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Tag: Seaside Gardens

Voluntary elevation proposed for Seaside Gardens townhomes

Written by Joe Hendricks on . Posted in Featured.

HOLMES BEACH – Holmes Beach city staff has proposed an ordinance that will allow Seaside Gardens homeowners to voluntarily replace their non-hurricane-damaged, ground-level townhomes with new elevated townhomes.

City code currently restricts those Seaside Gardens elevation activities to nonconforming ground-level townhomes that sustained significant hurricane or storm damage.

Development Services Director Chad Minor presented Draft Ordinance 26-03 to the mayor and city commissioners during the commission’s Feb. 24 work session.

The ordinance would clarify and amend existing city code that regulates nonconforming structures in the Seaside Gardens community. The proposed ordinance would allow for the voluntary reconstruction of nonconforming units, as applicable to the townhouses located in the city’s R-4 residential zoning district.

MINOR’S MEMO

Included in the work session agenda packet was a memo from Minor that explains the existing regulations and the proposed changes.

Regarding the existing conditions, Minor’s memo says, “Seaside Gardens is a truly unique community that is unreplicated anywhere else in the city. However, this uniqueness has created zoning and land use challenges due to the fact the underlying zoning of Seaside Gardens (R-4, Medium density residential district) has created a series of nonconformities that impact many of the existing units and their ability to reconstruct or improve. In addition, a majority of the attached townhome units now located within the community are ground-level. As such, they are nonconforming to the Base Flood Elevation (BFE) requirements.”

Regarding previous city commission actions, Minor’s memo says, “In response to the issues surrounding reconstruction of nonconforming units, city commission approved Ordinance No. 23-19 in September 2023. Ordinance No. 23-19 allowed nonconforming townhomes within the R-4 zoning district which have been involuntarily damaged 50% or more of the townhome’s market value to be reconstructed provided the conditions or the ordinance are met. It should also be noted that at the time Ord. No.23-19 was adopted, many of the Seaside Gardens residents were not supportive of the voluntary reconstruction of the nonconforming units.”

Regarding the newly proposed ordinance, Minor’s memo says, “City staff attended the Seaside Gardens annual civic association/homeowners meeting on Feb. 9 and the issue of voluntary vs. nonvoluntary reconstruction was discussed. A majority of the homeowners in attendance were now supportive of the ability to reconstruct on a voluntary basis as well. They requested staff present an ordinance that would allow for the voluntary reconstruction of nonconforming units similarly to those units allowed to rebuild upon being involuntarily damaged 50 percent or more of the townhome’s market value. As a result, staff has prepared the attached ordinance language (Ord. No. 26-03) allowing voluntary demolition and reconstruction of nonconforming units.”

In summary, Minor’s memo says, “Staff’s focus and intent of the ordinances related to the Seaside Gardens is to address, insofar as possible, the nonconformities and allow the common wall units the potential to rebuild to current floodplain standards and create flood-compliant and safer structures. 

“It is also recognized that quality of life would no doubt be impacted by construction of an adjacent unit and the city must try and balance this with the ability to create resilient and safer buildings. Ordinance language to allow like-for-like units to be built in compliance with FEMA and the floodplain ordinance is critical. It is also important to note that it is not the staff’s intent to introduce allowances for additional structures within the flood hazard areas or to create additional nonconformities.”

When addressing the mayor and commissioners, Minor noted there are already some elevation projects taking place in Seaside Gardens. In one instance, one side of a ground-level duplex is being replaced with an elevated town home, with ground-level parking below, while the adjacent townhome remains at ground level. Another project underway involves one unit of a Seaside Gardens triplex being elevated.

One of the townhomes in this Seaside Gardens triplex is already being elevated. – Joe Hendricks | Sun

No formal action was taken during the commission work session. The proposed ordinance will be presented to city commissioner on first reading during the commission’s regular meeting on Tuesday, March 10, at 2 p.m.

The proposed ordinance will then be presented to the planning commission so it can be reviewed for compliance with the city’s comprehensive plan. After being reviewed by the planning commission, the ordinance will be presented to the city commission on second reading for final adoption.

Commissioners consider going vertical in Seaside Gardens

Commissioners consider going vertical in Seaside Gardens

Written by SUN contributor on . Posted in Community News, Holmes Beach.

HOLMES BEACH – It’s been more than two months since commissioners first began their discussion on whether or not to allow property owners in Seaside Gardens to raise their ground floor homes above the flood plain level. Now it seems they may have reached a decision.

During a Sept. 26 meeting, commissioners voted unanimously to approve the first reading of an ordinance allowing property owners to raise the ground-level structures that characterize the waterfront neighborhood – the catch is that they can only do so if the home was involuntarily damaged.

If the new ordinance passes a second and final reading at an upcoming meeting, Seaside Gardens owners will be able to raise their units to or above the current flood plain level, but only if the unit is involuntarily damaged by 50% or more of the townhome’s market value by fire, flood, windstorm or other similar event. Property owners will not be able to simply choose to raise the structure.

If the unit is damaged, when reconstructed it will have to meet or exceed the current elevation requirements, the ground floor will have to be converted to non-habitable space and the existing floorplan cannot be increased.

The decision comes after work session discussions in which Mayor Judy Titsworth and commissioners heard from several residents and property owners in the small neighborhood, part of which fronts a canal. While some property owners felt they should be able to choose to build their properties up, others said it would change the character of the neighborhood and reduce the quality of life for adjoining residents.

All of the properties in Seaside Gardens have at least one wall that adjoins another property, with some being duplex units and others townhouses in buildings with three or more units. During discussions, Commissioner Pat Morton, who lives in Seaside Gardens, said he was not in favor of allowing property owners to choose to raise their properties to a second story because of the issues neighbors would face including construction noise and possible damage to their units. Under the new ordinance, property owners who raise their units must make sure that the construction doesn’t damage adjacent properties or cause those property owners to not be able to elevate their own units at some point in the future if necessary.

City seeks Seaside Gardens residents’ input

Written by SUN contributor on . Posted in Community News, Holmes Beach.

HOLMES BEACH – City leaders are considering a proposal to allow property owners in Seaside Garden to raise their homes above the FEMA base flood elevation height to help save the homes from rising sea levels, and they want input from the neighborhood’s residents.

City Planner Chad Minor presented the proposition to commissioners during an April 25 work session. He said one property owner had approached the city about raising the level of one unit of a three-unit structure in Seaside Gardens. Minor said that raising the neighborhood’s 110 units above the base flood elevation would bring the structures into compliance with FEMA standards without needing to rezone all of the properties from their current R-4 zoning.

To raise the buildings, Minor said the bottom floors would have to become non-habitable areas, such as a parking garage, and the upstairs would have to be built within the current building footprint. No additional bedrooms would be able to be added and the construction would not be allowed to affect neighboring units.

“I like the idea,” Commissioner Carol Soustek said. “People can improve the condition of or rebuild their homes without abandoning the neighborhood.” She said that further discussion on how to limit the impacts to neighbors was needed along with input from neighborhood residents.

Building Official Neal Schwartz said that a firewall will need to be maintained between adjoined units and that the new units constructed above the base flood elevation level wouldn’t be subject to FEMA’s 50% rule. The rule allows for a ground-level property to be renovated only up to 50% of the value of the property.

Commissioner Pat Morton, who lives in a triplex in the neighborhood, said he’s concerned about the impact to neighbors with all of the units attached.

“To me, this is a disaster for the area,” Morton said, adding that he doesn’t believe neighborhood residents would be in favor of allowing property owners to move their units up.

Mayor Judy Titsworth said the real issues for the neighborhood are king tides and saltwater intrusion.

“It’s good to get people off the ground because the ground’s getting soggy,” she said.

The issue is not yet scheduled for a hearing.