Lantana staff to draft narrow ordinance allowing boat lifts at 311 East Ocean Avenue

Council staff told a workshop on May 21 that they would draft a narrowly targeted ordinance to let existing residential developments in a C-1 commercial zoning district maintain existing docks and, in limited circumstances, install boat lifts and lighting without a variance.

"The nonconforming portion of the town code... is truly doing what it's intended to do," said Cole Dritz, Development Services Director, reviewing why the property at 311 East Ocean is caught by the town's nonconforming rules. Town attorney (speaker S2) said the typical hardship standard for variances is difficult to meet for optional amenities like boat lifts, though dock-specific cases tied to riparian rights can differ. "Because I'm telling you right now, if we went the variance route, I will sit over here and cringe because that nobody has a hardship for a boat lift," the town attorney said.

Staff outlined a solution that would allow the existing dock to be maintained and, subject to a required survey of the dock footprint, permit limited improvements such as lifts and lights so long as the dock does not grow. Staff said the cost of a simple dock survey would fall to the applicants or HOA; staff repeatedly emphasized the amendment would be narrowly written so it affects only the one atypical residential development in the C-1 district.

Council members said they preferred a narrow fix rather than rezoning the property or creating townwide exceptions. By consensus, the council directed staff to draft ordinance language, notice it to the planning commission, and present it to the council for first and second readings. Staff said they would work with the applicant on the survey/site-plan requirements before formal submittal.