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Board approves dock‑length variance in Tierra Verde despite one adjacent non‑consent
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Summary
The Board approved a variance to Pinellas County Code allowing a 104‑foot private dock at 418 Eighth Avenue North in Tierra Verde where the code limit is 35 feet. Staff recommended approval after finding neighborhood dock lengths larger and environmental mitigation in design; the vote was 7–0.
The Pinellas County Board of Adjustment and Appeals on Feb. 5 approved a variance to allow construction of a 104‑foot private dock at 418 Eighth Avenue North in Tierra Verde, exceeding the county code maximum of half the waterfront property width (35 feet for this site).
Julie Sims, environmental program manager for the county's Water and Navigation section, summarized the request on behalf of the Stephen R. Brown Gift Trust (trustees Carolyn Brown and Richard Brown). She told the board that County Code section 58‑555(b)(1) limits private dock length to half the waterfront width and that the subject property is 70 feet at the seawall, so the maximum allowed is 35 feet. The applicant proposes a 104‑foot dock and requested a variance of 69 feet; staff recommended approval after finding the variance criteria met and noting neighboring docks in the area include lengths substantially longer than the code maximum.
Julie confirmed the applicants obtained a signed statement of no objection from the adjacent owner to the north but not from the neighbor to the south. Micah Thompson, the marine contractor who designed the dock, said he worked with staff through about 15 design iterations to mitigate impacts and positioned the dock to avoid seagrass that would be disturbed if the dock were sited at the 35‑foot mark. "Part of the reason... we did about 15 iterations of this with staff going back and forth, trying to mitigate the impact on the environment," Thompson said.
A board member noted the neighboring docks' lengths and the environmental mitigation; with no opponents present, Board member Baumstein moved for approval and Board member Bello seconded. The motion passed 7–0.
The board's approval was conditioned on the findings of fact in the staff report and follows the county's variance criteria review process. The applicant will proceed to required permitting and construction review.
