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Board conditions approval for variances at 216 North Riverside Drive amid neighbor flooding concerns
Summary
After extensive public comment about flooding, upland buffers and lot subdivision, the board approved variances for a new single-family home at 216 North Riverside Drive with conditions: a 10-foot south-side setback and a 35-foot front setback (in lieu of 40), while noting prior variances and flood-zone constraints.
After an extended public hearing and neighborhood testimony May 14, the Planning & Zoning Board approved variances to allow construction of a single-family home at 216 North Riverside Drive, but imposed conditions intended to reduce neighbor impacts.
Staff said the applicant requested multiple variances: reduce the two‑story side-yard setback from 15 feet to 10 feet, reduce minimum lot area from 12,000 to 10,000 square feet, reduce the mean-high-water setback from 50 feet to 26 feet at the closest point, and allow wetlands to be immediately adjacent to the house instead of the standard 25-foot upland buffer. Staff told the board the application did not meet all six criteria for staff to recommend approval but noted prior variances had been granted for nearby riverfront properties and that an earlier variance on this property had been approved on March 9, 2022.
Neighbors raised repeated concerns about runoff and flood risk. Joe Grabowski (217 North Riverside) said his garage currently receives water during light rain and warned that a reduced side-yard setback and changes to grade could push more runoff toward his property. Another neighbor said they were not notified about the variances; others questioned whether the lot subdivision had occurred before variances were sought. The applicant (Bridal Lee) said he had engineering plans and a retention design and suggested compromises such as moving the house forward five feet and adding coquina rock to limit runoff.
Board members discussed maintaining a 15-foot side setback on one side while allowing a 10-foot setback on the south side, reducing the front setback from 40 to 35 feet to give more space off the coquina wall, and requiring retention measures. One member cautioned that granting variances effectively creates a new buildable riverfront lot and should be scrutinized against comprehensive-plan policies that call for upland buffers and protection of shoreline.
A motion to approve VA2503 with conditions (south side setback 10 feet, 35-foot front setback instead of 40 feet, and remaining requests as written) was made, seconded and passed by roll-call vote with one dissent. The board’s approval allows the applicant to pursue plan revisions and permits subject to building and floodplain requirements and any conditions the city applies at the permit stage.
