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Board denies request to expand circular driveway at Pembroke Pines home
Summary
The Pembroke Pines Board of Adjustment voted down a request to increase a home's front‑lot driveway coverage from the previously approved 47% to 57% and directed the owner to work with city staff to meet the prior approval; a separate side‑setback request was withdrawn by the applicant.
The Pembroke Pines Board of Adjustment on June 5 rejected a property owner's request to increase front‑lot coverage for a circular driveway at 7101 Southwest Sixth Street from an earlier 47% approval to 57%, and instructed the owner to consult city staff on bringing the work into compliance.
The owner, Harold Lapinell, told the board he stopped construction after realizing his family includes a wheelchair user and said cutting the driveway further would make access unsafe: "...we have a member in the family that uses a wheelchair ... it will fall off the driveway." He said safety, not convenience, drove the request for additional coverage.
The request followed an earlier approval in September 2024 that legalized a larger circular drive. City staff said subsequent inspections showed the constructed driveway did not match the earlier variance and the owner applied to enlarge the allowed coverage. Board members questioned vehicle counts, drainage and whether the applicant had prioritized accessible parking for the household member. Vice Chair Kroll, for example, and others noted the property included a garage and offsite parking for work vehicles and pressed the owner about alternative arrangements.
A motion to approve the 57% coverage failed on roll call; members recorded no votes in favor and the chair declared the motion failed. After the vote, the chair directed the applicant to meet with planner Christian Zamora to determine feasible cuts to reach the previously approved condition (47%). The applicant also withdrew a separate request to reduce a 5‑foot side setback to 2.5 feet for the driveway approach.
Board discussion repeatedly noted the city's intent to limit hardscape in front yards to preserve drainage and green space. Staff and board members reminded the owner that, independent of the variance process, any unpermitted work must be processed by code enforcement and the building department.
The board did not grant the increased coverage; the owner was told to coordinate with staff on a plan to bring the driveway into compliance with the prior variance and the land‑development code.
