Commission Meeting Agenda Item

Applicant Greg Beliveau, LPG Urban & Regional Planners, Inc., has filed an application on behalf of Douglas A. Hill, Sr. Life Estate, for a variance from the Town of Lady Lake Land Development Regulations, Chapter 9, Section 7, d). 1). B), which requires a setback of 400% of the height of a monopole cell tower and the nearest single-family residence.

The required setback from the nearest adjacent residence would be 748 feet, based upon the height of the tower being 187 feet tall.  The applicant has proposed a setback of 200 feet, and has submitted a letter dated October 12, 2021, from Michael W. Springstead, P.E., which states that, “… as the Consulting Structural Engineer, in his professional opinion and to the best of his knowledge and belief, the existing tower will fall and remain within a 200’ radius safety zone to be reserved for this sole purpose.”   The applicant contends that the tower is an existing condition upon the property, and that the requirement of 748 feet is much greater than is required to provide a safe fall zone.  As per the concurrent rezoning application which is being processed for the proposed planned unit development (PUD) and the provided conceptual plan, the immediate area surrounding the base of the tower will be used as a boat and RV storage location for residents of the development. At present there are no residential structures within the 200 feet fall zone, a condition which will remain when Hammock Oaks is developed should the variance be granted.

The subject properties lie in Section 30, Township 18 South, Range 24 East, in Lake County, Florida. Appropriate legal descriptions, a location map, and a survey has been included with the submitted application. The subject parcel is part of a larger aggregation of property which is concurrently being considered for annexation as part of the Hammock Oaks development.

Notices to inform the surrounding ten property owners within 150 feet of the property proposed by the variance request were mailed Monday, January 31, 2022. There are no public frontages to the property upon which to post the property with signage.  Posting of the subject property would only be visible by the adjacent property owners which have all been notified by letter

The variance application was received on Thursday, October 14, 2021, and has been reviewed and determined to be complete. The use of the property is consistent with the Land Development Regulations (LDRs) as well as the adopted Comprehensive Plan and is ready for a recommendation from the Planning and Zoning Board.