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Officials disputing facts in group's advertising

By PAUL SWIDER
Published November 9, 2005

ST. PETE BEACH - City officials are taking heat for challenging a citizen initiative to allow voting on redevelopment plans, but they say that initiative process has proved their need to resist it.

"The danger of referendum voting is that issues become subject to sound bites," said Commissioner Deborah Martohue, who feels city residents have been grossly misinformed about the city's plans. "It becomes very easy for information to become misleading and for special interest groups to control the ballot."

Martohue is preparing a report about information put out by Citizens for Responsible Growth, the political committee that opposes the city's plans to allow tall hotels and mixed-use development to promote tourism. In its efforts to put the plan to a vote, CRG built a Web site and distributed fliers and newspaper advertisements that, according to Martohue, are full of errors and misrepresentations that could deceive voters.

In a Sunday advertisement, CRG said the city's redevelopment consultant suggested building heights (in the main hotel area) of eight to 10 stories, and densities of 45 units per acre, but that the city changed it to allow 15-story buildings with densities of 90 units per acre.

The city's actual proposal would allow 15-story hotels, not condominiums, but only when a developer meets special circumstances subject to public input and hearings. The city's proposed hotel density is 50 units per acre with a possibility to increase to 80-90 units after investments in infrastructure and affordable housing. A density increase also would be subject to public hearings.

"Their ad is so untrue," said City Manager Mike Bonfield. He also noted that the consultant never recommended building heights, but offered examples of how to implement economic incentives to encourage hotels over condos, a central part of the city's plan to retain tourism. He said allowing people to vote on the basis of the kind of information CRG puts out would be "dangerous ... people are swayed by misinformation."

The CRG ad also said the city claims it is challenging the referendums to save the cost of putting the questions on the March ballot. City officials have repeatedly said if a court deems the questions legal, they will be on the ballot, but CRG representatives say they don't believe this.

"We already know that they're not just concerned that the amendments are unconstitutional as they publicly stated," said Ken Weiss, CRG's attorney. He said because the city's challenge asks that a judge find the questions invalid that proves the city's intention all along. "They do not want the citizens to vote. Period."

City officials have said they believe the referendums are unconstitutional, but that doesn't mean the city is antidemocratic. They point to CRG's legal strategy as being far more obstructionist than anything the city has done.

"CRG has done everything they can to prevent a vote," said Commissioner Deborah Nicklaus, adding procedural motions filed by CRG have delayed a final hearing so much that the referendums may not be on the March ballot. She also notes Weiss often refers to legal strategy when discussing why he has filed certain motions at certain times. "Strategy? If they want a vote, let's get there. This is costing a lot of people a lot of money. It's not right for the rest of the residents to have to pay for this."

City officials say they are trying to be understanding and explain as much as they can to the public, but that redevelopment issues are so complicated, most members of the public, while smart enough, haven't the time to understand them. They've tried to hold as many meetings as possible and sent letters and other information to explain the ideas further, but CRG then criticizes them for spending public money to oppose the referendums.

"We don't expect people to do this kind of research themselves, that's why we have a representative form of government," said Mayor Ward Friszolowski. "The problem with a referendum is, if people don't understand something, they tend to just vote no."

Weiss says his group does understand the plan, they just don't like it.

"Many of the core members of the group have been involved with city planning for many, many years," he said, although the recent ad suggested the plan has not, in fact, been under development for years. "In fact, they continue to say that the CRG was not involved in the process. Wrong."

Commissioner Ed Ruttencutter, who is as close as CRG gets to a champion in city government, said most CRG members did not participate in the four years this plan has been in development, in part because some of them haven't lived in the city that long. He said he finds that disappointing. He also said, while CRG and others do put out incorrect information, the group's real failing is that it is fighting the wrong battle.

"They're opposing the wrong thing in fighting the comp plan," he said. "The old comp plan is scarier than the new one."

Ruttencutter said the zoning regulations that implement the plans are the real target, but that most of CRG's referendum questions address the comp plan. The only question that has to do with zoning, he said, is a height restriction. Other commissioners say requiring voter approval for all tall buildings would be expensive because it could require citywide elections many times a year.

"Shooting down the comp plan is a disaster in terms of the redevelopment of hotels," Ruttencutter said, adding that he thinks CRG wants to retain hotels, too. "If you kill the plan, you kill increased density for hotels. If you kill hotel densities, developers will file residential plans" and build condos.

Ruttencutter said the issues are confusing and require a lot of study, so he agrees the city has to do some education on the issues, but it should not advocate against a referendum. He said the situation is made difficult when many sides spread misinformation, which he believes to be accidental. He corrects mistakes when he sees them and some people take his suggestions, but not everyone.

"I can't convince CRG to stop sensationalizing," he said. "Are they just trying to stir up trouble? I don't know."

[Last modified November 9, 2005, 00:39:17]