Satellite Beach council asks staff to draft options for larger accessory structures

The City Council on Sept. 3 directed staff to return with code amendment options that would ease size and height limits on accessory structures — such as detached garages, casitas, pool houses and cabanas — while preserving setbacks and impervious‑surface limits.

Planning staff reported the current code caps many enclosed accessory structures at 150 square feet and limits wall height to 7 feet, a restriction several council members and residents described as outdated given modern needs for pitched roofs, boat storage and small living‑space structures.

Residents said the current rules sometimes force homeowners to pursue variances through the Board of Adjustments. “I went to apply for a casita…and the limitation’s a 150 square feet,” resident Cash Combs told council. He said his family hopes to expand living options on their lot and asked the council to consider increases to 350–400 square feet in some cases.

Jenny White, another resident, said she previously applied to build a carport and was denied due to the city’s square‑foot limitation; she urged council to give residents more predictable options than repeated variance requests.

Council direction and staff response

Council members said they favor keeping setbacks and impervious‑surface controls intact while improving predictability. One council member suggested limiting accessory size as a percentage of the primary structure; others asked staff to present a range of options and the pros and cons of each, including how different approaches could create predictability or still require variances in some cases.

Planning staff confirmed two permit applications are currently seeking increased accessory sizes, and one large request (nearly 1,000 square feet) received Board of Adjustments approval the previous night. Staff said they will return with draft code text that could include options such as uniform larger limits, limits keyed to lot or primary‑structure size, or conditional thresholds for particular zoning districts.

Speakers

Speakers on this item included planning staff, Cash Combs (resident), Jenny White (resident) and multiple council members who debated predictability versus neighborhood conformity.

Next steps

Council asked staff to draft ordinance options that would increase size and height allowances while keeping other development controls in place. Staff will present options with pros and cons for council consideration.