Pompano Beach board approves special exception to reestablish six-room hotel on Barrier Island

The Pompano Beach Planning & Zoning Board on July 17 approved a special-exception request to reestablish a six-lodging‑unit hotel on the Barrier Island after finding competent substantial evidence that the application met zoning standards.

City Principal Planner Max Weems told the board the subject property "was developed with 6 units originally constructed in the late 1950s" and that "the request is solely to reestablish a hotel use that lapsed due to non renewal of the BTR." The property is on the north side of Southeast Sixth Street and the west side of Hibiscus Avenue and is zoned RM‑20 (multifamily residential 20).

The approval allows the owners to operate six lodging units — the same number of dwelling units on the site — and requires the applicants to obtain all necessary permits, including a change of certificate of occupancy, a zoning use certificate and a business tax receipt for hotel/motel use. Weems noted the property has no open building permits and no active business tax receipts on file; staff recommended the board include the city permit conditions in its order because the hotel density calculation for lodging differs from permanent multifamily density.

Owners Mirko and Sandra Rance, who said they bought the property in November and discovered the business tax receipt had lapsed, told the board they were not proposing new construction or an increase in density. Mirko Rance said, "We are from Germany... We bought this property in November and the previous owner sold this hotel as a hotelmotel" and asked that the city restore the permit so they can continue short-term operations for which they already had bookings.

Rita Wells, Pompano Beach tourism manager, spoke in support and said of the property, "it's a real gem." Staff advised that the parking requirement is one space per lodging unit and that aerial imagery suggests the lot can accommodate required parking; Weems also noted that some existing parking slightly encroaches into the right-of-way, a common legal nonconformity for older Barrier Island properties.

During board questions members confirmed that any accessory uses such as restaurants, bars, or other commercial activities would not be permitted on the site without separate approvals and that a change of use and inspections will follow before a business tax receipt is issued. No formal conditions beyond those requested by staff were added by the board.

The motion to find competent substantial evidence and grant the special exception passed on a roll-call vote with all six members present voting yes.

The order requires the owners to secure the change of use, a zoning use certificate, and a business tax receipt before operating as a hotel under the renewed classification.