Subject:
Title
Pinellas Gateway/Mid-County Area Master Plan Implementation Memorandum of Understanding among Pinellas County, the City of Largo, the City of Pinellas Park, the City of St. Petersburg, and Forward Pinellas.
label
Recommended Action:
Recommended Action
Approval of the Pinellas Gateway/Mid-County Master Plan Implementation Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to actively pursue the implementation of the Gateway Master Plan between Pinellas County, Forward Pinellas, the City of Largo, the City of Pinellas Park and the City of St. Petersburg (Parties). The Gateway area is generally bounded by Belleair Road to the north, 62nd Avenue North to the south, Starkey Road to the west, and Tampa Bay to the east.
• A master plan for the Gateway/Mid-County Area was one of the three priority areas of focus identified by the Forward Pinellas Board in 2015 for their Pinellas Spotlight initiative.
• Forward Pinellas, Pinellas County and the municipalities of Pinellas Park, St. Petersburg, and Largo contributed and a consultant team was hired to complete The Gateway Master Plan.
• The project kicked-off in 2018 with a charrette to identify area issues and opportunities. Along the way, a vision for the area was established along with performance measures and a regulatory framework.
• An MOU was developed to encourage multi-jurisdictional and agency cooperation for ongoing planning and capital investment within the gateway area.
• Following adoption of the MOU, the Parties plan to formally establish the Gateway Partnership as an ongoing forum for coordination, communication and collaborative planning and implementation activities for the long-term health and vitality of the Gateway area.
• The Parties will consider recommendations of the Gateway Master Plan when developing and prioritizing capital improvement projects as well as when amending local comprehensive plans, land development codes and other relevant plans.
• The Parties will work together to achieve the goal of no net loss of employment potential in the Gateway, while using land more efficiently to broaden the mix of uses, including decreasing the amount of land devoted to surface parking.
• The Parties agree to develop affordable housing strategies that will include the properties within the Gateway area, particularly in the investment corridors identified in the Advantage Pinellas 2045 Plan.
• Additional parties to the Gateway Master Plan include Forward Pinellas, the City of Largo, the City of Pinellas Park and the City of St. Petersburg. All three municipalities have already signed the MOU. Forward Pinellas is scheduled to be the final signatory in November.
Body
Strategic Plan:
Foster Continual Economic Growth and Vitality
4.1 Proactively attract and retain businesses with targeted jobs to the county and the region
4.3 Catalyze redevelopment through planning and regulatory programs
Deliver First Class Services to the Public and Our Customers
5.1 Maximize partner relationships and public outreach
Summary:
Summary
The MOU demonstrates support for the Gateway Master Plan and commits the Parties to consider the recommendations in the Plan when developing and prioritizing capital improvements, amending their local comprehensive plans, land development codes and other relevant plans, developing affordable housing strategies, and practicing inclusive planning. The MOU establishes the Gateway Partnership as an ongoing forum for coordination, communication and collaborative planning and implementation activities and defines the role of Forward Pinellas as the convening body responsible for managing coordination efforts.
Body
Background Information:
The Gateway Master Plan presents a multi-jurisdictional comprehensive vision for the area generally bounded by Belleair Road to the north, 62nd Avenue North to the south, Starkey Road to the west, and Tampa Bay to the east, referred to as the “Gateway” Area. The Gateway Area consists of 30 square miles and includes areas in the City of Largo, the City of Pinellas Park, the City of St. Petersburg, and unincorporated Pinellas County. The Gateway Master Plan is the result of extensive community outreach and collaborative effort between local governments, the Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority, the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT), and Forward Pinellas.
The Gateway Master Plan is an action-oriented redevelopment strategy, guiding the area’s growth toward a more socially, environmentally, and economically sustainable future. Planning and Design Guiding Principles were defined to promote a sustainable, resilient, connected, vibrant, economically robust, equitable, and innovative community with a variety of safe, healthy, affordable neighborhoods committed to the integration of Health in All Policies. The Gateway Master Plan envisions the development of several distinct, sustainable and resilient, mixed-use districts that leverage its central location on Tampa Bay to retain and encourage job growth while providing new housing, services, and amenities for employees, residents and visitors. Connections to transit, safe walkable and bikeable streets, and the development of trails, blueways and district nodes are central to the vision of the plan. New district centers will be connected to existing residential neighborhoods and support quality of life while promoting community health and contributing to a robust regional economy. The implementation of the Gateway Master Plan focuses on building public and private partnerships to achieve objectives.
Fiscal Impact:
N/A
Staff Member Responsible:
Brian Lowack, Interim Director, Housing and Community Development
Partners:
Forward Pinellas
City of Largo
City of Pinellas Park
City of St. Petersburg
Attachments:
Pinellas Gateway/Mid-County Area Master Plan Implementation Memorandum of Understanding
Gateway Master Plan
Backup material - slide deck