Controversial marina renovation approved

After nearly six and a half hours, the city of St. Petersburg development review commission moved forward with the revamp of the Tierra Verde marina. It’s been a fight for months. It was the developer’s second attempt at approval, but neighbors said it was still too much. FOX 13’s Haley Hinds reports.

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. –  A battle over the future of the Tierra Verde Marina reached a boiling point Wednesday as the St. Petersburg Development Review Commission approved the developer’s revamp proposal by a vote of 4-3, as hundreds of residents flooded the meeting to protest.

The backstory:

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The meeting, which stretched past four hours, saw a crowd so large that it spilled into two overflow rooms. Opponents, many from the group Tierra Verde Next, were wearing bright neon shirts to signal their solidarity. They submitted more than 200 emails to the city protesting the project. Nearly 100 people, including Pinellas County Commissioner Vince Nowicki, signed up to speak against the development.

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The property falls under the city of St. Petersburg’s jurisdiction but follows Pinellas County zoning rules because the land was annexed from the county years ago. 

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This was the developer’s second attempt at a proposal after withdrawing an initial proposal last fall due to public outcry. While developers say the new plan includes significant concessions, residents maintain the project is still too large for the area.

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Scaled-back plans

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The approved proposal features several reductions from the original design:

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• Height: Maximum building height was dropped from 90 feet to 72 feet.
• Storage: The number of dry spaces was cut from 711 spaces to 500.
• Traffic: The developer plans to demolish a neighboring shopping strip and gas station, claiming the new layout will reduce daily traffic by about 37% in daily trips, something neighbors dispute.

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The proposal also includes a new marina office, a three-story amenity pavilion, about 1,200 square feet of retail space, 2,400 square feet of office space, a pool, upgrades to marina fueling facilities and public dining and bar areas.

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Nicole MacInnes, an attorney with Barbas Cremer representing the developer Greenleaf Capital, urged the commission to focus on what the code allows rather than public sentiment. 

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What they’re saying:

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The developer argued that the project addresses a critical need in Pinellas County, which they say has the second-highest number of boat registrations in Florida.

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“There is a very significant boating demand in this area. The project will provide for an opportunity to store larger vessels that are currently in need that [are] not met in Pinellas County. This will allow for the storage of boats that are 30 to 40 feet, versus many of the existing dry spaces [which] allow for boats that are much smaller,” MacInnes said.

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The developers also noted that the dry-rack storage units would be situated nearly 100 yards away from the nearest homes.

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The other side:

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However, residents like Paul Lee remain unconvinced. He and his neighbors say they’re worried about the height of the buildings, hurricane safety plans, environmental concerns, traffic getting on and off the island, noise and compatibility issues with the area.

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“At 72 feet high, these open bays become metal parachutes,” Lee said. “Approving this just does not make sense. We want sensible development that complements and fits our community. If these are to be built, it should be downsized and enclosed just like the structure they have on site right now.”

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Todd Pressman, a zoning consultant, also spoke on behalf of Tierra Verde at the beginning of the meeting.

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“This proposal is a fundamental, revolutionary and transformative change which will increase impacts and devastate the immediately adjacent residential communities,” Pressman said.

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What’s next:

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Now that the proposal has been approved, the developer says permitting would take six to nine months, and construction would take 18 to 24 months. Should the commission’s decision be appealed, it will move directly to circuit court.

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