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Sembler plan denied

Pinellas planners' staff members suggest a less intense Tyrone development.

By PAUL SWIDER
Published September 17, 2006

ST. PETERSBURG -- Sembler faces a new wrinkle after the Pinellas Planning Council's staff denied the request for rezoning of vacant land at 66th Street and Ninth Avenue N.

"That surprised us a little bit," said company president Craig Sher, referring to the recommendation against a commercial strip, including 142 townhomes along 66th Street.

The matter goes before the planning council Wednesday. The panel will consider Sembler's initial request or the staff's alternate solution of allowing less intensive development on the site.

"We'd like it to die as it's proposed," said Charlie Gerdes, an attorney representing neighbors who say the plan will harm the character of their community and increase traffic on already busy streets.

Gerdes said the neighbors can accept the planning council staff's alternative, which would allow professional offices, but no retail, along 66th Street and reduce the number of housing units on the 18-acre parcel. Sher said the alternative is not acceptable because it would make the project uneconomical.

The company originally sought to build a shopping center, including a Publix, on the land now owned by the Catholic Diocese of St. Petersburg. That plan included only 48 townhomes, but neighbors objected to the 88,000 square feet of commercial space. Sembler pulled the proposal.

Sembler later got approval from the city's planning commission for the current plan, which involves 26,000 square feet of commercial space, of which at least a quarter would be professional offices. The neighbors object to that as well, preferring the planning council's staff alternative that could allow more than 80,000 square feet of office space but fewer than 90 housing units.

"The traffic impact is likely to be greater" under the alternative, said city planner Rick MacAulay, who said city staffers still support Sembler's request because of a development agreement that mitigates its impact on neighbors.

Sher said he expected some resistance to the original proposal but thought it would go away after he downsized the plan.

When the planning commission approved the latest plan, some members noted that the density would be in line with what the city proposes in new land development regulations set for a City Council vote next month. The Pinellas Planning Council staff's alternative is similar, but even under that proposal, Sembler could build 26,000 feet of offices and nearly 120 housing units.

"I'm a little perplexed by the opposition at this point," Sher said. "I'm not sure people really understand. They're good people, but it's complicated stuff."

Gerdes said the neighbors still think Sembler's proposal would be an intrusion. He said he wants to see what the state Department of Community Affairs says in its review, which is due by the end of the month.

"It could come to a point where the neighbors are trying to micromanage this development," Gerdes said. "I don't think we're at that point now."

Paul Swider can be reached at 892-2271 or pswider@sptimes.com or by participating in itsyourtimes.com.

[Last modified September 16, 2006, 20:20:19]