Subject:
Title
Case No. ZON-25-07 (Ignite Academy, Inc.)
A request for a zoning change from R-A, Residential Agriculture to LI, Limited Institutional on approximately 5.23 acres located at 2271 Keystone Road in East Lake Tarpon. (Quasi-Judicial)
label
Recommended Action:
Recommended Action
Based upon the evidence and findings contained in the staff report and attachments, Case No. ZON-25-07 is recommended for approval:
A resolution approving the application of Justin Gingerich of Ignite Academy, Inc. for a zoning change from R-A, Residential Agriculture to LI, Limited Institutional.
• The applicant is seeking a zoning change on a 5.23-acre parcel that currently contains a single-family home.
• The request would allow the applicant to redevelop the property with a private school for kindergarten through 8th grade students.
• The subject property fronts and takes access from Keystone Road, an arterial roadway and designated Scenic/Non-Commercial Corridor (SNCC).
• A companion Future Land Use map amendment request (Case No. FLU-25-08) is also proposed.
• The Local Planning Agency Recommended approval of the request (Vote 5-1)
o Four people appeared in favor, citing the appropriateness of and need for the school in the area.
o Five people appeared in opposition, citing incompatibility with surrounding single-family homes, noise, scale of project, and traffic.
o 6 letters and a petition containing 54 signatures in opposition have been received.
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Strategic Priorities:
Prosperity and Opportunity
3.4 Enhance educational and cultural opportunities
Summary:
Summary
The site is zoned R-A, Residential Agriculture, which allows for single-family residential homes on 2-acre minimum property size, and a range of agricultural activities. Educational uses, including public and private schools may be permitted as a Type-2 Use in an R-A zone.
The applicant is seeking to redevelop the property with a private school consisting of a two-story building to accommodate approximately 300 students for K-8. The proposed zoning designation LI, Limited Institutional, would allow for the proposed private school use by right.
The subject property is approximately 5.23 acres, located at 2271 Keystone Road in East Lake Tarpon, and is currently developed with a single-family home. The property is currently under contract to purchase, subject to Rezoning and a Future Land Use Map Amendment (Case no. FLU-25-08).
The subject property is adjacent to single family residential and vacant land. Within the vicinity, there is a range of residential-type dwelling uses, institutional uses, and limited retail and professional uses. The property takes direct and sole access from Keystone Road, a four-land divided arterial roadway. Keystone Road is designated as a Scenic/Non-Commercial Corridor-Rural Open Space (SNCC-Rural Open Space) on the Countywide Plan Map and as recognized by the Pinellas County Comprehensive Plan.
The subject property is neither within the Coastal High Hazard Area (CHHA) nor the Coastal Storm Area (CSA) and has a low flood risk. The subject property lies within Flood Zone X.
Staff is of the opinion that the proposed Zoning Atlas amendment is appropriate and is generally compatible with the surrounding development pattern. This considers the site’s frontage along Keystone Road and other existing surrounding uses, including similar nonresidential and institutional type uses along the corridor. Staff finds the amendment is consistent with the Pinellas County Comprehensive Plan, subject to the approval of the companion FLUM amendment case.
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Background Information:
The LPA recommended approval of the request during its October 8, 2025, public hearing (Vote 5-1)
Surrounding property owners within 250 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 Services
Partners:
N/A
Attachments:
Resolution
LPA Staff Report
Case Maps
Applicant Application
Survey
Certification of Ownership
Opposition Correspondence
Legal Ad
PowerPoint Presentation