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St. Pete Votes To Annex 18 Acres Of Tierra Verde

News Channel 8 photo by MICHAEL EGGER

Bill Dudley left listens to St. Petersburg Mayor Rick Baker give his pitch to the St. Petersburg City Council.

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By STEPHEN THOMPSON and ROD CHALLENGER

TBO.com

Published: November 21, 2008

Updated: 11/21/2008 01:58 pm

ST. PETERSBURG - By a 5-2 vote, the St. Petersburg City Council this afternoon voted to annex 18 acres in Tierra Verde -- a move that paves the way for a former resort and marina to be torn down and replaced by a high-rise condominium complex.

St. Petersburg police officers were assigned to city hall in the event throngs of residents from Tierra Verde showed up to protest the annexation, as they did during two contentious public hearings. The residents said the high-rises would destroy the gateway to the quaint community, blocking views and exacerbating traffic.

Owners of the former Tierra Verde Resort Marina want to redevelop the property, though no plans have been submitted.

Under agreements with the city, nothing taller than eight stories would be built in Tierra Verde -- as long as the annexation isn't challenged in court, city officials say.

If the annexation is challenged, the height could increase to 15 stories because St. Petersburg ordinances could be applied. The legal limit under St. Petersburg law is about 15 stories, which is triple the height of Tierra Verde's 50-foot limit.

Critics of the annexation have said St. Petersburg Mayor Rick Baker and other city leaders want the tax revenue the development of the annexed land would generate – up to $1 million annually, the city estimates, depending on how it is done.

Today, Baker defended his support of the annexation, saying the increased tax revenue would help spread the tax burden among the residents of St. Petersburg.

Baker also said he thinks the annexation is legally sound and will withstand any challenge in court.

Don Mastry, an attorney for one of the potential developers, said property owners such as his client have the right by law to ask to be annexed.

Tierra Verde is an unincorporated area of Pinellas County and home to about 4,500 people and several businesses. The annexed land is on the north tip of the island, just south of a bridge to the Pinellas Bayway, and it includes, in addition to the now-vacant resort, a strip shopping center of small businesses and two boat-storage facilities.

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