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In 2012, the City of Bonita Springs passed an amendment to the Land Development Code (LDC) regarding standards for setbacks for mechanical equipment. The standard created was for structures that had a side setback of at least 7.5’, to permit a side setback of 3.5’ for mechanical equipment, which allowed for a 6’’ separation from the building (HVAC efficiency) and a 3’ encroachment, which was consistent with the standard for overhangs, awnings, and canopies. However, Community Development staff had concerns with this application relative to planned developments (existing, new and approved) where lot areas and dimensions were approved by the City Council in accordance with LDC 4-741(d)(1)a, which typically included side setbacks less than 7.5’. Similar concerns also applied to residential multi-family districts (RM-2 requires a 7’ side setback), existing non-conforming lots measuring less than 75ft in width and 86-36 developments (mobile home and recreational vehicle parks). At the August 1, 2018, City Council provided direction on how to process HVAC replacements on existing structures acknowledging that this section of the LDC should be brought back for further discussion. The results were an addition to the code section, specifically designed to deal with Planned Developments (PD’s/PUD’s).
If you have any questions regarding this change, please contact the planner-on-call at (239) 444-6166 or planning@cityofbonitaspringscd.org.
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