Board denies Passer Hill elevator-shaft height variance

The St. Pete Beach Board of Adjustment on a 4-0 vote denied a variance request for 2311 Passer Hill Way that would have allowed an elevator-shaft enclosure to exceed the locally measured maximum height by 1 foot 2 inches.

City planner Bridal Berry told the board the applicant sought relief only for an elevator-shaft overrun after grading the lot to meet the new code-compliant seawall elevation. "They're not seeking a variance to the height of the primary roof line of the residence," Berry said, adding the main roof would comply with the height limit when measured from the proposed prefill grade.

The variance arose because the property owner proposed to reestablish the lot grade at 6.0 feet NAVD 88 to match a newly required seawall elevation (the new seawall standard is 5.0 feet NAVD 88). Staff explained that grading up the lot produced a 1.33-foot difference from a previously measured prefill grade of about 4.67 feet; that grade change, not the home’s design, created the need for the narrow variance for the elevator shaft. Planner Brandon (staff) told the board the elevator overrun was the only noncompliant element and noted options for compliance: reduce floor heights, alter the elevator or rooftop access, or redesign the interior circulation.

A neighbor, Danny Creamer, who identified himself as the property owner to the north, described why the applicant needed to raise the lot. "The seawall went up, so the house went up. So the top of the house went up with it, and it pushed it a foot 2 inches higher than the old," he said, and added he had no objection. The applicant, who identified himself on the record using the name Hansen, said the elevator would serve all floors including a rooftop deck and that the elevator shaft is at the minimum height the architect found practical.

Board members probed alternatives, including making the two primary living-floor ceiling heights equal or eliminating rooftop access, and emphasized precedent concerns if variances tied to seawall-driven grading become common across Passegrille. Member comments repeatedly raised the point that the city’s rules allow property owners to measure height relative to prefill grade, which can vary from lot to lot, and that wider code changes could be considered by the city commission in the future.

After discussion, a board member moved to deny the variance; the motion carried on a roll call vote with Member Small, Member Causey, Member Kaur and Vice Chair Garshaw all voting yes. Notes in the record show staff had received one letter of opposition and that the building had undergone design-review comments with the Historic Preservation Board during the design process.

The denial means the applicant may return with revised plans that either reduce the elevator enclosure height or alter floor heights and rooftop access, or seek further guidance from the city commission on measurement standards. The applicant and staff were not asked to set a specific follow-up date at the hearing.