Alternative Text Description for Coastal Building Zone (CBZ)

TABLE OF CONTENTS

MAP OVERVIEW

This map depicts the Coastal Building Zone (CBZ) of Florida, a regulatory boundary established under Florida Statutes to control construction activities in coastal areas. The CBZ represents areas where special building requirements apply due to coastal hazards and environmental sensitivity. The zone's extent varies depending on the presence of a Coastal Construction Control Line (CCCL) and whether the area is on the mainland or a coastal barrier island. This map provides a statewide view of where these regulatory requirements apply along Florida's Gulf of America and Atlantic coastlines.

GEOGRAPHIC CONTEXT

The map shows the entire state of Florida, extending from the Georgia and Alabama borders in the north to the southern tip of the Florida Keys. Major labeled cities include Jacksonville on the northeast coast, Orlando in the central interior, Tampa on the west coast, and Miami in the southeast. The map extends westward into the Florida Panhandle near Pensacola and includes portions of southern Georgia and Alabama. The Atlantic Ocean borders Florida to the east, and the Gulf of America borders the state to the west and south. Additional labeled cities include Tallahassee in the north, Gainesville in north-central Florida, Cape Coral on the southwest coast, and Port St. Lucie on the east coast. The map also shows counties including Dothan and Albany in Georgia, and Valdosta in the northern region.

KEY INSIGHTS

The Coastal Building Zone forms a continuous boundary following Florida's entire coastline, creating a regulatory buffer zone along both the Gulf of America and Atlantic Ocean shorelines. The CBZ extends around the entire perimeter of the Florida peninsula, including the complex coastal geography of the Panhandle region in the northwest. The zone encompasses all coastal barrier islands and extends varying distances inland depending on regulatory criteria. Notable concentrations of the CBZ include the entire Florida Keys archipelago in Monroe County, which is completely within the zone, and coastal barrier islands along both coasts where the zone may extend up to 5,000 feet inland or cover entire islands. The map reveals that virtually all of Florida's oceanfront and Gulf-front property falls within this regulatory jurisdiction, reflecting the state's extensive vulnerability to coastal hazards.

VISUAL ELEMENTS

Coastal Building Zone (CBZ)

This layer represents the regulatory boundary where coastal construction requirements apply under Florida law.

Coastal Building Zone Boundary (black dashed line)

Appearance:

The CBZ is depicted with a black dashed or segmented line forming an irregular polygon that follows Florida's coastline. The line consists of short dashes creating a perforated appearance that clearly distinguishes the boundary from other map features.

Distribution:

The boundary follows the entire perimeter of Florida's coast, from the Panhandle in the northwest, down the Gulf of America coast, around the southern tip including the Keys, and up the Atlantic coast to the Georgia border near Jacksonville.

Notable locations:

The CBZ encompasses the entire Florida Keys in the south, extends around major coastal metropolitan areas including Miami, Tampa, Jacksonville, and Pensacola, and includes numerous coastal barrier islands along both coastlines. The boundary shows particular complexity around the southwestern coast near Cape Coral and in the Panhandle region where the coastline has significant curvature.

Spatial patterns:

The CBZ boundary generally maintains proximity to the coastline but varies in its inland extent based on the presence of CCCLs and whether areas are classified as mainland or coastal barrier islands. The line follows the natural geography of bays, inlets, and coastal irregularities, creating an organic rather than geometric pattern. In the Florida Keys, the zone encompasses entire island areas, while along the mainland coast, the boundary maintains a more consistent setback distance from the shore.

SYMBOL GUIDE

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

The Coastal Building Zone is a regulatory designation rather than a physical feature, established to protect coastal resources and ensure construction safety in areas vulnerable to coastal hazards. The extent of the CBZ varies based on specific criteria: in mainland areas with a Coastal Construction Control Line (CCCL), it extends from the Mean High Water (MHW) line to 1,500 feet landward from the CCCL; on coastal barrier islands with a CCCL, it extends from the MHW line to either 5,000 feet landward from the CCCL or covers the entire island, whichever is less. In mainland areas without a CCCL, the zone covers all land seaward from the most landward boundary of the velocity zone (V-zone) fronting the Gulf of America or Atlantic Ocean. On coastal barrier islands without a CCCL, it extends from the MHW line to the landward boundary of the island. All land in the Florida Keys within Monroe County is included in the CBZ regardless of other criteria. This map shows the composite result of applying these various criteria statewide. The boundary shown represents a possible extent based on statutory definitions and may require field verification for specific locations.

DATA CONTEXT

Data Source:

The data was compiled by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FloridaDEP) based on Florida Statutes s. 161.54 (Definitions) and s. 161.55 (Requirements for activities or construction within the coastal building zone). The delineation used Mean High Water (MHW) lines, Coastal Construction Control Lines (CCCL) where present, velocity zone (V-zone) boundaries, and identification of coastal barrier islands as geological features surrounded by marine waters fronting the Gulf of America or Atlantic Ocean. For issues with this data, contact Jeohusua Lugo at Jeohusua.Lugo@FloridaDEP.gov. Data source layer name: CBZ_JUN21.

Definition Query:

No definition query or filter criteria was applied to this layer.

Scale Information:

The map presents a statewide view appropriate for understanding the general extent and distribution of the Coastal Building Zone across Florida. This scale is suitable for regional planning and overview purposes but may not show fine details necessary for site-specific regulatory determinations.

Coordinate System:

NAD_1983_HARN_Florida_GDL_Albers (WKID 3087)

Time Period of Content:

The data is dated June 2021 (CBZ_JUN21), reflecting the regulatory boundaries as delineated at that time.

Limitations:

This polygon depicts the "possible extent" of the Coastal Building Zone, indicating that the boundaries shown are approximate and based on interpretation of statutory criteria. The criteria for defining the zone's extent varies by location depending on the presence or absence of a CCCL and whether the area is classified as mainland or coastal barrier island. Coastal barrier islands were defined as geological features surrounded by marine waters fronting the open waters of the Gulf of America or the Atlantic Ocean, not separated from the mainland by artificial channelization, which may involve subjective interpretation in some cases. The perpendicular measurements used to establish boundaries from the CCCL may not account for all local geographic complexities. Users should verify specific boundary locations through official regulatory channels before making construction or permitting decisions. The map may not reflect subsequent changes to CCCLs, shoreline changes, or updates to regulatory definitions since June 2021.

Map Coverage:

The map covers the entire state of Florida and includes adjacent portions of Georgia and Alabama for geographic context. The primary focus is on Florida's coastal areas where the CBZ applies, extending along the full length of both the Gulf of America and Atlantic Ocean coastlines, including the Florida Keys archipelago in the south.

The alternative text description of this map was AI-generated and may contain inaccuracies.