It's only a planning map, say officials

Some in the county think a published map shows a land grab by Pinellas Park, but it shows the limits of annexation.

By ANNE LINDBERG

© St. Petersburg Times, published August 13, 2000

PINELLAS PARK -- If city officials had any doubts that annexation is a touchy issue for some mid county residents, all uncertainty was removed after they put a map in the paper.

Telephones rang and rang in response to the Pinellas Park planning area, the county property within which the city would limit its land grabs.

Many callers thought the map meant Pinellas Park was annexing that huge chunk of land and they called to object.

"It's not an annexation document," said Tom Shevlin, Pinellas Park's zoning director. "Nor does it extend the city's boundaries in any way.

"This has been in existence since 1990, and we haven't come in and grabbed people's property or anything like that. That's not what it's about. It's about planning."

The map is the latest incarnation of the 10-year-old agreement between Pinellas Park and the county. The agreement sets boundaries within which cities can annex and shows the limits in which they can grow.

The map doesn't mean Pinellas Park will annex any of that land. The planning area indicates that when cities are considering what size sewer plants or other city services to build, they should take into account those folks within the boundaries.

The people within those limits have the right to protest when the city changes its overall land use plan. For example, if someone has a house in the unincorporated area and Pinellas Park wants to re-zone the land next door for a factory, the homeowner could object.

Finally, the planning area establishes a precedent. If someone wants to annex into the city, the land use plan doesn't have to be changed and that saves taxpayer money.

It's imperative, Shevlin said, that people understand Pinellas Park only annexes property whose owners ask to come into the city.

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