JACKSONVILLE BEACH, Fla — It’s been a challenging few years for small businesses, and local business owners say the city of Jacksonville Beach is making it even more challenging for them to grow their business in the city.
The owners of House and Haven, a real estate company, claim arbitrary and antiquated rules and codes are keeping local entrepreneurs down.
Bill Sharp and Julie and Chris Childers have been trying to move into their building on 3rd Street since August. It would be their second location for their real estate company, but they say they’ve been given the runaround with change of use, permits, parking and the like.
It has already cost thousands and added months of delays.
“It made sense for us to want to have an office at the beach," Sharp said.
They're stuck between a rock and a building permit.
“We just had a simple use -- we wanted out of the building, and we couldn’t even come close to being able to open up the doors to allow business to start," Julie Childers said.
Now, it’s a waiting game.
“It’s incredibly frustrating and difficult," Childers said. "With the delays and the additional expenses they’re imposing on us, it’s almost becomes an impossible task for us to do.”
“It feels like we are constantly being pushed back, pushed back, pushed back," Sharp said. "I would think the city would want to help us to move it forward."
In early 2021, they decided to move into their building. Previously, they owned the building, but a laundromat was the tenant.
In August, an electrician pulled a permit to fix their AC and electrical. They also put in new windows and doors.
It all came to a halt in October.
Childers said the city stopped them and said they needed another permit. This time, a building permit.
They applied for one in late November or early December.
“It’s costing us a ton of money for this building to just be sitting here," Sharp said.
They estimate they’re losing $50,000 a month from bills and lost revenue.
On Wednesday, they met with people from the city who told them if their renovations costs are less than half of the property value, they won't need to wait for a building permit.
We have reached out to the City of Jacksonville Beach and the Planning and Development Department on these concerns. We have not received a call back.