Subject:
Title
Case No. ZON-25-02 (Twin City MHC, LLC)
A request for a zoning change from RMH, Residential Mobile/Manufactured Home to RM, Multi-Family Residential on approximately 8.94 acres located at 10636 Gandy Boulevard in unincorporated St. Petersburg. (Quasi-Judicial)
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Recommended Action:
Recommended Action
Based upon the evidence and findings contained in the staff report and attachments, Case No. ZON-25-02 is recommended for approval:
A resolution approving the application of Twin City MHC, LLC for a zoning change from RMH, Residential Mobile/Manufactured Home to RM, Multi-Family Residential.
• The applicant is seeking a zoning change on an 8.94-acre parcel and the proposed use is multifamily residential.
• The Residential Urban Future Land Use on the property would allow for up to 64 residential units.
• The subject property is highly vulnerable to flooding and storm surge. It is located within the 25-year coastal floodplain and the Coastal High Hazard Area.
• The subject property is surrounded by a broad range of both residential and nonresidential uses.
• The County, in partnership with the State, created a relocation program enabling mobile home park residents to move nationwide. Working alongside park management, Endeavors, and the Pinellas County Housing Authority, we helped residents secure safe, affordable housing.
• The Local Planning Agency recommended approval of the request (vote 5-1). No one appeared in opposition and no correspondence has been received.
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Strategic Priorities:
Resilient Infrastructure and Environment
1.5 Strengthen resilience and adaptation
Healthy and Safe Communities
2.2 Enhance community safety
Summary:
Summary
The subject property consists of one parcel totaling 8.94 acres located at 10636 Gandy Boulevard North. Much of the surrounding area is within the City of St. Petersburg. The property is zoned RMH, Residential Mobile/manufactured Home. The northern 0.4-acre ‘panhandle’ portion of the property closest to Gandy Boulevard is designated Commercial General (CG) on the Future Land Use Map (FLUM) while the remaining 8.54 acres are designated Residential Urban (RU). The existing use on the property is the Twin City Mobile Home Park (MHP). The master plan on file for Twin City indicates 103 mobile home spaces and three (3) apartment units. The MHP has flooded heavily multiple times during recent storm events and there are relatively few mobile home units that remain occupied.
Twin City was established in the 1950s prior to the County’s zoning code and is considered nonconforming. If redeveloped, the existing FLUM categories would allow a maximum of 64 residential units (the RU category allows a maximum of 7.5 units per acre and the CG category does not allow residential uses in this location). The applicant’s desire to redevelop the property with multifamily housing. A rezoning to the RM, Residential Multifamily zoning district is proposed as the current RMH, Residential Mobile/Manufactured Home zoning district does not allow for multifamily residential development. The applicant is also requesting a FLUM amendment to Residential Medium (RM) for the entire property to get additional density, which the applicants are requesting via companion FLUM Case No. FLU-25-04.
The subject property is surrounded by a variety of adjacent uses. To the north across Gandy Boulevard is an apartment complex within the City of St. Petersburg and to the northeast along the south side of Gandy (also within the City) are a retail strip center and car wash. The remaining adjacent properties are all unincorporated and include single family homes to the east, boat repair and storage to the southeast, the Derby Lane (former dog racing facility) property to the south, and a motel, a communications tower, and a retail establishment to the west. Importantly, the waters of Tampa Bay and its connecting wetlands are relatively close to the subject property, particularly to the south. In terms of FLUM categories, RU is predominant to the east, CG is to the west, Commercial Recreation (CR) is to the south, and the City of St. Petersburg has its own designations to the north and northwest. In addition, the adjacent boat repair and storage facilities are designated Employment (E). In terms of zoning, R-4 residential covers the single-family homes to the east, E-2 employment covers the boat-related uses to the southeast, C-2 commercial covers the Derby Lanes property to the south as well as the commercial uses to the west, and City designations exist to the north and northeast.
The subject property is highly vulnerable to flooding and storm surge. It is located within the 25-year coastal floodplain and entirely within the Coastal High Hazard Area (CHHA), which is the area defined by the Sea, Lake and Overland Surges from Hurricanes (SLOSH) model to be inundated by a category one hurricane, as reflected in the most recent Regional Evacuation Study, Storm Tide Atlas. It is also within the Coastal Storm Area (CSA), which includes the CHHA in addition to any isolated elevated areas that are surrounded by the CHHA (where evacuation would require crossing the CHHA). Correspondingly, the property and the surrounding area is within Hurricane Evacuation Zone A. The Pinellas County Comprehensive Plan restricts (re)development within and directs population concentrations out of the CSA. Toward this end, the Plan explicitly states that ‘Pinellas County shall not approve any request to amend the FLUM to designate parcels of land within the CSA with a FLUM category that permits more than 5.0 dwelling units per gross acre’ (Coastal Management Policy 2.1.3). The property’s existing RU FLUM category permits up to 7.5 dwelling units per gross acre, so it already permits a higher residential density than what would be allowed because of any density increase request in the CSA. The RU category has been in place on the subject property for decades and is considered ‘grandfathered’. It is important to note that any redevelopment of the property will be subject to meeting Pinellas County stormwater management requirements and floodplain mitigation.
The stormwater infrastructure in the area has a documented history of failing during small and larger rainfall events. Any redevelopment of the property will require the applicant meeting current County development regulations. Importantly, the Comprehensive Plan restricts public expenditures that subsidize (re)development in the CSA. This is based on Section 163.3177(6)6., Florida Statutes, which requires that local governments limit public expenditures that subsidize development in Coastal High Hazard Areas.
Section 403.892, Florida Statutes allows a density bonus of up to 35 percent for qualifying projects that install and utilize graywater reuse systems, without restriction for vulnerable locations. Based on the existing RU FLUM category, that would allow up to 86 residential units on the subject property. The applicants, through their representative, were advised of this option but indicated a desire to continue to seek additional density via the requested FLUM amendment.
Pinellas County Code Chapter 42 Article X mandates the Mobile Home Transition Program, which implements the requirements of Section 723.083, Florida Statutes regarding determination that adequate mobile home parks or other suitable facilities exist for the relocation of the mobile homeowners residing on the subject property. All mobile homes on the subject property suffered repeated substantial flooding damage during recent storm events. Federal regulations require elevating homes that receive substantial damage in vulnerable areas to prevent similar damage from future storms. Elevating the homes on the subject property would be expensive and, due to age and prior damage, many would not survive the process. Any new homes placed on the property would also have to be elevated to protect them from future storm damage.
The applicants have provided information on the status of the MHP residents and their future plans for them. Over the past several months, the park owners and Pinellas County have been working to assist mobile home residents with relocation from the subject property. The applicants indicate that most homes are uninhabitable following the 2024 hurricane impacts. The County is utilizing State funding to provide alternative rental housing for the residents. At the time of the application submittal, 51 residents have applied with the County on the alternative housing program. Of those, 42 were approved and 34 assisted with relocation expenses and rent payments for up to 12 months. The other nine are in budgeting, waitlist, or application review. Per the applicants, a combination of evictions and condemnation proceedings will likely be used to remove any remaining residents due to the condition of the homes and unpaid rents. Further, the applicants contend that several homes are currently occupied by squatters and unauthorized persons. The number of occupied units continues to decrease.
Staff is of the opinion that the proposed Zoning Atlas amendment to RM is appropriate and will allow for the site to be redeveloped to meet the County’s development regulations. The proposed RM zoning is consistent with the current RU FLUM category which would allow up to 64 newly constructed units, which is more than the maximum 5.0 units per acre (45 units) the Comprehensive Plan permits for FLUM changes in the CSA. Multifamily development can be considered appropriate for the subject property based on compatibility with surrounding uses but needs to be limited to the number of residential units currently allowed due to its highly vulnerable coastal location.
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Background Information:
The LPA recommended approval of the request during its September 10, 2025, public hearing (Vote 5-1).
Surrounding property owners within 400 feet of the subject property were notified by mail. A sign advertising the public hearing was posted on the subject property.
Fiscal Impact:
N/A
Staff Member Responsible:
Kevin McAndrew, Director, Building and Development Review
Partners:
N/A
Attachments:
Resolution
LPA Staff Report
Case Maps
Applicant Application
Certification of Ownership
Property Survey
Legal Ad
Staff Presentation