Planning board denies variance for bathroom addition at 14 Mulberry Street

The St. Augustine Planning & Zoning Board voted April 2 to deny a variance request that would have reduced a rear‑yard setback to 2 feet 6 inches and increased lot coverage to 61% at 14 Mulberry Street in order to add a 44‑square‑foot bathroom.

Staff told the board the application met some technical criteria in the code but drew questions from members about whether the property owner had created the condition and whether the addition could enable conversion to short‑term rental use. The applicant’s agent said the intent was to provide an accessible bathroom for an elderly relative and that the house is currently listed on Airbnb while the owner sometimes lives elsewhere.

Board member Matthew Schafer moved to approve the request, saying staff had provided evidence addressing the variance criteria. Schafer argued that “if we stick to our purview, I’m just not seeing a reason to deny.” That motion failed on a roll call vote (yes: Schafer, Barnes; no: DePrater, Blow, Davis, Pappas).

Carl Blow then moved to deny the application. In making the motion, Blow cited the code’s variance criteria and said the property “does not suffer a singular disadvantage” compared with neighboring lots and that the owner can make reasonable use of the property without the addition. The denial passed (yes: Blow, DePrater, Davis, Pappas; no: Schafer, Barnes).

The board’s discussion emphasized alternatives raised by members — including reconfiguring interior space or siting a bathroom within the existing footprint — and recurring concerns about parking and the risk that incremental additions could enable more intensive rental use of small lots. The board’s written findings and any appeals will proceed to the City Commission under the usual procedures.