Board approves flexible setbacks at 124 Fourteenth Street to save two oak trees

The Planning and Zoning Board of the City of St. Augustine Beach voted May 20 to approve flexible setbacks for a proposed single-family residence at 124 Fourteenth Street to preserve a 23-inch live oak and a 15-inch oak, subject to the submitted site plan and arborist recommendations.

Applicant representative Greg Thompson (architect) said a certified arborist recommended protecting the trees’ critical-root zones and that the house footprint had been tilted to maximize distance from the trunk. Thompson said the larger oak’s critical-root-zone radius was 13 feet and the design calls for building on piers and elevated slabs to limit root disturbance. He also noted letters of neighbor support were submitted with the application.

Neighbors spoke during public comment with mixed views: several urged preservation of the trees and careful grading while others warned about notice procedures and the potential for cumulative changes to street character if multiple lots use flexible setbacks. Staff and the board emphasized that flexible-setback approvals are tied to the site plan submitted for review, that the city’s building official and any applicable homeowners association must sign off, and that subsequent plan changes would need board review.

After discussion, a board member moved to approve the application per the submitted site plan; the motion was seconded and carried. Staff said the approval is conditioned on the site plan presented to the board and that final building plans submitted to the building department must match the approved site plan or return to the board for further review.