The Fort Lauderdale Planning and Zoning Board on Wednesday voted to defer action on a requested setback variance for a proposed one-car garage at 2600 Northeast Eighth Street so the applicant can revise the design to reduce impacts on an adjacent backyard.

Shane Ames, the architect for the property owner, told the board the historic 1960 house has never had a garage and that the corner lot’s setbacks leave no practical location for a garage without a variance. Ames said the applicant proposes a one-car garage roughly 10 feet wide and about 30 feet deep (the full structure including storage behind the parking bay is approximately 31 feet 6 inches deep in the plans) tucked into the rear corner and accessed by a driveway that would run along the side of the house. Ames said the garage would be set back from the street and have no windows toward the neighboring property.

Several neighbors spoke. A neighbor at 735 Intracoastal Drive objected, saying the proposed garage’s 5-foot setback from the property line would detract from his backyard enjoyment and could complicate replacement of utility posts. Another neighbor, who identified himself as James Procanik and said he resides on the property, said he believed at least one neighbor had initially approved the plan but later objected; the board noted private neighbor agreements are outside its purview.

Board members raised multiple concerns: the depth of the garage (30 feet was described as large for a one-car structure), potential blocking of non-egress windows on the home if the structure were moved, and privacy and daylight impacts for adjacent yards. Several board members said they would accept a version of the design that slid the structure forward so the back wall of the new garage was even with the back wall of the existing house, or that shortened the depth so the garage was less intrusive.

Planning staff clarified that sliding the structure forward could be done without reopening the public notice for this meeting so long as the changes remain within the scope of the variance that was noticed (a rear-yard setback request). The board discussed whether such a step would require additional variances or notifications and staff said it would depend on whether the altered proposal stayed within the noticed request.

After discussion, the applicant requested a deferment to revise the plans; the board approved a motion to defer the item to the November 2025 meeting. The motion to defer was made on the record and the applicant confirmed he requested a deferment. Staff told the applicant the sign and notice would likely need to be reposted for the continued hearing.

Board members also discussed structural and code issues: the new construction will have to comply with the Florida Building Code and be designed to current hurricane standards; whether the garage is attached or detached does not alter the variance relief being requested. The transcript records the board’s direction that the applicant consider moving the back wall forward or reducing the garage depth to lessen impacts and urged the applicant to consult neighbors before returning.

The board did not vote to approve the variance; the matter is deferred. The applicant is scheduled to return with revised plans at the November meeting.