Okay. At 6:30 p.m. This is the City of Tarpon Springs Board of Adjustment Meeting of July 22nd, 2026, and I now call this meeting to order. Madam
Secretary, would you please do a roll call of the board member? Chairperson Grossman here, vice
chair, rich present, Miss Turner, present. Mr. wood present. Mr. Fuchs is absent. Okay. So thank you very much.
So since we don't have a full quorum. I will ask the city attorney to advise the applicant of their options, as we don't have full five here. Thank you. Sir. First, can we
confirm that the applicant is here? Okay. Just to make sure. So, sir, we don't have as as you mentioned, we don't have a full board here. We have four out of the five. You're have the right to have your
application heard by a full board. We have a quorum to proceed. Either way, you would need three yeses, three approval votes. So it is your
choice to essentially proceed tonight understanding that you have one less person to potentially approve vote and approval or defer your hearing
on your application to next month's meeting, sir. Okay. And the applicant has chosen to proceed for the record. So I would send it back to you. Thank you, City Attorney. Now,
I would ask you if you would please read the quasi judicial announcement and procedures and then please, we are in any witnesses that will be testifying this evening. Thank you. Yes. So this is a quasi
judicial proceeding where the Board of Adjustment acts in a quasi judicial rather than a legislative capacity at a quasi judicial hearing. It is not the board's function to make law, but rather to apply law that
has already been established in a quasi judicial hearing. The board is required by law to make findings of fact based upon the evidence presented at the hearing, and apply those findings of fact to previously
established criteria contained in the Code of Ordinances in order to make a legal decision regarding the application before it, the board may only consider evidence at this hearing that the law considers
competent, substantial and relevant to the issues. If the competent, substantial and relevant evidence at the hearing demonstrates that the applicant has met the criteria established in the Code of Ordinance, then the board is
required by law to find in favor of the applicant. By the same token, if the competent, substantial and relevant evidence at the hearing demonstrates that the applicant has failed to meet the criteria established in the Code of
Ordinance, then the board is required by law to find against the applicant. I guess next I would ask if there's any ex parte communications to be
disclosed as well. If we didn't hit that already, if everybody who intends to testify this evening, if you could please stand and raise your right hand
to be sworn in. If you're going to present intend to present, I
would ask you to be sworn in. Do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth and your
testimony in these proceedings this evening? Yes. Thank you. Okay. At this time, I would like to remind all people who will be speaking this evening
to please speak directly into the microphone as it assists the staff in getting a clear recording of tonight's proceedings. At this time, I'm calling up item 2650. Come here.
And that is a variance to reduce the driveway side setback requirement at 1256 Pine Crest Circle. And I would with city staff member, please
present this item now. Thank you. Ali Keene, interim planning Director. The property again is located at the end of Pine Crest Circle, outlined in red here on the screen. This
entire area is all zoned R 100, which is for single family residential zoning district. Again, the applicants are here this evening requesting variants approval to reduce the
required side setback for the purpose of widening their existing driveway and replacing it with pavers. Here's a look at the proposed site plan. The applicant is looking to widen
the driveway on both sides of their existing drive here. Shaded in blue, the Land Development Code requires a minimum side setback for driveways of three feet. The applicants are looking to extend the driveway to the west
all the way to the property line, so they're requesting a side setback of zero feet. On that side, there is an existing privacy fence that runs along the shared property line that will provide some screening of
the widened driveway, as well as help to provide some protection of vehicles potentially driving into the adjacent property, owner or property. They will also be maintaining a ten foot side
setback on the other side, on the east side, and this is due to some existing utilities within that area. The maximum driveway width is determined by the lot width, and the
driveways width is measured along the front property line. The land development code allows driveway width. I'm sorry lot width to be measured in a variety of ways. One is based off of the average lot
width. In this case, it's applicable to do it that way because the lot frontage is quite narrow along the street. It's only 38ft wide. So when calculating that average lot with its 87ft, the permitted
driveway with based off the average lot width would be up to 28ft. For this property, the existing driveway is about 18ft wide, and the applicants are widening the driveway to just
over 27ft. So although they're reducing the side setback on the one side, the overall width, the driveway will still not exceed what they would be permitted by the code. The
adjacent property to the west, the home is separated about 46ft from the shared property line where the the driveway will be widened again. There's the existing fence along this property line as well. This is
the street view of the property. As you can see, the house is elevated with parking provided on the ground. Story. There are two single car garages on either side of the entryway. The applicants indicated that the widened driveway will help
provide a little bit better maneuverability, as well as access to these existing garages. You can also see that there is existing gravel on either side of the driveway, and that does correspond to the
areas where they're looking to widen. Here are your variance criteria, and I'll turn it back to the board for any questions. Does the board have any
questions for the city. Yes. Joanne just have one question. Do you look at the impact of drainage when you are taking
all that into account. So that typically will happen at the permitting stage. It does go over stormwater folks to make sure that their everything drains the right way. They can't disperse any additional water on adjacent properties,
but that would be verified at the permitting. Thank you ma'am. Clarification can you go to the the photograph the next slide.
One more please. Sorry about that. That shows the gravel. So for clarification purposes the application is to have pavers talking on the right hand side.
The one that's adjoining the neighbor's property where the existing gravel is. And then on the left hand side again where the gravel is. But I see
there's the gravel seems to go all the way at the street frontage area where the mailbox is, is all of that paved or just a section of it? Because
you were talking about the ten foot. Sure. So generally, yes, it corresponds looking on the other side of the sidewalk to where they're widening it. And then down here in this little portion, if I go back to the
site plan, you can see that they will not be putting pavers along this portion. They have worked with public works to do the sidewalk and pavers as well, but not this particular area is
not shown on the plan. Okay, that that helps. Thank you. I'm good. Okay. I do have a couple questions. Are there or have
there been any other properties with zero setbacks approved? There are likely properties in the city that do have a zero foot setback for driveways. From the time I've been here, I
don't know if I processed a variance for this potentially reduced setback, but there are ones around the the city. One consideration I forgot to mention is at grade improvements. So you know,
concrete patios or even a paver patio. Those do not have a side setback or any setback requirement. But the driveway and I think because of vehicles potentially driving on the grass, that does maintain a
setback. So does the pavers make a difference between paver and concrete. No it doesn't. So whatever is being used for driveway. So this would not be
the first setback in the city. Likely not. I can't speak to whether or not those properties are conforming or not, but there are out there. Okay. And then the utilities that are on
the east side, are they servicing other properties as well other than the applicants? I'd probably have to ask the applicant that question. They do indicate that there's a
water meter out here. When you come up. Yeah. No problem. And then whose fence is currently on the west side, is it the
applicant's fence or neighbors? That would also be a question for the applicant. But you can put a fence on the property obviously. So not sure who put it in. All right. Well thank you very much for your
presentation. We do not have any more questions for you, chairman. I have one other clarifying question was did we receive any communication from
any other neighbors properties from the posting of the yellow sign? No, we have not. Thank you. Okay. Thank you sir, at this time. Thank you very much
for your presentation. I would like to call up the applicant if you want to, to make your presentation. When you get to the podium, please state your name and address for the record.
Also, when you're finished making your presentation, please stay at the podium in case any of the board members have any questions for you.
Good evening everybody. Stefan. I'm owner of the property at 1256 Pine Crest Circle. I really didn't have a presentation prepared for you,
but I kind of have to comment a little bit on the question that was asked. So as you see on the blue, on the left hand side of the slide, there will be a ten
foot maintained that is basically taking that weird notch that we currently have on the driveway away, because it doesn't really allow flow of
the car properly. The question about the fence, it is my fence that is sitting on my side of
the property line. Okay. Any other questions from the thank you for your presentation. Does any other board members have questions for the applicant? I do, so have you been in
communication with your West Side neighbor? Yes. And so the owner of the other property is in is fully agreeable to this change. And actually I have an
email from him as well stating that should there be need to be even a setback, that he is willing to allow a setback on his property. Okay. Thank you. And I, if I'd probably advise
maybe if you wanted to submit that into the record with, you know, Miss Keane, if if that's appropriate, the email correspondence. Yes, sir. I can
bring that in right now. If you if that's to the the folks with better brainpower on those.
Sure. We can take a copy of it. Here it is. So this is from the
owner. Thank you. This is what it is. There we go. Do we do we pass that to the board members
to see or I don't know what the protocol is on that. What a
nice neighbor. Anybody else any other board members have any questions for the applicant?
Okay. I just have that one follow up question with you. With the utilities, the it was stated that there are utilities in the ten foot section, correct? Are they just for your
property or do they service other properties as well? No, it's our water main that is right there. The water main is right there. So it's just for you or for others. That's only
my water main. Okay. All right. Nobody has any follow up questions. All right. Thank you very much for your presentation. You can be seated. At this time.
I'd like to call for any public comment. Okay. We do have
public comment. Anthony Nakonechny I'm in one, two, six, six Pine Crest, which is just one house over. I'm in full
support of the elements that he's trying to implement into his construction because it, it helps the neighborhood. It, it, it will help, in essence, some of the drainage that was talked
about because we have some drainage issues, our water, you know, water issues when when there's heavy rain, I think it'll it'll make it a better situation for everything. It'll push the water out more, more
readily. It also helps the esthetics of the neighborhood. You know, we had some work done. And it's just just to elevate the, the, the value of, of the,
the property values, but also the, the, the, the having us enjoy the neighborhood more. Thank you sir. Okay. Thank you
very much. Appreciate your comments. All right. Any other public comments? Okay. I'm now closing the public comment
segment. At this time. I'd like to bring the item back to the board for discussion. Does the board have any comments? No, sir. Okay. I would like to ask
the board for a motion on this item. I make a motion to approve. Second okay. Madam Secretary, would you please do a roll call? Mr. Wood, miss
Turner, approve. Vice chair. Rich, approve. Chairperson Grossman, approve. Well, congratulations. Your request
has been approved. Okay. That's it. Awesome. All right. Well,
happy. Happy building or paving? Okay. All right, you're good. You're all good. Pretty
anticlimactic, I know. Congratulations. Okay. Are there any minutes to approve from previous meetings? Not at
this meeting. Okay. Any staff comments or announcements? I don't have any comments this week or month. Okay. Any board
comments or announcements? Do we have anything next month? I do not think we do. No. Chloe's confirming that no applications
for August. Okay. Technically, it's not canceled yet. Is that correct? Right now you'll get you'll get an email that will confirm that, you know, cancellation, you know, week or so before you typically do. But
right now, we have no applications that would be on the agenda. Thank you. All good. Okay. At this time, I am adjourning the July 22nd, 2026
City of Tarpon Springs Board of Adjustment meeting at 6:47 p.m.
Thank you.