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Council approves raising historic cottages at 794 Ninth Street South to FEMA flood elevations
Summary
Council unanimously approved a vertical expansion (raising) of historic cottage and guest cottage at 794 Ninth Street South to meet FEMA design flood elevations, allowing the structures to be elevated in place while preserving their existing footprints under conditions set by staff and the Planning Advisory Board.
City Council unanimously approved a nonconformity petition Wednesday allowing property owner Kathleen Letarte to raise a nearly century‑old single‑family house and adjacent guest cottage at 794 Ninth Street South to meet FEMA required design flood elevations.
What the petition requested: Attorney Clay Brooker said the owner proposes to elevate the main house to a bottom floor elevation of 10.6 feet NAVD and the guest cottage to 12.1 feet NAVD (lifting the main cottage about 5 feet and the guest cottage about 7.2 feet) while keeping existing footprints and maintaining building heights below the 30‑foot maximum for the R3T12 district.
Why it matters: Both cottages sit below FEMA's current base flood elevation; the structures were substantially damaged by Hurricanes Ian and Milton. The owner said demolition would lose historic character while repairs alone would leave them vulnerable to repeat flood damage.
Staff and advisory board recommendation: Planning staff found the request met standards for vertical expansion of a lawful nonconformity. The Planning Advisory Board recommended approval 6‑1. Staff also recommended three conditions: limit this approval to vertical expansion (no horizontal enlargement), require a variance if nonconforming portions are demolished and rebuilt, and require a stamped stormwater management plan prior to building permit issuance.
Council discussion and vote: Council members praised the owner's efforts to preserve the historic structures and discussed engineering and structural questions (building permit review and engineered drawings will address wind and structural integrity). The council moved and unanimously approved the petition with staff conditions.
Implementation: The approval allows the owner to proceed with plans to raise the cottages in place to the specified NAVD elevations; final building permits, engineered drawings and a stormwater plan are required before construction.
Documented conditions: (1) approval applies only to vertical expansion of the existing structures in place; (2) if nonconforming portions are demolished the approval dissolves and the petitioner must obtain variance approval or rebuild to current code; (3) a stormwater management plan, signed and sealed by a licensed design professional, must be submitted and approved prior to building permit issuance.
