600 Begonia Street floodplain storage variance (BCEL 10C LLC)

Recommended

Staff report by Neighborhoods Director Askew; the city engineer confirms net loss of water volume; staff notes ICW-adjacent properties may not require compensatory storage under the proposed new code language.

Debated

BCEL 10C LLC owns a corner lot at West 6th Street and Begonia Street, platted in 1944, planned for a single-family home, fully inside the AE flood zone, and surrounded by tidal canals connecting to the ICW. In 2019 this parcel was part of a 6-lot variance (ZVAR19-0007); the board denied stormwater compensation but approved floodplain storage 3-1 conditioned on smart foundation vents. Five of the six lots were built before that variance expired; 600 Begonia missed the deadline and must re-apply. The city engineer found the proposed stem wall fill takes up floodplain storage, though the garage can use flood vents per building code. This case is the direct trigger for the floodplain code rewrite discussion at the prior meeting — the board is essentially being asked to grant a variance under the old code for a situation the new code language would resolve.

Decided

minutes do not record the April 21 outcome.