New Coachman Ridge zoning approved

Still, commissioners will re-examine the new standards for the affluent neighborhood after a year.

By CHRISTINA HEADRICK

© St. Petersburg Times,
published August 17, 2001

CLEARWATER -- The affluent enclave of Coachman Ridge will soon have its own special zoning district, with rules that city officials can enforce when properties don't live up to neighborhood standards.

The City Commission unanimously approved the new zoning for Coachman Ridge, called a "neighborhood conservation overlay district," after a passionate, two-hour debate Thursday night about the city's first such district. The district becomes official after a second vote in three weeks.

The new neighborhood standards for Coachman Ridge will include requiring homes to have two-car garages, prohibiting boats and recreational vehicles from being parked at houses unless in garages, maintaining current lot sizes and setbacks, banning chain-link fences and mandating that unattractive objects such as trash containers be screened from view.

The neighborhood association will notify residents of non-compliance. After an informal note and a formal letter, city code enforcement officers could be called to begin imposing penalties, which could ultimately mean fines of up to $500 a day for a code violation.

Houses not up to standard when the rules take effect would be grandfathered in.

Many of the new city standards were in the neighborhood's deed restrictions already, but association members complained that to enforce the restrictions, they had to file a lawsuit. They felt the new process would be an easier way to preserve their neighborhood's character.

About 75 residents of the subdivision, located in central Clearwater between Old Coachman and Northeast Coachman roads, packed the City Commission's chambers at City Hall and applauded the approval of their new special district.

"By approving this, the city has extended its hands to the neighborhoods of Clearwater to form partnerships, and we have accepted that partnership," said Bob Losi, a 17-year resident of the subdivision who chaired a committee of residents who worked all year to develop a neighborhood plan that led to the new rules.

The 255 homes in Coachman Ridge average $190,652 in value, about 12 percent higher than the average home in the city. Residents favoring creating their own special district had collected petitions from 175 homeowners in support of the proposal over the past month.

Commissioners, who had been waivering on the concept, said they were impressed with the support for the special district in Coachman Ridge and that persuaded them to move forward. However, commissioners asked for a thorough review of the concept in a year to see how it's working.

"I don't think it's appropriate, necessarily, that the city get between neighbors in their disagreements," Commissioner Whitney Gray said. "But in the interest of being responsive, I'm willing to go forward with it."

Like other commissioners, Mayor Brian Aungst said that he was philosophically for less government, but impressed with the show of support.

"My concern is how many other neighborhoods will do this; will this become an unwieldy process that we can't afford?" Aungst said. "I will support this with the idea this is a test run. We'll run it up the flagpole and see how it flies this next year."

Several opponents of the new district harshly criticized it Thursday. Over the past few months, the neighborhood has been covered with letters left on doorsteps from members of the opposition group. The fundamental argument was that the new rules were more government and unnecessary.

"You're changing the rules," said resident Nicholas Contakos. "I put my money on the line. I don't care to see the rules change."

Another major argument against the proposal was that it could ultimately cause the neighborhood to be charged a fee if city code enforcement officers are being burdened by excessive calls to Coachman Ridge. Neighborhood association members do not think that will happen.

In September, the City Commission will consider forcing neighborhoods that want a special district to take a formal vote on the rules that are proposed for their subdivision. The move is sparked by the intense debate that surfaced in Coachman Ridge and Island Estates, another area that is in the process of tailoring a zoning district for itself.

"It doesn't bother me that we don't vote on this one," Commissioner Ed Hart. "It seems there is very strong support for what you're trying to do."

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