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Atlantic Beach board approves driveway variance at 1890 Beach Avenue with pervious-paver condition
Summary
The Community Development Board approved a variance allowing replacement of a nonconforming 30.8-foot driveway at 1890 Beach Avenue, conditioned on using pervious pavers for the driveway and a limitation that future improvements not raise lot coverage above 60.3%. The applicant said he might withdraw rather than accept costly conditions.
The Atlantic Beach Community Development Board approved a variance for 1890 Beach Avenue at its June 16 meeting, allowing the property owner to replace an existing, nonconforming driveway and to retain a wider driveway apron at the right-of-way provided the replacement uses pervious pavers and future improvements do not raise lot coverage above 60.3%.
City planner Peyton Jamieson presented the request, describing the property as zoned RGM (residential general multifamily) and noting that current code limits driveway width at the right-of-way to 20 feet. "This is a variance at 1890 Beach Avenue. It's a request for variance to exceed the maximum driveway width and the maximum lot coverage," Jamieson said, adding that staff measured the existing driveway at about 30.8 feet at the right-of-way and calculated current lot coverage at 73.2% compared with a grandfathered 60.3% and an RGM limit of 45%.
Jamieson traced the property history: a 1993 survey showing a wider apron (about 48 feet at right-of-way), a permitted pool added in 2004, and a 2023 deck rebuild. Staff told the board the application specifically requested brick pavers; Jamieson said the board could condition approval to require a different material (for example, pervious pavers) to reduce effective lot coverage.
Owner Greg Rawlings, speaking for the applicant, said he bought the house about four years ago and needs to replace a cracked, sunken driveway that serves a three-car garage. "We just want to replace what's there," Rawlings said. He told the board that permeable pavers were considered but were much more expensive and that meeting the 60.3% figure would likely be unaffordable. Rawlings said he would prefer to withdraw rather than accept conditions he could not afford.
Board members discussed alternatives, including allowing a 20-foot driveway at the right-of-way with a widened apron beyond the line, granting a conditional approval that only covers the driveway, or requiring the applicant to remove or change other pavers on the lot. Several members argued a conditional approval requiring pervious pavers for the driveway would be a practical compromise: it permits the needed repair and improves the property’s impervious-to-pervious ratio without forcing costly changes across the entire lot.
Committee member (speaker 7) moved to approve the variance based on the board’s criterion for hardship and to condition approval on replacing the driveway with pervious pavers and on future improvements not exceeding 60.3% lot coverage. The motion was seconded and amended on the floor, and the board voted by voice; the motion carried. The vote was a voice vote and no roll-call tally was recorded in the minutes.
The board chair and staff advised the applicant to contact staff to coordinate the permit details and the conditions attached to the approval. The applicant indicated he might withdraw the application rather than accept conditions he finds unaffordable, but the board recorded and adopted the conditional approval and will proceed with permit processing under those conditions.
