Letter from Sand Key Civic Association regarding Legg Mason's Application
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P.O. Box 3014 · Clearwater, Florida 33767
August 5, 2008
Mr. s C. Fritsch, Chairman
Community Development Board
112 S. Osceola Avenue
Clearwater, FL 33756
Re: Legg Mason's Application FLD2008-02002 (1590 Gulf Blvd.)
Dear Mr. Fritsch:
The Board of Directors of the Sand Key Civic Association (SKCA), recogmzmg and
supporting the concerns of an overwhelming majority of its constituency, has unanimously voted to
oppose the overreaching and damaging variances requested in the above application. To clarify, the
SKCA is opposed to all of the variances requested by the applicant in its proposal to redevelop the
1590 Gulf Boulevard site for a beach hotel and restaurants. It is not opposed to any redevelopment
of the Belleview Biltmore hotel located in Belleair.
We submit that an objective analysis of the details ofthi~.a1?plic;]tion, \VPenev;j.luated on
behalf of the best interests of the residents, owners and taxpayers on Sand Key, versus the financial
self-interests of a single developer, leaves no room for doubt that this application must be denied in
its entirety. Simply put, this is all about money. Legg Mason does not manage hotel/resort properties.
It is an investor! And Legg Mason has already begun its search to sell its tremendous investment
anticipating their requested variances will be approved.
We further submit this is patently wrong and we trust you will agree that economic viability
must never be a consideration in granting variances to community zoning and building codes.
Parkin/! is a prime example of how the granting of exceptions will create future problems for
our residents. Atleast twenty and likely as many as twenty-five employees will be needed to operate
the proposed hotel and restaurants. Legg Mason has stated that all the employees of the new beach
hotel and restaurants will be bused to work each day from another parking location 5 miles away in
the City of Belleair. Therefore, the applicant has excluded the employees from their calculations in
order to avoid the requirement of having to conduct a parking/traffic study. In reality the "future
owners/managers" will not be obligated to bus employees from some far away, inconvenient location
each day and the personal needs of employees will cause them to avoid the bus rule.
In addition, the applicant has advised the Planning Department that the claimed 125 seat
restaurant is an "accessory to the main hoter' and is therefore exempt from the required Yz parking
space per planned seat. Let's be serious and practical for a moment. Since the proposed restaurants
will be open to the public, the inevitable result will be a tremendous parking shortage. The current
restaurants have 48 parking spaces. The already proven result is stacked parking on weekends; and
employees being forced to park off site. The proposal would add 38 hotel rooms to the 125 seat
restaurant, while adding only 8 more parking spaces! Do the math. This makes no sense and will be a
detriment to everyone except the profit-making bottom line of the applicant.
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Legg Mason has also requested a heieht variance from 25 feet to 67 feet, but that is only to
the center of the top floor, not to the roof top. Based on the drawings, that means the proposed
building will be over 90 feet from ground level to the top of the roof. Will this applicant actually
come before you with a straight face and ask for an almost four-fold increase in height? We would
find that almost impossible to believe were it not for the fact that this is all about money. So, is it
any wonder we believe it would be unconscionable to grant a 360% height variance?
The planned cabana structures on the public beach will almost certainly result in other
condominium associations requesting their own cabanas on the public beach. What are you going to
do when that happens, especially since you will be faced with legal concerns about selective
enforcement? We hope you see this is a slippery slope that is not in the best interests of the City of
Clearwater, much less the residents of Sand Key.
We anticipate you may be reminded that, at one time, the Cabana Club had cabanas on the
beach. When that is brought to your attention, please remember the problems-that resulted from the
transients who occupied the cabanas overnight, and the unusual security problems this created for the
Clearwater police, to say nothing of the fear and concern it caused for nearby owners. And to the
claim that Legg Mason will employ a security guard, let's not forget that it will not be operating the
proposed hotel in the future.
The Legg Mason request is nothing other than an attempt to seize 25 feet of our public beach
in the middle of an established sea oats area and a proven nesting area for sea turtles. While we
recognize the State of Florida is the deciding authority for such matters, we certainly hope you will
not condone this blatant attempt to jeopardize our ecology and local habitat!
The overwhelming majority of the residents, owners and taxpayers do not want you to grant
what are clearly overreaching variances at the mercenary "whim" of a developer. Legg Mason is
asking you to permit them to overbuild to such a degree that our residential neighborhood will be
adversely impacted and its economic gains will result in a loss to our constituency. The applicant's
goals and objectives can be accomplished with a beach club, restaurant, casitas, or a smaller beautiful
hotel, none of which would require variances.
If you do allow such extreme variances at 1590 Gulf Boulevard, what will you do when
similar variances are requested for other planned developments on Sand Key (such as the "Shoppes"
after the pending zoning questions are finally resolved)? How will you then justify your decision?
We respectfully request that you deny each and every variance requested. Leee Mason has
taken a site plan the size of a postaee stamp and setrlshlv wants to build an envelope on it!
On behalf of the SKCA, we thank you and the CDB Board for your personal time in studying
the issues and we appreciate your efforts and commitment to keeping Clearwater and Sand Key
beautiful places to live.
::z-r~~
Herbert W. McLachlan
President
cc: Wayne Wells, Planner for the CDB
CDB Board Members