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7-15-25 CDB Adopted MinutesMINUTES Community Development Board (CDB) Meeting Tuesday, July 15, 2025 - 6:00 PM City Hall, Commission Chamber 800 Seminole Road, Atlantic Beach, FL 32233 Present: Kirk Hansen, Chair Ellen Golombek, Vice Chair Jennifer Lagner, Member Richard Arthur, Member Jeff Haynie, Member Gregory (Greg) Beliles, Alternate Member Absent: Angela Farford, Member Harold Gear, Member Also Present: Amanda Askew, Neighborhoods Department Dir. (NDD) Abrielle Genest, Principal Planner (PP) Valerie Jones, Recording Clerk Robert Graham, City Attorney (CA) 1. CALL TO ORDER AND ROLL CALL 2. APPROVAL OF MINUTES A. Approve minutes of the .lune 17, 2025 regular meeting of the Community Development Board. MOTION. To APPROVE the June 17, 2025 Community Development Board minutes. Motion: Jeff Haynie Second: Jennifer Lagner Kirk Hansen For Ellen Golombek For Jennifer Lagner (Seconded By) For Richard Arthur For Jeff Haynie (Moved By) For Gregory (Greg) Beliles For Motion passed 6 to 0. 3. OLD BUSINESS There was no old business. Community Development Board (CDB) July 15, 2025 Page 1 of 4 4. NEW BUSINESS A. 457 Mako Drive ZVAR25-0012 (Hung Vo and Diep Nguyen) Request for a variance to Section 24-105(e)(3) to reduce the minimum ten (10) foot yard setback to allow an existing unpermitted carport at 457 Mako Drive. Director Askew presented the variance request for 457 Mako Drive. The applicants were requesting a variance to Section 24-105(e)(3) to reduce the minimum 7.5 -foot side yard setback to allow an existing unpermitted carport. Director Askew explained that the property is located in the Royal Palms neighborhood, zoned RS 1, and measures 80 feet wide by 93 feet deep. The carport in question was built in the early 1980s, just 1 inch from the southerly property line. The issue came to the city's attention in 1989 when it was discovered the carport was constructed without a permit. The current situation arose when the applicants applied for a permit to build a new driveway, revealing the unpermitted carport that did not meet setback requirements. Jeff Haynie inquired about any code enforcement actions since 1989. Director Askew confirmed there were no records of further enforcement actions but noted that the city doesn't aggressively seek out code violations. She added that if the variance wasn't granted, future permits for the property would be affected until the nonconformity was corrected. Ellen Golombek asked if the carport had gutters. Director Askew stated that the picture did not appear to show gutters but suggested asking the applicant for confirmation. The applicant's representative, Safa Mansouri, addressed the board. He offered to install gutters and get the carport properly permitted if the variance was granted. Jennifer Lagner asked about the concrete underneath the carport, which Mr. Mansouri confirmed extended to the end of the carport overhang. During board discussion, Chair Hansen expressed concern about penalizing the homeowners for something that had existed for 35 years, especially when they were trying to improve their property by replacing the driveway. He suggested approving the variance with conditions that the carport never be enclosed and that gutters be installed. Jeff Haynie struggled to find grounds for approving the variance based on the criteria, but Chair Hansen argued that the surrounding circumstances and the long-standing nature of the situation could be considered as grounds under item 2 of the variance criteria. MOTION: To APPROVE ZVAR25-0012 with the conditions that the carport can never be enclosed and gutters need to be installed in accordance with the building code. Motion: Jennifer Lagner Second. Richard Arthur Community Development Board (CDB) July 15, 2025 Page 2 of 4 Kirk Hansen For Ellen Golombek Against Jennifer Lagner (Moved By) For Richard Arthur (Seconded By) For Jeff Haynie Against Gregory (Greg) Beliles For Motion passed 4 to 2. B. 345 10th Street ZVAR25-0013 (Maureen Lamar) Request for a variance to Section 24-85(b)(1) to expand an existing legal nonconforming structure to allow construction of a full story located above the garage at 345 10th Street. Planner Genest presented the variance request for 345 10th Street. The applicant was seeking a variance to Section 24-85(b)(1) to expand an existing legal nonconforming structure to allow construction of a full second story above what was previously the garage. Planner Genest explained that the property, located on the north side of 10th Street, is 50 feet wide by 150 feet deep. The existing structure was developed in the 1940s. In 2013, the previous owner split the lot, which originally consisted of two 50 -foot -wide platted lots. At that time, a variance was granted to reduce the required setbacks, making the current structure legally nonconforming. The applicant, Maureen Lamar, explained her plans to remove the back addition of the house, which would bring that portion into compliance with setbacks. The variance request was specifically for the front part of the house, where they wanted to expand vertically above the former garage and expand forward to the 20 -foot front yard setback line. Board members expressed difficulty in finding grounds to approve the variance. Jeff Haynie noted that the nonconforming nature of the structure was not, according to city code, justification for granting further variances. MOTION. To APPROVE ZVAR25-0013 based on exceptional circumstances preventing reasonable use of the property compared to others in the area. Motion: Richard Arthur Second. Jennifer Lagner Kirk Hansen Against Ellen Golombek For Jennifer Lagner (Seconded By) For Richard Arthur (Moved By) For Jeff Haynie Against Community Development Board (CDB) July 15, 2025 Page 3 of 4 5. 6. 7. Attest: Gregory (Greg) Beliles Against Motion failed 3 to 3. REPORTS There were no reports presented. PUBLIC COMMENT Brinkley Harrell addressed the board during public comment. He discussed recent developments at the city commission meeting regarding changes to Chapter 24 of the city code, particularly concerning on-site water storage requirements and impervious surface regulations. He expressed concern about the potential impact on Old Atlantic Beach and urged the board to look more closely at the RS -2 zoning regulations for the area. Harrell also suggested incentivizing the use of permeable pavers for driveways, especially in the right-of-way areas, to help with stormwater management. ADJOURNMENT There being no further discussion, Chair Hansen declared the meeting adjourned at 6:47 p.m. Amanda Askew irk Hansen, Chair Community Development Board (CDB) July 15, 2025 Page 4 of 4