First, apologies for no posts last week. Personal and professional obligations took precedent and with spring break I took the liberty of taking the week off too. This post will double as a preview and the newsletter. I’ve experimented with in the past and will continue to tweak as I work on how I want to organize and present the content once I finish the platform migration. I also did a wrap-up post from the March 7th meeting.
CRA
We ease back into our regular meeting schedule with the monthly Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) meeting. As a reminder, the CRA board is made up of members of Tampa City Council but act as a separate independent body with a different chair than Council. Currently Board member Henderson chairs the CRA. The other difference is that Assistant City Attorney Massey is legal counsel for the CRA Board.
I think it’s also worth pointing out the CRA has gone under a complete remake internally over the last 2 years. A new director (who I would pay to give a presentation to the rest of the city staff on how to write a memo and create a presentation) Erica Moody, and a re-organization of the staff and processes. This meeting will focus on some of those changes, particularly in how grants are awarded through the CRA. Previously each district was operated as a separate entity basically. They had their own programs and processes that didn’t always align with another district. Director Moody and her staff will be presenting a recommendation of how to streamline the process across all districts using a standard application. There are also benchmarks for different funding levels with the requirements for each. From projects under $25,000 being administrative approval to projects up to a million requiring a Staff recommendation, a CAC recommendation, and CRA Board approval. For projects over $1 million a RFP would be required. What I think needs to be clarified is whether this includes projects asking for tax credits or only for projects using cash from the CRA.
There’s also a presentation about the ongoing work updating the Downtown redevelopment plan. While I expect more conversation about “capping” the downtown CRA it’s also a good time to remind everyone even if we do go forward with a cap, the Downtown CRA district is mostly tapped out through 2029-30. Funds are obligated. This Board has very little in new spending for downtown they can approve.
Item 7 is a written memo but worth pointing out again. The Board had a presentation last year about water conservation programs the CRA could possibly partner with. Turns out, there’s an abundance of funding for helping low income folks convert to more water efficient toilets and fixtures. County wide. The problem is public education and getting property owners to participate. Sounds like a job for the communications department.
Item 16 is a formal vote to fund additional work at Tampa Union Station. With recent news of Amtrak extending service to Florida but skipping Tampa, it’s imperative we show we are serious about Union Station and rail.
Evening Land Use Hearing
Note: At the time of writing the agenda items don’t match up with the notes. Item 1 says it goes with item 8 however item 1 goes with item 7 A vacating of an alley and rezoning of the Ybor YMCA. This is a long planned redevelopment of that property that did not win the approval of the Architectural Review Commission (ARC) when it went before them in December. Staff also finds the application inconsistent. In short, it’s too big. Size, scale and massing were pointed out by the ARC. Variance requests are for zero tree retention and reduced landscape buffer. There’s also a request for a 30% reduction in parking. Finally, there’s a request for the removal of a non-hazardous grand tree “contingent upon installation of future transit along Palm Avenue.” What’s confusing is that item 3 is FLU amendment for what I believe to be the same property.
Item 6 is a Planned Development (PD) request in the West Tampa overlay. Every application is voted on by its merits, but based on my observations, the variances requested with this PD are a non-starter with this Council.
Item 8 is another PD, this one for a commercial lot on Henderson between Estrella and Neptune. A restaurant to replace a dry cleaner. And remove a grand tree. Not sure how that gets a consistent recommendation from Staff.
Speaking of trees, Item 9 is a request by WestShore Plaza to reduce tree retention, the number of trees required along the perimeter and to “Request to waive public open space requirement at the intersection of Westshore Boulevard and Kennedy Boulevard from required 40′ by 40′ to no open space at this intersection.” Staff found this inconsistent and it’s worth noting Council approved a Special Use alcohol permit inside the mall recently.
Item 12 is a request to rezone 3.8 acres of currently zoned residential single family to a PD for Commercial off-street parking with a waiver to allow 89%, up from 50% of grass parking spaces. I repeat, rezoning residential to grass parking. Assuming for Lowry Park but this is private commercial parking, not city or zoo owned land.
I don’t mention items that have requested a continuance, but item 13* has been continued from October 12, 2023, December 14, 2023, and January 18, 2024. The applicant is requesting a continuance until May 9.
As always, I encourage you to email City Council with your own comments on matters before them. As a reminder, all emails to Council and their responses are public record. Electronic communication on land use items are added to the backup materials for the item as part of the record in Onbase.
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