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Plans for Clearwater Beach could include closing road

A required boardwalk would eat into developers' property, so the city might give them Eastshore.

By MIKE DONILA
Published February 2, 2007

CLEARWATER - The city one day could close a Clearwater Beach road that many motorists use to bypass the swirling traffic of the roundabout.

But the fate of Eastshore Drive would depend on the answers to two questions:

- Could developers secure enough land for a big commercial project?

- Could they build a boardwalk along the waterfront?

The answer to both questions, city leaders say, is maybe not.

Still, the City Council on Wednesday night amended zoning plans for the beach's marina district, a dilapidated area that officials hope to turn into a boater-friendly destination for shopping and dining.

The 14-acre area, dubbed the Marina Residential District, generally lies between the Clearwater Memorial Causeway and Belle Harbor condominiums.

The district was established in 2001 when the city adopted Beach by Design, a land-use plan created to help revitalize Clearwater Beach. The plan designated eight districts and set development rules for each.

In August, the City Council approved a six-month residential building moratorium while the city worked on better ways to encourage less residential development.

The new plan approved for the district Wednesday night would let developers construct taller buildings if they build stores, restaurants or hotels, rather than strictly residential projects.

But they also must build a boardwalk.

"We wanted to make this a special district, something we didn't have anywhere else," Mayor Frank Hibbard said. "We don't want something that negatively impacts the beach and our citizens that live on the beach."

The area is currently lined mostly with run-down mom-and-pop motels, seafood restaurants and empty lots.

And because a boardwalk would eat into the developer's property, the city might let builders have Eastshore Drive, which runs parallel to the waterfront.

This is the part of the plan that some residents don't like.

They say the road lets them circumvent backups on the roundabout during tourist season. They also say the road would ease traffic congestion during an evacuation.

City officials, though, say one option would be to connect nearby Poinsettia Avenue to the causeway, making it a bypass.

Still, nothing is a done deal, and the city hasn't vacated the road. It could one day be vacated if developers have the right plan.

Further, council members say they won't abandon the road unless a developer's boardwalk extended the full length of a block.

That means developers would need every property owner on a block to cooperate and help build the boardwalk.

Also, the developers would have to find ways to offset the loss of Eastshore - like connecting Poinsettia to the causeway - and pay for it.

City officials say they've met with developers who want to assemble the pieces of land, but they acknowledge it would be tough. And some landowners Wednesday told the council that they will never sell.

"If someone comes in and says 'I want to close Eastshore,' we're not going to just say 'Yes' without a whole lot of review," Vice Mayor Carlen Petersen said.

Still, not everyone is convinced.

"I believe there is something afoot - something we don't know about," said Jerry Murphy, 73, who lives on nearby Mandalay Avenue. "They are sticking to their guns by amending the ordinance and they've never told us what's wrong with it."

Times staff writer Mike Donila can be reached at mdonila@sptimes.com or (727) 445-4160.

Fast Facts:

Marina Residential District

Size: 14 acres

Boundaries: Poinsettia Avenue on the west, Clearwater Harbor on the east, Causeway Boulevard to the south and the Belle Harbor condominium development on the north.

[Last modified February 1, 2007, 23:40:56]