I asked AIM what I could build on a Delray Beach property
Last week, I compared an AI search engine, a general AI model and parcel-finder, our zoning infrastructure, to find out how many units I could build on a property in Delray Beach. Parcel-finder returned separate answers for the individual lots, with the conditions behind the numbers.
This time, I asked the same question in AIM, Deepblocks' property search application, to see the development options for each lot. AIM uses the property and zoning data prepared by parcel-finder.
Explore AIM to find sites at city scale: Ask in plain language and see matches.
One address, two parcels
I typed: "what can i build on 1405 N Federal Hwy".
AIM found two parcels recorded at that address and asked whether I wanted to check one or both. I replied: "check both".
One lot was 0.4739 acres; the other was 0.1301 acres. Checking them separately meant I could see which development figures belonged to which piece of land.
The uses matter alongside the unit count
AIM identified both lots as General Commercial. It separated the uses permitted by right, those requiring conditional-use approval and those allowed only as accessory uses.
Retail and professional offices appeared among the by-right options. For housing under the regular zoning rules, the answer described homes above commercial space in the same building. It listed free-standing multifamily housing separately, as a conditional use.
The mixed-use route came with specific conditions. Ground-floor commercial space must occupy at least 25% of the building's floor area, excluding space devoted to vehicular use. Homes cannot be on the ground floor, and residential and commercial uses need physical separation and separate accessways. These conditions appear in the city's General Commercial regulations.
That information affects the building I would need to design and the commercial space I would need to include in the deal.
What the capacity figures mean
AIM showed a separate density calculation for each lot under the regular zoning rules and under Live Local, Florida's programme for qualifying projects with an affordable-housing commitment.
| Lot | Land area | At 12 units per acre, regular zoning | At 40 units per acre, Live Local |
|---|---|---|---|
| Larger parcel | 0.4739 acres | 5.69 | 18.96 |
| Smaller parcel | 0.1301 acres | 1.56 | 5.20 |
The calculation for the smaller lot is 0.1301 acres multiplied by 12 units per acre, or 1.5612, displayed as 1.56. The ordinance provides the density; the parcel's land area determines the calculated capacity.
The table gives each parcel's calculated capacity. It is not an approval to build a particular number of homes, or an assessment of the two lots as one site.
Live Local has its own project requirements, including an affordable-rental commitment. The commercial-space conditions above describe the regular mixed-use route; they should not be carried over to a Live Local proposal without checking that programme's rules.
Choosing which option to test
The answer also included height limits and explained that parking depends on the proposed use. Those requirements affect how much of the density can become a building on the site.
I now had the land areas, the use options and the conditions to compare. I could decide which development route was worth testing in DEV, where I would model the building and evaluate the costs and return.
Explore AIM to find sites at city scale: Ask in plain language and see matches.