, off-leash 

dog park, restroom/concession stand, walking trail, three nature trails, and three deep-water ponds. 

Concurrently, the City purchased a derelict strip shopping center in the northwest portion of the City 

and renovated it into a 37,000 square foot community center including a gymnasium, teen center, 

four activity rooms, and offices for the City’s Recreation Department. Funding for these projects 

were provided by Florida Preservation 2000 and donations from the Satellite Beach Women’s Club, 

the Lions Club and the VFW Post. 

Acquisition of multiple parcels of oceanfront land since 1997 has substantially increased the City’s 

inventory of public open space. In 1999, the City received title to two parcels totaling 15.3 acres 

bracketing Brevard County’s Hightower Beach Park; and in 2001, two parcels totaling 1.8-acres 

abutting the southern end of the County’s Pelican Beach Park, with funds provided by Florida’s 

Preservation 2000 program. The parcels are to be preserved as conservation lands with minimal 

development. 

In 2006 the City’s Community Redevelopment Agency purchased three parcels totaling 1.1 acre at 

the end of Sunrise Avenue. Combined with a parcel the City already owned, they form a third, 1.5- 

acre, oceanfront conservation area. The State, in addition, owns three parcels along the City’s 

oceanfront totaling 2.2 acres preserved for conservation. As of 2009, 40% of the City’s ocean 

shoreline front and 35% of its oceanfront acreage are in public ownership, for which the City is 

designated the manager regardless of ownership. 

While the City does not have primary responsibility for providing facilities identified as "regional" in 

terms of service area and nature of facility, they are included as part of the City’s standards to 

indicate the City’s recognition of the importance of facilities serving regional populations. 



Table 6-1 

Satellite Beach City-Managed Recreation/Open Space Facilities - 2009 

Facility Acreage Features Facility Type 

Desoto Park 16.0 acres 1 Baseball field (lighted) with concession stand Active/Community 

1 Softball field 

8 Tennis courts (lighted) 

Tennis practice wall 

2 Racquetball courts (lighted) 

2 Soccer fields 

2 Half basketball courts 

Fishing pier 

Playground 

Picnic area 

Restrooms 

40 Parking spaces 

Tennis/Racquetball Hut (main room and restrooms - 22'x15', storage room - 6'x15', patio - 

16'x18') 

Olson Field 2.1 acres 1 Softball/Little league field (lighted) with concession stand Active/Community 

1 Picnic area (6 tables) 

1 Playground (with apparatus) 


Hedgecock Field 1.9 acres 1 Baseball field (lighted) with concession stand Active/Community 

Parking shared with Civic Center and City Hall (lighted) 

Storage building (Concession stand) 

Civic Center 

1 Civic Center (auditorium - 47'x48'; stage/storage areas - 16'x44'; kitchen - 18'x15'; 

breezeway - 97'x70'; foyer - 30'x26') 

Passive/Community 

Recreation and Open Space 


Table 6-1 



Parking spaces (shared with Hedgecock Field and City Hall) 

Samson's Island 52.0 acres 1 mile Nature Trails Pastoral Open Space/Community 

2 Picnic shelters 

1 Pavilion 

4 Primitive camp areas 

1 Restroom 

3 Docks 

Public access provided via boat transportation 

Garage (golf carts and equipment) 

Beach 31.0 acres Undeveloped Passive and Active/Regional 

16 Access rights-of-way (2.8 miles of beachfront) 



Table 6-1 



Sports Park 35.0 acres State Park 

Off-leash dog park 

3 Soccer fields 

1 Football/soccer field 

2 Sand volleyball courts 

2/3 Mile walking trail 

0.3 Mile nature trail 

Tot bike trail 

Playground 

3 Picnic pavilions 

Restrooms/concession stand 

Conservation area 

Passive and Active/Community 

Source: City of Satellite Beach, 2009. 



Table 6-2 

Satellite Beach Non-City (Public) Recreation/Open Space Facilities - 2009 


Pelican Beach Park 4 Dune crossovers Passive and Active/Regional 

2 Volleyball courts 

5 Picnic areas and pavilions 

1 Playground 

Ocean outlook pavilion, Walkway, Conservation Area 


Restrooms 

Community activity building 

Satellite High/ 70.0 acres 2 Gymnasiums Active/Regional 

DeLaura Jr. High/ 

1 Swimming pool 

Complex 

8 Tennis courts (4 lighted) 

3 Half basketball courts 

11 Youth basketball courts 

2 Baseball fields (1 lighted) 

1 Softball fields (lighted) 

1 Quarter-mile track (lighted) 

1 Football field (lighted) 

3 Handball courts 

1 Soccer field 

Parking areas 

Restrooms 

Theater 



Surfside Elementary 11.0 acres 2 Baseball/softball fields (1 lighted with concession) Active/Community 

2 Playgrounds 

Parking area 

Hightower Beach Park 18.5 acres Beach access, 700’ Boardwalk, Picnic pavilion, Restrooms, Conservation area Passive and Active/Regional 

33Parking Spaces 

Library 5.0 acres Public Library Passive/Regional 

David R. Schecher 

Community Center 

1 Gymnasium, 1 Teen center, 5 Meeting/Activity rooms, Picnic area 

Source: City of Satellite Beach, 2009 



Table 6-3 

Recreation Facility Level of Service Standards - 2009 

City of Satellite Beach 

Type of Facility 

Level of Service Standard 

Neighborhood 

Playgrounds 

1 playground per 2,000 pop. 

Picnic areas 

1 picnic area per park 

Wildlife/Scenic Observation Areas 

Seating for 4 per public facility 

Passive Parks/Open Space Areas 

1 acre per 2,000 pop. 

Community 

Baseball, Softball, Little League Fields * 

Soccer/Multi-purpose Fields * 

Basketball Courts 

Half-Court/Youth Basketball Courts 

Handball/Racquetball Courts 

Volleyball Courts 

Tennis Courts 

Shuffleboard Courts 

Jogging/Exercise Trails 

Playgrounds 

Community Activity Centers 

Gymnasium 

Library 

Beach Accessways 

Picnic Areas 


Nature Trail 


1 field per 2,000 pop. 


1 court per 2,000 pop. 

1 half-court per 2,000 pop. 





1 mile per 10,000 pop. 


1 center per 6,000 pop. 

1 gymnasium per 5,000 pop. 

1 library per 20,000 pop. 

4 accessways per mile of beach 

1 picnic area per park 

Seating for 4 per public facility 

1,000 feet nature trail per 5,000 pop. 

5 acres per 1,000 pop. 



Table 6-3 

Recreation Facility Level of Service Standards - 2009 



Level of Service Standard 

Regional 

Football Fields (regulation size) 

Track (regulation size) 

Boat Ramps 


Camping Areas 

Picnic Areas 

Nature Study 

Saltwater Beach 

Interpretive Displays 

Educational Programs 




1 track per 20,000 pop. 

1 ramp per 10,000 pop. 


1 acre camp area per 25,000 pop. 

1 area per 6,000 pop. 

1 mile nature trail per 10,000 pop. 


1 interpretive display per 5,000 pop. 

1 educational program per 10,000 pop. 

1 wildlife observation area per 2,000 pop. 





Table 6-4 

Recreation and Open Space Acreage and Service Area Standards - 2009 


Type of Facility Acreage Range Maximum Service Area Standard 

Playground .25 - 2 acres .5 - 1 mile radius Partial 

Camping Area Up to 1 acre 10 mile radius Met 

Picnic Area Up to 1 acre 2 mile radius Met 

Community Athletic Facility 

2 - 20 acres 2 mile radius Partial 

(Fields and Courts) 

Community Activity Center N/A 2 mile radius Met 

Gymnasium N/A 5 mile radius Met 

Library N/A 5 mile radius Met 

Regional Athletic Facility 20 acres or more 20 mile radius Met 

Neighborhood Park/Open Space Up to 25 acres 1 mile radius Met 

Community Park/Open Space .5 - 50 acres 5 mile radius Met 

Regional Park/Open Space 20 - 500 acres 10 mile radius Met 




Table 6-5 

Current Community Recreation Facility Supply/Demand Analysis 2009 


Supply 


Facilities/Acreage Facilities/Acreage 

Facility Type 

Baseball/Softball/Little League Fields 5+2*=7 5 

Soccer/Multi-purpose fields 5 5 

Basketball Courts (outdoor) 3 1/2* 2 

Handball/Racquetball Courts 2+1.5*=3.5 4 

Beach Volleyball Courts 2 2 

Indoor Volleyball Courts 2 2 

Tennis Courts 8+4*=12 5 

Shuffleboard Courts 0 6 

Jogging/Exercise Trails 1 1 

Playgrounds 2+1*=3 2 

Community Activity Centers 2 2 

Gymnasium 1+1/2*= 1 ½ 2 

Library 1 1 

Beach Accessways 16 10 

Passive Parks/Open Space (Community) acres 50 acres (Gemini, Sunrise, 

Sports, DeSoto, Stormwater) 

Passive Parks/Open Space (Regional) acres 80 acres (Hightower, Pelican, 

Samsons) 

*Represents 50% of facilities at Satellite High/DeLaura Junior High/Holland Elementary School 

Complex and Surfside Elementary in recognition of usage by non-Satellite Beach residents, school use 

and policies. 

Source: City of Satellite Beach, 2009. 



INTERGOVERNMENTAL COORDINATION ELEMENT 

Introduction 

The following Boards and Committees currently make up the City of Satellite Beach governmental 

structure: Beautification Board; Board of Adjustment; Code Enforcement Board; Community 

Redevelopment Agency Advisory Committee; Comprehensive Planning Advisory Board; General 

Employee Retirement Plan Board of Trustees; Library Board; Planning and Zoning Advisory Board; 

Police Officers and Firefighters Retirement Plan Board of Trustees; Recreation Board; and the 

Samsons Island Nature Park Committee. 

Intergovernmental Coordination - Entities and Mechanisms 

The City of Satellite Beach continues to utilize a mix of coordination activities with its neighboring 

communities, Brevard County and the State of Florida. Current coordination activities with respect 

to specific agencies, relationships and mechanisms are listed in Table 7-1. 

Impact of Coordination Efforts 

The City continues to take an active role in coordinating activities with other governmental agencies 

and entities. 

Agreements continue to exist between the City and infrastructure service providers. This includes 

agreements between the City, County, and the Utilities Division of the City of Melbourne and Cocoa 

and Cocoa Beach, where centralized billing, distribution and collection services for water, sewer and 

solid waste disposal is provided. City property taxes continue to be collected by the County and 

returned to the City. 

As outlined in the evaluation of the Recreation and Open Space Element, informal coordination 

activities exist between the City of Satellite Beach, the County, and neighboring communities with 

respect to the provision of recreation facilities and services. 

Opportunities for Improved Coordination 

The following is a list of areas in which additional coordination with other entities/agencies would be 

beneficial to the City: 

Coastal Management/Conservation 

Hurricane Evacuation - Governmental entities within Evacuation Zone “6”, Patrick Air Force Base, 

and Brevard County Emergency Management must continue to pressure state and county agencies to 

address the potential deficiency that exists on Pineda Causeway capacity. The timing of evacuation 

orders is an important issue that needs to be considered. 

Intergovernmental Coordination 


Post Disaster Redevelopment - The City has completed a Post Disaster Redevelopment Plan in 

response to Rule 9J-5, FAC requirements. In so doing, the City continues to coordinate its efforts 

with adjacent local governments. 

Sanitary Sewer, Solid Waste, Drainage, Potable Water and Natural Groundwater Aquifer 

Recharge 

Solid Waste - The City should coordinate with the County Commission in identifying alternative 

landfill sites. 

Potable Water - The City should increase its efforts to obtain data from the City of Melbourne 

relating to potable water quality. 

Sanitary Sewer - The City should continue close coordination with Brevard County Water Resources 

Department on all issues related to central sewer facilities and the replacement/repair of any failing 

sewer lines within the City. 

Drainage (General) - The City should continue to apply standards and strategies contained in the 

Indian River Lagoon National Estuary Program to the drainage system attributes in Satellite Beach. 

Traffic Circulation 

The City recognizes the need to continue to work with local and regional transportation facility and 

service providers to secure implementation of those items which are critical to the City’s interests as 

they relate to SR A1A and South Patrick Drive (SR 513). 

Current Government Structure 

The elected City Council, consisting of a Mayor and four Council members, establishes municipal 

government policies and approves the annual budget. The City Manager, appointed by the City 

Council, is responsible for the administration of all phases of municipal government and heads an 

organization of City officials and departments. This organization consists of: 

Administration Department 

Building and Zoning Department 

Finance Department 

Fire/Rescue Department 

Police Department (Civil Defense) 

Public Works Department 

Recreation Department 

Community Development 

The City Manager is a full-time City employee and he directs a staff of full-time and part-time, paid 

employees. 



The City Attorney and the City Engineer report directly to the City Council. They serve both the 

City Council and the City Manager in a consulting capacity and are compensated for their services on 

a time and material basis. 

Except for the two Retirement Boards (which include employees), the City’s boards/committees are 

composed of citizen volunteers appointed by the City Council; each board/committee is also 

assigned a Council member to be liaison between the board/committee and the Council. By Florida 

Statute, the Board of Adjustment and the Code Enforcement Board are autonomous, and certain 

decisions of the Retirement Plans Board are not subject to approval or disapproval by the Council. 

All other boards/committees serve the Council in an advisory capacity. 



Table 7-1 

Federal 


City of Satellite Beach 2009 

Entity 

Commerce 

Department 

Activity 

Prepare decennial census, special data 

reports 

Lead City Department 

Coordination 

Method * 

Building & Zoning 2 

Environmental 

Protection Agency 

Oversee a variety of activities affecting 

the environment and 

hazardous wastes 

Building & Zoning, Fire 1,8 

Federal Emergency 

Management Agency 

Provide and implement floodplain 

management, disaster relief 

Building & Zoning 

Administration 

1,3,8 

Housing & Urban 

Development 

Coordinate with County on block grant 

funding 

Administration 3,10 

Air Force (Patrick Air 

Force Base) 

Assist in mutual fire aid; shared usage 

for recreation facilities, disaster facility 

management, etc. 

Fire, Recreation 3 

Coast Guard 

Respond to distress signals, and 

incidents on open waters, bridge 

construction 

Police 1 

Army Corps of 

Engineers 

Review and permit docks and seawalls; 

bridge approaches 


Postal Service 

Assign addresses for new 

construction/subdivisions 


* 1 - Regulation and/or enforcement; 2 - Formal reporting of data, program status, activities; 3 - Binding 

agreement; 4 - Informal meetings and/or correspondence; 5 - Committee/Advisory Board; 6 - Information 

exchange; 7 - Training. 8 - Permitting/Licensing; 9 - Funding Source; 10 - Perform Work 



Entity 

Table 7-1 (Continued) 

State of Florida 



Lead City Department 

Activity 

Coordination* 

Method 

Community Affairs 

Planning assistance (contract). 

Floodplain management 

Building & Zoning, 


1,2, 3 

Environmental 

Protection 

Review and permit dock, dredge and 

fill activities, coordinate the Marine 

Patrol and Indian River Lagoon 

National Estuary Program, provide 

grant assistance for recreation and 

stormwater management 

Building & Zoning 

Recreation Department 

Public Works 

1,7,8 

Children and Families 

Law Enforcement 

(FDLE) 

Provide assistance on family and 

children's issues 

Participate in criminal investigations; 

sets standards for police certification 

Police 1,10 

Police 6,10 

Professional Regulation 

Provide Advance Life Services/ALS; 

Emergency Medical Services/EMS. 

Review occupational licenses 

Fire, Building and 

Zoning, Administration 

1 

Revenue Distribution of shared revenues Finance 1,2 

Transportation SR A1A and S. Patrick Dr. (SR 513); 

Bike/pedestrian concerns (SR 513), 

maintenance, etc.; TPO traffic signals 

Administration, Public 

Works 

3 

Division of Historic 

Assist in historic resource 

Administration 1,2,9 

Resources 

identification and protection 



exchange; 7 - Training; 8 - Permitting/Licensing; 9 - Funding Source; 10 - Perform Work 




State of Florida 



Lead City 

Coordination* 

Entity Activity Department Method 

Board of 


Investments of idle funds/Finance 

Finance 1,2,3 

East Central Florida 

Regional Planning 

Council 

Provide regional coordination of 

comprehensive planning consistency 

issues 

Building & Zoning 1,2,6 

Florida Fish and 

Wildlife Conversation 

Commission 

Provide licensing for wildlife 

rescue/protection; Provide safe Hunter 

Course 

Police 1,7 

St. Johns River Water 

Management District 

Provide water resource planning and 

management, surface and groundwater 

usage/recharge (SWIM); and 

improving water quality through the 

Indian River Lagoon National Estuary 

Program (IRL - 

Building & Zoning, 

Public Works 

1,3,4,8 

NEP); baffle boxes. 










Lead City 

Coordination* 


Animal Control Animal Control Police 1,3 

Emergency 

Management 

Responsible for coordinating 

emergency preparedness; and manages 

the 911 Emergency System; 

Police 2,3 

County Commissioners 

Recreation. Local Option Gas Tax 

(term/distribution), 911 Emergency 

System, County Service provision 

coordinate 

Administration 3 

Environmental Services 

Division 

Assist the City in environmental 

related issues. Mowing of drainage 

ditch on Indian Harbour 

Beach/Satellite Beach border. 


Environmental Health 

Services 

Restaurant inspections, other services 

include monitoring for rabies and 

infectious diseases 


Community 

Development Block 

Grant Housing Unit 

Development 

Community Development Block Grant 

program/housing assistance 


Space Coast Area 

Transit 

(SCAT) 

Provide public transportation to City 

residents; Administration 2,6,10 

Share information on ridership and 

service delivery 






Entity 





Lead City 

Activity 

Department 

Coordination* 

Method 

Library Services 

Coordinating with the County Library 

Board and Satellite Beach Public 

Library 


Space Coast 

Transportation Planning 

Organization 

Public Works Director serves as 

Technical Advisory Committee 

member; transportation planning 

bicycle/pedestrian concerns 

gas tax implementation. South 

Beaches Coalition has voting member 

on the TPO and TPO TAC on the 

Citizen Advisory Committee. 

Public Works 


2,3,5 

Sheriff's Office Shared services Police 3 

Fire Rescue Operations Shared services Fire 3 

Natural Resources 

Management 

Monitor Beach preservation, 

restoration, renourishment; hazardous 

waste management; fuel tank 

inspection; and stormwater 

management. 

Administration 1,4,6,10 

Parks & Recreation 

Maintain Pelican Beach Park. Interagency 

programs. Recreation facility 

planning 


Recreation 

3,4,9 

Growth Management 

Department 

Implement the Brevard County 

Comprehensive Plan and Zoning Code 











Entity 

Activity 

Lead City 

Department 

Coordination* 

Method 

Property Appraisers 

Office 

Public Works 

Record and maintain changes to 

property ownership; Set appraised 

property values 

Provide and maintain street signs; 

traffic signal maintenance 


Public Works 3 

Supervisor of Elections 

Address Assignment 

Process Federal, State, County and 

City elections 

Assign street names/house numbers for 

911Emergency System 

Administration 3, 10 


Utility Services 

Provide, maintain and implement 

sanitary sewer system; construction 

coordination; reduction of 

groundwater infiltration 

Building & Zoning 1,2 

Water Supply Board Water Supply Planning Administration 6 

Tax Collector's Office Collect non-ad valorem taxes, Administration 1,2, 8,10 

i.e. stormwater fees and license tags 

Harbor City Volunteer 

Ambulance Squad 

Provide emergency transport through 

County agreement 

Fire 3 







Brevard County School Board 


City of Satellite Beach (1997) 

Lead City 

Coordination* 


DeLaura Junior High 

School 

Provide gym for Youth Basketball 

League, December-February 

Recreation 3 

Satellite High School 

Provide swimming pool, ball fields, 

etc. (reciprocal agreement) on a space 

available 

basis; maintenance of ball fields, 

tennis courts lights, etc. by City 

Recreation 3 

Surfside Elementary 

School 

Provide use of cafeteria for special 

events; maintenance & scheduling of 

Surfside East & Grabosky ball fields; 

two (2) Basketball back boards and 

goals installed and maintained by City 

Recreation 3 

DeLaura Junior High, 

Satellite High, Surfside 

Elementary, Holland 

Elementary 

Capital Outlay 

Committee 

Traffic safety around schools; 2 

community resource officers 

(cooperative funding between City and 

School Board) interactions related to 

concerns of teens and youths; school 

crossing guards. 

Monitoring Group for coordinated 

planning and school concurrency 









Cities 



Entity 

Activity 

Lead City 

Department 

Coordination* 

Method 

Indian Harbour Beach 

Share equipment/maintenance, etc. 

Share drainage system/maintenance of 

ditches. Cooperate with recreation 

programs and joint facility usage. 

All Departments 3, 4 

Indian Harbour Beach, 

Indialantic, Palm Bay 

Indian Harbour Beach, 

Melbourne, Indialantic, 

Cocoa Beach 

Mutual Aid for Police Departments Police 3 

Mutual Aid for Fire Departments Fire 3 

Melbourne 

South Beaches 

Coalition (Satellite 


Indian Harbour Beach 

Indialantic and 

Melbourne Beach) 

Space Coast League of 

Cities 

Water System Advisory Board, potable 

water supply and cooperate with 

recreation programs and facility use 

Discuss issues of common concern 

especially MPO and transportation 

issues 

Issues of common concern for the 

fifteen (15) municipalities 

Legislative lobbying for municipal 

issues. 

Administration, Council 3, 5 

Administration, Council 3,4,5,6 


Cocoa Beach Sanitary Sewer for South Housing Administration 4,6 



exchange;8 - Permitting/Licensing; 9 - Funding Source; 10 - Perform Work 




Other Coordination Entities 



Lead City 

Coordination* 


Brevard Community 

College 

Provide Police Officer certification 

Administration, Police, 

Fire 

4,7 

Keep Brevard Beautiful 

Provide coordination efforts for 

beautification activity countywide. 


Marine Resources 

Council 

Provide increased public awareness of 

council, intergovernmental 

coordination, scientific environmental 

research; funded by State 

Legislature/grants; comprehensive 

planning assistance Member of Indian 

River 

Lagoon (IRL) for IRL issues. 








Franchises 



Lead City 

Coordination* 


Florida Power & Light 

Provide electric power service and 

street lights 


Bright House Networks Provide cable television service Administration 3 

Waste Management Pick-up solid waste and recyclables Administration 3 

City of Melbourne Provide potable water Administration 3 

Bell South Provide telephone service Administration 3 

City Gas Company of 

Florida 

Source: City of 

Satellite Beach, 2009 

Gas services to City residents Administration 3 






CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS ELEMENT 

Introduction 

This Capital Improvements Element presents the City’s planning for capital assets. Accordingly, 

throughout this Element, capital improvements are referred to as capital assets, and the City’s program to 

address capital-asset needs are contained in its Capital Assets Plan. This Element shall be reviewed 

annually. 

Capital Assets Analysis 

The City of Satellite Beach, which is ninety-eight percent (98%) built-out, does not have significant 

capital-asset needs driven by new development. It does, however, need to maintain facilities as they age, as 

local conditions change, and as regulatory requirements become more stringent. 

The City makes extensive use of services (for public education and health) provided by other entities: 

a. Potable water from the City of Melbourne and Cocoa; 

b. Sanitary sewers (wastewater collection) and solid waste disposal from Brevard County and 

Cocoa Beach; 

c. Solid waste collection from Waste Management, Inc. formerly Harris Sanitation, Inc.; 

d. Public schools from the Brevard County School Board; and 

e. Maintenance and improvements for the City’s two arterial highways (South Patrick Drive and 

State Highway A1A) from the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT). 

Consequently, to achieve its Level Of Service (LOS) standards, goals and objectives, the City must depend 

on these entities to plan and develop the facilities necessary for these essential services in a timely manner. 

Regarding the facilities for which it is responsible, the City must ensure that it plans and develops them in 

a timely and cost-effective manner to accommodate the needs of present and future residents. 

Appropriately, the City has established a Capital Assets Budget separate from its General Fund Budget, 

with a dedicated funding source for each category of capital-asset project. The City must continue to 

pursue a Capital Assets Plan in this manner. 

The City’s Capital Assets Plan addresses needs in three primary areas: stormwater drainage, street 

maintenance, and City facilities and equipment. Stormwater management preserves and upgrades 16 miles 

of water conveyance and control structures on a 20-year cycle to meet regulatory requirements, prevent 

flooding, and protect the environment. Street maintenance resurfaces, and eventually rebuilds, 37 miles of 

streets on a 25-year cycle. Both stormwater management and street maintenance are managed by the 

Public Works Department. Management of facilities and equipment requirements is spread among the City 

departments as follows: 

• Police – sufficient to preserve an average emergency response time of 2 minutes, along with nonemergency 

community services activities and programs. 

• Fire – sufficient to preserve an average fire/rescue response time of 3 minutes, along with nonemergency 

community services activities and programs. 

Capital Improvements Element 


• Public Works – sufficient to preserve City buildings providing work space for full-time employees 

and meeting/activity space for 1,200+ residents and 30+ organizations each month. 

• Public Works – sufficient to provide equipment needed to maintain City facilities, equipment, and 

rights-of-way. 

• Recreation – sufficient to operate existing active and passive recreation facilities and programs. 

• Information Management – sufficient to preserve the City’s ability to efficiently and effectively 

meet statutory requirements and provide services to residents. 

Projects in the Capital Assets Plan are consistent with the following Comprehensive Plan Elements: 

a. Stormwater Drainage -- Infrastructure Element 

b. Street Milling / Rebedding -- Transportation Element 

c. Facilities and Equipment -- Infrastructure and Recreation / Open Space Elements 

The City of Satellite Beach will undertake a variety of activities involving capital expenditures over the 

next five years. These activities are described in the attached Five-Year Capital Improvement Plan 

(CIP). 

The City is located on the barrier island separating the Banana River segment of the Indian River 

Lagoon from the Atlantic Ocean in Brevard County. Covering 2.9 square miles spanning the island, the 

City is 98% built-out. A majority of buildings and infrastructure in the City were constructed prior to 

the 1980s. 

To revitalize the area, the City has created a community redevelopment district encompassing its entire 

commercial district, spread along the two State roads that run through the City (SR AIA and SR 513). 

All the transportation improvements are associated with the CRD, with some funds coming from the 

Transportation Enhancement program via FDOT. The City has also been pursuing major modifications 

of its inadequate stormwater management system since 2000. All the Infrastructure (drainage) projects 

are associated with this effort. All of this expensive work is being funded with the assistance of FEMA 

Section 319 grants administered through the Florida Department of Environmental Protection; 

completion of the projects is dependent on that funding. 

Since its founding, the City has made outdoor recreation and open space a high priority, with the City’s 

first building project - initiated within 30 days of incorporation - being construction of a modest civic 

center. Nearly 6% of the City's land area is devoted to public parks open space, and conservation areas. 

Over the decades, the City has developed it; parks with the assistance of non-ad valorem resources: 

volunteers, donations, aid grants. All of the Recreation and Open Space activities are contingent on 

grant funding. Grant funds for Hightower Beach, Sports & Recreation Park Phase V, and DeSoto 

Phase I have been approved. Grant funds for the other projects are not yet assured. 

The Ocean Outfalls Removal project in the Coastal Management/Conservation Element is being 

undertaken in cooperation with the Florida Department of Transportation, which installed the outfalls 

decades ago. Funding for this project is being shared 50/50 by the City and FDOT in accordance with a 

Joint Participation Agreement. The project is scheduled to be completed by the end of 2009. 



Level-Of-Service (LOS) Standards 

LOS standards for provided services have been revised in this Comprehensive Plan to reflect greater 

quality-of-life expectations, new regulatory requirements, and new technologies. The City of Satellite 

Beach meets those standards, which are as follows: 

Sanitary Sewer: 9 million gallons per day peak flow; 200 gallons per unit per day (residential and nonresidential). 

Solid Waste: 8.32 pounds per capita per day, with at least 30% being recycled. 

Stormwater Drainage: 5-year storm event, 6.6-inch rainfall; 24-hour concentration. 

Potable Water: less than or equal to 110 gallons per unit per day (residential and non-residential). 

Roadways (Peak Hour): 

Collector Road 

Minor Arterial Road 

Major Arterial Road 

Recreation and Open Space: 


Baseball, Softball, Little League Fields* 

Soccer/Multi-purpose Fields* 

Basketball Courts 

Half Court/Youth Basketball Courts 

Handball/Racquetball Courts 

Volleyball Courts 

Tennis Courts 

Shuffleboard Courts 

Jogging/Exercise Trails 

Playgrounds 

Community Activity Centers 

Gymnasiums 

Libraries 

Beach Access Ways 


Camping Areas 

Picnic Areas 

Nature Trails 

Saltwater Beaches 

Regional 

Football Fields (regulation size) 

Tracks (regulation size) 

Boat Ramps 


LOS C 

LOS C 

LOS C 

LOS Standard/Community 




1 half/youth court per 2,000 pop. 







1 center per 6,000 pop. 

1 gymnasium per 5,000 pop. 

1 library per 20,000 pop. 

4 access ways per mile of beach 


1 acre per 25,000 pop. 

1 area per 6,000 pop. 

1 mile nature trail per 10,000 pop. 



1 track per 20,000 pop. 

1 ramp per 10,000 pop. 


* Denotes 500 participants in League play. 



City’s Ability to Finance Capital Assets Plan 

Funding Sources 

The City of Satellite Beach considered all potential sources of funding for its Capital Assets Plan. Options 

included impact fees, user fees, franchise fees, special assessments, utility taxes, ad valorem taxes, 

stormwater utility assessments, and grants. The last four sources were selected by the City. Except for 

grants, there are no county, state, or federal funds available. With about 2 percent (2%) of the City’s land 

area remaining for development, impact fees were not a viable option. Additional user fees have been 

implemented at the Satellite Beach Sports and Recreation Park, David R. Schechter Recreation Center and 

Pelican Beach Pavilions. 

Debt 

The City is currently debt-free and has no outstanding bond issues. The Capital Assets Planning 

Committee recommended that, except for the purchase of real property, the City not engage in leasepurchase 

or other financing arrangements which would incur interest. 



COMMUNITY APPEARANCE ELEMENT 

Introduction 

The City of Satellite Beach is almost fully developed with only about 2% remaining vacant. The 

ongoing process of growth and change--which has now taken the form of "redevelopment"--has 

important implications for the aesthetic qualities of the community. These aesthetic qualities are 

often referred to collectively as "community character." Once investments are made in building the 

infrastructure, i.e., streets, parking areas, public utilities, and other physical features, there are few 

opportunities to correct major land development mistakes or bring about significant change in a 

community’s character. 

In spite of the difficulty of upgrading the character of an already developed community, overall 

appearance issues should be considered along with other components of a Comprehensive Plan. 

Several conditions can contribute to success in achieving an attractive community character: (1) The 

existing natural beauty in the setting itself; (2) the presence of an attitude and commitment by the 

citizenry to work diligently toward achieving high standards of aesthetic quality in public and private 

decisions affecting all aspects of the City’s physical environment; and (3) the adoption and 

enforcement of codes and ordinances which carry out stated community objectives concerning 

community appearance. 

The City of Satellite Beach, as a "developed" community, must look at its needs and opportunities 

differently than might have been the case at the time of incorporation. With only about two percent 

(2%) of the City’s land area remaining to be developed, any alterations of the community’s visual 

characteristics will be accomplished gradually. On the other hand, the City can be justifiably proud 

of its orderly development pattern, the absence of severely blighted areas and the high level of 

property maintenance. These characteristics must be maintained and supported with clearly stated 

goals and objectives within the Comprehensive Plan, appropriate Land Development Regulations, 

ongoing public awareness programs, and strong evidence of the City's commitment to an improved 

community appearance. 

Approaches to Improved Community Appearance 

A reality which must be understood in approaching community appearance issues is that prevention 

of undesirable aesthetic conditions before they are permitted to occur is the preferable alternative to 

correcting blight once it becomes established. 

While Satellite Beach has few conditions which suggest urban blight and disinvestment, the City 

must be vigilant in addressing the inevitable forces which will impact our community as it matures. 

Objective criteria for guiding community appearance should include: 

a. gradual transition in height, bulk and mass of physical development 

b. natural beauty and natural resource conservation 

c. avoidance of visual distractions contributing to traffic safety problems 

d. "comprehensive," rather than "selective," enforcement relating to the regulation of land 

use, lighting and signage, screening and other features of development. 

Community Appearance Element 


This Comprehensive Plan provides an opportunity for Satellite Beach to express the City's 

commitment to community appearance issues, identify specific areas of concern, and set forth goals, 

objectives, and policies to guide the development and implementation of a detailed plan. 

The City’s Interest 

Satellite Beach is committed to preserving and enhancing its aesthetic character in order to assure a 

high level of community pride, wholesome living environment, and a reasonable balance between 

resource conservation and continued urbanization/population growth. The City recognizes the 

importance of a healthful and attractive living environment as a means of maintaining property 

values and fostering positive community attitudes. Decisions affecting the development of land, 

funding of public improvements, operation of facilities and services, and other activities of City 

government must reflect the City’s concern for and commitment to achieving a highly attractive 

community. The responsibility for enhancing the City’s character cannot be limited to public bodies 

but must be pursued actively and continuously by the broadest possible range of interest groups and 

concerned citizens. The City government must provide incentives for, and be supportive of, diligent 

efforts by its citizens. The City must take a proactive position as a partner in those efforts providing 

assistance in areas of technical expertise and intergovernmental coordination when required. 

Over the decades since the City’s founding, the City’s Code Enforcement Board, Beautification 

Board, Community Redevelopment Agency, Community Redevelopment Agency Advisory 

Committee and the Business Enhancement Committee were specifically put in place to address 

community appearance issues. In the recent past, the majority of the work completed on community 

appearance has been addressed by the City’s Beautification Board and, most recently, the CRA and 

CRAAC. 

In 2002 a blight study identified portions of the City’s commercial district as displaying features 

characteristic of blight, as a consequence of which the City established a Community Redevelopment 

District and the CRA and CRAAC. Since their establishment, the CRA and CRAAC have taken the 

lead in devising and implementing efforts to curtail blighting influences and to materially improve 

the aesthetics of the City’s commercial corridors along A1A and South Patrick Drive. These efforts 

have included renovation of Pelican Beach Park, upgrades at Hightower Beach Park and the City’s 

beach access points, purchase of Sunrise Park and troubled parcels at DeSoto and A1A, multiple 

façade and landscape upgrade grants, landscaping enhancements in association with an FDOT 

corridor improvement project along South Patrick Drive, and development of an A1A corridor 

improvement plan that is still in the formative stage. 

Concerns and Opportunities 

The following concerns and opportunities are not intended as a substitute for the City’s timely, 

ongoing study of issues within the community affecting the visual character of the City and a 

healthful, safe living environment. Rather, they illustrate the scope of urban design and community 

appearance issues for which a public interest consideration might reasonably be identified and which 

are appropriate for study and action. 

1. Arterial Highways 



SR A1A and South Patrick Drive (SR513) are important elements in the City’s aesthetic 

character for several reasons. Wide roadways in cities are inherently unattractive due to their 

construction materials, engineering design requirements, noise and air pollution problems 

and signage which, taken together, render them functionally incompatible with a safe, 

healthful, and tranquil living environment. They are essential, however, to support the 

transportation needs of urban populations. 

Opportunities for achieving compatibility between arterial highways and the adjacent areas 

they serve are limited once development has occurred. Public rights-of-way for SR A1A and 

South Patrick Drive have an established width. Both have a mix of abutting land use types; 

however, the commercial and high-density residential character of SR A1A, combined with 

its greater traffic volumes, dictates favoring a maximum capacity policy. On the other hand, 

proximity to residential neighborhoods and community-serving land uses along South Patrick 

Drive, suggests giving more consideration to environmental and urban character issues along 

that corridor. While a more intense urban treatment with four moving lanes, sidewalks 

adjacent to the curb, and high-intensity lighting is appropriate for through traffic on SR A1A, 

South Patrick Drive requires different treatment. As part of the FDOT corridor improvement 

project, it is being improved to include landscaping within the right-of-way, pedestrian paths, 

bike lanes, and more convenient access to neighborhood streets. In addition, screening of 

abutting parking areas, and careful planning of driveway locations should be included. The 

City’s Land Development Regulations include provisions regarding access and visibility 

standards on City right-of-way. 

2. Commercial Areas 

The City of Satellite Beach’s commercial district is practically built-out and contains many 

buildings which were constructed in the 1960's and 1970's. As a result, the majority of 

existing commercial properties have been deemed nonconforming with the City’s Land 

Development Regulations. In order to renovate, expand or enlarge these commercial 

structures, the LDRs required that the building be brought into full conformity, with all code 

provisions. This became a major disincentive for property owners to improve or develop 

their commercial properties. A comprehensive review of the City’s LDRs resulted in a major 

revision in 2004, in part to address this problem. That revision, and subsequent refinements, 

provide means for those who want to upgrade these properties without needing to bring them 

into full compliance with all code provisions. The LDRs were also revised to address the 

type, size, and location of signs. These revisions appear to be having the desired affects 

since their implementation. 

3. Residential Areas 

Issues that the City considers important, and that were addressed as part of the 

comprehensive revision of the LDRs, include the following: 

a. Outdoor parking in all residential areas of any vehicle displaying advertising in excess of 

a specified maximum size. 

b. Outdoor vehicular repairs in residential districts. 



c. Number of motor vehicles permitted to be parked on a single-family residential lot. 

d. Exterior storage of building materials, appliances, and household items other than 

customary outdoor furnishings. 

e. Renovation of aging housing. 

f. Maintenance of landscape materials to require removal and replacement of diseased, 

weak plants and trees with healthy plants and trees. 

4. Public Buildings and Open Spaces 

Initial site selection and subsequent design and construction of public buildings, parks, city 

entrance features, public parking areas, signage, and other improvements undertaken by the 

City should promote good design and aesthetic/environmental sensitivity. Good design 

means not only an attractive appearance but also functional adequacy, cost effectiveness, 

compatibility with the surrounding environment, and consistency with the City’s established 

form and development pattern. 

5. Focal Point 

The City of Satellite Beach for most of its history lacked a prominent physical feature, 

landmark, or place of special aesthetic appeal that distinguishes the City from neighboring 

communities. This issue is being addressed by the CRA and the CRAAC. The Land 

Development Regulations have been revised to specify the type of architecture which may be 

used in the commercial corridors, for development or redevelopment; signage has been made 

more uniform; Pelican Beach Park was completely renovated and upgraded during a yearlong 

construction project; Hightower Beach Park has been upgraded significantly; new City 

entrance signs have been designed for the A1A corridor; and a comprehensive A1A corridor 

improvement plan is being developed. That plan includes sidewalks on both sides of the 

corridor, medians, landscaping, and other features that are intended to provide a “brand” that 

uniquely identifies the City of Satellite Beach.

Supporting Documents (Data and Analysis) - Satellite Beach

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