The Sunrise Manor Town Advisory Board on Aug. 14 approved an extension permitting a shipping container to remain on a 1.62-acre single-family lot owned by A & J Rentals LLC, while denying a request to increase an approved fence height and other development-standard waivers.

The board voted to allow only the container to remain and to deny the application items that would increase the fence height and other waivers. Chair Earl Barbeau called for the vote and, when members responded “aye,” the motion passed with no recorded opposing votes.

The applicant, Suge Jimenez, described the request as a short-term need to store materials while tentative mapping and subdivision work continue. “We have a container on this side of the property... we just need an extension as we're still working with tentative mapping,” Jimenez said.

Nearby residents objected. Joanne Lees, who identified herself as the owner of an adjacent property, told the board the owners had earlier indicated plans to divide the lot into multiple home sites and said a higher fence would facilitate commercial activity. “They've already got an application in to divide this lot up to build more than one home on it,” Lees said. Another resident, who lives on Home State Line Court, said the lot appears vacant now but warned an eight-foot fence and storage use would be out of character for the single-family area.

Board members and planning staff clarified that the current hearing concerned a first extension of time for previously approved waivers and not final approvals of any new subdivision or a new six-lot plan. Planning staff recommended denial of the extension because, they said, the applicant had not shown progressive work toward establishing primary structures on the lot since the original approval.

Several residents asked the board to keep the existing fence in place while denying any increase. The board's final motion, adopted in open session, approved leaving the shipping container in place but denied the increase in fence height and the other development-standard waivers listed on the application.

Because the motion concerned only the extension of time, planning staff noted the applicant would have to submit new applications if they sought approval for a different subdivision scheme or renewed waivers beyond those that remain valid. The board did not set additional conditions beyond denying the fence-height increase and the other waivers.

The advisory board’s action will be recorded in the meeting minutes and the matter may return to county planning if the applicant files a new application or appeals the decision. The board reminded residents that the advisory recommendation may be followed by additional county-level hearings.