Subject:
Title
Case No. FLU-25-01 (Mila Mania Properties, Inc.)
A request for a Future Land Use Map amendment from Residential Urban to Residential Medium on approximately 0.21 acres located at 4500 40th Street North in Lealman, unincorporated Pinellas County.
label
Recommended Action:
Recommended Action
Based upon the evidence and findings contained in the staff report and attachments, Case No. FLU-25-01 is recommended for denial:
An ordinance approving the application of Mila Mania Properties, Inc. for a Future Land Use Map (FLUM) amendment from Residential Urban (RU) to Residential Medium (RM) on approximately 0.21 acres.
• The subject property is located at the northwest corner of 40th Street North and 45th Avenue North in Lealman.
• The subject property, all adjacent property, and the vast majority of the neighborhood are designated RU on the FLUM.
• The nearest RM-designated property is approximately 1,250 feet in distance to the west.
• The neighborhood consists of a variety of housing types, including single-family, duplex, and triplex units, on a wide range of lot sizes.
• This is an application to consider a change in land use only and does not include a zoning atlas amendment, development agreement proposal, or site plan application. Any submitted concept plans are not binding.
• The staff recommendation of denial is based upon the requested RM land use category being inconsistent with the surrounding area, resulting in an isolated 0.21-acre parcel having a maximum allowable density that is double that of adjacent properties.
• The Local Planning Agency recommended approval of the request (vote 4-2), primarily noting interest in revitalizing the subject property. Two people from the public appeared and spoke in opposition, citing concerns of increased density and parking problems.
Body
Strategic Priorities:
Healthy and Safe Communities
2.2 Enhance community safety
Summary:
The subject property consists of 0.21 acres located at 4500 40th Street North in Lealman, within the Lealman Community Redevelopment Area (CRA). The site is currently developed with a one (1)-story, single-family home and an attached two (2)-story building that includes garage space on the ground floor and a residential dwelling unit above, for a total of two (2) residential dwelling units. According to the submitted application, the applicant intends to revitalize the property to include an additional dwelling unit for a total of three (3) units.
The current RU land use designation allows for a variety of residential development as well as limited ancillary uses including, for example, institutional, office, retail, and recreation/open space uses where certain property size and location criteria are met. Up to 7.5 dwelling units per acre are permitted in the RU land use designation; and the subject property could accommodate up to two (2) residential dwelling units per the RU designation, given the property size. Furthermore, the RU designation allows for a non-residential use Floor Area Ratio (FAR) of up to 0.4 and an Impervious Surface Ratio (ISR) of up to 0.65.
The proposed RM land use designation allows for similar uses with a maximum of 15 dwelling units per acre. Under the RM designation, a total of up to three (3) dwelling units could potentially be accommodated on the subject property. Furthermore, the RM designation allows for a non-residential use FAR of up to 0.5 and an ISR of up to 0.75.
The current zoning classification is R-4, One (1), Two (2) and Three (3) Family Residential district. The R-4 district permits single family, duplex, triplex, and townhome residential dwelling units; thus, a rezoning would not be required to redevelop the property with three (3) attached dwelling units (i.e., a triplex). As such, no change in zoning is currently proposed. Redevelopment would potentially bring other zoning requirements into the development process, such as parking, landscaping, setbacks, etcetera. Important to note, potential zoning-related requirements are not subject to this FLUM application review.
Surrounding Uses, Land Use Designations and Zoning Districts
The subject property is located at the northwest corner of 45th Avenue North and 40th Street North in Lealman, within the Lealman CRA. This is a residential neighborhood that includes mostly single family residential along with some duplex and triplex residential units. There are some industrial and heavy commercial uses to the east, and a mobile home park to the north. Directly adjacent to the subject property includes a residential duplex to the north; a residential triplex to the west; the combination of a single-family home and five (5) residential duplexes to the south; and two (2) single family homes to the east. While the subject property is 0.21 acres in size, neighborhood properties significantly vary in both size and configuration (i.e., width and depth).
All adjacent properties have a land use designation of RU, as do the vast majority of properties in the neighborhood. The nearest RM-designated properties are located approximately 1,250 feet to the west. The zoning is similar with all adjacent properties and the vast majority of neighborhood properties zoned R-4.
Similar to the County’s FLUM, the Countywide Land Use designated on the subject property, all adjacent properties, and the vast majority of properties in the neighborhood is Residential Low Medium (RLM) on the Countywide Plan Map. If this FLUM amendment proposal were to be approved, a subsequent Countywide Plan Map amendment to RM would also be required through Forward Pinellas and the Countywide Planning Authority.
Flood Risk
The subject property is neither within the Coastal High Hazard Area (CHHA) nor the Coastal Storm Area (CSA). The subject property lies within Flood Zone X which is out of the 500-year floodplain. The subject property is not within an Evacuation Zone.
Conclusion
Staff finds the proposed land use amendment from RU to RM inappropriate for the subject property and general area. All adjacent properties and the vast majority of surrounding properties within the neighborhood are designated RU. A change in land use would amount to an isolated 0.21-acre parcel with a land use designation different from most of the rest of the neighborhood and would also amount to doubling the maximum permitted residential density from 7.5 to 15 dwelling units per acre.
There exist other properties in the neighborhood that include three (3) or more dwelling units. Many of those properties are larger in size and, thus, can legally accommodate the additional units under the current RU 7.5-dwelling unit per acre maximum in place. Other properties were developed prior to current land use density requirements and zoning standards and, thus, are legally nonconforming.
The current residential density allotted to the subject property is the same residential density allotted to adjacent properties and the vast majority of the neighborhood. The requested change in land use would give the subject property twice as much density as enjoyed by their neighbors.
Background Information:
The LPA recommended approval of this FLUM amendment request during its April 9, 2025, meeting (Vote 4-2), primarily noting interest in improving the subject property and overall redevelopment in the area.
Surrounding property owners within 300 feet of the subject property were notified by mail. Signs advertising the public hearing were posted on the subject property.
Fiscal Impact:
N/A
Staff Member Responsible:
Glenn Bailey, Interim Director, Housing and Community Development
Partners:
N/A
Attachments:
LPA Report
Case Maps
Impacts Analysis
Traffic Analysis
Ordinance (including survey and legal)
Business Impact Estimate
Survey
Photo
Concept Plans
County Letter
Legal Ad
Legal Ad Map
Correspondence
Presentation