Hypoluxo Island couple withdraws variance request

By Mary Thurwachter

It’s back to the drawing board for a couple who asked the Lantana Town Council to grant a setback variance to build a 7,100-square-foot home on a .36-acre lot on Hypoluxo Island.

code requires a 20-foot setback. The couple said flood mitigation rules issued by the Federal Emergency Management Agency were a hardship.

to runoff elections. Currently, a candidate must receive at least one more than 50% of the votes in a race to be elected. If no candidate gets a majority, a runoff election is held between the two candidates receiving the most votes in the race. Forced runoffs in two council races last year made some elected officials consider a change to a plurality system, where the candidate receiving the highest number of votes in a race — whether or not it is a majority — is the victor. Voters agreed. Proponents of the change argued that runoff elections were an unnecessary expense. Ú

The council delayed voting on the variance at its Feb. 27 meeting and expected to take up the matter in March. But shortly after the postponement, the couple, Thomas and Mindee Borzilleri, formally withdrew the variance application, according to Development Services Director Nicole Dritz.

“They will be redesigning their site to meet our required setbacks,” Dritz wrote in an email to council members. “We hope to work with them through our building permitting process and get them on their way to construction.”

The couple had sought a variance from the required 20-foot rear setback for their waterfront property at 1423 Lands End Road. The Borzilleris bought the parcel in 2021 and tore down the existing house after they found mold issues.

They wanted to locate a retaining wall 13.5 feet from the high-water line, where the town

Attorney Trey Nazzaro, who represents the Borzilleris, said FEMA was requiring the finished floor elevation of the home to be 10 feet. The home that was on the property previously had an elevation of 6.5 feet. The retaining walls would hold in a significant amount of fill to bring the elevation up to 10 feet, he said.

A pool, ADA ramp and deck also would have encroached on the required 20-foot setback area from the high-water line.

Island residents appearing at the council’s Feb. 27 meeting urged denial, saying the proposed house was too large for the property and that the owners should have been aware of town building requirements before they made their plans.

• The council awarded a $179,600 contract to Boromei Construction Inc. for Maddock Park dog park with Community Development Block Grant funds. The work includes exercise equipment and upgrades to fencing, drinking fountains and pet waste station. Ú

South Palm Beach