Commission denies request for gas station on East Bay

One commissioner rebuffs an attorney who tells the panel that a needed land-use change fits the city's criteria.

By SHARON TUBBS

© St. Petersburg Times, published March 22, 2000

LARGO -- On its face, the subject matter appeared routine. But after 40 minutes of debate that turned a bit testy, city commissioners rejected a plan Tuesday that would have added another gas station to Largo's landscape.

"I think that this community has seen enough gas stations, enough drugstores," Commissioner Pat Burke said.

RaceTrac wanted to build a station on a 2 1/2-acre lot on East Bay, just west of Keene Plaza. But for that to happen, the city had to change the land-use rules there from residential to commercial.

Ron Noble, an attorney representing RaceTrac, said the change was consistent with criteria used by the city to modify land use. "There's been no evidence at all that this use is inconsistent with Largo's plan," he said.

But Burke begged to differ, telling Noble that companies outside the city hire "slick representatives such as yourself" to argue their point.

"You represent that gas station," Burke told Noble. "We represent the people of Largo."

Commissioner Marty Shelby said the discussion was about more than one gas station, however. Shelby said he did not believe the gas station was consistent with nearby land uses, some of which are residential.

"I do not look at East Bay Drive as a commercial corridor," Shelby said.

A 2 1/2-mile strip of the roadway between Bedford Circle and Missouri Avenue contains eight gas stations. The RaceTrac proposal would have added a ninth.

Only Mayor Thomas Feaster voted for the change, saying that a gas station on the 2 1/2-acre lot near East Bay Drive and Keene Road would fit right in with the existing plethora of gas stations, retail shops and restaurants in the area.

"I believe that East Bay Drive is a commercial corridor," Feaster said.

Residents who live in a mobile home park near the proposed gas station site also spoke in favor of the land use change, saying they would not be bothered by the gas station.

But Christopher Scruby, a homeowner who lives near the site, said: "I don't want a gas station in my back yard."

The company had applied for a land use change in 1998, but was rejected for various reasons, city officials said. The proposal was modified and presented again. A city advisory board and city staff recommended the change that commissioners rejected Tuesday.

In other action, commissioners approved a $166,000 construction contract for a sidewalk on 142nd Avenue and moved forward with needed changes to the new City Hall complex.

For two years, delays and complications have stifled the 142nd Avenue sidewalk project, to the chagrin of nearby residents who complained it is needed for children's safety. Pinellas County and the city are partners in the project.

As for the new City Hall complex on Highland Avenue, commissioners approved $26,339 in new expenses for the project, including costs for storage, leasing generators and improvements to elevators. Officials had planned to move into the complex earlier this month, but decided to delay the move after fire alarm and sprinkler systems, among other things, were not ready in time.

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