The Northwest Recreation Center will be replaced by a new, larger building with more parking spaces.
By JAN WESNER CHILDS
Published December 7, 2003
ST. PETERSBURG - Residents in the northwest part of the city will soon see a new recreation center, according to plans approved last week by the Environmental Development Commission.
The city plans to build a new, larger Northwest Recreation Center on 22nd Avenue N. A site plan for the project was approved Wednesday by the EDC, a city board that also grants variances and special exceptions to certain city codes.
The existing center would be torn down after the new one is built. The swimming pool, ball fields and basketball courts would not be affected. A playground would be reconfigured to accommodate the center, which would be 26,746 square feet. The current center is 19,856 square feet. The project would also include about 80 new parking spaces.
Construction is expected to begin in January and last about one year, according to documents submitted to the EDC by the architects who drew the plan.
The project was required to go before the EDC because it requires a special exception under the current zoning code.
City planner Philip Lazzara told the EDC that parks officials held three public meetings to discuss the plans.
"There were several changes made to the site plan in response to the neighborhood meetings," Lazzara said.
Those changes included relocating an entrance and adding a sidewalk between the pool parking lot and the new building.
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The EDC was scheduled to hear details on a plan to convert a closed piano shop at 232 Second St. N into a nightclub. But the project developer, John Claude Bodziak, withdrew his application for a second month in a row. Bodziak needs approval from the EDC because the property is within 400 feet of a church. City officials have said they need more information before they can consider approving the plan. Three residents from the neighborhood surrounding the site came to the meeting Wednesday seeking more information. They said they had met with Bodziak but still had some concerns about noise and other potential problems.
The EDC usually meets the first Wednesday of every month, but the January meeting is canceled. That means Bodziak will have to wait until February to resubmit his request.
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In other business Wednesday, the EDC granted a one-year extension to a landowner who hopes to build a hotel on 28th Street N in the Gateway area. The hotel has been granted three previous extensions. Each lasts for one year.
The board also:
Granted permission for a 7,600-square-foot strip mall at 720 Fourth St. N. The site of a boarded-up building that used to be an assisted living facility, the old building would be torn down to make room for an art deco retail center and restaurant with some outdoor seating;
Decided to allow an automotive repair business to continue operating at 3700 Fifth Ave. N. The business had been allowed to operate contrary to city codes for several years, but the owner had recently neglected to renew the business license. That meant he had to get a special exception to run the business in a residential area.
What is the EDC?
The Environmental Development Commission is a citizens board that meets the first Wednesday of each month to review large development projects. The board reviews and approves site plans and has the power to grant exceptions to city codes for elements of projects that do not conform. Decisions of the commission can be appealed within 10 days to the City Council. After approval, the petitioner has the city's permission to go forward, although further scrutiny may be required by other governing agencies.
