This week Tampa City Council sits as the Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) Board. On their agenda 3 items require a vote:

• $600,000 to purchase a piece of property at 1904 E Osborne.
• the language for a new Post Disaster Grant Relief program, specifically $5,000 awards for tree trimming or removal services related to Milton.
• Reallocating $17.6 million in downtown CRA district funds and $1 million in Channelside funds. Initially I thought this was about shuffling funds around for the UNITE Ashley Dr project but if so, these were outlined in a recommendation presented on 1-16-25. That is supposed to come back to Council in June, so it could be on June CRA agenda with a Council meeting later in month. The mayor highlighted it in her State of the City presentation so I’m assuming there’s enough support to fund the project regardless how much the CRA contributes and move forward.

After that Council will be holding a special call discussion on “decorum and efficiency”. Special call discussions are open to the public but are not streamed and therefore no transcripts. I have no idea what they intend to discuss (this originated as a regular agenda item on March 27, wasn’t clear then what they are referring to) and I’m not sure I want to sit in on the discussion again. It’s their agenda, their rules. They can’t take any action during the discussion so anything that comes from it will have to be brought up again if they intend to amend their rules.

And finally Council sits for rezoning applications in the evening. I wanted to highlight one project, but before I do, I want to thank everyone who has bought me a virtual cup of coffee, sent me a note or shared the work. It’s felt humbling at times, but has been a motivator. Sincerely, thank you.

But about this project, item 1 on the evening agenda. This is a perfect example to me of the disconnect between building missing middle housing and our current land development code. It’s also the quintessential NIMBY vs YIMBY debate. In my and a lot of people’s opinion turning a 100 foot wide lot zoned RS-50 with a future land use designation of R-35 into 4 2-story shotgun style bungalows shouldn’t require coming before Council. Yet here we are. No waivers requested but the only way to accomplish this is through a planned development (PD) application. How much does that add to the cost of the homes? I don’t know if this project will garner any opposition, it’s in the broader West Tampa area just south of Columbus and west of the river near the future Rome Yard development. In some parts of town, it could bring a line out of the door. This should be exactly the kind of development we are encouraging without having to “make up” the zoning rules. If the land development code rewrite doesn’t address this, we will have wasted millions of dollars and over a year of time. (I’ll also admit as someone who lived in a shotgun row house in Ybor and owns an old bungalow now, I lament the slow loss of the Tampa architectural vernacular in the parts of town that aren’t designated historic. I cringe at every lot line to lot line stucco box that replaces one. I’ll trade them for this design every single time.)

8 other rezoning applications are scheduled to be heard , and as a reminder, these are all first readings. Anything that passes will get a second hearing and second opportunity for public comment.