Hollywood Planning board backs carport text amendment, adds condition on grandfathering

The City of Hollywood Planning and Development Board voted unanimously May 20 to forward a text amendment on carports and related setbacks and design standards to the City Commission, with a condition clarifying when existing carports lose grandfathered status.

Lauren Cross, principal planner with the Planning and Urban Design Division, presented application 25T40 as a citywide amendment to Articles 2 and 4 of the Zoning and Land Development Regulations. Cross said the update would amend definitions and set standards for carports and private garages, add design criteria, and create an administrative variance procedure for limited setback deviations.

The proposal would: permit one carport in the front or a corner side yard adjacent to the street plus one in the rear yard; allow a 20-foot front-yard setback when a structure is open on three sides (the current setback is 25 feet); require three-foot side and rear setbacks; set a minimum 18-inch clearance from the front property line for some structures; require materials, finishes and colors to complement the primary structure; require that shade sails and similar fabric structures be UV-resistant and securely anchored; and require all carports to meet the Florida Building Code. Cross said post-construction conversions to habitable space and carports taller than the principal structure were examples the revisions seek to avoid.

Board members asked about repairs, hurricane damage and enforcement. Cross said whether a damaged or deteriorated carport could be repaired under a grandfathered status would depend on the extent of the replacement and the building official’s determination. She said minor repairs could be allowed, but a substantial replacement would require conformance with the new standards. Cross also noted that column posts would need to be at least 4 inches square and that standard permit and code-enforcement procedures apply; permits are publicly viewable on the city website.

After discussion, the board proposed and approved a clarifying condition to be forwarded with the amendment: if the structural integrity of an existing carport is compromised, the structure would not qualify for grandfathered treatment under the new subsection and would instead have to meet the proposed regulations. The motion to forward the amendment with that condition passed unanimously.

The Planning and Development Board’s recommendation goes next to the City Commission, which has final authority to adopt or modify the proposed text amendment.

Notes: the staff presentation included examples of existing carports and diagrams of permitted configurations; staff conducted a jurisdictional scan and proposed codifying practices staff currently uses to evaluate carports and accessory garages.