Board approves generator relocation, hedge height variance for Rogers East Condo

The Planning & Zoning Board on July 18 approved a request by Rogers East Condo to relocate an aging generator, permit a 14‑foot hedge in the required front yard and reduce parking from 32 to 31 spaces so the generator can meet current NFPA and FEMA requirements.

Tory Boone, zoning manager, said the continued item was unchanged from the prior meeting; survey discrepancies had been resolved and the request was limited to moving the generator to an exterior parking space with screening. Applicant representative Kristen Hutton said the existing generator violates NFPA requirements because equipment and exhaust are within the garage, fuel tanks lack outdoor spill containment, and the unit sits below base flood elevation. Hutton said moving the generator to an external space restores code compliance and improves safety for residents ahead of hurricane season.

Hutton described proposed screening using podocarpus (and the use of root barriers where necessary) and said the applicant accepts staff's requested conditions. With no further public opposition and no substantive board concerns, the board voted 4–0 to approve the variances and conditions.