LPA approves 597‑sq.‑ft. boathouse canopy variance for Egret Street with conditions

The Fort Myers Beach Local Planning Agency unanimously approved a variance on Jan. 13 permitting a 597‑square‑foot fabric canopy boathouse at 225 Egret Street, subject to conditions that limit the approval to the proposed soft canopy and prevent additional hard structures or storage under the canopy.

Staff described the canopy as a fabric cover treated under the boathouse section of the land development code; the code permits a 500‑sq.‑ft. boathouse roof for single‑family homes and the applicant requested ~97 additional square feet. Staff noted the proposal uses existing pilings and a 14‑foot protrusion into a 56‑foot canal (25% intrusion allowance), and said the canopy is less intense than a solid structure.

Kara Stewart, representing the property owner, confirmed required notices were mailed and posted and argued the canopy is de minimis: support columns will be set farther back than required and no storage or additional hard structure will be added under the cover. She said comparable jurisdictions allow larger canopy areas and the design reduces hard obstructions in the waterway.

Board members discussed navigation and neighbor impacts; several said a soft canopy was preferable to a hard roof for maneuvering vessels in a narrow canal and asked to tie approval to a condition limiting the structure to the canopy as drawn. The applicant’s representative accepted that condition.

A motion to approve variance 02/5079 with the attached conditions — including a condition that limits the project to the proposed canopy — passed unanimously.