Planning commission denies variance for garage that would expand a nonconformity on seven‑lot site

Citrus County Planning and Development Commission members on July 17 denied application V‑2025‑1, a request by Aluminum Structures LLC on behalf of property owners Walter and Annette Bridal, to replace a screened room with a larger detached garage that would remain 6 feet inside the county’s 50‑foot front setback.

The commission voted 7‑0 to find the application inconsistent with the Citrus County Land Development Code and the policies of the county comprehensive plan and to deny the variance, citing multiple unpermitted accessory structures on the site and staff findings that the proposed garage could be located elsewhere on the combined building site.

The variance sought permission to place a detached garage closer than the required 50‑foot setback from the center line of East Hilltop Loop. Senior planner Jen Perkins told commissioners the owner is combining seven separately recorded lots into a single building site totaling about 1.21 acres.…