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Fort Lauderdale denies waiver for oversized finger piers at 1409 SW 17th Street after neighborhood opposition
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Summary
After hours of testimony from neighbors, advisory board representatives and the applicant, the City Commission unanimously voted to deny a requested waiver to extend two finger piers—one up to 56.5 feet—finding the application failed to meet standards for extraordinary circumstances and raised navigation and precedent concerns.
The Fort Lauderdale City Commission unanimously denied on April 7 a request to waive local dock‑length limits for two finger piers proposed at 1409 Southwest 17th Street, following extensive public comment and testimony from advisory boards and the applicant.
Neighbors told the commission the proposed piers would block navigation in the narrow River Oaks canal, lower property values and set an undesirable precedent. Amber Calderon, a recent homebuyer in the neighborhood, said the change “would permanently change” the character of the community and urged the commission to “uphold the standard for everyone.” Several neighbors emphasized prior Marine Advisory Board opposition and noted that the board previously voted against the project.
Applicant counsel Ryan Abrams argued the proposal complied with property‑line measurements and other permitting approvals, saying the plans were approved by FDEP and Broward County and that the applicant owns submerged land that justifies measuring from the recorded property line. Hudson Gill, representing the Marine Advisory Board, explained the board’s recommendation to allow a smaller pier length (up to about 36.5 feet for one pier) and summarized the code language limiting any waiver to no more than 30% of the waterway’s width.
Commission discussion focused on whether the applicant had shown the “extraordinary circumstances” required to grant a waiver under Unified Land Development Regulations section 47‑19.3. Commissioners questioned whether the requested 56.5‑foot pier could be reconciled with the code’s 30%‑of‑waterway cap and whether the proposed structure would leave safe, navigable passage in the canal. The city attorney and zoning staff explained that the code measures waterway width from seawall to seawall and that 30% of the measured waterway in this location would allow up to roughly 40 feet, which would still be below the applicant’s largest requested length.
After closing the public hearing, the commission introduced a resolution to deny the waiver application by Rhiannon Holcomb and Vincent Conjine. The roll call vote was unanimous, and the resolution was adopted denying the requested pier extensions.
The denial preserves the Marine Advisory Board’s more conservative recommendation and leaves open the potential for applicants to seek smaller pier lengths consistent with the 30% cap or to return with revised proposals.
