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Commission ponders downtown's future
By LEON M. TUCKER, Times Staff Writer
CLEARWATER -- As Clearwater takes a look at redeveloping its downtown, some of the ideas that have come up include expanding Coachman Park and gussying up downtown entrance ways such as Fort Harrison Avenue and Cleveland Street. But that's only a small part of a grandiose plan city commissioners pored over Monday. "We want to make sure we're in agreement with the general concept," said Cyndi Tarapani, the city's planning director, as she offered the ideas to commissioners in an afternoon work session. "Because, where we go from here, we will build on that." During the past five months, city staffers have been working with Orlando design consultants Bellomo-Herbert -- which focused on streetscaping and park design -- on ideas they hope will move the project along. Other elements of the plan Tarapani presented include: Expanding the city's gateway area from roughly Myrtle Avenue, west to Highland Avenue, and further north and south along Ft. Harrison Avenue. Incorporating more historical characteristics with new construction and street scape enhancements. Enhancing public access and view of the waterfront along Clearwater Harbor with a new marina, restaurant, kiosks or other pedestrian-friendly businesses. Prohibiting the development of businesses such as convenient stores, gas stations and drive-through restaurants in the downtown core area. City leaders also are considering reworking parking so it operates on a shared basis with attractions and businesses. One possibility is relocating the Coachman Park parking lot and using the space to expand the park. "It's not going to be easy," Tarapani said. "The daily parking you can handle, but around events like Jazz Holiday we have to accommodate or they're not going to come." But it was the idea of possibly limiting building heights to about three stories to control a desired look that dominated a large part of the commission discussion. "We need to be willing to look at this objectively," Commissioner Hoyt Hamilton said. "I think we'd be spinning our wheels around talk about (limiting) private property that we have no control over." City Manager Bill Horne then asked commissioners if they would like for the city to have a "city feel like Dunedin." "This is not Dunedin," Mayor Brian Aungst said. "We just can't have one- or two-story buildings and expect to attract people." Commissioner Whitney Gray disagreed. "Three stories is about right for me," she said. "Walking down the street to feel comfortable. Three stories is about right." Aungst recommended language be put in the plan that would not "bog" lock the city into height restrictions. "I would like to see some flexibility," Aungst said. "Limiting height on buildings is a can of worms we don't want to open." Another idea commissioners discussed was incorporating private development on the site to be vacated by City Hall and Calvary Baptist Church. In about a year and a half, the church hopes to move from its location at 331 Cleveland St. -- next to City Hall -- to a 28-acre campus at McMullen-Booth Road and Drew Street. City Hall also plans to move its operation, which would leave vacant a prime chunk of land overlooking the water. Tarapani said after City Hall and the church move, the city and church officials plan to hold on to the properties, decide what private use would work best on the site and bring in a developer to do the work. The city's planning department and commission is expected to discuss the downtown redevelopment plan several more times through the spring.
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