Planning board approves mobile-home permit, restaurant liquor permit, variances and rezoning in mixed agenda

The St. Johns County Planning and Zoning Agency approved a set of permits and rezonings affecting housing, neighborhood compatibility and county utilities during its June session.

Osborne mobile-home permit: The board voted unanimously to approve Special Use Permit 202603 for a mobile home on Spring Street, an in-family parcel. The applicants, Ralph and Amber Osborne, said the house on the parcel was unsafe, had been demolished and family members temporarily occupied RVs while the owners pursued a replacement dwelling. In public comment, Richard Popovich opposed a manufactured home in the RS-3 neighborhood, alleging prior code enforcement issues and arguing it would harm neighborhood character. The Osbornes and supporters said the project would remove blighted conditions, connect to city water, remove temporary RVs and install an appropriate septic system. The motion to approve carried 6–0.

Funkadelic Food Shack: Amanda Asker, owner/operator of Funkadelic Food, requested a special-use permit to allow full distilled spirits (a 4-COP liquor application) at a tenant restaurant located in Ocean Grove RV Resort. Asker emphasized "food-first" operations, limited live music (concluding at 9 p.m.), parking attendants and overflow parking agreements with neighboring businesses for events. The board approved the special use permit by recorded vote (5–1), after asking about formal parking arrangements for off-site overflow and operations during peak events.

Other variance approvals: The board granted a duplex setback variance (Tatum variance) after the applicant, Lehi Tatum, described a previously negotiated compromise on setbacks; neighbors raised concerns about the non-maintained Avenue C used for rear access, and the board added conditions and approved the variance unanimously. A residential shed variance for Richard Barfredi (reduction from 8 feet to 3 feet on one side) also passed 5–1 after the applicant said he obtained building-stamp approval and HOA support and described how the shed is tied down.

Utility parcels rezoning: Melissa Carraway, utility development coordinator, presented an administrative rezoning request to place 11 county-owned utility parcels (sites with wastewater plants, water treatment facilities, towers and master lift stations) into a Public Service (PS) zoning category so the county can complete routine expansions and upgrades without repeated special-use requests. The board recommended approval unanimously.

Across the agenda, board members balanced neighborhood compatibility concerns and technical compliance. Staff repeatedly emphasized that some apparent inconsistencies (for example, clearance sheets showing a 10-foot rear setback) were administrative artifacts and not changes to the land-development code. Several approvals included detailed conditions and required clearance-sheet or plan-stage technical review before construction could proceed.

Next steps: Applicants with approved permits can proceed to the required clearance and building-permit steps; applicants denied (for example the Aspinwall variance on Broward Street) may resubmit with new applications and notices if they can show changed circumstances or good cause.