Delray Beach board delays decision on variance to put pools near Spanish Trail

The City of Delray Beach Board of Adjustment on Thursday, July 17, 2025, voted to postpone consideration of a variance that would reduce the front-yard setback from 25 feet to 10 feet so two private swimming pools can be constructed at 1916 and 1920 Spanish Trail. The board postponed the hearing after the applicant said it could not confirm delivery of mailed notices to nearby residents and neighbors raised safety and visibility concerns.

The developer’s land-use attorney, Ryan Abrams, presented the application on behalf of property owners Alex Lewis and his spouse, describing the units at the two addresses as duplex/townhome-style residences and saying the homeowners intend the pools for nearby elderly parents. Abrams said the pools would sit 10 feet from the property lines and that the design includes upgraded landscaping — a 7-foot planting strip, an estimated 13 new trees (the code requires five), hedges beginning at about 5 feet and a 4-foot fence — to buffer the properties from adjacent roads and reduce visual impact. The two lot sizes listed in the staff presentation are 4,791.6 square feet for 1916 Spanish Trail and 5,227 square feet for 1920 Spanish Trail.

Madison Brown, the city’s development permit manager, and staff described the legal basis for the request as a…