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The Pinellas Park council considers changes to three rules affecting carports, garbage containers and where trucks can park.
By ANNE LINDBERG
© St. Petersburg Times, published May 27, 2001
PINELLAS PARK -- Council members postponed a discussion on proposed changes to three rules to give neighbors a chance to voice their ideas.
Several residents, business people, city board members and Pinellas Park employees accompanied council members on a recent trolley tour to look at carports, trucks parked in neighborhoods and garbage containers used by businesses. Some of the residents submitted written comments about what they saw, but Mayor Bill Mischler wants more feedback.
"The Dumpster, the carports and the vehicles, my suggestion is on all three of them, I would like to meet with those people that went on that trolley trip," Mischler said. "(Let's) have a workshop downstairs to get the input from these people, what they seen."
Other council members want to make sure the town meeting is well-attended. That way, they could hear it all -- the pros, the cons and the ideas -- at one time, council member Rick Butler said.
Referring to the ordinance that would allow some smaller commercial trucks to park in residential areas, council member Chuck Williams said he would "like to have a large blowup of what those vehicles look like, if we can do that." A set of truck pictures is supposed to make it easier for code officers to decide what is permissible under the rules.
Currently, no commercial trucks can be parked in residential areas unless they're on business.
That rule has some curious results: A plain pickup truck is okay. But a pickup truck advertising a business is not.
Under the new proposals:
Smaller trucks such as pickups could be parked in residential areas at any time.
Slightly larger trucks, such as furniture vans or tow trucks, would be permitted between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m., allowing people to drive them home for lunch.
The largest, such as fire trucks, could be in residential areas only on business.
The changes found favor with the Community Projects Advisory Board, a group of residents appointed by the City Council to comment on matters affecting neighborhoods. But many other residents have written the Council to express their disapproval.
Also on the agenda is a proposal to allow carports to be built in side-yard setbacks. The third ordinance change would force businesses to conceal large garbage containers and Dumpsters when they improve their property.
Those are the only three items scheduled to be discussed that evening.
"That's a plateful," Mischler said.
Pinellas Park Council members are scheduled to discuss possible changes to the city's code enforcement department at a June 5 workshop, 6:30 p.m. on the second floor of City Hall, 5141 78th Ave. N. Public comment is allowed only with the permission of council members. A town meeting is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. June 19 to give residents a chance to discuss possible changes in the city's rules for parking trucks in residential areas, for carports and for garbage Dumpsters. For information, call Tim Caddell, media and public events director, 541-0721.