Orange County — Board of Zoning Adjustment

VA-01-11-097 — Florida Power Corporation

Request: Variance and Special Exception in R-1AA zone as follows: 1. Variance: attach encased communication antennas (encasement 10 ft. in height) on top of existing 90 ft. tall utility pole (total resulting height 100 ft.) within public road right-of-way. 2. Special Exception: erect ancillary utility maintenance building (NOTE: proposed utility building will be approximately 152 ft. in size, located 10 ft. behind the utility pole).

Decision: Approved

Hearing: The Staff Report and Recommendation is located on Pages____ At the public hearing, a speaker residing in the adjacent Sweetwater West Subdivision addressed the BZA with concerns about aesthetics. The main concern was the equipment area compound that would be serving the communication antennas. Although there are no homes nearby, Florida Power's site is adjacent to the subdivision's entry, which maintains a quality appearance along the road. The speaker felt that the proposed landscaping would not be enough to hide the appearance of the equipment. In response to the speaker's concerns, the BZA required a brick wall around the three sides of the equipment area visible from the road and entryway. The brickwall will have a similar appearance to the subdivision's entry features. The applicant and the speaker from Sweetwater agreed with the conditions imposed by the BZA.