TREASURE ISLAND — City commissioners soundly rejected a planning staff recommendation to deny new owners of the Tahitian Resort two variances that would allow them to remodel the 60-year-old hotel and construct a raised pool deck and tiki bar.
The Tahitian Resort property comprises a hotel consisting of three structures with a total of 44 units at 11320 Gulf Blvd., and another hotel building consisting of two structures with a total of 10 units at 11275 Gulf Blvd.
In order to renovate the hotel and add a raised pool and tiki deck, city staff told the applicant they require a parking variance and another variance to meet a minimum open space requirement.
After four hours of deliberation at a March 2 hearing, city commissioners decided an open space variance wasn’t required due to “open space” not counted in the initial calculation, such as the area created above the pool deck and between buildings. Upon questioning, commissioners also revealed the way staff determined what constitutes open space was subject to conjecture, and based on an interpretation of an old 1974 regulation.
Commissioner Tyler Payne noted open space in the building code “is defined as land which is undeveloped, which is suitable for passive recreation, preservation or conservation uses. That doesn’t sound anything like the open space that you are referring to.”
Commissioner Saleene Partridge noted “this is another example why we are so anxious to update our code.”
Payne asked, “So how is staff recommending not approving a variance based on some definition not in the code?”
Assistant Planning Director Kathryn Younkin said open space is considered what is open from ground to sky. She added the city code does not speak about a “view corridor” but rather only open space. She explained “we went back to what we thought is the intent of the code, which is basically what we have to rely on.” She added that intent relied on a 1974 ordinance that predated the current ordinance.
In his rebuttal, project architect Jack Bodziak said relying on a 1974 code is a weak link, noting staff did not count open space above the pool deck. He said he disputed the open space definition to city staff, but his concern was largely ignored.
The new owners of the Tahitian Resort plan to add a raised pool and tiki deck to the 60-year-old hotel.
After additional deliberation, and a recalculation of what is considered open space, commissioners and staff came to the conclusion that the project met the minimum open space requirement and a variance was not required at all.
When it came to the parking space variance, Bodziak told commissioners City Manager Gerry Brumback refused to allow them to count off-site valet parking in their variance request, which would allow them to construct the tiki bar.
The architect alleged that after an encounter with the city manager over the site plan, he was told the project would never be granted the offsite parking permit and would not be allowed to go forward.
In response to a request for comment from the Beacon, Brumback said, “My meeting with the owners was intended to explain to the owners that the variance process in TI was very difficult and I told them that it was my opinion that they should get the variance before they spent the money on a full-blown set of plans.
“I never said that the project would never be built, and the staff report reflected our interpretation of the code,” he added. “There are two different staff reports. The report to the Planning and Zoning Board, which reflected staff’s support for the concept, was positive — subject to the approval of the variances. The staff report to the Commission was our interpretation of the validity of the variances. We did not think that they rose to the criteria of a hardship, and so stated. The Commission, which has the final say, disagreed.”
During the hearing, upon questioning of the parking variance by commissioners, Brumback said he had no problem granting the offsite parking permit. Commissioners subsequently passed the parking variance, with the understanding that the city manager would grant the off-site parking permit.
Ultimately, commissioners unanimously approved the request for a parking space variance.
In her staff report, City Planner Jamie Viveiros said staff did not think the requested improvements and added amenities were necessary. She wrote, “The existing structures at 11320 Gulf Blvd. are considered nonconforming structures, as they do not meet current setbacks and open space requirements. The development is also nonconforming in regard to the required number of off-street parking spaces.”
She noted the existing hotel has operated without a restaurant-bar since it was constructed in the 1950s and it was not deemed necessary to the operation of the hotel. “The applicant has reasonable use of the existing structures and land. The hardship is self-imposed. The peculiar conditions and circumstances are the result of the applicant’s proposed design for the addition of a tiki bar use, which triggers the required increase in parking spaces.”
The hotel owner told city officials she just wants to upgrade the hotel with modern amenities of a tiki bar and raised pool, which contemporary vacationers expect.
Lisa Rapchuk, whose family bought the hotel in December, told commissioners they want to improve “these properties in a way that would allow them to be competitive on the hospitality market for years to come, without taking away that old Florida charm that attracted us to the property in the first place.”
She added, “Redevelopment of assets like these is necessary to ensure our cities don’t fall into a state of decline.” Rapchuk took exception to the part of the staff report that said since the existing hotel has been operating since the 1950s, it does not need to improve amenities.
“It doesn’t surprise me to have some people not want change, but for that way of thinking to come from employees tasked with redevelopment is shocking. The 1950s have come and gone, and today’s travelers want more. Comments like that demonstrate a basic lack of understanding of property redevelopment.” She said staff’s response to their restoration project made her feel their investment was “unwanted and unwelcomed.”