BZA approves three Bennett variances to allow bedroom addition; petitioner declined some staff floodplain elevation condition

The Monroe County Board of Zoning Appeals approved three variances for a 420-square-foot bedroom addition on a lakeshore parcel at 9409 East South Shore Drive. The variances addressed a front-yard setback encroachment, the Lake Lemmon 50‑foot lakeshore setback and buildable-area limits inside a special flood‑hazard area.

Staff described the house as a legal, pre‑existing nonconforming structure built in 1972; any expansion triggers variance review. The board heard technical information about base flood elevations and the county’s flood‑protection grade; staff recommended approval of setbacks and conditional approval of the floodplain variance if the petitioner elevates the addition and shed to meet the local flood protection grade (637.1 ft).

Petitioner Holly Bennett objected to elevating the addition because she wants one‑level living without steps and had planned the layout under the previous ordinance. Board members acknowledged the change in the code and a long planning history for the project; they found practical difficulties and approved all three variances by voice vote (4–0, with one member later recorded as abstaining due to midstream arrival). The BZA noted the petitioner must still satisfy building‑ and health‑department requirements where applicable.