mreeves@coab.us - Today's meeting - 5FYI
Mayor Mitch Reeves
800 Seminole Road
Atlantic Beach, Fl 32233
mreeves@coab.us <mailto:mreeves@coab.us>
Cell: 904-955-0101
MReeves@coab.us <mailto:MReeves@coab.us>
Begin forwarded message:
From: "Bruce Andrews" <bruce.andrews@comcast.net
<mailto:bruce.andrews@comcast.net> >
Date: December 20, 2016 at 11:37:22 AM EST
To: "'Chris Lambertson'" <Chris@elitehomesfl.com
<mailto:Chris@elitehomesfl.com> >, "'DeCandis, Drew'" <adecandis@coab.us
<mailto:adecandis@coab.us> >
Cc: "'Van Liere, Nelson'" <nvanliere@coab.us
<mailto:nvanliere@coab.us> >, "'Reeves, Mitch'" <mreeves@coab.us
<mailto:mreeves@coab.us> >
Subject: RE: Today's meeting
Drew –
Drew -
You had my email address spelled incorrectly so I didn’t receive
your email directly. My email address is bruce.andrews@comcast.net
<mailto:bruce.andrews@comcast.net> .
I look forward to the meeting with the city attorney to discuss
her views on the interpretation of the code. As for your account of the
meeting, I disagree with most of it and concur with Chris’s corrections.
However, at this point, there is no need to debate the details. We can
just wait for the meeting with the city attorney.
Best regards,
Bruce Andrews
From: Chris Lambertson [mailto:Chris@elitehomesfl.com]
Sent: Sunday, December 18, 2016 8:53 PM
To: 'DeCandis, Drew' <adecandis@coab.us
<mailto:adecandis@coab.us> >; 'Bruce Andrews' <bruce.andrews@comcast.net
<mailto:bruce.andrews@comcast.net> >
Cc: 'Van Liere, Nelson' <nvanliere@coab.us
<mailto:nvanliere@coab.us> >; 'Reeves, Mitch' <mreeves@coab.us
<mailto:mreeves@coab.us> >
Subject: RE: Today's meeting
Drew,
“I am sorry I left abruptly, but” is not an apology. Your
actions at our meeting were rude, disrespectful and frankly unacceptable
for any employee of Atlantic Beach to its citizens and especially for
the position of Planning Director. You have a duty to represent the
citizens of Atlantic Beach, which we believe that you have failed to do
and then dismissed our concerns and interpreted the reading of the code
when it suits your interest.
Based upon your response you evidently did not pay attention at
our meeting. Your restatement of our meeting did not even remotely
represent actual events.
* To clarify, you stated in the meeting that we thought
the setback variance should go the Community Development Board and
should not be under the purview of the Development Director regardless
of how small the variance might be in terms of inches or regardless of
the authority granted to me in the code. – We said that section 28-48 of
the municipal code did not give you authority to grant an administrative
variance in this case and that the setback variance should go to the
CDB. Additionally the actions of the developer create a cause of
concern. We said that the code needs to be rewritten to allow for minor
adjustments as needed but not the current 5% and the way you are
interpreting it, which is different than it has ever previously been
interpreted.
* It is also my understanding from the meeting that you
plan to exercise that right to appeal, even if I move the matter to the
CD Board and they approve the variances. We never said this. We would
abide by the decision of the CDB, however, we would appeal any
administrative decision to the City Commission.
* Once I have fully reviewed and fully considered your
concerns, reviewed my positon on the matter, I will make a final
decision on the variance request and how it should be handled – This was
not what we discussed in the meeting. We are going to reconvene the same
group with the Brenna Durden, City Attorney and she is going to give us
an opinion which all parties agreed to at that time. We do not want your
opinion.
* Keep in mind, as I stated in the meeting, that I am
concerned for the neighbors and would like to insure that whatever the
outcome of this issue that we disrupt their peaceful enjoyment of their
properties as little as possible – We are friends with the direct
neighbors and they do not want the house encroaching on the setbacks as
it is already overwhelming there house.
We look forward to reconvening our meeting with the City
Attorney. Due to vacation and travel plans it will need to be in the new
year.
Chris Lambertson
From: DeCandis, Drew [mailto:adecandis@coab.us]
Sent: Friday, December 16, 2016 4:19 PM
To: bruce.andres@comcast.net <mailto:bruce.andres@comcast.net> ;
Chris@elitehomesfl.com <mailto:Chris@elitehomesfl.com>
Cc: Van Liere, Nelson <nvanliere@coab.us
<mailto:nvanliere@coab.us> >; Reeves, Mitch <mreeves@coab.us
<mailto:mreeves@coab.us> >
Subject: Today's meeting
Gentleman
I wanted to drop you a note on our meeting today. I am sorry I
left the meeting abruptly, but frankly I felt that we had each stated
our positions on the matters at hand and that further debating
interpretations of the Land Development Code was not getting us
anywhere. I do think however we each got our positions out on the table
for each of us to understand.
To clarify, you stated in the meeting that you thought the
setback variance should go the Community Development Board and should
not be under the purview of the Development Director regardless of how
small the variance might be in terms of inches or regardless of the
authority granted to me in the code. It is also my understanding from
the meeting that you plan to exercise that right to appeal, even if I
move the matter to the CD Board and they approve the variances. I did
hear your concerns as you communicated them to me and I am now reviewing
my positon on the matter based on what you stated and what I believe is
appropriate.
I will remind you that under Section 24-48, the code gives the
Community Development Director the Authority to grant minor dimensional
variances. Based on my review up till now, I believe I should grant
the variances in question under the authority given me in the code.
Remember that the LCD also gives citizens like yourself recourse by
giving you the ability to appeal my decisions or the decisions of the
Community Development Board.
Once I have fully reviewed and fully considered you concerns,
reviewed my positon on the matter, I will make a final decision on the
variance request and how it should be handled, I will get back to you
and brief you on the final actions I will take on the matter. Keep in
mind, as I stated in the meeting, that I am concerned for the neighbors
and would like to insure that whatever the outcome of this issue that we
disrupt their peaceful enjoyment of their properties as little as
possible.
Thanks for meeting with me today. I will speak with you soon.
Drew DeCandis, AICP
Planning and Development Director
City of Atlantic Beach
800 Seminole Road
Atlantic Beach, Fl 32233
Email: Adecandis@coab.us <mailto:Adecandis@coab.us>
Phone: 904-247-5817
Web: www.coab.us <http://www.coab.us>
Fax: 904-247-5845