Seminole County Board of Adjustment approves six residential setback and accessory-structure variances

The Seminole County Board of Adjustment on a February 2025 meeting approved six variance requests allowing homeowners to keep or add structures that encroach on required yard setbacks, and continued two agenda items to next month.

Board members granted variances for: a 504-square-foot accessory building at 1003 Sheffield Court; an enclosed storage-room addition at 1531 Boyer Street tied to building code violation CV24-297; a 706.25-square-foot ground-mounted solar array at 831 Blue Tide Lane; a 1,500-square-foot detached carport at 2484 (Phone Run); a 96.6-square-foot closet addition at 416 Village View Lane; and a 299-square-foot front-yard carport addition at 618 Lakeshore Drive. Items listed as 1675 Astor Farms Place and 315 North Orange Avenue (agenda items 2 and 3) were continued.

Why it matters: Board of Adjustment decisions permit homeowners to legalize existing structures or add new ones that would otherwise violate Seminole County development standards. Several approvals were backed by neighbor or homeowners association letters; one approval resolved an active building code violation.

Most significant approvals

1003 Sheffield Court — accessory building: Development Services staff described item 1 as a request to construct a 504-square-foot building (14 by 36 feet) that “encroaches 9 and a half feet into the rear yard setback.” Applicant Greg Butcher, who said he has lived at the address 25 years, told the board he wants a single, solid building to store two restored Volkswagens and to free up garage space. The board approved the variance; Judge Bravo made the motion and Vice Chair Wright seconded.

1531 Boyer Street — storage-room addition / CV24-297:…