On one facet of the fence is Al Benkert, a longtime Central Seaside resident who lives in a 44-year-old, one-story, 2,200-square-foot house on the Silver Shores waterfront.
On the opposite facet is Drew Bottalico, who grew up in Vero Seaside and now, alongside together with his spouse, is constructing what he describes as their “endlessly house” – a two-story, 3,000-square foot, Bermuda-style home.
Bottalico says the house they’re constructing subsequent door to Benkert – a design they love that they discovered whereas visiting Alys Seaside, a luxurious gulf-side neighborhood – will comfortably accommodate their two younger kids and maximize the worth of his waterfront property.
Benkert describes it as a “monstrosity that can destroy the attraction and great thing about the neighborhood.”
Neither Bottalico nor Benkert is doing something improper.
On the one hand: Having spent a whole bunch of 1000’s of {dollars} to purchase quite a bit, shouldn’t the Bottalicos have the ability to construct their household’s dream home, so long as they keep throughout the metropolis’s code?
However alternatively, would you wish to dwell subsequent door to a 22-foot-high wall that’s really increased due to the extra fill wanted to construct up the bottom to place the house’s basis above the flood line?
With second-floor home windows solely 10-feet out of your property line overlooking your yard and swimming pool?
And don’t overlook the roof line, which makes the neighboring home look even greater.
Each Benkert and Bottalico agree we’re more likely to see extra of any such new development in Vero Seaside’s older neighborhoods, significantly within the Central Seaside space, the place smaller, outdated properties are being bought, knocked down and changed by bigger homes.
“That’s what I’m afraid of,” Benkert mentioned. “That’s why I really feel the necessity to do one thing.”
So now, Benkert mentioned he’s launching a marketing campaign to amend the single-family residential zoning restrictions in Vero Seaside’s constructing code to guard and protect “Outdated Vero,” smaller-lot neighborhoods much like his.
Bottalico, who grew up in Vero Seaside, is empathetic.
“I fully perceive the place Al is coming from,” Bottalico mentioned. “That lot was vacant for a very long time. Now he’s shedding his privateness. However I wouldn’t have been capable of construct this home if it was to not code.
“In addition to, if it wasn’t me, it will’ve been another person,” he added. “The panorama is altering in Vero. My home is without doubt one of the first of its dimension in that space, however they’re doing similar-type development in different places on the seaside.”
He talked about new properties – or homes below development – on Holly, Indian Lilac and Dwell Oak roads, in addition to on Conn Approach.
Simply as Bottalico appreciates his soon-to-be neighbor’s issues, Benkert understands why Bottalico and others who pay high greenback for property wish to construct high-end properties.
Actually, Vero Seaside Planning Director Jason Jeffries mentioned he usually hears from individuals on each side of the difficulty.
“Al represents residents who wish to protect the texture of the older neighborhoods and don’t need a massive home constructed subsequent door,” Jeffries mentioned, “however I’ve bought individuals who complain that our code is just too restrictive as a result of they will’t construct as massive a home as they wish to.
“Builders say they’re constructing the varieties of properties individuals need,” he added. “Plenty of skilled individuals are shifting to Vero Seaside with their households, they usually don’t wish to increase a household in a three-bedroom, two-bath, 2,000-square-foot house.
“They wish to construct a family-size house comparable in dimension to what they left behind.”
Or as native actual property lawyer Barry Segal put it: “There’s a requirement to construct greater as a result of prosperous individuals need bigger properties with room for his or her children and grandkids.
“And it’s not simply newcomers,” he added. “Plenty of longtime residents right here attain a degree the place they need and may afford a brand new, bigger house.”
The zoning in Silver Shores and lots of the metropolis’s older neighborhoods requires solely 10-foot setbacks and limits the ground space ratio (FAR) – the measurement of a constructing’s flooring space in relation to the dimensions of the lot – to 38 p.c.
Nevertheless, Segal mentioned some property house owners get across the ratios, which apply to solely the air-conditioned sq. footage, by opting to construct properties with carports as an alternative of garages.
Bottalico, who admits his house “appears greater than it’s,” mentioned he was amongst those that sacrificed storage house to remain throughout the ratio. His design contains solely a one-car storage and a carport.
There’s a drawback, nonetheless: Enclosed garages will not be solely safer than carports, significantly throughout Florida’s summer season storms, however they’re additionally often aesthetically extra interesting.
“I’d slightly dwell subsequent door to a home with a storage,” Segal mentioned, including that town would possibly wish to think about eradicating garages from the ratio.
Benkert want to see town improve the setbacks for bigger properties on smaller tons – particularly for second flooring, as he mentioned builders typically do within the Central Seaside space.
He mentioned the wall created by Bottalico’s design wouldn’t be so imposing if the second flooring had been set again 20 toes from the property line. Doing so, nonetheless, would noticeably cut back the house’s sq. footage.
Benkert mentioned he already has spent almost $5,000 on palm bushes to dam the first-floor view from Bottalico’s home and “mitigate” what he referred to as an “intrusion” that has lowered his house worth by as a lot as $200,000.
“If I needed to promote,” Benkert mentioned, “there are individuals who would stroll into my yard, see that home and stroll out.”
Jeffries mentioned there’s nothing town can do except Benkert is profitable in rallying residents to his trigger and the code is amended. He mentioned Bottalico’s home has been by means of the site-plan assessment course of and, up to now, is being constructed to satisfy the code’s necessities.
As for different older neighborhoods the place residents would possibly wish to stop an inflow of bigger properties, Jeffries mentioned it’s doable to for town to ascertain “conservation, preservation, historic or particular function” districts – if sufficient of the owners be a part of the motion.
“It might be a neighborhood-by-neighborhood factor, but it surely has been achieved in some communities,” he mentioned. “It is perhaps harder to do now, as a result of they’ve waited too lengthy to do it.”
Bottalico makes no apologies.
“What we’re constructing is totally different,” he mentioned. “It’s massive, it’s daring and it’s lovely. And when it’s achieved, I feel it is going to improve property values within the neighborhood.”
For higher or worse, Bottalico will present his neighbors – and future Silver Shores patrons – how a lot home will be constructed on a .20-acre lot.
“The demand is just going to extend,” Segal mentioned. “Al’s home is just not the right home for everybody.”
