Restaurants get break on parking

Dunedin changes an ordinance to help restaurants offer outdoor dining without having to add parking.

By LEON M. TUCKER, Times Staff Writer
© St. Petersburg Times
published February 7, 2003

DUNEDIN -- In an effort to add more ambience to an already chic downtown, city commissioners Thursday agreed to let restaurant owners offer sidewalk dining service without having to pay to add more parking.

"Most of the restaurants downtown don't have the ability to expand parking," said Kevin Campbell, the city's community services director. "What we are attempting to do is reduce the standard to allow more flexibility that we hope will help move our downtown redevelopment forward."

Currently, one parking space is required for every 400 square feet of dining space.

Here's how the ordinance change approved Thursday works.

Sidewalk dining areas that receive service from a waiter are considered floor space. When the ordinance change takes effect, one parking space will be required for every 800 square feet of floor space -- making it easier for restaurants to set up outside dining without having to pay extra to add parking.

"I think this will be good for our downtown," said Commissioner Bob Hackworth, adding that sidewalk dining "gives it a special flavor that it needs."

Commissioners approved the amendment unanimously.

In other action, commissioners -- by a 3-2 vote -- rejected a request to build a ministorage facility on a 3.7-acre lot on State Road 580 near the Barrington Hills Subdivision.

During a hearing that lasted more than an hour, the applicant also requested a land use permit and rezoning of the property from recreation/open space to commercial general.

A "supermajority" vote from at least four commissioners is required for approval during such quasijudicial hearings.

Commissioners Deborah Kynes and Hackworth voted against the request.

Because the initial request was denied, the remaining applications became moot.

"I thought the decision was great," said Steve Allred, one of a half-dozen Barrington Hills residents who said the development would negatively affect property values. "I have no problem with the property being used for residential purposes. We'd like to see some nice houses over there."

The Barrington Hills subdivision is just outside of the city, within the county limits.

Among the issues that concerned commissioners were drainage and the potential adverse effect such a building would have on on the nearby Curlew Creek.

Despite the applicant's agreeing to a number of conditions -- including restricting the use to storage only, limiting access time, height limitations and a buffer along the property line -- the request failed.

Pat Maguire, the attorney representing the applicant, David Jaye, said he was disappointed by the decision.

"My clients did everything they could to assure all the neighbors that this property would be as less obtrusive as a residential development," he said. "These people want this property to remain a park and that can't happen."

-- Leon M. Tucker can be reached at (727)445-4167 or tucker@sptimes.com .

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