“As we near completion of the legal hurdles to allow redevelopment within our Comprehensive Plan parameters,” Mayor Maria Lowe tells Paradise News, “we are in the process of working through the studies that were a component of the settlement agreement that ended the long-term lawsuits. The I & I study is the biggest still in progress and is due to be completed in March.”
City Attorney Andrew Dickman summarizes, “Over many weeks, city staff and the parties challenging the city’s Comprehensive Plan negotiated text amendments to the plan and studies the city would complete before approving development higher than 80 feet in the community redevelopment district.
The city and the petitioners reached agreement and the settlement was approved by the City Commission on February 24, 2015. The parties dismissed the case on March 25, 2015. The city amended its Comprehensive Plan and is completing the studies in accordance with the settlement agreement. As a result, the City of St. Pete Beach has a legally binding Comprehensive Plan guiding all development.”
The Mayor continues, “Any large development in the City must go through a sequence of public hearings and review committees before the final plan can be issued a building permit. The Postcard Inn on Gulf Boulevard is at the very start of this process for the parking garage that they would like to build on their lot that is currently vacant. Their plan includes proposals for additional landscape buffers and architectural design features that would complement the neighborhood.
“These accommodations are in excess to what is required by the comprehensive plan. I consider this a good example of the developers taking into consideration their residential neighbors. I will be interested to hear the residents’ feedback as they learn more.”
PCI hosted an initial public community meeting at the SPB Community Center January 20, with General Manager Bob Sourwine reporting, “The meeting went extremely well. We had several hundred local residents and business people attending. They asked a lot of questions on how we would handle the project, and we got very positive comments on our responses.”
The Mayor continues, “New owners for the large properties on the east and west ends of Corey Avenue are both in the process of preparing their development designs. The east Corey project designers have discussed the inclusion of public areas at the street ends for full public access to the water. Other proposals include an underpass connecting Corey Avenue with the SPB Community Center and the new Library on the north side of the Corey Causeway.
“Once again, we are interacting with developers who want to include the public experience into their design to be good neighbors and good stewards of their water front properties. No final plans have been submitted but the discussions are encouraging as their architects begin design work. Both east and west Corey designers have been enthusiastic about the Downtown Plan Vision that the Commission adopted in 2015.“
Update on CRA
Mayor Lowe explains, “The Community Redevelopment Agreement (CRA) is a proposal between the City and the County that allows for tax increment financing (TIF) funds to be returned to the city over 30 years to promote a specific area in the City that meets the requirements for blight and slum. The County is currently reviewing the St. Pete Beach CRA for approval.”
The CRA area extends from the Corey Avenue parcels south to 38th Avenue along a large part of Gulf Boulevard. The area covers 135 acres or about 7% of the city’s total area of about 1,930 acres. City Manager Wayne Saunders adds, “We will be involved in several important meeting over the next few months including the Pinellas County Board of County Commissioners as they consider our request to establish the TIF. Once established, the City will receive back from the County the additional County tax dollars that are generated in the CRA by new construction of increased values. This is not a tax increase but a return of County tax dollars to the City. These dollars, along with the City’s regular TIF dollars, will assist the City in moving forward with projects that are identified in the CRA Plan. The Municipal Library complex is identified as a potential project that could utilize TIF revenues as a source of funding. All projects will be reviewed and prioritized on an annual basis.”
The Mayor concludes, “We hope that all of our residents will write to the Pinellas County Commissioners in full support of the CRA. Without this agreement in place, we will not have access to these additional funds from the county.”
New Library Progress
The City Commission voted for the future library to be built on the site adjacent to Horan Park and the SPB Community Center occupied by the old police department building. The Commission approved an $86,850 purchasing agreement with Forestall Enterprises Inc. for demolition and the City Manager anticipates it should be completed by late March.
The City currently has $2 million dollars earmarked for the library project but needs to raise funds for the additional $2 million dollars needed for both the first level parking garage and library furnishings to fully make the learning center a reality.
The City Manager adds, “In addition to the budget dollars, the $200,000 PPLC (Pinellas Public Library Cooperative) construction grant is being partially used for vital repair needs and new furnishings at the current Library, which can be used in the new building. Another portion of this grant was used to issue a Request for Qualifiations (RFQ) for a design consultant/architect to survey the site and come up with preliminary plans. Bids were due January 22, with the Library Advisory Committee to review and recommend its choice to the Commission for February discussion and approval. This is vital to assure filing by April 1 for an up to $500,000 State construction grant.
The Mayor summarizes, “Once we have a design and a re-energized fundraising campaign kicks off, we will also be reaching out to our PPLC partner cities of Tierra Verde and South Pasadena in hopes that they will support the Library Learning Center as well. Our library services all three Cities through the PPLC so I hope the Tierra Verde and South Pasadena residents will be as excited about a new facility as we are. Bringing this project to fruition in a fiscally prudent manner will be a magnificent long–term investment for the City and the families it serves, adults and children alike!”
[Editor’s Note: Special thanks to SPB Mayor Maria Lowe, City Manager Wayne Saunders, City Finance Director Elaine Edmunds and City Attorney Andrew Dickman for their excellent commentary.]
[Steve Traiman is President of Creative Copy by Steve Traiman in St. Pete Beach, offering freelance business writing services. He can be reached via email at traimancreativecopy@gmail.com.]