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Clay County board approves setback variance for Fleming Island home at 17112 Pickwick Place
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Summary
The Clay County Board of Regents approved variance BOA25‑0016 to reduce the side setback from 20 feet to 9.5 feet at 17112 Pickwick Place (Oak Park subdivision). The vote was 3–1 after staff said the lot predates current zoning and the applicant said the house must be replaced in the same footprint.
The Clay County Board of Regents on Dec. 4 approved BOA25‑0016, allowing a reduction of the side yard setback from 20 feet to 9.5 feet for a home at 17112 Pickwick Place in Fleming Island’s Oak Park subdivision. The board approved the variance by a 3–1 vote.
Jenny Bridal, the county’s zoning chief, told the board the existing house sits inside an older Oak Park plat where lots are about 80 feet wide, but current AR zoning requires 100‑foot minimum lot widths and 20‑foot side setbacks. Bridal said the structure was built in 1970 before the zoning rules now in force and that the applicant proposes to replace the house in the same footprint. “Staff does recommend approval,” Bridal said, describing the request as consistent with the historic pattern of development on the street even though staff found no formal hardship in the application.
Property owner Douglas K. Fazell spoke in support of the variance, said he had collected signed letters from adjacent neighbors who “have no issue with what we're trying to do,” and described structural and plumbing problems that make replacement necessary. “Bottom line, we're gonna really improve and have a new modern structure and want one story, and I think it'll just enhance the neighborhood,” Fazell said.
Board members discussed plat and code history, noting that Oak Park lots were platted with narrower widths and therefore many properties along the street do not meet current AR setback requirements. One board member moved to approve BOA25‑0016 and the motion carried 3–1.
The variance allows the owner to demolish the existing pre‑zoning house and build a new dwelling in essentially the same footprint with a 9.5‑foot side setback. The board did not approve a blanket variance for the entire plat at this meeting; members discussed the possibility generally but took no separate action on that topic.
The board moved to the next agenda item after the vote.
