Zoning board grants variances for narrow warehouse at 2571 Division Avenue

On June 4 the City of West Palm Beach Zoning Board of Appeals approved a package of six variances for a proposed warehouse at 2571 Division Avenue by a 5–0 roll-call vote.

Isabella Barontis of Schmidt Nichols presented the application on behalf of applicants/owners John Rogers and Dean Henderson; the project proposes a 5,750-square-foot warehouse on a roughly 0.132-acre lot in an industrial block. Variances requested and described in testimony included a north landscape buffer reduction (providing 3.7 ft where 5 ft is required), a southern buffer reduction (zero provided where 5 ft is required), reduction in required trees (providing two of four trees required), a shrubs reduction (34 provided of 59 required), no 10-foot frontage buffer at a driveway connection, and a minor lot-width variance (49.35 ft provided vs. 50 ft required). Barontis said site circulation, parking and utilities constrain full conformance but that the plan still provides substantial landscaping and internal circulation improvements.

Planning staff said the site is largely cleared and recommended approval, explaining that utilities and the narrow lot footprint make strict compliance impracticable while the proposed layout improves internal vehicle circulation and removes poor existing conditions from the block.

Vice Chair Emiline Savage moved to grant the variances, citing the staff report and findings; Alfred Fields seconded. The roll-call vote (Piccott, Hagen, Savage, Fields, Hack) was unanimous, 5–0.

Board members discussed tree placement and utility conflicts; staff and the applicant said they would continue to coordinate the landscaping plan with the city’s landscape architect. The approval was granted based on the findings that the petition met the variance standards in Article 94-38 of the city code.