Subject:
Title
Case No. ZON-23-04 (Pinellas County/Baywood Hotels)
A request for a zoning change from Employment-2 (E-2) and, General Retail and Services (C-2) to General Retail and Services- Transient Accommodation Overlay (C-2-C-T) (2.78 acres) and from E-2 to C-2 (0.74 acre), with a Development Agreement as required by the Transient Accommodation Overlay on the C-2-C-T portion of the subject property allowing a hotel and its customary accessory uses that comply with the building density/intensity and height allowed by the property’s land use and zoning designations, on approximately 3.52 acres located near the northeast corner of Roosevelt Boulevard and Ulmerton Road, adjacent to the west of 4011 Ulmerton Road, in unincorporated Pinellas Park. (Quasi-Judicial)
label
Recommended Action:
Recommended Action
Conduct a public hearing and based upon the evidence and findings contained in the staff report and attachments, Case No. ZON-23-04 is recommended for approval:
A resolution approving the application of Pinellas County/Baywood Hotels for a change in zoning from E-2, and C-2, to C-2-C-T, (2.78 acres) and from E-2 to C-2, (0.74 acre), with a Development Agreement as required by the Transient Accommodation Overlay on the C-2-C-T portion of the subject property allowing a hotel and its customary accessory uses that comply with the building density/intensity and height allowed by the property’s land use and zoning designations.
• The applicants are seeking a zoning change on 3.52 acres near the northeast intersection of Roosevelt Boulevard and Ulmerton Road with a Development Agreement applied to a 2.78-acre portion of the subject property.
• A 132-room, six-story hotel is proposed.
• The Development Agreement is required by the Transient Accommodation Overlay, which permits higher development density/intensity for hotels.
• The subject property is owned by the County and leased to a private entity.
• The Local Planning Agency (LPA) recommended approval of the request based on staff’s recommendation and the evidence presented in the LPA report (vote 7-0). No one from the public appeared in support or opposition and no public correspondence has been received.
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Strategic Plan:
Foster Continual Economic Growth and Vitality
4.3 Catalyze redevelopment through planning and regulatory programs
Deliver First Class Services to the Public and our Customers
5.2 Be responsible stewards of the public’s resources
Summary:
Summary
The subject property consists of approximately 3.52 acres located near the northeast corner of the Ulmerton Road and Roosevelt Boulevard intersection just to the south of the St. Pete-Clearwater International Airport. It is currently vacant. The property is designated both Commercial General (CG) and Employment (E) on the Future Land Use Map (FLUM) and is zoned C-2 and E-2. It is owned by the County and under lease for a proposed hotel.
The lessee is proposing to construct a 132-room six (6)-story hotel on the subject property. A hotel is an allowed use under both the CG and E FLUM categories and the C-2 zoning district, but not the E-2 zoning district. This zoning change request is divided into two (2) parts: 1) a 2.78-acre portion (labeled hotel parcel) is proposed for a change from C-2 and E-2 to C-2-C-T, and 2) a separate 0.74-acre portion (labeled parcels A, B,C,D) is proposed for a change from C-2 to E-2 with no C-T Overlay. The former is being requested to facilitate the construction of the hotel and the latter is a ‘cleanup’ amendment to bring the entire subject property under the same underlying zoning district. The FLUM designations are not proposed to change.
The proposed C-T Overlay allows for transient accommodations with higher maximum room densities and building intensities than normally allowed. The proposed 132-room hotel on the 2.78-acre hotel parcel equates to approximately 47.5 rooms per acre (40 rooms per acre is the normal maximum). To achieve these higher-than-normal maximums granted by the CT-Overlay, a Development Agreement is required to ensure the use is appropriate for the location and that potential impacts are mitigated. The Development Agreement must include design considerations that help ensure compatibility with its location and surroundings, a transportation analysis, and natural disaster-related provisions that mandate compliance with all local hurricane evacuation plans and prevent the conversion of the hotel units into permanent residential dwellings.
The Ulmerton Road and Roosevelt Boulevard corridors in the general area are primarily a mix of commercial and employment-related businesses. The St. Pete-Clearwater International Airport (PIE) is a dominant use and aviation-related uses are prevalent. Directly abutting the subject property are vacant land to the west, PIE to the north, and retail and commercial uses (including hotels) to the east and to the south across Ulmerton Road.
The submitted traffic analysis indicates that the anticipated hotel project traffic impacts are minimal, accounting for approximately one percent (1.0%) of the capacity of Ulmerton Road. Access to the hotel would be from the existing access point for the adjacent Cracker Barrel restaurant, which is a right-in/right-out connection to Ulmerton Road.
In summary, the proposed zoning change and Development Agreement are appropriate for the subject property. The Development Agreement provides assurances that potential impacts from the additional room density granted to the proposed hotel are mitigated and area compatibility is addressed. Considering the increasing usership of the nearby airport, the proposed hotel will provide an additional lodging amenity in close proximity. The C-2 zoning district is the same or similar to other zoning districts in the area and the FLUM land use categories are not changing. All the requirements of the C-T Overlay have been addressed and appear to be met. For these reasons, staff recommends approval of the request.
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Background Information:
The LPA recommended approval of the request during its July 12, 2023, public hearing (vote 7-0).
Surrounding property owners within 500 feet of the subject property were notified by mail. A sign advertising the public hearings was posted on the subject property.
Fiscal Impact:
N/A
Staff Member Responsible:
Carol Stricklin, Director, Housing and Community Development
Partners:
N/A
Attachments:
LPA Report
Case Maps
Resolution
Development Agreement
Concept Plan
Building Example
Narrative
Traffic Analysis
Legal Descriptions
Ownership Certification
Memorandum of Lease
Legal Ad
Legal Ad Map
PowerPoint Presentation