Title
An Ordinance Of The City Of Hollywood, Florida, Changing The Zoning District Designation Of 166.134 Acres From Country Club (CC) To Planned Development (PD), Generally Located At 4100 N. Hills Drive And Known As The Club At Emerald Hills; Approving “The Club At Emerald Hills Planned Development Master Plan” And “The Club At Emerald Hills Master Development Plan Guidelines”; Approving Variances From The Peripheral Setback Requirements Of Section 4.15(E)(3)(D) Of The Zoning And Land Development Regulations; Providing For Conditions Of Approval; Providing For Conflict; Providing For Severability; And Providing For An Effective Date. (25-JVZ-16)
Strategic Plan Focus
Economic Vitality
Body
Staff Recommends: Approval of the attached Ordinance.
Explanation:
The applicant is requesting approval to rezone the approximately 166-acre Emerald Hills Country Club property, located at 4100 North Hills Drive, from Country Club (CC) to Planned Development (PD). The request also includes the establishment of a master plan, variances from the building setback requirements applicable to internal and external streets and a parking modification.
The proposed project would establish a site-specific regulatory framework for the continued operation and redevelopment of the Emerald Hills Country Club property. The intent of PD zoning is to remove some of the limitations of conventional zoning, allowing applicants to customize select zoning standards to achieve a broader vision of creative and innovative land uses. This flexibility can facilitate mixed-use development, more compact site design, reduced reliance on surface parking, and the integration of open space and other site-specific amenities.
The proposed development framework includes residential (360 residential units), country club, lodging, recreational, park, open-space, and associated accessory uses, while maintaining the golf course and clubhouse as central features of the property.
Staff Report and City Clerk Submission:
The City of Hollywood’s Quasi-Judicial Hearing Procedures and Rules for Ex-Parte Communications apply to all quasi-judicial hearings held by the City Commission or by any Board or Committee which holds quasi-judicial hearings. It has been determined that File No. 25-JVZ-16 is a quasi-judicial matter. Therefore, the City of Hollywood’s Quasi-Judicial Hearing Procedures and Rules for Ex-Parte Communications (hereinafter referred to as “Quasi-Judicial Procedures”) shall apply. Pursuant to Section IV of the Quasi-Judicial Procedures:
IV. Witness and Supporting Materials.
At least eight City business days before a quasi-judicial hearing:
A. Staff shall prepare a report, recommendation and supporting materials, a copy of which shall be available to the applicant, appellant and the public at the City Clerk’s Office. Included in the materials will be copies of all exhibits and documents upon which staff’s recommendation is based.
B. The Applicant and the Appellant, if applicable, shall submit a detailed outline of the argument in support of their application, copies of all exhibits which will be presented at hearing and the names and addresses of all witnesses who will be called to testify in support of the application (including resumes for any witness the party intends to qualify as an expert).
C. The eight City business day deadline is necessary to ensure the Commission or Board members are given sufficient opportunity to review the written submissions prior to the hearing and shall be strictly observed. Should the eight City business day deadline be missed by either staff or the Applicant, the item may be continued at the discretion of the City Commission or Board to the next available agenda.
In accordance with the requirements set forth in Section IV (A) and Section IV (B) of the Quasi-Judicial Procedures, staff has made copies of the following information available to the applicant, appellant and the public at the City Clerk’s Office:
Exhibit “Rezoning PDB Staff Report_0804"
File No. 25-JVZ16 staff report and recommendation
“Exhibit A”, “Exhibit B”, and “Attachment A” thru “Attachment G”
Copies of exhibits and documents upon which staff’s recommendation is based
“Exhibit A”; “Exhibit B”; “Attachment A” thru “Attachment F”; and “Applicant Response to Conditions 2516_JVZ”
Outline of the Applicant’s argument in support of their application Copies of all exhibits which will be presented at the hearing
“Attachment H” (Names and addresses of all witnesses who will be called to testify in support of the application)
Applicant Letter - Witness List
Applicant Letter - Exhibit A - Witness Resumes
Applicant Letter - Exhibit B - Presentation
In accordance with the requirements set forth in Section IV of the Quasi-Judicial Procedures, the above-referenced materials were timely submitted to the City Clerk on August 12, 2026, at least eight City business days prior to Wednesday, September 16, 2026, City Commission hearing.
Staff Findings:
Staff evaluated the rezoning request pursuant to the applicable rezoning criteria and the Planned Development requirements of Sections 4.15 and 5.3 of the Zoning and Land Development Regulations. Staff also evaluated the setback variances pursuant to the applicable variance criteria, including the physical configuration of the development sites, their relationship to the existing golf course and surrounding streets, the coordinated nature of the overall PD framework, and the proposed landscape and design measures intended to mitigate potential impacts.
On August 4, 2026, the Planning and Development Board/Local Planning Agency forwarded a recommendation of approval with staff recommended conditions. Several of the recommended conditions relate to parking and were required to be satisfied prior to first reading at City Commission. Accordingly, the applicant has submitted a revised plan for Site E that incorporates a structured parking garage with192 additional parking spaces.
While the final site plan details for the additional parking remain under technical review, the improvements will be finalized and incorporated into the final site plan as part of the companion item File No. 25-DPJ-16 to be presented concurrent with the second reading of File No. 25-JVZ-16. The addition of the 192 parking spaces satisfies the parking-related conditions recommended by the Board and staff. All remaining conditions are standard conditions intended to ensure consistency with the approved Master Plan.
Background:
The subject property is currently occupied primarily by the Emerald Hills golf course, clubhouse, lakes, recreational facilities, internal circulation areas, and associated open space. The surrounding area consists predominantly of established residential neighborhoods developed around the golf course.
The Emerald Hills Country Club and golf course have operated as central recreational and open-space features of the surrounding community for several decades. The redevelopment proposal retains and redesigns the golf course, replaces and expands the clubhouse and recreational facilities, and introduces residential development on designated portions of the property.
The property was previously the subject of a Comprehensive Plan Future Land Use Map amendment under City File No. 22-L-80. The amendment was adopted through Ordinance No. O-2024-02 and redesignated specified portions of the property from Open Space and Recreation to Low (5) Residential and Low-Medium (10) Residential.
The Comprehensive Plan amendment established the policy framework for limited residential development while maintaining the golf course, clubhouse, and recreational uses as defining features of the property. The amendment also included conditions limiting the Low (5) Residential parcel to two single-family dwelling units and requiring the clubhouse to remain tied to the operation of the golf course and available to golfers during golf-course operating hours.
The setback variances and parking modification do not authorize additional residential density or additional uses. The detailed design, architecture, circulation, parking layout, landscaping, and site-specific development components are considered separately through a companion item the City Commission will consider at second reading of this ordinance (City File No. 25-DPJ-16).
Conclusion:
The proposed PD zoning implements the Future Land Use Map amendment previously adopted through Ordinance No. O-2024-02 and establishes a unified regulatory zoning framework for the residential, country club, lodging, recreation, park, parking, open-space, and accessory components of the property.
Staff finds that the proposed PD zoning is consistent with the previously approved land-use framework and provides a coordinated mechanism for regulating the long-term redevelopment and operation of the Emerald Hills Country Club property.
Staff recommends approval of City File No. 25-JVZ-16, subject to the applicable Conditions of Approval.
Fiscal Impact:
Approval or denial of this ordinance will not fiscally impact the City as this is a proposal to rezone the approximately 166-acre Emerald Hills Country Club property.
Recommended for inclusion on the agenda by:
Cameron Palmer, Assistant Director, Development Services - Chief Planner
Andria Wingett, Director, Development Services
Jose Cortes, Assistant City Manager