Atlantic Beach council updates flag and Circle District zoning rules

Atlantic Beach's Town Council on March 23 approved two land-use measures: a signage text amendment reflecting recent state law on flag displays and a change to Circle District dimensional standards that reduces allowable building heights and increases setbacks.

Planning Director Elisabeth Webster told council the flag amendment implements state House Bill 926 by preventing local governments from restricting the size of official government flags on private property; the town will retain a 60-foot limit for business and other flags. During a public hearing, resident John Kurek said he opposed any local restrictions on displaying the American flag. Councilmember Joseph Starling clarified the local change removes municipal authority to regulate flag size rather than adding a restriction. The council adopted the plan-consistency resolution and the ordinance unanimously (4-0).

On zoning, Webster described amendments to the Circle District that reduce two subzone height limits from 155 feet and 185 feet to a uniform 90 feet and add side setbacks of five feet and front/rear setbacks of 10 feet where zero setbacks previously applied. Councilmember Austin Waters said the change aligns with the recently approved master site plan and prevents new buildings from exceeding the town's water tower height; a 90-foot limit still allows roughly seven stories. Tony Engrassia of the public asked the council to clarify the geographic scope; Webster identified the area as extending from the Circle Point flagpole toward the beach around the Circle.

Both the plan-consistency resolutions and the two ordinances passed unanimously. The ordinances are recorded as Ordinance 26-03-01 (signage) and Ordinance 26-03-02 (Circle District dimensional standards).