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Condo plan returns, but unit numbers divide

As Port Richey and a developer hammer out a plan for a mangrove-covered site, neighbors air their concerns.

By CAMILLE C. SPENCER
Published July 9, 2006

PORT RICHEY - Doug Markham started asking questions nearly two years ago about the 33 acres on Bay Boulevard, a grassy tract with abundant mangroves overlooking the Gulf of Mexico.

"We called by a fluke to see what's going on," said Markham, who had been scouting sites for development. "We thought it had great potential for either single family home, townhomes or condos. It's set in such a beautiful spot."

So Markham called the owner, J.O. Stone, a former Pinellas County Buick dealer. Then in his mid-70s and in failing health, Stone was looking to sell off several tracts he never developed.

Markham discovered there had been big plans for the property. City Council had approved a 141-unit condominium development in 1986, at a time when city regulations allowed development on the wetlands. But the condos were never built.

Over the years, Stone had fielded dozens of calls from developers who wanted to build stilt houses or single-family homes on the waterfront tract.

But Stone didn't budge until several meetings with his real estate broker and Markham. Stone grew to trust Markham, and sold him the land in 2004 for $750,000.

Markham has big plans, too - for a condominium development called Snug Cove. But now it's unclear how big it can be.

The council approved the original plans two decades ago, before growth management laws restricted development in environmentally sensitive areas. Two weeks ago, City Council limited the site to 85 units instead.

Caught somewhere in between are neighbors who are seething at the idea of condominiums and parking lots blocking their view of the Gulf of Mexico, congesting traffic and destroying the environment.

Then there's the question of why it took decades for Stone to sell his land.

* * *

The site was just swampland when Stone and Ira Desper acquired it in 1982. Four years later, when City Council approved plans for 141 condos, it became prime real estate.

Sand Pebble Condominiums had recently gone up, and City Council welcomed the idea of another condominium complex to increase the tax base and attract retirees.

Stone paid the city $75,000 for sewer connections and $65,000 for road improvements on the property, which eventually were used to elevate Bay Boulevard.

Over the years, eager developers called often. Fading memories cloud why Stone, now ailing from a stroke, never developed the site and wouldn't sell it.

Stone's real estate broker, Jerry Rehm, said he knows why.

"He sat on land for the benefit of the community," Rehm said. Stone didn't want to hand the property to a developer who was "overly aggressive to build and run," Rehm said.

A few years ago, Rehm asked City Clerk Shirley Dresch if she knew of a good developer. She endorsed Markham.

"We had a number of meetings with him, and he wasn't trying to be a big shot," Rehm said. "Doug (Markham) has taken it from then."

* * *

Markham hopes to build an undetermined number of six-story buildings, with ground-floor parking topped by five stories of condos. The buildings would not exceed 72 feet, the maximum height the city allows.

The units at Snug Cove condominiums would sell for about $400,000 to $600,000, Markham said.

Two weeks ago City Council debated how many units Markham could build under today's standards. After a few hours, City Council came up with a solution:

City codes allow up to 18 units per acre. With only 4.71 buildable acres on the swampy 33-acre property, City Council arrived at 85 units.

But Steve Booth, Markham's attorney, says that's not good enough.

"We understand we can't build on wetlands, and I'm sure Stone (understood that)," Booth said. "But you can still fit 141 in there."

Booth hopes to do so through a "density transfer," by taking units that could have been built on another piece of property and building them on the Snug Cove site instead. He is working on such a proposal, which would need the City Council's approval.

"There is still ongoing conversation with the city of Port Richey," Markham said. We've been struggling with this for 14 to 15 months. It's a very complex issue that's not totally solved."

* * *

Markham is in the early stages of his site plan.

He still needs a thumbs-up from the Department of Environmental Protection, Southwest Florida Water Management District and the Army Corps of Engineers.

While the council and Markham hammer things out, a handful of homeowners on Carolyn Drive and Bay Boulevard are voicing their concerns.

Some say townhouses or single-family homes would be a better fit for the neighborhood. Others say bulldozers will snarl traffic and destroy streets. A few worry about the destruction of mangroves.

"I moved to a beautiful residential area," said Allen Foley, who bought his home on Carolyn Drive 19 years ago. "I don't want to look at the back of condos and parking lots.

"I knew there was a certain amount of buildable land," he said. "But not in my wildest dreams did I think condos."

Tim Watson, who lives across the street from Foley, said he wants the development to be "aesthetically and environmentally responsible." He prefers townhomes to condos.

"They may have gotten approval in 1986," Watson said, "but many things have changed since then."

Camille C. Spencer can be reached at (727) 869-6229 or cspencer@sptimes.com.

[Last modified July 8, 2006, 22:55:17]