The City of South Padre Island approved a landscaping variance that will allow homeowner Kimberly Bond to extend her driveway at 129 A East Atoll Street to accommodate an elderly relative’s mobility needs, subject to restoring a center planting strip.

Jaren Berman of J and R Landscaping spoke for the applicant and apologized that work on the site had begun before the city had signed off on permits. Berman said the homeowner requested a broader concrete area so a van with a wheelchair lift could access the house and to provide space for two family vehicles. He told the board the family planned to bring an 88‑year‑old relative to live with them and needed an accessible vehicle space.

Staff confirmed the lot is in a zone that normally requires 15% landscaping. Berman and the applicant proposed two options: (1) a full concrete pour for ease of access, or (2) replant the center strip and extend the concrete on the right side, yielding roughly half of the required landscaping (about 47.55 square feet) while providing the accessible parking space.

Board members discussed the tradeoffs between maintaining landscaping and providing accessibility. No letters of opposition were reported; staff said neighborhood notice had been sent. Several board members said accessibility and quality of life for an elderly resident supported granting relief. One member suggested the applicant could replant the center strip and pour additional concrete on the right side to meet both needs.

A motion to approve an 11.5‑foot concrete expansion on the right side of the lot while restoring the center landscaping passed after a second. The board left the curb in place unless a separate right‑of‑way permit was requested; the applicant indicated she would pursue required permits. The board and applicant also discussed that the center planting option would meet roughly half of the landscaping requirement and that additional permits could be obtained to extend paving into adjacent private property only with the neighbor’s consent.

The variance allows Bond to proceed with an accessible driveway configuration while ensuring the lot retains vegetation in the center strip as a compromise between the code and the homeowner’s accessibility needs.