Subject:
Title
Case No. FLU-25-03 (Tarpon Development Properties, LLC)
A request to amend the Future Land Use Map of Pinellas County, Florida, by changing the land use designation of approximately 1.16 acres located at 2551 Tarpon Woods Boulevard in East Lake, from Residential/Office General to Commercial Neighborhood.
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Recommended Action:
Recommended Action
Based upon the evidence and findings contained in the staff report and attachments, Case No. FLU-25-03 is recommended for approval.
An ordinance approving the application of Tarpon Development Properties, LLC for a Future Land Use Map (FLUM) amendment.
• The applicant is seeking a FLUM amendment to change the land use designation on a 1.16-acre parcel within the Tarpon Woods community from Residential/Office General (R/OG) to Commercial Neighborhood (CN).
• Properties directly north, within the same retail/commercial area, are also designated CN, as is the property directly across East Lake Road to the west.
• The existing bank use on the parcel has been vacant for over 3 years.
• The modification would allow for a greater variety of commercial uses.
• A companion Development Master Plan (DMP) amendment request (case # DMP-25-01) is also proposed to facilitate the change in land use and redevelopment.
• The Local Planning Agency recommended approval of the request (vote 7-0). Two people appeared in opposition, one person appeared undecided, and four letters of support have been received.
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Strategic Priorities:
Prosperity and Opportunity
3.5 Foster business growth
Summary:
Summary
The subject parcel consists of 1.16 acres located at the northeast corner of East Lake Road and Tarpon Woods Boulevard and is part of the Tarpon Woods Development Master Plan (DMP). Created in the 1970s, the Master Plan covers approximately 2,600 acres and consists of a mix of residential housing, commercial nodes, golf course, and preservation areas. The applicant is also requesting a DMP modification to amend the allowable use on the subject property from bank to commercial use(s) (Companion DMP Modification, Case No. DMP-25-01). The applicant is proposing to redevelop the property with a car wash use. No other modifications to the Master Plan are proposed.
The subject parcel is designated R/OG on the County FLUM, which does not allow commercial uses, so a land use amendment to a commercial land use category will be required in addition to the modification of the DMP. The current R/OG land use category allows up to 10 residential dwelling units per acre; and a non-residential Floor Area Ratio (FAR) of up to 0.5. The applicant is requesting a change to the Commercial Neighborhood (CN) FLUM classification. The proposed CN classification allows a non-residential FAR of up to 0.3. The classification does not permit residential land uses.
The subject property and surrounding neighborhood is located within the East Lake Tarpon Community Overlay District, as designated on the FLUM. The Overlay District includes Objectives and Policies to guide the future development of the community which recognize this existing commercial node along East Lake Road. Also, East Lake Road at the intersection with Tarpon Woods Boulevard is designated as a Scenic Non-Commercial Corridor-Mixed Use (SNCC-Mixed Use) on the Countywide Plan Map. The Countywide Plan Rules place additional review criteria for amendments to properties along SNCC’s.
The entire Tarpon Woods development is zoned Residential Planned Development- Wellhead Protection Overlay (RPD-W), which requires a DMP. No Zoning Atlas changes are needed or being sought as part of the applicant’s overall proposal. The RPD zoning district applied to the subject property is inherently flexible and provides for a wide variety of housing types and complementing non-residential uses where appropriate.
Much of the land surrounding the subject parcel is within the Tarpon Woods DMP. The subject parcel is separated from the nearest residential housing by Tarpon Woods Boulevard on the south and Tanglewood Trail on the east. It is part of the commercial node of activity in the northeast quadrant of East Lake Road and Tarpon Woods Boulevard, all of which is classified as CN on the FLUM. Property directly to the south across Tarpon Woods Boulevard is designated R/OG and improved with a mix of nonresidential uses. Property directly across East Lake Road to the west is designated CN and improved with commercial uses. Property to the southwest is designated Recreation/Open Space (R/OS) and is part of John Chesnut Sr. Park. Properties to the east and southeast are designated Residential Low (RL) and include residential condominiums.
The subject property, as well as the surrounding area, is 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 from a category one (1) hurricane, as reflected in the most recent Regional Evacuation Study, Storm Tide Atlas. Additionally, the property and the surrounding area is within the 100-year floodplain. Redevelopment of the property will be subject to meeting the County stormwater management requirements and possibly floodplain mitigation.
Staff is of the opinion that the proposed land use amendment is appropriate for the subject property. The property is part of a neighborhood commercial/office node of activity along the East Lake Road corridor at the Tarpon Woods Boulevard intersection. Adjacent property to the north and directly to west are designated CN on the FLUM; and property directly to the south is designated R/OG and improved with a mix of commercial and office uses. This land use amendment would support the companion DMP amendment that would allow for the property to be redeveloped with a commercial use different than a bank. In general, the proposal is compatible with the surrounding uses and is consistent with the Pinellas County Comprehensive Plan.
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Background Information:
The LPA unanimously recommended approval of the request during its June 11, 2025, 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:
Glenn Bailey, Interim Director, Housing and Community Development
Partners:
N/A
Attachments:
Ordinance (including Legal Description)
LPA Staff Report
Case Maps
Impacts Assessment
Traffic Analysis
Business Impact Estimate
Certification of Ownership and Title
Survey
Letters of Support
Presentation