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Lake Placid planner seeks to resolve corner‑lot setback contradictions, proposes reduced side setbacks
Summary
Planner Dana Riddell presented ordinance 20‑26‑005 to clarify corner‑lot and through‑lot setbacks, propose a 12‑foot remainder setback with a 20‑foot rear zone, and treat narrow alleyways (≤15 ft) as rear yards for residential lots; the agency voted to recommend the ordinance to council.
Dana Riddell told the Local Planning Agency that ordinance 20‑26‑005 aims to remove contradictory code language that could require 25‑foot setbacks on corner lots and to treat narrow alleyways as rear yards for residential properties. "Simply saying, treat your alleyway backyard as a backyard," Riddell said, explaining the proposed rule that residential lots abutting an alleyway with a right‑of‑way width of 15 feet or less shall not be considered double‑frontage lots.
Riddell described the staff recommendation to require a 20‑foot setback for the rear portion of a lot within 50 feet of the rear lot line and at least 12 feet for the remainder of the lot to the front building line, and to classify remaining yards appropriately as rear or side yards. She said Highlands County uses a 15‑foot corner yard setback and that recent state law (Senate Bill 180) allows only loosening of local regulations, which informed staff’s recommendation to reduce portions of the setback to 12 feet where consistent with historic development.
Members examined aerial maps and examples (Spruce Ave, Hibiscus, South Oak and Pine) to identify unconstructed alleyways and confirm which lots would be considered through lots. Questions from members focused on which alleyways exist in town and how the proposal would affect existing accessory structures. Riddell noted that some existing structures are technically out of compliance and that the amendment would bring many of them into compliance by treating narrow alleyways as rear yards while preserving alley rights‑of‑way and preventing fencing across those rights‑of‑way.
A board member moved and another seconded to recommend ordinance 20‑26‑005 with the discussed changes. The agency polled and recorded affirmative votes from Alex Ramos, Gary Freeman and Dustin Woods; the motion passed to forward the recommendation to Town Council.
The Town Council will receive the LPA recommendation and decide whether to adopt ordinance 20‑26‑005.
