Commissioners put brakes on LSV proposal

Commissioners voted 3-2 to turn down a vehicle warehousing application by the Toy Barn on Avenue C in Holmes Beach.

BY KRISTIN SWAIN SUN STAFF WRITER | kswain@amisun.com

HOLMES BEACH – It’s back to the drawing board for owners of the Toy Barn after city leaders turned down the latest special exception application from the business.

After much discussion, commissioners voted 3-2 against a special exception application from the low- speed vehicle rental company to allow for the storage of 10 vehicles at 3008 Avenue C.

City Planning and Zoning

Administrator Chad Minor said that after reviewing the application for a special exception, staff felt that the request would be less of a warehousing facility and more of a rental and distribution center, which is not allowed in the city. Commissioners agreed with Minor’s assessment, with several noting that they were having trouble distinguishing between a warehousing and rental business usage on the property with the informa - tion contained in the special exception request.

Representatives for the Toy Barn argued that the location would be used only by company employees to store vehicles in between rentals, not as a location for renters to pick up or return vehicles or for any maintenance. No storefront would be located on the property. Storage would be limited to 10 vehicles.

Minor added that if commissioners agreed with the applicant, Toy Barn owner Travis Lantz, that there would be some conditions under which the application could be approved to store street legal low-speed vehicles at 3008 Avenue C, including compliance with fire codes and inspection by the fire marshal to make sure the vehicles’ lithium batteries wouldn’t pose a hazard to surrounding units.

Commissioner Terry Schaefer said that if commissioners approved the special exception, that approval would be contingent upon approval by the fire marshal.

Commissioner Dan Diggins said that he feels that he needs more information before approving the storage of the vehicles at the proposed location, particularly whether or not there is ventilation at the garage to lessen the potential for a fire hazard. City Attorney Erica Augello said that ventilation and other fire hazard concerns would need to be addressed by the fire marshal as a stipulation of the conditional approval of the special exception.

Attorneys for Lantz agreed with eight out of the 10 stipulations provided by city staff before commissioners ultimately voted down the proposal with Commissioners Diggins, Greg Kerchner and Carol Soustek voting against allowing the warehouse use as proposed.