Board denies height variance for lifted house at 120 14th Street after notice dispute and neighbor objections

The Belleair Beach Board of Adjustment voted to deny variance request 26-12 for a lifted house at 120 14th Street in Miller Beach after neighborhood opposition and a technical notice discrepancy were raised at the hearing.

Architect Stacy Fisher and contractor Albert Jocelyn explained the project to the board, saying the house was being lifted to meet FEMA base flood elevation and that unforeseen site conditions increased stem-wall depth, resulting in a larger-than-expected rise in roof height. The owner, Rahul Shubler, asked the board to approve a 3-foot 10-inch variance so the contractor could finish the work and the family could move forward: "I would request humbly that you, approve this variance so that we can finish this project that has started from 2 years," he said.

Neighbors said the house now reads as a markedly higher structure and urged the board to uphold the 35-foot zoning limit. City attorney Tom Traun told the board the public notice advertised a 3-foot 8-inch variance but the applicant was asking for 3-foot 10 inches at the hearing, saying, "So it's not been properly noticed for 310," and warned that approving a larger variance than advertised could invite legal challenge. The architect and owner said they could accept a 3-foot 8-inch limit if the board required that. The board read the seven variance criteria aloud, heard votes on each, and ultimately a motion to deny variance 26-12 carried in roll call; the chair announced the variance was denied.

The denial leaves the owners able to revise plans and return to the board or proceed with designs that meet the advertised 3-foot 8-inch request if feasible. The transcript records neighbor letters for and against and several residents in opposition during public comment.