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Editorial
Bolstering tourism
Article published on Tuesday, Feb. 26, 2008 |
Sheila Cole, the executive director of the Clearwater Beach Chamber of Commerce, gave a strong warning about the plight of the area’s tourism industry.
“How do you tell people that there’s no room at the inn?” she said at a recent meeting.
What she, county officials and representatives of the tourism industry know all too well is that the shortage of motel rooms – about 1,200 – is a serious threat to the area’s economy and requires action.
County officials took the initiative to alleviate the problem months ago, agreeing to increase allowable density in areas zoned for tourist or commercial uses. The action was taken after much discussion and study.
The Clearwater Planning Department has proposed a density pool of 1,385 rooms that can be allocated to developers as incentive to build mid-size, mid-priced hotels that would otherwise be prohibited by density restrictions.
Addressing complaints from Sand Key residents who want to retain the residential characteristics of their island, city officials said that the density pool would not apply to Sand Key.
That should appease opponents of higher densities on Sand Key and allow officials to continue their efforts to bolster tourism, which is vital to the health of the county’s economy.
Clearwater Beach, with its variety of shops, restaurants, attractions, water sports, is an ideal setting for motels. Tourists who stay on the beach also spend money at other county parks and destinations, such as nearby Caladesi and Honeymoon islands. So many amenities are only minutes away.
If Clearwater Beach and other beaches in Pinellas County continue to lose motel rooms to condominiums, just the perception that there is no room at the inn could leave tourists with second thoughts about vacationing here.
Certainly, tourism presents challenges such as traffic congestion and law enforcement problems, but such issues can be addressed through planning. Mass transit, for instance, such as a monorail along the Clearwater Memorial Causeway is a viable option that deserves serious consideration.
That’s not to say that all proposals, such as high-rise hotels, are suitable for all cities along Gulf Boulevard in Pinellas County. Sound planning and responsible government calls for cities to evaluate all projects on their merits and be sensitive to concerns about additional traffic and noise.
But the county’s move to allow cities to increase densities should be seen as a springboard to strengthen tourism, not as an anathema to our way of life.
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Article published on Tuesday, Feb. 26, 2008
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