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Board approves one‑foot setback variance for Fleming Island homeowners to add accessible bathroom
Summary
Clay County approved BOA25‑0017, a one‑foot side‑setback reduction at 1857 Osprey Bluff Boulevard so homeowners can add an exterior bathroom to create a more accessible layout. Staff recommended denial but the board voted to approve after applicants described structural problems and accessibility needs.
The Clay County Board of Regents approved BOA25‑0017 on Dec. 4, granting a one‑foot reduction of the side yard setback (from 10 feet to 9 feet) at 1857 Osprey Bluff Boulevard in Fleming Island to allow a bathroom addition. The motion was seconded and recorded as passed with all members present voting in favor.
Zoning Chief Jenny Bridal recommended denial to the board, saying the lot is in an RA zoning district, the home (built in 1986) was compliant when constructed, and that the request did not meet variance criteria. “Therefore, staff does recommend denial,” Bridal stated in her presentation.
Applicant John Frederick Wagner described a long history of settlement and an enclosed patio area that was originally a porch slab and later enclosed as a bedroom. Wagner said the family has invested in repairs to stabilize the area (including helical screw piles) and seeks an exterior bathroom addition so the home can be used long‑term and to achieve wider door and circulation clearances for aging‑in‑place needs. “We’re spending $300,000 on the upgrade of the house right now to try and make it our forever home,” Wagner said.
Wagner’s spouse, Heather Marsh, told the board that a previous enclosure left the home with a patio slab repurposed as living space and that the couple has spent money to make the area livable and addressed prior permit decisions. Board members asked questions about the slab and the structural approach; one board member said retaining and stabilizing the existing slab area made sense in the applicant’s circumstances.
After discussion, a motion to approve BOA25‑0017 was made, seconded, and carried (recorded as all in favor). The approval permits the homeowners to build the proposed bathroom addition with the one‑foot setback reduction. Bridal’s recommendation for denial and the board’s approval are both recorded in the meeting minutes.
