Vero Beach appeals panel denies property owner’s appeal of sprinkler requirement for Ocean Drive unit

The Vero Beach Board of Appeals voted 3–1 to deny an appeal by Lauer Enterprises over a building official’s requirement that a second-floor unit at 3418 Ocean Drive be fitted with an automatic sprinkler system before receiving a certificate of occupancy.

The decision affects a condominium unit the owner proposed to convert from office to a single-family residence, a change the building official and staff said triggers existing-building provisions of the Florida Building Code that require sprinklers for Group R occupancies in mixed-use buildings.

Appellant Steve Lauer told the board his property has five fee-simple condominium units and argued the proposed single-family unit should be treated as a residential conversion exempt from sprinklers under his reading of state law. "Single family residences are not required to have automatic sprinkler systems," Lauer said, referencing Florida statutory exemptions and the…