Putnam County zoning board approves variance to let homeowner rebuild after fire

The Putnam County Zoning Board of Adjustments on an unanimous 7-0 vote approved a variance allowing Cynthia Rutledge to rebuild a house at 117 Broward Cove Road in Pomona Park with reduced side and waterfront setbacks after the original home burned in 2024.

The decision lets Rutledge reduce the side-yard setback from 20 feet to 8 feet (a 12-foot reduction) and the waterfront setback from 50 feet to 27 feet (a 23-foot reduction) on her 0.73-acre parcel in the Residential Estate zoning district, Planning and Development Services staff said during the public hearing.

Zachary Baker, Planning and Development Services, presented the case to the board and said staff found the request met the majority of the criteria in LDC section 45-833 and recommended approval. Baker said the parcel is a legally existing nonconforming lot in the Lake Broward unrecorded subdivision and that the site where the house would be rebuilt is in Flood Zone X. He described the parcel as having a maximum width of about 85 feet and noted that, under strict adherence to the district setbacks, only a roughly 15-foot-wide house would be possible on the lot.

Applicant Cynthia Rutledge, who listed her address as 117 Broward Cove Road, told the board she wanted to “rebuild the same footprint on the same piece of property” and said, “I lost a lot of things in the fire, but I'm ready to just move forward with some a beautiful new home.”

A representative for the general contractor, Evan Bondaran of 2711 Seminole Village Drive in Middleburg, spoke in support and described efforts to help Rutledge rebuild. Bondaran said the planned house would not be larger than the prior home and that a permit misunderstanding with the building department resulted in the setback issue coming to light after initial approvals: “We're not asking for anything more than what she had previously. It's not going to be bigger.”

No members of the public came forward to oppose the application during the hearing. After public comment closed, a board member moved to approve variance case 25-000006, citing the standards in section 45-833 of the Putnam County Land Development Code; a second was made, and the motion carried 7-0. The motion included no additional conditions and authorized the chair to sign the final order. The board chair noted a 30-day period to appeal the decision to the circuit court.

The variance applies only to the property described in the staff report and order and does not in itself authorize construction beyond the scope of the county building permit process. The board record notes the lot is within the county’s Agricultural future land-use category and that apparent jurisdictional wetlands are mapped nearby; staff advised that other permits or reviews could be required before construction.