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Ocala preservation board approves attached garage with condition to seek setback variance
Summary
The Ocala Historic Preservation Advisory Board approved a 1,344-square-foot attached garage for a Southeast Seventh Street property, but required the applicants to seek variances for reduced rear and street-side setbacks before final permits.
The Ocala Historic Preservation Advisory Board on a voice vote approved a certificate of appropriateness to construct a 1,344-square-foot garage at the southeastern corner of a home on Southeast Seventh Street, while conditioning final approval on the applicants’ obtaining required variances.
City staff presented the application and told the board the property is a corner lot, not a contributing structure to the Ocala Historic District, and that the project would require variances to reduce the rear setback from 25 feet to 3 feet and the street-side setback from 25 feet to 18.5 feet. "The applicant is requesting for approval to construct a 1,344 square foot garage on the southeastern corner of the existing home," city staff said during the presentation.
Bria, a city staff member presenting the case, said the request is associated with a variance and that staff recommended the alteration be found appropriate only if the applicants apply for the necessary variance(s).
Applicants Beau Briggs and his wife, Nadia Briggs, addressed the board. Beau Briggs said the couple has lived at the address for 10 years and described the garage as a long-awaited improvement. "We want to be at that home, frankly, forever," Briggs said.
Board members asked for clarification about outstanding approvals; Bria said the applicants must appear before the Board of Adjustment (BOA) to receive approvals for the requested setback reductions. The BOA appearance was noted as scheduled for September 15 at 5:30 p.m., according to the applicants.
A board member moved to approve the case as requested with a condition that the applicants apply for the variance; another member seconded. The board then voted in favor and the motion carried.
Next steps: the applicants will pursue the variance(s) at the Board of Adjustment; the board’s approval was conditioned on that process. If the BOA grants the variances, building permits and final inspections would follow under the city’s normal permitting process.
