Plantation planning board denies setback waiver for 6801 NW Fifth Court

The Plantation Planning and Zoning Board on Feb. 4 voted to deny a request from homeowner Corey Ellsworth for a practical-difficulty waiver that would have reduced the required setback and allowed a second two-car garage with an additional driveway at 6801 Northwest Fifth Court.

The application sought to reduce the required front setback from 30 feet to about 15 feet 8 1/4 inches for part of a proposed garage addition. Board members and staff raised concerns that approving the waiver as proposed would set a precedent that could encourage similar encroachments and alter the neighborhood’s streetscape.

Lehi Restrepo, planner II for the city, told the board the lot is zoned RS3D and that staff found the neighborhood generally developed with single garages and single driveways. Restrepo summarized staff’s analysis and recommendation: “Staff maintains the recommendation of denial,” noting the request did not meet four of the five criteria for a practical-difficulty waiver presented in the staff report.