Zoning board grants seawall variance so owners can raise wall now, defer full elevation until redevelopment

Zoning Board of Adjustment members on April hearing approved a variance letting the owners of 800 Lakeview Drive build a new seawall to 5.56 feet NGVD now, with the structure designed so it can be raised later to the 7.26-foot new-construction standard when the upland property is substantially redeveloped.

The variance was requested because the existing two-story home on the property — built in 1941 and occupied by owners Ariel and Lilium Furst since 1994 — sits at a lower elevation than the code'required new-seawall height. Staff recommended approval with a condition that the wall must be raised to 7.26 feet NGVD if the home is substantially improved or the upland property is redeveloped.

Planning staff explained the city code requires either a minimum elevation of 5.56 feet NGVD for repairs (with capacity…