Planning board grants variance to keep two sheds at Royal Palms home for medical equipment

The Atlantic Beach Local Planning Board voted to grant a variance for 410 Sargo Lane, allowing two existing accessory structures to remain so the owner can store medical and mobility equipment.

Amanda Askew, neighborhood department director, told the board the property in Royal Palms is zoned RS-1 and that the code (Section 24-151(c)) generally limits a property to one shed and three buildings including the principal structure. Staff said code enforcement had cleared prior citations except for the number of sheds and that the secondary shed measures about 193 square feet, larger than the 160-square-foot limit for a single allowed shed.

Carlos Hobbs, speaking for owner Pearl Hobbs, described the family's need to store medical equipment including a lift, extra beds and mobility devices: “We have a bed, extra things that she's going to need, a pump, you know, breathing or stuff, and stuff we can't keep in the house.” His family said many items are needed for an elderly household member and cannot be stored inside the home.

Neighbor Amy Franke, who lives at 405 Sargo Lane, said she had no objection to the variance and that the sheds have not caused problems for adjacent properties.

Board members discussed the statutory grounds for a variance and focused on ground 3 (exceptional circumstances preventing reasonable use of the property compared with others). One board member, identified in discussion as Jeff, recommended granting the variance but attaching a stipulation that the approval does not "run with the land" so it applies to the current owner only.

A member moved to approve the variance with that owner-limited stipulation; another member seconded. The chair called the vote and the motion passed; the board granted the variance.

The board record shows the approval was limited to the current ownership and was justified under the board's ground 3 finding. No further conditions or permit revisions were recorded at the meeting; staff indicated they will process any required follow-up paperwork.