Item 3B
CITY OF ATLANTIC BEACH
CITY COMMISSION MEETING
STAFF REPORT
AGENDA ITEM # 3B
APRIL 9, 2007
AGENDA ITEM: Requirements for Lot widths and Lot sizes within Old Atlantic Beach
SUBMITTED BY: Sonya Doerr, AICP ~~
Community Development Director
DATE: March 30, 2007
BACKGROUND: The Subdivision regulations require newly created residential lots to have a minimum
width of 75-feet and minimum lot area of 7,500 square feet. This provision has been in the City's zoning
~+ regulations since the early 1960s. Two areas of the City, Section H and Old Atlantic Beach, were originally
platted with 50-foot wide lots long prior to any City zoning regulations. Over the years, property owners often
purchased portions of adjacent lots to create larger parcels than the original 50-foot wide lots. With the
,~ dramatic increase in property values, the aging housing stock and the limited number of vacant lots in Old
Atlantic Beach, the request to re-divide these now larger parcels into 50-foot wide lots to create additional lots
has become common.
Prior to 2001, previous staff approved reconfigured or new lots in the RS-2 and RG-1 districts if such lots
contained 5,000 square feet of lot area and were at least 50-feet in width, notwithstanding the width/size
requirement of the subdivision regulations. (There were inconsistencies in the zoning regulations at that time
~,. which could have reasonably rendered such an interpretation.) It has been current staff's position that such
divisions constitute newly created lots, and as such, the 75-foot width / 7,500 square feet size requirement
applies, as does the density limit of the Comprehensive Plan.
~"" The southern portion of Old Atlantic Beach has a Medium Density designation while most areas north of 5th
Street have a Low Density designation. The Medium Density designation requires at least 3,100 square feet of
area per dwelling unit, so the original platted lots comply with required density, but the Low Density
~. designation requires at least 7,260 square feet of lot area per Dwelling Unit. Any new or reconfigured lot must
meet this lot area requirement regardless of lot width or depth. Staffls objective is that the density limitations of
the Comprehensive Plan be maintained and that all property owners be treated consistently. It is Staff's opinion
~„ that the creation of new lots, by any process, that are less than 7,260 feet size within the Low Density area
would be inconsistent with following Policy A.1.5.9 the Comprehensive Plan. ,
Policy A.1.5.9: The City shall permit residential development only in compliance with the residential
density limitations as set forth within the Land Development Regulations, and as designated on the
Future Land Use Map.
Within the Medium Density area, however, the City Commission has the discretion to amend the Land
Development Regulations to allow new 50-foot wide lots if so desired. Any such change would require
amendments to the Subdivision and Zoning District regulations and would need to apply equally to all Medium
Density areas of the City.
~.
Planning Staff has analyzed, using GIS parcel data, 897 parcels within Old Atlantic Beach to determine existing
parcel sizes compared to platted parcel sizes. This information is presented on the attached map. The division
~,,, between Low Density and Medium Density is indicated by the heavy black hatched line.
BUDGET: No budget issues.
RECOMMENDATION: Direction to staff regarding this issue.
,~., ATTACHMENTS: Map indicating parcel sizes in Old Atlantic Beach as they currently exist.
REVIEWED BY CITY MANAGER:
~* April 9, 2007 regular meeting
0 0.05 0.1 0.2 Miles
MAP I: FRONTAGE/WIDTH OF EXISTING LOTS (IN FEET)
~ Less than 25' (266 lots) D
~ 26' to 49' (61 lots) D
® 50' (278 lots) D
~ 51' to 74' (105 lots)
75' (78 lots) ~
"BOUNDARIES OF STUDY ARE A WERE ITH (N), SHERRY (W), AHERN (S) AND THE COAST (E).
76' to 99' (39 lots)
100' (45 lots)
101' to 149' (13 lots)
150' (9 lots)
> ~.
Greater than 150' (3 lots) - y
=~
COAB GIS 03/30/2007 °J
