St. Augustine Beach adopts rules easing tree-saving setbacks and narrows street-side setback for narrow oceanfront lots

The City of St. Augustine Beach commission unanimously approved two amendments to the city’s land-development rules Tuesday: one to streamline flexible setbacks intended to save trees, and another narrowing the street-side setback on certain narrow oceanfront lots.

Planner Miss Thompson told commissioners the flexible-setbacks amendment restores a missing definition for diameter at breast height, adds a provision allowing trees 8 inches or greater to qualify when not explicitly listed, and removes an outdated maximum-diameter limit. "These changes will help the planning and zoning board when reviewing flexible setback to save trees applications," she said.

Commissioners had no public comment on that item; Commissioner [name withheld in roll call] moved and a second was recorded, and the ordinance passed without opposition.

On the second ordinance, staff proposed changing the street-side setback for oceanfront lots 46.5 feet wide or less from 12 feet to 8.5 feet and clarifying that the ocean-facing side should be treated as the front. Miss Thompson said the planning board approved the change on first reading and staff brought a few formatting updates.

Several commissioners asked whether redefining "front" for oceanfront parcels could create unintended consequences in other sections of the code—particularly for fences, sheds, and accessory structures. "Have we done a survey of every reference to front yard to see what it would impact?" one commissioner asked. Miss Thompson and City Attorney Brian Law responded that oceanfront lots are a narrow category and that some accessory elements historically have been allowed in oceanfront front yards; they suggested adding a subparagraph or cross-references if commissioners preferred further clarity.

Architect Michael Stauffer, speaking from the public, supported the change, telling the commission that designing 27-foot-wide houses for oceanfront clients had been "extremely difficult" and that allowing the slightly wider 30-foot building articulation is fairer to narrow lots. "This is an anomaly that these 46 and 46.5 foot wide lots are there," he said, urging adoption.

After public comment and deliberation, the commission moved, seconded, and adopted the oceanfront setback ordinance unanimously.

The ordinances amend Appendix A, Article 6 of the city code and will take effect according to the language in each ordinance. Staff said they will tidy cross-references to front-yard definitions in subsequent edits to avoid ambiguity.

Votes at a glance - Flexible setbacks to save trees (Ordinance O-2026-02): Motion made and adopted unanimously (no roll-call tallies recorded in the meeting minutes). - Street-side setback for narrow oceanfront lots (Ordinance O-2026-03): Motion made and adopted unanimously (no roll-call tallies recorded).

What happens next: Staff will update related LDR cross-references and proceed with any required administrative steps to implement the amendments.