zonewise-district-lookup

name: zonewise-district-lookup description: Looks up zoning district information for Florida properties across 17 jurisdictions and 273 Municode-verified districts. Use when determining permitted uses, setbacks, density limits, height restrictions, or zoning compliance. Returns regulatory requirements from verified municipal codes. Triggers on: zoning lookup, permitted uses, setback requirements, land use, district regulations, development feasibility, zoning code, what can I build.

ZoneWise District Lookup

Overview

273 verified zoning districts across 17 Florida jurisdictions, all sourced directly from Municode ordinances. No assumptions or interpolations.

Quick Lookup

from scripts.lookup_district import lookup_district

result = lookup_district(
    jurisdiction="melbourne",
    district_code="R-1A"
)
# Returns: {'permitted_uses': [...], 'setbacks': {...}, 'density': {...}}

Jurisdiction Coverage

Total: 273 districts

Data Structure

Each district contains:

{
  "jurisdiction": "melbourne",
  "district_code": "R-1A",
  "district_name": "Single-Family Residential",
  "category": "residential",
  "permitted_uses": {
    "by_right": ["single-family dwelling", "home occupation (limited)"],
    "conditional": ["accessory dwelling unit", "day care (family)"],
    "prohibited": ["commercial", "industrial", "multi-family"]
  },
  "dimensional_standards": {
    "min_lot_size_sf": 7500,
    "min_lot_width_ft": 60,
    "max_lot_coverage_pct": 40,
    "max_building_height_ft": 35,
    "setbacks": {
      "front_ft": 25,
      "side_ft": 7.5,
      "rear_ft": 20,
      "corner_side_ft": 15
    }
  },
  "density": {
    "max_units_per_acre": 4.5,
    "far": null
  },
  "parking": {
    "residential_spaces_per_unit": 2
  },
  "municode_url": "https://library.municode.com/fl/melbourne/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=..."
}

Workflow

1. Identify Jurisdiction

Use parcel address or coordinates to determine governing jurisdiction.

from scripts.identify_jurisdiction import get_jurisdiction

jurisdiction = get_jurisdiction(
    address="123 Main St, Melbourne, FL 32901"
)
# Returns: "melbourne"

2. Get District Code

From BCPAO parcel data or user input.

3. Lookup District

district = lookup_district(jurisdiction, district_code)

4. Answer User Query

Map user question to relevant district attributes:

• "What can I build?" → permitted_uses.by_right
• "Setback requirements?" → dimensional_standards.setbacks
• "Maximum height?" → dimensional_standards.max_building_height_ft
• "Can I build an ADU?" → Check permitted_uses.conditional

MCP Tool Integration

ZoneWise exposes these MCP tools:

Error Handling

Unknown District

if not district:
    return {
        "error": "district_not_found",
        "message": f"District '{district_code}' not found in {jurisdiction}",
        "suggestion": "Verify district code with BCPAO or contact jurisdiction"
    }

Unincorporated Areas

Properties in unincorporated Brevard County use county zoning, not municipal codes.

def is_unincorporated(address: str) -> bool:
    """Check if address is in unincorporated area."""
    # Logic based on municipal boundaries
    pass

Data Sources

All district data sourced from:

1. Municode - Primary source for ordinance text
2. BCPAO - Parcel zoning district assignments
3. Municipal websites - Supplementary documentation

Last verified: January 2026

Limitations

• Data reflects current ordinances; pending amendments not included
• Overlay districts may add additional requirements
• Special exceptions require case-by-case research
• PUD (Planned Unit Development) districts have custom rules per development agreement

See Also

• references/jurisdiction_mapping.md - Full jurisdiction boundary definitions
• references/district_codes.md - Complete list of all 273 districts
• references/municode_sources.md - Direct links to source ordinances