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Planning chief by day, activist by night

Cyndi Tarapani's opposition to a Wal-Mart and support of a Clearwater construction ban have developers concerned.

By AARON SHAROCKMAN and NORA KOCH
Published January 23, 2005

TARPON SPRINGS - About 5:30 a.m., Cyndi Tarapani curled up in a stiff leather chair in the lobby of City Hall, still in the navy pin-striped suit she wore at a Clearwater City Council meeting the day before.

As Clearwater's planning director, Tarapani started the morning defending a building moratorium proposed for a part of the beach. That night, as a citizen activist in her hometown of Tarpon Springs, she railed against a proposal by the world's largest retailer to build on the Anclote River.

Cast as an arbiter of Clearwater's rules, Tarapani's impassioned objection to a Wal-Mart some 18 miles north has concerned developers and their attorneys.

Her decision to seek a construction ban has equally worried the building community, who say Clearwater's planning department is among the most difficult to work with in the area.

And in two controversial cases heard on the same day last week, she has been at the center of it all.

"It was a very unusual week," admits Tarapani, 46.

Tarapani married into one of Tarpon Springs' first families in December 2000. Her husband, John, is a former city commissioner and influential businessman whose family once owned a popular downtown department store. Tarapani is an accredited planner with 24 years of experience.

And, when Wal-Mart eyed a large swath of pristine land on U.S. 19, the Tarapanis counterattacked to protect their hometown.

They networked with other citizens who opposed the project and raised about $15,000 to hire a land planner and an attorney, a family friend. At a fundraising concert this month, John Tarapani spoke from the stage and auctioned off art and other items while Cyndi Tarapani watched from the crowd.

"My husband used his tools; he knew the history of Tarpon. I used my tools - my expertise," she said.

At a November public hearing about the proposed development, Cyndi Tarapani asked to be qualified as an expert witness, passing out copies of her resume.

"What I do every day in my job is evaluate these development proposals, site plans, just as these and larger," Tarapani testified. "What we do in Clearwater - and I know that you're trying to do it here, too, that's what makes the decision so difficult - is find the right size of development for your town."

She detailed why Tarpon Springs shouldn't approve the supercenter, citing a discrepancy in whether the parcel was zoned for the project, and other concerns about the site plan.

In two subsequent meetings this month, including last week's 12-hour marathon, Tarapani again testified as an expert, affording her additional time at the podium.

Her expertise helped the opposition formulate a logical, legitimate and focused argument, said Bill Vinson, an attorney and member of another prominent Tarpon Springs family.

But an attorney who represented Wal-Mart said Tarapani may have crossed a professional boundary.

"I've seen people that are professionals show up in other municipalities, but they always speak as private citizens, not as an expert. She was an expert in planning when she working for another jurisdiction," Tampa attorney Jim Porter said. "That creates unease on the part of some people."

Clearwater attorney Ed Armstrong, who represented the property owner, was also surprised.

"It's nothing I've ever seen happen before, a planning director go to a neighboring jurisdiction and testify against the local jurisdiction's staff," he said.

Clearwater officials said Tarapani was free to testify since it was clear she was not representing the city. City Manager Bill Horne said he was told Tarapani made her standing clear before the Tarpon Springs City Commission.

"My only concern is she's using her position as a way to advance her opposition to something," said Bill Horne, Clearwater's city manager.

"I'm not going to take away a person's right to protest."

"Why don't I have First Amendment rights in my own town?" Tarapani asked. "I never said Clearwater administration is interested in this issue. It has nothing to do with Clearwater."

Tarapani has also been in the middle of a planning controversy in Clearwater.

She proposed a moratorium on condominium construction on a portion of the beach, saying it was critical to resolve inconsistencies in two city planning documents - one that allowed condos and another that preferred something else.

Planners asked for nine months to study the beach neighborhood and recommend changes to the city's code. Without a moratorium, newly approved projects could influence the outcome of the changes.

With a moratorium, the city's elected officials would have a clean slate to make an appropriate decision.

"We knew the pros and cons. We knew that there'd be opposition," Tarapani said. "Quite honestly, we knew what arguments opponents would make. But we thought this was a tool we needed to make available. It was important to bring up."

As word spread of the proposal, developers, bankers and property owners in the affected neighborhood banded together in protest. Dozens wrote letters to the city's elected officials. One building official questioned the sanity of City Hall.

And last week, about 20 roasted the proposal in a pair of public city hearings.

Robert Pennock, a resident hoping to develop a property in that neighborhood, later said that if city of Tampa planners tried to pass a moratorium there, they would be fired.

But he did not personally ask for Tarapani's removal, he said.

"I've talked to a lot of professionals and people within the community that absolutely have a horrible time and are being treated very unprofessionally by the planning department," Pennock said.

Clearwater architect Steve Klar said the city's planning department is notorious. He was persistently hassled about the design for a communications substation in downtown, he said.

"It was a Mickey Mouse little project," said Klar. "I resent the fact that Cyndi Tarapani wanted to reject my project because she didn't like the size of my window. That's overstepping her boundaries."

Horne said the city's code is purposefully demanding. Many developers use Tarapani as a excuse to voice their frustrations with the code, he said.

"She's a very competent planning director and has demonstrated that time and time again," said Horne, pointing to successes on Clearwater Beach and downtown.

"Cyndi is a strong personality and some of the developers are challenged by a strong, woman professional," Horne said. "She is a more direct personality. She's a much more direct communicator."

Tarapani, who graduated from Lakeland High School and has a master's degree in urban and regional planning, has 24 years of planning experience. She has worked in planning departments in Pinellas Park, St. Petersburg, Manatee County and Tampa.

In her first year with Clearwater, Tarapani worked more than 1,000 overtime hours, according to her personnel file.

As director, Tarapani recently has been hamstrung by a depleted staff.

She has been without an assistant director for nearly six months. And Wednesday, the morning of the Wal-Mart decision, another top deputy left the department abruptly. Frank Gerlock resigned to work on a hurricane restoration project in Florida's Panhandle.

Gerlock said Friday he was looking to leave.

"That whole department has a mentality set on identifying problems, when they really need to have a problem-solver mentality," said Gerlock, the development review division manager.

"It wasn't the greatest office experience, I would say that," he said. "I wouldn't be surprised if anything happens in the next six months. I know there's a lot of dissatisfied developers."

Tarapani defended her six-year city tenure.

"We have a hell of a good record with developers," said Tarapani, who was promoted to department director in 2001. "Look at the redevelopment of Clearwater Mall, the Sandpearl resort on the beach, Station Square downtown - when it all comes, we'll have quality."

Nora Koch can be reached at 727 771-4304 or nkoch@sptimes.com Aaron Sharockman can be reached at (727) 445-4160 or asharockman@sptimes.com

[Last modified January 23, 2005, 00:14:21]