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Commission asks staff to review nonconforming uses after pawnshop owner seeks expansion
Summary
Commissioners asked staff to review nonconforming land‑use rules after a Margate pawnshop owner requested permission to expand into an adjacent bay. Staff was directed to return with options, including whether a special-exception or targeted change for pawnshops is appropriate.
Margate commissioners on June 18 asked city staff to review the city’s list of nonconforming commercial uses and return with recommendations after a Margate property owner requested permission to expand a pawnshop into an adjacent bay.
Commissioner Rosano said the owner, who was not present at the meeting, purchased the entire plaza and wants to expand his business into another unit. Under the existing land‑development code, certain uses that were permitted in the past are now nonconforming and may not expand their footprint. Commissioners said the current code provides no pathway for an owner in that position to request a tailored review.
Commissioner Casiano and other commissioners urged staff to prepare options that could include a case‑by‑case special‑exception process, targeted code amendments for specified uses, or zoning‑district changes tied to location and other criteria. Commissioner Simone said any change should preserve the commission’s ability to review and deny expansions that do not meet city standards.
City Attorney David Tulsa and development staff advised the commission that nonconforming uses stem from historical differences between existing businesses and current zoning; staff recommended a policy-level review rather than addressing a single property in isolation. Planning staff said pawnshops had been allowed historically in some business districts and became nonconforming after the 2012 code changes; staff offered to compile a list of existing nonconforming uses and the locations where they occur.
The commission’s direction: staff should review the city’s nonconforming uses (with an initial focus on the pawnshop request if the commission prefers) and return with options for ordinance changes or administrative pathways that preserve the commission’s oversight. Commissioners emphasized that any policy change should include safeguards so that allowing one expansion would not automatically require identical approvals across the city.
Commissioners did not take a formal vote on an ordinance at the meeting; rather, they asked staff to prepare a report and recommendations for future action.
Clarifying detail from the discussion: staff noted nonconforming uses exist across multiple districts and include categories such as pawnshops, some auto-related uses and previously permitted adult/entertainment businesses; staff recommended a targeted policy approach. The pawnshop owner was reported to own multiple bays in a plaza near the 441 corridor but was not in attendance.
