Commissioners Corner: Skip Williams

 Your City Commission and Staff are in the process of finalizing the implementation of the increase in the 45 feet building height                                  limit that was approved by a majority of you in last November’s election. The increase was worded to allow building height to be                                      measured from Base Flood Elevation (BFE) plus an additional 10 feet of unoccupied roof structure or appurtenances. 
   The currently proposed language to change the Land Development Code revealed a potential loophole to allow the increase language to be automatically applicable to the 70 feet variance height limit also. It would be a stretch in my mind to think the original ballot language legally implied that intent. When we crafted the language to increase in the 45 feet building height limit, I proposed adding the allowance for building height to be measured from Base Flood Elevation. My rationale was that BFE had changed since the original height limit, measured from the crown of the road and was put in place at the turn of the last century. By the same rationale, I have asked the City Staff and our City Attorney to develop legal language to allow our current 70 feet variance height limit to include measuring from BFE and to close the loophole that could allow an additional 10 feet of unoccupied roof structure or appurtenances. BFE currently affects about 46 percent of city parcels that are not single family residential and 81 percent of those have a BFE of 3 feet or less.
   I’m thankful for the honor and opportunity to serve as your commissioner, please feel free to contact me, Skip. (Email skip.williams@cityofcocoabeach.com , my home phone is 321-783-1850)