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Neighborhood report

Satisfying your coffee fix is about to get easier

To the delight of neighbors and the City Council, Starbucks finally gets permission to build in Seminole Heights.

By SHERRI DAY
Published July 22, 2005

Latte lovers finally have reason to celebrate.

Ending a monthslong saga, the Architectural Review Commission approved plans last week to build a Starbucks at the corner of Central and Hillsborough avenues.

It was the fifth time the project's property owner, Landquest VI, and its developer, Pursuit Development, had appeared before the board. The commission previously withheld a certificate of appropriateness because it said the coffee shop's design was too suburban and not befitting of a historic district.

The board's tough stance roiled Seminole Heights residents, who repeatedly argued that the Starbucks could spur economic development in the area. Late last month, pressure came from the City Council, which urged the commission to approve the project. Council members had already rezoned the site for use as a coffee shop.

On July 13, the commission voted 4-1 to approve the project. Three board members recused themselves because of conflict of interest.

"We made it," Linda Pearson, the project's principal planner, said moments after the vote. "We are so excited. It has been a process that has developed over time, but it is a fabulous end product."

About 20 Seminole Heights residents showed up at last week's hearing to support Starbucks' bid. The residents, many of whom wore pro-Starbucks stickers on their lapels, have been working with the developers since November to create a restaurant that met their needs for a community coffee shop.

They requested changes to the project, including more outdoor seating, a bike rack, a water spigot for dogs and a sign that would welcome passers-by into the Historic Seminole Heights district. Having wrested these concessions from the developer, the group appeared in large numbers - at times brandishing coffee mugs - at hearings throughout the approval process.

At last week's hearing, the presidents of the three Seminole Heights neighborhood associations spoke in support of Starbucks. No one voiced opposition. But Roger Grunke, president of the Historic Hyde Park Neighborhood Association, urged the residents to respect the commission and the process by which it works.

Randy Baron, president of the Old Seminole Heights Neighborhood Association, praised the commission's decision.

"We got ourselves a wonderfully historically compatible building," he said. "We have a place where neighbors can meet, and we have a catalyst hopefully for some redevelopment. This signals that Seminole Heights is no longer the land of the car lots. Now, Seminole Heights is a place where residents can stay in the community and service all of their needs."

The commission's quick resolution raised eyebrows among some attendees. Only one board member questioned the developer about the revised plans before another board member called for the vote for final approval.

"There's been some public pressure by City Council and staff," said Seminole Heights resident Christie Hess. "The petitioner had their ducks in a row tonight. And it's about time."

Pearson attributes the speedy process to the hiring of a new architect to address the commission's concerns.

If all goes according to plan, Pearson said, clearing the site, a former gas station, would likely begin in September. Construction of the 1,800-square-foot Mediterranean-style building should start in October, she said. The coffee shop, which Pearson said would take about three months to build, could be open by January.

- Sherri Day can be reached at 226-3405 or sday@sptimes.com

[Last modified July 21, 2005, 08:56:10]