INDIALANTIC, Fla. – There finally appears to be a resolution in a fight between Brevard County and a Indialantic homeowner who built a man cave in his backyard with shipping containers.
Earlier this year, a magistrate ruled in favor of the county that Joe Traska’s stacked containers broke code and had to be taken down to come into compliance, but in a new hearing Wednesday, Traska and the county reached a compromise.
Now, if approved by county commissioners, Traska can keep his man cave as long as he changes the exterior so it doesn’t look like shipping containers anymore.
Traska addressed the hearing Wednesday saying he paid more than $2,000 to get the permit which the county said it granted him by mistake.
[EXCLUSIVE: Become a News 6 Insider (it’s FREE) | PINIT! Share your photos] “I want my peace and I want my freedom to do what is legally right in my backyard and I don’t think this code was written appropriately for my situation, at all,” Traska said.
The county said Traska’s construction deviated from the plan that was approved and therefore, broke code. “County code unambiguously prohibits the stacking of shipping containers,” attorney Sarah Beazley said. “The actual structure does differ from what was permitted.”
Traska’s neighbors also had a chance to speak during the hearing.
One called for taking down the man cave calling it a “monstrosity.”
Another hoped for a compromise.
Additional details of the proposal to go before commissioners includes adding landscaping around Traska’s property to create more privacy.
Traska also agreed the man cave can’t be used for someone to live in -- it won’t have a kitchen for instance -- and and no one will use it at all between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m.
If approved by commissioners, Traska also won’t be facing fines anymore.
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