NORTH REDINGTON BEACH — In keeping up with the interests of its citizens and requirements of the state, the Town of North Redington Beach is on the ball. At its Sept. 8 regular meeting, the Board of Commissioners unanimously passed two ordinances, both by a vote of 5-0 on their first reading.
The first ordinance allows construction of open-sided detached structures within 15 feet of a property’s rear setback. According to Commissioner Gary Curtis, this ordinance addresses an issue that came up when one of his neighbors began building and installing a prefabricated gazebo.
An existing ordinance addressed the town’s requirements regarding detached structures, including tiki huts, gazebos, pergolas and trellis, allowing for it to “be constructed within a buildable height of 12 feet or the height of the building, whichever is less.” The new ordinance adds “and similar open-sided structures” to the description of the detached structures. Additionally, the new ordinance specifies that these detached structures “may only be constructed at least 15 feet from the rear property line and must comport with all other applicable setback requirements.”
Curtis noted that structures in a residential backyard are not readily visible to code enforcement officers and only come to the attention of the town when someone like a neighbor reports it. “Those (backyard structures) are regulated by complaint,” said Curtis.
The second ordinance establishes standards governing the use and maintenance of soil erosion and sediment practices. Town attorney Jay Daigneault explained that the creation of this ordinance was a “mandate by the state.”
Flooding during hurricanes and severe storms are more of a problem in coastal towns like North Redington Beach due to the drainage issues brought about by clogging. This ordinance provides “sufficient safeguards to keep storm drains from clogging up,” said Daigneault.
The ordinance makes landowners, occupants, contractors and subcontractors responsible for preventing “soil erosion and sediment encroachments on town drainage and other waterways.” Preventive measures and upkeep applicable to all the features of a landowner’s property are in play.
Punitive measures for failure to comply are included in the ordinance. Maintenance, repair and cleanup costs incurred by the town may be the ultimate responsibility of the landowners, occupants, contractors and/or subcontractors in noncompliance. Fees, liens and penalties also apply.
The ordinance acts as a tool in the town’s arsenal to thwart flooding by taking preventative steps. It is intended to stop soil and sediment “from even getting there (to the drain),” said Mayor Bill Queen.
In other business
The mayor read a report from WFLA ranking North Redington Beach as No. 1 of 30 cities with the fastest-growing home prices in the Tampa metro area. The typical home value in North Redington Beach was listed as $1,056,082, classifying the town as the most expensive city.
“The 5-year price change is an additional $497,471; that’s 89.1 percent,” said Queen. Neighboring towns that made it into the top ten were Indian Shores, ranking 9th; St. Pete Beach, 8th; Redington Shores, 7th; Indian Rocks Beach, 5th; Tierra Verde, 4th; Belleair Beach, 3rd; and Redington Beach, 2nd.
“We (NRB) were the only municipality to have an average home value over $1 million,” said the mayor. “And we still have the lowest tax rate (1.0 millage) in Pinellas County.”
