REDINGTON SHORES – Town officials will consider a variance request by the Suncoast Seabird Sanctuary Thursday, Dec. 10, 2 p.m., on a proposed project to construct an aviary to rehabilitate birds of prey.
Sanctuary officials met with Redington Shores officials in September for approval on the project but were denied.
For the project to continue, the Sanctuary needs to receive a nonconforming use variance and a building setback variance from 20 feet to 7 feet from the east property line, which borders the San Remo condominiums parking lot.
Sanctuary officials believe their property at 18328 Gulf Blvd. should be grandfathered in and the aviary should be allowed as an accessory structure, which is permitted under the town’s land development zoning regulations.
The proposed aviary would be 40 feet long by 20 feet wide in an L-shaped structure. It would have no electricity, plumbing or floor and would consist of a lot of screening.
To meet U.S. Fish and Wildlife mandates for birds-of-prey rehabilitation, the aviary needs to be a miniumum 40 feet by 16 feet.
In recent years, the Sanctuary has received record numbers of injured birds of prey, such as eagles, hawks, ospreys and owls. It is the only such rehab center in Pinellas County and needs to construct the aviary to keep up with the demand.
In recent years, the Sanctuary has grown into the largest nonprofit wild bird hospital and sanctuary in the U.S., rescuing an estimated 8,000 to 10,000 birds each year.
Officials at the Sanctuary are seeking the support of residents at the Dec. 10 meeting and to e-mail letters of support to the Redington Shores town clerk at depclk@townofredingtonshores.com. The e-mails should include names and home addresses of the sender.
