Board weeds through hedge issues

Trim a stalk on a bamboo plant, and the stalk will stop growing taller.

Cut off discussion about Longboat Key side-yard hedges, and it will sprout back up again. And again. And again.

This time, the discussion took root at the Tuesday, June 19 Longboat Key Planning & Zoning Board meeting. The board voted against a proposed ordinance that would have allowed for the selective enforcement of maximum hedge heights in side yards where waterfront views are impacted.

Board members found that the issues involved in planting and maintaining view rights were too complicated to resolve during the meeting.

The ongoing issues stem, in part, from a town requirement that 75% of landscape areas for condominiums and 50% of single-family homes be planted with trees and shrubs.

The town eliminated its 6-foot height restriction on side-yard hedges in 2008, but continued to enforce 3-foot height limits for waterfront yards.

The issue most recently planted itself, once again, at Longboat Key Town Hall, in March, when Sleepy Lagoon resident Morris Kertzer attended a commission workshop to voice concerns about the height of his neighbor’s 12-foot bamboo plant, which wasn’t regulated by the town because it is considered a hedge.

Bamboo can be aggressive and spread quickly along a property, which is why town staff doesn’t recommend planting it when it could impact neighboring properties.

The commission directed town staff to research the issue further.

The next month, three Marina Bay residents went before the commission to say a 35-to-40-foot shrub between their community and Harbour Oaks is blocking their views.

Town staff proposed limiting hedge heights to 6 feet in portions of side yards involving two properties with different waterfront views.

For example, if one home were located 40 feet from the waterfront and an adjacent home were located 50 feet from the waterfront, heights would be limited in the 10 feet closest to the water for the more landward home to avoid interference with neighboring views.

The ordinance didn’t address the thorny issue of bamboo as a side-yard plant.

Board member Leonard Garner said that there were too many conflicting areas and issues that needed to be address before making a motion to deny passage of the ordinance.