As we wrote about several weeks ago, St. Pete's Downtown Waterfront Master Plan has been in the works for years, ever since voters in the city approved a measure to develop a plan that would prevent rapid development along a key stretch of land within the city.
On Thursday morning, the city approved the plan on second reading and with some tweaks, weeks after critics raised concerns about portions that included space for a hotel and convention center near Al Lang Stadium. Those have since been eliminated, and additional boat slips were added in the plan's southern portion to allay concerns about crowding near the St. Petersburg Yacht Club.
"I’m about to breathe a big happy sigh of relief," said Councilwoman Darden Rice. "it sends such a great message that we’re moving forward."
The plan, which you can find here, is a meticulous overview of seven miles of waterfront, divided into segments, that provides a framework for each section and is aimed at enhancing what's already there. While it leaves room for private development, every land use decision connected to the plan will be subject to scrutiny.
Land that has long been designated as park or green space will stay that way, though the plan does propose landscaping methods that are more environmentally friendly and deal with storm water more efficiently.
Some roads, meanwhile, could be converted into multimodal thoroughfares so pedestrians have better access.
Backers of the plan stressed that it merely serves as a framework, and any proposed developments in designated areas would face a thorough review process, and even a referendum in some cases.
When it comes to big decisions, St. Pete's council chambers are known for contentious and drawn-out debates. But this time around, aside from the few concerns that city staff quickly addressed, the debate over the plan was considerably shorter than many others, something most people in the room picked up on.
“I think this is something we can use as evidence that we can make everybody happy and do it in a timely fashion,” said Councilman Jim Kennedy.
This article appears in Jun 4-10, 2015.