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Planning board approves accessory dwelling unit at 1017 South Boulevard
Summary
The City of Lakeland Planning and Zoning Board approved a final decision permitting a 515-square-foot garage apartment at 1017 South Boulevard, with conditions including historic preservation review and adherence to accessory dwelling unit standards.
Lakeland Planning and Zoning Board members voted to approve a final decision allowing construction of a 515-square-foot accessory dwelling unit (ADU) behind the house at 1017 South Boulevard. Owner Martin Walters told the board the structure would be a two-story garage with a one-unit apartment above and alley access for one parking space. The vote passed 6-0.
Audrey McGuire, senior planner with the Community and Economic Development Department, described the lot as an interior parcel with alley access in one of the city’s historic districts and said the proposal meets the local ADU size limit. "The maximum floor area shall be 515 square feet," McGuire said, and she noted the project had received prior design review from the Historic Preservation Board.
The nut graf: the decision allows a small rear garage apartment in a historic district while enforcing code provisions intended to limit new rental units and protect neighborhood character. Neighbors had emailed concerns about construction noise and vehicle activity; staff and the applicant said the owner intends to occupy the property and that the unit will not be offered as a rental.
Board conditions require development to conform to the RA urban neighborhood context subdistrict standards and subsection 4.30.2 of the Land Development Code (the city’s ADU standards); the project must be built in substantial accordance with the submitted site plan and architectural attachments and must obtain any amended certificate of review from the Historic Preservation Board’s Design Review Committee before changes are made. McGuire also reiterated that the ADU rules require the property owner to live on-site and that electrical service to the ADU be fed from the main panel.
Owner Martin Walters told the board he plans to use the apartment for visiting relatives and for a larger kitchen and said his electric car and work-from-home schedule would limit vehicle noise. "I will use it, maybe a few weeks a year when my relatives visit," Walters said.
Board members asked about height (about 17.5 feet), stair placement (exterior, with windows facing only the owner’s house), and the deck location (facing the interior of the lot). Staff confirmed the 515-square-foot maximum is the living area limit and does not include the garage footprint or exterior decking, and that the applicant reduced the plan slightly to remain within the 40%-of-principal-dwelling limit.
The applicant’s motion for approval with the listed conditions passed unanimously among members present, 6-0. The decision is final for the Planning and Zoning Board; construction and any required amended historic-review certificate must proceed before building permits are issued.
