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Planning board approves roof-pitch variance to allow modular home at East Ninth Street property
Summary
The board unanimously approved a variance allowing a 3:12 roof pitch where the single-family design standard requires 4:12 so a modular home can be placed at 502 East Ninth Street; the owner, Viola Diane Sims, said delay since 2023 prompted the application.
The Panama City Planning Board on March 10 granted a variance to let a modular home with a 3:12 roof pitch be sited at 502 East Ninth Street, relieving the owner from the single-family standard requiring a 4:12 pitch.
Owner and applicant Viola Diane Sims told the board she has sought to place a modular home on the lot since 2023 and has faced repeated requirements, including porch and door-orientation conditions. “We’re trying to get a modular home on my lot, and we've been trying to get it since 2023,” Sims said. She told the board the unit is 26 by 40 feet, roughly a little over 1,000 square feet, and the manufacturer does not produce the steeper roof pitch required by the city’s design standard.
Planning staff said the roof-pitch requirement stems from the city’s single-family design standards; manufactured or modular homes commonly have 3:12 pitches and are often later modified to meet local design codes. Staff recommended denial based on the design standard, noting the hardship claimed was financial.
Board members discussed neighborhood context and past uses; one member noted nearby residences include manufactured homes. A member moved to approve; the motion was seconded. Roll call votes were Carroll — yes; Barker — yes; Rich — yes; Chairman Neubauer — yes. The motion passed 4-0.
The variance applies to the roof pitch only. Staff noted building-code compliance (structural and setback requirements) remains separate from this design-standard variance and must be met before issuance of any building permit.
