Board approves 297-sq-ft tiki hut at 8801 West Gulf Boulevard, edits staff conditions

The Treasure Island Planning & Zoning Board voted Oct. 23 to approve a site plan modification allowing a 297-square-foot tiki hut over an existing seating area at 8801 West Gulf Boulevard with edited staff conditions.

Attorney Jason Goldstein and architect/engineer Dennis Lang told the board the tiki hut provides covered seating for an existing alcoholic-beverage establishment and that the property operates a valet/tandem parking arrangement historically grandfathered from earlier approvals. Jesse, city staff, said a permit had been reviewed and was pending this board outcome, but staff wanted a submitted parking plan to verify the number and arrangement of spaces and asked that applicants identify one on-site ADA space.

During the discussion, staff and the applicant noted that tiki-hut construction by Seminole tribal craftsmen is treated differently under Florida law and that some portions of the Florida Building Code are not applicable to those traditionally constructed structures; staff recommended removing a reference to the Florida Building Code from condition one rather than applying an inapplicable standard. The board agreed to remove the building-code reference while retaining life-safety requirements (including fire prevention) and to require the owner to stripe a handicapped (ADA) parking space on the property.

The motion to approve SMOD-0000527-2025 (moved by Chris Downing, seconded by Grant Smith) passed by roll-call vote with unanimous yes votes. Staff will require the owner to submit a parking plan and provide the ADA space as a condition recorded in the motion.