CLEARWATER – The Board of County Commissioners unanimously approved on Feb. 19 a TEFRA resolution authorizing approval of $3.5 million in Pinellas County Educational Facilities Authority revenue bonds for Veritas Academy.
The approval is contingent on the school receiving rezoning approval from Residential Urban to Institutional from the city of Pinellas Park.
The bond money is to be used to finance the purchase, equipping and renovation of the proposed school to be located at 8021 60th St. in Pinellas Park, the site of a former Salvation Army facility.
Commissioners at first indicated they wanted to table the matter until Pinellas Park had made its rezoning decision. But Rick Hermanns, president of the board of Veritas Academy, told the board that tabling the action would kill the deal.
He described the situation as a “messed up deal.” He said for 30 years prior the land had been zoned Institutional. Then a developer purchased the land and spent about a year getting the land rezoned Residential Urban. Due to the downturn in the residential market, the developer then decided to sell the property to the school.
Hermanns said Pinellas Park had tabled the matter at its Feb. 14 meeting because it was waiting to see if Pinellas County would approve the financing. He said without the financing the school wouldn’t be able to buy the property. And if the school can’t buy the property, the builder wouldn’t want the rezoning to take place.
He said the rezoning granted the developer was contingent on the construction of homes. He said if the land was used for another purpose the zoning would revert back to its former designation of Institutional.
Hermanns said the situation was like the chicken and the egg. He said without the financing the deal couldn’t close, but without the rezoning the school can’t be built and the deal can’t close.
Commissioner Karen Seel said a letter had been received from some of the neighbors who said the buildings currently on the property were in deplorable condition with mildew, lead paint, asbestos and other code violations. The letter also said there was a dangerous curve on the road.
Seel asked if the BCC would be responsible for any of these things if they approved the bonds. Dennis Long from the county attorney’s office said no.
Interim County Administrator Fred Marquis said all those issues were a matter of consideration for the city of Pinellas Park.
Hermanns agreed that the buildings were in deplorable condition. The school plans to use 40 percent of the bond money to make building improvements.
“To say the surrounding neighborhood is not in favor is basically false,” he said.
Currently the property is empty with vagrants hanging out, he said.
“It’s a bad situation,” he said. “But the property has about the same chance of becoming housing as the Rays have of winning the World Series.”
He said people did speak out against the rezoning at the Pinellas Park meeting. He said concerns included noise from the children and trash. He said an elementary school was located nearby and didn’t think the academy’s children would add significant amounts to the noise.
As to the trash, he said much of it was coming from the vagrants.
“Having someone there (on the vacant property) will help,” he said.
