11-19-24 CDB Adopted MinutesMINUTES
A"k Community Development Board (CDB) Meeting
Tuesday, November 19, 2024 - 6:00 PM
. City Hall, Commission Chamber
800 Seminole Road, Atlantic Beach, FL 32233
Present: Kirk Hansen, Chair
Angela Farford, Member
Harold Gear, Member
Richard Arthur, Member
Ellen Golombek, Vice Chair
Jeff Haynie, Member
Gregory (Greg) Beliles, Alternate Member
Absent: Jennifer Lagner, Member
Also Present: Amanda Askew, Planning & Community Development Dir. (PCDD)
Abrielle Genest, Principal Planner
Valerie Jones, Recording Clerk
Phillip Faires, Acting City Attorney
1. CALL TO ORDER AND ROLL CALL
The meeting was called to order at 6:00 p.m. by Chair Hansen.
2. APPROVAL OF MINUTES
A. Approve minutes of the October 15, 2024 regular meeting of the Community
Development Board.
The minutes were approved.
3. OLD BUSINESS
There was no old business.
Ch a WAV .1 1 IM I a 3mi
A. 33911th Street ZVAR24-0014 (Rockaway, Inc.)
Request for a variance from Section 23-33(f)(2)(c) to reduce the minimum on-site
Designated Maritime Species replacement at 339 11th Street.
STAFF REPORT: Planner Genest presented the information as explained in the staff
report. She also provided a PowerPoint presentation.
Mr. Haynie asked if Staff had a conversation with the applicant about ways to alter the
design and save the trees. Planner Genest said the option was presented to the applicant,
but they chose to go the variance route. Chair Hansen asked if Staff had a disagreement
with the applicant regarding whether a variance was needed or not. Planner Genest said
there was no disagreement. Ms. Golombek asked if the removal of the live oak was
Community Development Board (CDB)
November 19, 2024
Page 1 of 4
being replaced with palms. Planner Genest said the applicant is proposing to replace
them with 3 10" live oaks.
APPLICANT REPORT: Kathleen Burson introduced herself as the landscape
architect with Rockaway Sustainable Landscaping. She gave a booklet presentation to
the Community Development Board and explained that they were proposing to remove
3 live oaks totaling 147 inches and replace them with 3 live oaks that would be 10 inches
each. Ms. Burson said the existing single story -home would be demolished and replaced
with a 2 -story home. She said they were preserving 11 sabal palms. Ms. Burson said
the roots of one of the existing live oaks is too close to the foundation. She said they
would plant larger oaks, but it would take 2-3 growing seasons for the roots to get
established. Ms. Burson disagreed with the way the City did their calculations stating
that the cross-section measurement was much smaller.
Tom Boniecki introduced himself as the general contractor. He said there are over 16
trees over 10' on the property. Mr. Boniecki said due to the size of the lot there isn't
much room for additional trees. He said that the roots of the trees are under the
foundation becoming a structural liability. Ms. Golombek asked if the roots were coming
up through the foundation. Mr. Boniecki said they are cracking the foundation and
raising the dirt up on the side of the house. Mr. Gear asked if the applicant could do 3
12" trees. Ms. Burson said they would like to do 10" trees because if they were to fall it
would a lot less impact.
Dr. William Carriere, the property owner, said he is a tree lover but everyone he talked
to said the trees would die if they cut down through the roots to do a deeper foundation
for a 2 -story home.
Director Askew said the variance request cannot include how the trees are measured
because this is a different section of the Code, and it was not included with the legal
advertisement. She said that if the applicant wanted to challenge the way the trees are
measured then that would be a different process that would go before the Environmental
Stewardship Committee.
PUBLIC COMMENT: Chair Hansen opened the floor to public comment.
Joe O'Conor of 350 11th Street introduced himself as a neighbor. He talked about all of
the trees that have been cut down in his neighborhood while hearing about protecting the
tree canopy. Mr. O'Conor was not in favor of the approval of this request.
Anastasia Houston introduced herself as representing the Environmental Stewardship
Committee. She said the ESC voted unanimously to ask the CDB to reject the approval
of this variance request. Ms. Houston relayed that the ESC didn't see any grounds for
approval according to the grounds for decision.
BOARD DISCUSSION: Ms. Golombek asked if Staff approved the removal and
replacement of the palms. Planner Genest said there wasn't an approved mitigation but
what the applicant was proposing regarding the palms is acceptable. Ms. Golombek
didn't realize you could plant on your neighbor's property. Planner Genest said there is
Community Development Board (CDB)
November 19, 2024
Page 2 of 4
a provision in the Code as long as you have written consent from that neighbor. Mr.
Arthur asked for confirmation on whether the request was just for the 13.5 inches on the
oak. Planner Genest confirmed it was.
MOTION. To DENY ZVAR24-0014 due to the request not meeting any of the grounds for
approval
Motion: Jeff Haynie
Second. Ellen Golombek
Kirk Hansen
For
Angela Farford
For
Harold Gear
Against
Richard Arthur
For
Ellen Golombek (Seconded Ar)
For
Jeff Haynie (Moved By)
For
Gregory (Greg) Beliles
For
Motion passed 6 to 1.
B. 223 Ocean Boulevard ZVAR24-0015 (Peter Trofimenko)
Request for a variance to Section 24-85(b) to expand a nonconforming structure and
Section 24-106(e) to exceed the minimum twenty (20) foot rear yard setback to construct
a second story addition over an existing nonconforming structure at 223 Ocean
Boulevard.
STAFF REPORT: Director Askew presented the information as explained in the staff
report. She also provided a PowerPoint presentation.
Mr. Haynie asked if the applicant was asking for exactly what the prior variance
condition said to not do. Director Askew said that was correct. Mr. Arthur asked it this
was the same request that was asked for in 2003. Director Askew said in 2003 the request
for a variance for the northern portion of the garage was to expand a non -conforming
structure but keep it at one level. She said the current request would encroach into the
setback since it is now connected with a breezeway which requires a 20 feet rear yard
setback. Mr. Arthur asked about the definition of a garage apartment now that it is
connected. Director Askew said it is no longer considered a detached garage apartment
because it is connected to the primary structure. She said detached 2 -story garage
apartments are limited to 600 square feet and have to be accessed by a driveway, can't
exceed 25 feet in height, they have to be 20 feet from the front and 10 feet from the rear
and 20 feet from the principal structure. However, this garage is connected to the
principal structure, so it requires a 20 foot setback.
APPLICANT REPORT: Mr. Trofimenko introduced himself as the applicant and
property owner. He said his parents currently live in the garage apartment. Mr.
Trofimenko said that the sloped roof makes it difficult to stand up, so they are trying to
correct that.
Community Development Board (CDB)
November 19, 2024
Page 3 of 4
PUBLIC COMMENT: Chair Hansen opened the floor to public comment. There were
no public comments.
BOARD DISCUSSION: Mr. Gear compared the request to a previous request where
the applicant had to shrink the second story to meet the setback requirement. Mr. Beliles
asked since there is already an existing footprint are they allowed to expand. Director
Askew said yes but the new portion would need to meet the current setbacks. Mr. Haynie
said he didn't see any grounds for approval.
MOTION: To DENY ZVAR24-0015 due to the request not meeting any of the grounds for
approval.
Motion: Jeff Haynie
Second: Gregory (Greg) Beliles
Kirk Hansen
Angela Farford
Harold Gear
Richard Arthur
Ellen Golombek
Jeff Haynie (Moved By)
Gregory (Greg) Beliles (Seconded By)
Motion passed S to 2.
5. REPORTS
6.
7.
Attest:
For
Against
For
Against
For
For
For
Director Askew encouraged the Board to fill out the survey for the Community Action Plan that
was sent to them in an email.
PUBLIC COMMENT
There were no public comments.
ADJOURNMENT
There being no further discussion, Chair Hansen declared the meeting adjourned at 6:56 p.m.
Kirk Hansen, Chair
Community Development Board (('DB)
November 19, 2023
Page 4 of 4