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Safety Harbor Board of Appeals approves variance to keep shed at 410 Fourth Avenue South
Summary
The City of Safety Harbor Board of Appeals on May 14 approved a variance allowing an existing backyard shed at 410 Fourth Avenue South to remain despite not meeting standard setback requirements; staff recommended approval after concluding the application met the board's 11 variance criteria and a board member recused from the vote.
The City of Safety Harbor Board of Appeals on May 14, 2025, approved Variance 2025-11 to allow an existing accessory shed at 410 Fourth Avenue South to remain with reduced setbacks from the main house and the property lines.
City planning staff recommended approval at the quasi-judicial hearing after concluding the application met the board's 11 required variance criteria; the applicant said the permit was being sought after the shed was placed and neighbors spoke in support. Board member Samuel Landis recused from deliberation and voting on the matter.
Cecilia Chen, senior planner and GIS analyst for the city, told the board the shed sits roughly 7 feet from the primary structure, about 2 feet from the alley and about 1.5 feet from the east property line. The Land Development Code requires accessory structures to be at least 10 feet from the primary structure and 5 feet from a lot line; the petitioner sought variances to those distances. Chen said the property has two street frontages, is elevated in places and lies in a flood zone, creating constrained placement options for a compliant shed location. "Staff believe that all 11 criteria has been satisfied for this application and recommend approval of the variances," Chen said.
The applicant, Steven Eaton of 410 Fourth Avenue South, said he and his wife, Mary Ann, were asking the board to approve the after-the-fact permit and had no further presentation beyond staff's report. Richard Saladin, who identified himself as a neighbor at 416 Fifth Street South, spoke in support, saying of the homeowners, "They have good property value. They take care of their property."
At the start of the item the board followed quasi-judicial procedure: members disclosed ex parte contacts, interested persons were offered the chance to be made parties of interest (none outside the applicants enrolled), and testifying attendees were sworn. The record also shows a short discrepancy in how the property street name was spoken during the hearing (agenda and staff references used both "Fourth Avenue South" and a spoken variant "Fort Avenue South"); the agenda lists the address as 410 Fourth Avenue South.
Board members debated measurement details briefly to confirm the exact distances to be considered. The board then voted to approve the variance application. The transcript records a motion to approve Variance 2025-11 and a second; the meeting minutes record the motion as carried after an oral call for "Aye" votes. The transcript does not record a roll-call vote tally for each board member; it does record that Samuel Landis was recused and did not participate in deliberation or voting.
No conditions of approval beyond the variance relief were recorded in the hearing. The Board of Appeals adjourned at approximately 6:49 p.m.
What this means going forward: the variance allows the existing shed to remain in its current location under the relief granted by Variance 2025-11; any further changes to the structure or property would require additional permits or approvals under the Land Development Code.
