Boats, RVs Can Stay in Front Yards Atlantic Beach Commission Won’t Back a Measure That Would Have Banned Them.

By CAREN BURMEISTER

ATLANTIC BEACH – The City Commission showed no support Monday for a proposal that would prohibit residents from storing boats and recreational vehicles in their front yards.

Commissioner Dezmond Waters said he hears more resident complaints about the front-yard parking of boats than any other issue and that the city should respond. But other commissioners didn’t back him up and suggested deferring the issue.

In 2002, the city adopted an ordinance that let residents park recreational vehicles, boats or boat trailers on their property, but not within 15 feet of the front lot line. The lot must be at least 5,000 square feet for one RV and at least twice that size for a second recreational vehicle.

While the commissioners originally intended to prohibit recreational vehicles in front yards, they reached a compromise allowing it because smaller lots don’t have a side yard or back yard large enough to store a boat.

Waters opposed the front-yard compromise then and he still does. He said the numbers have increased and so have the complaints. Two city surveys show the number of boats parked in front yards in Atlantic Beach doubled from from 23 in 2003 to 46 in 2006.

Commissioner Mike Borno, who was on the commission when the issue first came up, recalled the intensity of the debate.

“There was a lot of heartburn on that,” Borno said.

Community Development Director Sonya Doerr also characterized it as “one of the more contentious issues” the city has considered in recent years.

Borno warned that removing permission to park boats in front yards could generate bad feelings in certain neighborhoods and he said, “Leave well enough alone.”

Marsh Oaks resident Michael Hoffman pressed the commission to not reconsider the issue, saying, “We’ve been through that already and I thought we had a fair compromise.”

Mayor Don Wolfson and Commissioner Jamie Fletcher suggested deferring the discussion. Commissioner Sylvia Simmons was not present at Monday’s meeting.

Waters agreed to postpone the discussion until the commission’s annual strategic planning session.

Also on Monday, the commission deferred the final hearing and vote on a tree-protection ordinance that would increase fines for clear cutting without a permit, promote planting native species and encourage trees along city rights of way and easements.

The commission also asked Parks Director Timmy Johnson to draft an ordinance that would increase deposits and fees to use the Adele Grage Community Center and other park facilities.

The ordinance would significantly increase the costs for alcohol- related events inside Adele Grage, which Wolfson said should merit a $500 deposit and require events to end at 10 p.m. rather then 11 p.m.caren.burmeister@jacksonville.com, 249-4947, ext. 6321

(c) 2007 Florida Times Union. Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning. All rights Reserved.