Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Coastal Residential topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Long Beach planning board approves building permit for 555 West Bay Drive; board notes existing foundation and bulkhead issues
Summary
The Planning Board, acting as the Architectural Review Board, approved a building permit for 555 West Bay Drive. Board members discussed an existing FEMA-era foundation, the property’s bulkhead on the Lehigh Reynolds Channel and whether bulkhead work was included in the plans; no continuance or conditions were recorded.
The Long Beach Planning Board, sitting as the Architectural Review Board, voted to approve issuance of a building permit for 555 West Bay Drive during the board’s September meeting.
Staff and board members said the site already contains a foundation — described in the discussion as a FEMA-era foundation installed after Superstorm Sandy — and that the structure has been in place for several years without completion. The board noted the property backs up to the Lehigh Reynolds Channel and that a bulkhead exists along the water edge; those bulkhead details did not appear on the submitted plan set, staff and board members said.
Board members described the proposed house as consistent with other large, FEMA-compliant two- and three-story homes in the neighborhood. The board discussed exterior materials, including stone veneer and blue vinyl siding trimmed in white, and noted the property’s lot layout with front and rear lawns and an asphalt driveway.
Board member Clancy moved to approve the resolution “of the Planning Board acting in the capacity of the Architectural Review Board for the approval of the issuance of the building permit for 555 West Bay Drive.” Board member Lucas seconded. The board voted to approve the application.
During discussion members and staff said the foundation likely dates to post-Sandy reconstruction efforts and that the lot may have been held unfinished for financial or development reasons until it was recently reactivated. One board member noted the parcel may have had prior zoning cases. The transcript records no conditions tied to FEMA or bulkhead permitting, though board members said bulkhead work would need FEMA compliance if altered.
