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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes_Workshop_01/04/2016 MINUTES VILLAGE OF TEQUESTA WORKSHOP January 4, 2016 CALL TO ORDER AND ROLL CALL The meeting was called to order at 6:00 p.m. A roll call was taken by Administrative Coordinator Deanna Mayo. Present were: Mayor Abby Brennan, Vice Mayor Vince Arena, Council Member Steve Okun and Council Member Frank D'Ambra. Council Member Tom Paterno was absent. APPROVAL OF AGENDA A motion was not completed. 1. DISCUSSION REGARDING ORDINANCE 24 -15, SECOND READING, AN ORDINANCE OF THE VILLAGE COUNCIL OF THE VILLAGE OF TEQUESTA, FLORIDA, AMENDING THE VILLAGE CODE OF ORDINANCES AT CHAPTER 46. MOTOR VEHICLES AND TRAFFIC, AT ARTICLE III. PARKING, STOPPING OR STANDING, BY AMENDING DIVISION 2. "PARKING OF COMMERCIAL VEHICLES, TRUCKS AND RECREATIONAL VEHICLES" AT SECTIONS 46 -73 AND 46 -74 TO REVISE SCREENING REQUIREMENTS FOR BOATS ON TRAILERS IN ZONING DISTRICTS R -1A, R -1, R -2 AND R -3; AND AT SECTION 46 -71 TO PROVIDE A DEFINITION FOR THE TERM "EFFECTIVELY SCREENED ON THREE SIDES "; PROVIDING THAT EACH AND EVERY OTHER SECTION AND SUBSECTION OF CHAPTER 46. SHALL REMAIN IN FULL FORCE AND EFFECT AS PREVIOUSLY ADOPTED; PROVIDING A CONFLICTS CLAUSE, A SEVERABILITY CLAUSE AND AUTHORITY TO CODIFY; PROVIDING AN EFFECTIVE DATE; AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES Manager Couzzo offered a synopsis on the item. Vice Mayor Arena noted his recent research with boating residents and a trailer company. He offered suggestions and noted trailers weight capacity and revealed that only boats up 30 feet could be transported safely by a resident. He suggested that the boat registration act as the indicator of size. Council and Attorney Davis discussed screening dynamics, the possibility of an eight feet option and the fact that the Village code did not cover all residential storage scenarios. Vice Mayor Arena mentioned that there was a new resident with a very large boat prompting discussion on size limits once again. Using a wall or fence to screen large boats was not effective as wind would be a negative force. He expressed that vegetation was the only option to screen above a six foot fence. Mayor Brennan pointed out the fact that the word "boat" currently mentioned in the Village code, should to be changed to "water craft" in order to accommodate those residents that Village Council Workshop Minutes November 30, 2015 Page 2 own canoes, paddle boards, kayaks and wave runners. Attorney Davis acknowledged that he could add "water craft" to the definition list. Mayor Brennan also recommended that Council revisit the topic of having certain residents "grandfathered" in on applicable ordinances. She felt that the grandfathering of an older ordinance, should be attached to the object and not the owner. Attorney Davis cautioned that monitoring this type of scenario would be unrealistic. Council Member D'Ambra advised Council to consider allowing boats up to 32 feet, as this was a very common boat length. He further advised against attaching a "grandfather" rule to an object as this would preclude a resident from replacing an existing boat with a newer boat of the same exact size. Mayor Brennan reaffirmed that the entire Village should be moving towards overall compliance. Vice Mayor Arena explained that the issue was not the size of the boat, but rather the manner in which the boat was expected to be screened, once a resident lost the ability to be grandfathered. Attorney Davis informed Council that the current code stated if a resident was grandfathered in two years ago, then that resident could continue to go forward without having to comply with the new code. The other code was a non conformity code and was not intended to be applied towards boats. Mayor Brennan stated that code compliance should be clear and even handed. Manager Couzzo advised that any questionable code issues would go to Mr. Tim English, Director of the Building Department. Council Member D'Ambra reiterated his position regarding boat size and supported a change allowing boats of up to 32 feet to be stored and screened within the Village. He further expressed that the boat registration act as the determining factor of official size. He also maintained that Village residents should have the ability to remain grandfathered in on the screening code, if they were replacing a same sized boat. COMMUNICATIONS FROM CITIZENS John Nichols of 212 River Drive requested a recap of the three axel boat trailer discussion. He stated that a three axel boat trailer was safer than a two axel because it would sway less and it offered a quicker braking ability. Manager Couzzo announced that the ordinance would need to be changed to reflect permission of a three axel trailer. Mr. Nichols added that the original ordinance, allowing only a two axel vehicle, was never intended to affect boat trailers. He recalled it was meant to keep large commercial vehicles from using the Village as a short cut route. Mr. Tom Uhrig of 50 Golfview Drive, asked for clarification on the point of measurement for height restrictions on boats and their effective screening. Attorney Davis informed Mr. Uhrig that the point of reference would be from the grade upon which the boat sat. Furthermore, the screening would not include the windshield. Attorney Davis would clarify this in the ordinance. Mr. Uhrig stated he believed the 32 foot maximum length was fair, however he would have liked to see the grandfather clause phased out. Mr. Jeff Leslie of 111 Golfview Drive, stated that it would be preferable to get rid of the axel requirement for boat trailers. He requested that Council consider wording the ordinance to I Village Council Workshop Minutes November 30, 2015 Page 3 specify "under 33 feet" instead of the proposed 32 feet. The reason would be to encompass all the owners that have boats that are 32 feet and several inches in length. Mr. Harold Taylor of 13 Chapel Court, inquired as to the manner in which landscaping within the Village should be watered, according to code. Attorney Davis responded by stating that he would not advocate enforcing the functionality of Village irrigation systems. As long as a resident's landscaping was healthy and maintained, there should not be any need for clarification regarding the manner in which it is being watered. Mr. Taylor asked if RV screening needed to be on the street side of the residence. Attorney Davis recalled that the point of the ordinance was to allow what was there, while discouraging any new RVs. Mr. Taylor wondered if camper tops were permitted to sit in a driveway for several days. Vice Mayor Arena answered that it could not be left on the driveway for more than three days. Vice Mayor Arena offered a summary of the changes that Attorney Davis would need to address as a result of the workshop discussion. He mentioned that the ordinance language should be adjusted to encompass the areas of water craft wording, the grandfather clause could not allow a larger boat than the current code permitted and that boats were permitted to be less than 33 feet. Vice Mayor Arena also restated that three axel trailers would be permitted within the Village. Attorney Davis also added that there would be additional language changes to windshield exceptions, measurement of height in terms of grade, and the addition of abutting property to areas of screening. ADJOURNMENT Council Member Okun moved to adjourn the meeting; seconded by Vice Mayor Arena. The motion to adjourn carried unanimously 4 -0; therefore, the meeting was adjourned at 7:11 pm. Respectfully submitted, Deanna Mayo, CMC Administrative Coordinator Note: These summary minutes are prepared in compliance with 286.011 F.S. and are not verbatim transcripts of the meeting. A verbatim audio record is available from the Office of the Village Clerk. All referenced attachments are on file in the Village Clerk's office.