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Board approves side‑setback and floor‑elevation variances for Fuentes home addition
Summary
The Board of Adjustments approved three variances for 8331 Northwest 15th Court to allow reduced side setbacks for bedroom and kitchen additions and a one‑inch reduction to the required finished floor elevation for a carport conversion and addition.
On Oct. 2 the Pembroke Pines Board of Adjustments unanimously approved three related variances for a home at 8331 Northwest 15th Court, allowing reduced side setbacks for proposed additions and a 17‑inch finished floor elevation where code requires 18 inches above the crown of the adjacent street. Each motion passed by a roll call vote of 3–0.
Staff explained the project for owner Geronaldo Fuentes included a master bedroom addition and a kitchen relocation that would encroach into required side setbacks. The petitions cited the house’s original 1974 configuration and argued the addition should line up with the existing home; the lot width is approximately 61 feet, which under the current code requires 7.5‑foot side setbacks for lots wider than 60 feet. The three petitions were filed as ZVR2025‑0033 (east side setback to ~5.42 ft), ZVR2025‑0034 (west side setback to ~5.74 ft) and ZVR2025‑0035 (finished floor elevation 17" instead of required 18").
Staff noted the finished floor elevation (FF&E) of the existing house does not meet the current minimum; the petitioner requested the new habitable area match existing conditions because the addition will be attached. Member Pitts asked whether the difference stemmed from a technicality tied to lot width; staff confirmed it was a code threshold and said staff would review the permitting and landscaping requirements during permitting.
All three motions were approved. The board instructed the applicant to coordinate with staff and the building department to complete required permitting and any landscape or drainage corrections identified during plan review. No public opposition was recorded at the hearing.
