 |
||||||||
 |
||||||||
|
||||||||
|
St. Pete Beach is examining its options
By SHEILA MULLANE ESTRADA ST. PETE BEACH -- What should St. Pete Beach look like in the future? Definitely not the way it is looking now, consultants told the City Commission Thursday during a master planning workshop. The consultants, hired at a cost of about $150,000, gave an interim report that praised the city's residential, commercial and tourist destination resources but bluntly stated that the city is headed in the wrong direction. "The challenge is what do you want to be? You need to think big," said Pete Sechler, a senior associate with the Orlando-based Glatting Jackson consulting firm. The consultants have been asked to define the city's vision for growth and to propose specific projects and timelines. The primary focus is on the Corey Avenue/Blind Pass business district and the Gulf Boulevard corridor and how those commercial and tourist areas can blend with the city's residential core. Sechler said the city's present character is often "dissonant" and in many areas "unsafe" and "unsightly." "There is a trend in some cases of disinvestment," he said, citing commercial properties along the Gulf Boulevard corridor that are nearing the end of their useful lives. He and his team of planners listed eight issues to be addressed in the master planning: 1. Establishing St. Pete Beach as the best gulf resort community serving both local and visitor needs. 2. Creating an identity as a memorable place. 3. Preserving and enhancing the city's culture, beach and waterfront environment. 4. Ensure the city's economic viability as a prime destination, while balancing public use and access and private economic development. 5. Addressing transportation concerns, ensuring livable solutions that include a bicycle and pedestrian circulation system. 6. Using public resources to leverage private investment. 7. Establishing management and operational systems and programs to support the goals of the master plan. 8. Establishing a legal framework to support the plan's mission. Although the consultants have not yet formulated any specific solutions, several ideas were presented as examples of what might be included in the master plan. Among them: Changing building heights and lot coverage regulations to create more "green space" between buildings on Gulf Boulevard while discouraging the canyon effect of tall buildings. Creating pedestrian-friendly connections between the gulf and the bay. Creation of a narrow, city-long park celebrating the city's "incredible" natural dune environment between the gulf and gulf-side commercial development. Allowing adjacent businesses to construct joint parking structures to reduce the "parking lot" image of Gulf Boulevard. Rezoning now-residential land behind existing strip commercial centers to allow deeper commercial lots that would encourage redevelopment. Restriping Gulf Boulevard to create wider bike trails and traffic islands serving as both pedestrian refuges and beautification. Encouraging north and southbound traffic to use Blind Pass Road all the way to Gulf Boulevard to reduce current traffic congestion. Redesigning Dolphin Village as a second town center. "Folks here have a lot of hope," Sechler said, calling for the city to become the "address" of a "great destination city" and a "great place to live." The consultants will meet again with citizens for a master plan implementation workshop on April 22 at 6:30 p.m. in the city gymnasium and report to the City Commission on April 24 at 6:30 p.m. in the Commission chambers. "This is the most exciting, historical thing we've done in St. Pete Beach," said Commissioner Julie Christman. "I can't believe how many people still don't know we are doing it." The consultants' final master plan recommendations will be presented to the city in June.
 © 2006 • All Rights Reserved • Tampa Bay Times
490 First Avenue South • St. Petersburg, FL 33701 • 727-893-8111 
|
From the Times South Pinellas desks | ||||||||||||||||||
