VERO BEACH – The Planning & Zoning Board majority here sided with the planning director and rejected an appeal of his previous non-substantial damage decision on the Bayou West Condominium complex after a tornado spawned by Hurricane Milton struck that community on Oct. 9 of 2024.
That P&Z Board’s decision to uphold that previous determination will require the owners of the 22-unit complex on Riomar Drive to repair their homes left uninhabitable by the storm at potentially significant out-of-pocket costs. The nearly two-hour quasi-judicial hearing on Feb. 19 featured testimony from Planning & Development Director Jason Jeffries and attorneys representing both the condominium association in favor of that denial and a resident opposed to repairing the structure. Jeffries opened the hearing with a brief description of the quasi-judicial process and references to city code sections that govern the particular procedure.
“The appeal is challenging the planning director’s determination of a non-substantial damage for that building,” he said. “The evidence in the discussions should really be contained to what is being challenged, which is the powers and duties of the floodplain administrator to make the substantial damage determination.”…