09/07/2021 Building/Flood Board of Adjustment Meeting Minutes September 7, 2021
and Appeals
City of Clearwater
Main Library- Council Chambers
100 N. Osceola Avenue
Clearwater, FL 33755
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Meeting Minutes
Tuesday, September 7, 2021
2:00 PM
Main Library - Council Chambers
Building/Flood Board of Adjustment and Appeals
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City of Clearwater
Building/Flood Board of Adjustment Meeting Minutes September 7, 2021
and Appeals
Roll Call
Present - Chair Earle Cooper, Board Member Mark Cagni and Board Member
Emily Pano
Absent - Vice Chair Kathryn Helmus, Board Member Philip Jester and Alternate
Board Member Justin Kimmich
Also Present - Jay Daigneault—Attorney for the Board, Matthew Mytych —Assistant
City Attorney, Kevin Garriott — Building Official, Patricia O. Sullivan —
Board Reporter
Awaiting approval
1. Call To Order
The Chair called the meeting to order at 2:00 p.m. at the Main Library.
To provide continuity for research, items are in agenda order although not necessarily
discussed in that order.
2. Approval of Minutes
2.1 Approve the minutes of the June 4, 2019 Building/Flood Board of Adjustments and
Appeals meeting.
Member Cagni moved to approve minutes of June 4, 2019
Building/Flood Board of Adjustment and Appeals meeting as
submitted in written summation. The motion was duly seconded
and carried unanimously.
3. Citizens to be Heard Regarding Items Not on the Agenda: None
4. New Business Items
4.1 Approve the request to use mat footing rather than pilings for a new fire station (FS 46)
located on the north side of Mandalay Park (534 Mandalay Ave.) (Case:
BAA2021-07001)
City of Clearwater has requested a variance to use a mat footing for a new
fire station located on the north side of Mandalay Park (534 Mandalay Ave.).
Senior Professional Engineer Jeff Walker, project manager for the fire
station replacement, reviewed the Staff Report, Schematic Design (Exhibit
A) and Report of Geotechnical Exploration (Exhibit 8). Instead of pilings, the
City requested a variance to pour a 2-foot thick mat footing featuring
significant rebar and sunk into the ground and extending 2 feet beyond the
building's footprint. A slab will be installed atop the mat footing.
It was commented that installation of pilings should not negatively affect
nearby business and condo structures.
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City of Clearwater
Building/Flood Board of Adjustment Meeting Minutes September 7, 2021
and Appeals
In response to questions, Mr. Walker said the project's architect and
structural and Geotech engineers had designed and approved the mat
footing. When walking the site, he recognized that piling installation
could impact buildings that were closer to the project than he previously
realized, driving 134 wood piles would be noisy and may cause vibrations.
The City had received no complaints re the construction. A mat footing
would increase the amount of concrete used for the project.
Building Official Kevin Garriott reviewed the Chapter 31 amendment to
Florida Building Code that affects Pinellas County construction within 300
feet of the CCCL (Coastal Construction Control Line). The engineers had
considered scouring in the project's design. The City did not object to the
request.
In response to a question, Mr. Garriott said the contract requires the
contractor to carry liability insurance. He was unaware of any previous
requests for a similar variance in Clearwater. Mr. Walker said the
contractor had indicated that a beach hotel had been constructed on a mat
footing years earlier.
Concern was expressed approval of the variance could set a precedent. It
was noted the method was more expensive than pilings.
In response to a question, Mr. Walker said while the City self-insures, the
fire station's flood policy will be carried by an outside carrier. The project will
not require flood proofing.
Member Cagni moved to approve Case BAA2021-07001 based on
evidence in the record, including the application and Staff Report,
and here by adopt the Findings of Fact and Conclusions of Law
stated in the Staff Report, with conditions of approval as listed.
The motion was duly seconded and carried unanimously.
5. Old Business Items: None
6. Director's Report
Election of Officers
Member Cagni moved to reappoint Earle Cooper as Chair. The
motion was duly seconded and carried unanimously.
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City of Clearwater
Building/Flood Board of Adjustment
and Appeals
Meeting Minutes September 7, 2021
Member Cagni moved to appoint Kathryn Helmus as Vice Chair.
The motion was duly seconded and carried unanimously.
7. Board Members to be Heard: None
8. Adjourn
The meeting adjourned at 2:22 p.m.
Chair
Building/Flood Board of Adjustment & Appeals
Attest:
oard Reporter
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City of Clearwater