Hotel density debate ends in compromise
By LESTER R. DAILEY
Article published on Wednesday, April 23, 2008  |
CLEARWATER – It was standing room only on all three floors of City Hall as more than 300 residents attended the April 17 City Council meeting to have their say on a proposal that would have raised Clearwater’s permissible number of hotel rooms per acre to the higher county standards adopted last year.
Most came from Sand Key or Island Estates and wore circular stickers with a diagonal line through the word “hotels.”
But many left in disgust when, nearly 21/2 hours into the meeting, discussion of the measure hadn’t even started. Mayor Frank Hibbard apologized for the delay, saying items he had put ahead of hotel density on the agenda took longer than expected.
When the four-hour discussion finally got under way, approximately 40 speakers addressed the council. Most were residents who claimed that more hotel rooms would destroy the residential nature of their islands, increase crime, add to traffic congestion and hamper hurricane evacuation. But some were hoteliers and tourism officials who said that the additional density was needed to reverse the condo-building craze and restore Clearwater’s reputation as a world-class tourist destination.
John Thomas, a land use consultant who divides his time between Massachusetts and Sand Key, urged the council to exempt Sand Key and Island Estates from the density bonus pool the city established to entice developers of mid-size, mid-priced hotels. He said that bigger hotels would block the view, and lower the property value, of nearby condos.
Most residents said that they have no objection to Beach by Design, the city’s master redevelopment plan that allows even higher density than the county guidelines in the tourist area of Clearwater Beach. But they vehemently opposed higher density on nearby Sand Key, which already has two hotels, and Island Estates, which has none.
“Please don’t include our island in Beach by Design,” Sand Key resident James Strenski urged. “We implore you to exempt Sand Key from the proposed density ordinance.”
“I’m not interested in having any hotels of any kind there,” Island Estates resident Ron Decker added. “They’re not going to bring anything we want and they’re not going to bring anything we need.”
Alan Zimmet, a lawyer representing many of the residents, said that, unlike Clearwater Beach, Sand Key and Island Estates didn’t lose any mom and pop motels to the condo building craze, so there’s no need to take corrective measures on them.
Mary Reinhardt, a co-organizer of the protest, added that building more hotel rooms during a recession “may be a short-sighted solution to a long-term problem” because those rooms are likely to sit empty until the economy improves.
But Russ Kimball, general manager of the Sheraton Sand Key, said that Clearwater needs more hotel rooms if it is to stay competitive with tourist destinations on Florida’s east coast. William Short of the Clearwater Regional Chamber of Commerce added that, without the dollars that tourists bring, city services might have to be cut.
“Generally speaking, this is a great step in the right direction,” Short said of the higher density.
Ed Armstrong, attorney for the Marriott Sand Key, added that, even if the ordinance passed, higher density would be decided on a case-by-case basis and would not be automatic.
“This is a permissive ordinance,” Armstrong told the council. “It does not give any property owner, as a matter of right, any density units … You totally control that decision.”
Roughly half an hour past midnight, the council approved Vice Mayor George Cretekos’ idea of capping density at about 90 percent of the county guidelines.
That would allow 70 units per acre on parcels smaller than one acre, 90 units per acre on parcels between one and three acres, and 110 units per acre on parcels larger than three acres.
Using those figures, the 390-room Sheraton could add 732 new rooms and the 220-room Marriot could add 308 new rooms. But, as Armstrong noted, approval wouldn’t be automatic.
The Shoppes of Sand Key would not be affected because the increased density applies only to parcels zone “T” (tourist), and the city is in the process of reviving its obsolete “commercial” zoning for the Shoppes.
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Article published on Wednesday, April 23, 2008
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