by SC Reporter Emilie Alfino
At what may have been the shortest Sanibel Planning Commission meeting on record, the Commission held two public hearings. The first was consideration of whether elevated beach dune walkovers should be considered permeable coverage, and the second was discussion regarding what constitutes a “complete” application for a development permit.
By a unanimous 6-0 vote (with Commissioner Paul Nichols absent), the Commission resolved that beach dune walkovers, under specific conditions, will not be considered impermeable coverage, eliminating a barrier to permitting elevated beach dune walkovers for the protection of the dunes. This applies to the Gulf Beach Zone and to the Bay Beach Zone equally.
Sanibel City Staff’s report stated it is desirable to encourage elevated beach dune walkovers within the Gulf Beach Zone and Bay Beach Zones of all residential development.
Elevated beach dune walkovers shall be deemed to be 100 percent permeable, in the Gulf Beach Zone (seaward of the 1974 Coastal Construction Control Line), and in the Bay Beach Zone, and such areas shall not be counted as coverage by impermeable surfaces, provided that:
(1) Siting. Elevated walkovers shall be installed from the 1974 Coastal Construction Control Line (CCCL) to no less than the seaward toe of frontal dune or the existing line of vegetation, but not farther than 10 feet seaward of the vegetation;
(2) Design. Walkovers shall be post-supported structures;
(3) Height. No less than two feet above grade, as measured to the bottom of support beam of the structure;
(4) Width. Maximum width of five feet;
(5) Deck planking. Deck planking shall be no wider than six inches. Spacing between planks shall be no less than one-half inch between deck planking. Alternative materials may be used for decking where it provides an equivalent or greater amount of stormwater infiltration and light penetration as the deck planking standards, as demonstrated by an engineering report or other competent evidence.
In the second public hearing, the Commission considered what constitutes a “complete” application for a development permit. This effort comes from the Land Development Code Review Subcommittee, which on August 13, 2024, voted unanimously to direct City Staff to prepare a draft ordinance for consideration. This matter is a first-level priority for 2024 LDC review as determined by the Planning Commission.
Staff made recommendations that will “clean up” some extraneous outdated references and requirements – some of which result from the City of Sanibel’s permit process change from in-person filing of paper hard copy applications to submittal of digital applications online via Energov starting in 2020.
A motion to approve this resolution and recommendation for City Council approval of an amendment to eliminate outdated references and consolidate and simplify several areas of filing procedure consistent with updated forms was passed unanimously 6-0 with Commissioner Paul Nichols absent.