Ahern and East Coast 07.22.2003 (Variance discussion)Number of pages including this page: 2
FAX MEMORANDUM
City of Atlantic Beach
800 Seminole Road
Atlantic Beach, Florida 32233
Telephone (904) 247-5800
FAX (904) 247-5805
SUNCOM 852-5800
TO: Michael Dunlap FROM: Sonya B. Doerr, AICP
Planning Director
FAX: 358-3708 FAX: 904 247-5805
PHONE: 358-1002 PHONE: 904 247-5826
DATE: July 22, 2003 E-MAIL: sdoerr@ci.atlantic-beach.fl.us
RE: Southwest corner of Ahern Street and East Coast Drive
COMMENTS: This parcel is within the area designated as Central Business District (CBD).
Section 24-114 (e) (3) requires a ten-foot side setback, and approval of a Variance would be
required to utilize a five-foot setback. I must frankly advise that it is my opinion a reduction in
this required 10-foot side setback is not likely to be approved, as there do not appear to be any
unusual conditions associated with this property.
Impervious Surface Area of 55% complies with the Central Business District, which establishes
a maximum ISA limit of 70%. You have indicated a proposed two-story structure, but your
sketch denotes a 34.5 feet height. The maximum Height of Building in the Central Business
District is 25-feet. Section 24-156 provides a procedure to request exceptions to height limits in
the commercial districts, upon application to and approval by the City Commission. Given that
one of the objectives of the CBD regulations is to maintain the scale and character of this area, I
am not inclined to think such a request would be approved. However, if the proposed structure is
limited to two-story, the request may be considered more favorably.
Finally, with regard to parking, the regulations require a minimum 10-foot (not 9-foot) by 20-
foot dimension including required ADAAG spaces. If, by your calculations, 39 spaces are
required, the reduction to 14 spaces is a very substantial waiver to the parking requirements. As
you know parking constraints are an ongoing problem within the Town Center area. Also, to
Number of pages including this page: 2
make you aware, waivers from the parking requirements are processed as a Use-by-Exception
rather than as a Variance, and require approval by the City Commission.
My impression is that the proposed development of this property will be considered as over-
development of this site, and I would also note that the conceptual site plan does not appear to
provide adequate reserved area for landscaping, required buffering from adjacent residential
parcels and stormwater management.
If you intend to make application for any Variance or Use-by-Exception, please be advised that
the application deadline for the August meeting will be Monday, August 4th at 5:00pm.