09/16/2025 Docusign Envelope ID:07844121-A696-4DD8-9238-EECEF7330C06
Community Development Board Meeting Minutes September 16, 2025
City of Clearwater
Main Library- Council Chambers
100 N. Osceola Avenue
Clearwater, FL 33755
g � ,
W
Meeting Minutes
Tuesday, September 16, 2025
1 :00 PM
Main Library - Council Chambers
Community Development Board
Page 1
City of Clearwater
Docusign Envelope ID:07844121-A696-4DD8-9238-EECEF7330C06
Community Development Board Meeting Minutes September 16, 2025
Roll Call
Present 7 — Chair Michael Boutzoukas, Board Member Andrew Park,
Board Member Aubrey Haudricourt, Board Member Kurt Hinrichs (Alt
Member), Board Member Andrew Hupp, Board Member Michael
Mastruserio, and Board Member Michelle Chenault
Absent 1 - Board Member Diane Achinelli
Also Present: Planning Division Manager Ted Kozak, Assistant City Attorney
Matthew Mytych, Attorney Jay Daigneault, and City Clerk Rosemarie
Call
To provide continuity for research, items are listed in agenda order although not
necessarily discussed in that order.
1. Call to Order
The meeting was called to order at 1:00 p.m.
2. Approval of Minutes
2.1 Approve the minutes of the August 19, 2025 CDB meeting.
Board Member Haudricourt moved to approve the minutes of the
August 19, 2025 CDB meeting. The motion was duly seconded
and carried unanimously.
3. Citizens to be Heard Regarding Items Not on the Agenda — None.
4. Consent Agenda: The following cases are not contested by the applicant or city
staff. If no objections are raised by a member of the public, and member(s) of the
Board do not request to remove an item from the Consent Agenda, items will be
approved by a single vote at the beginning of the meeting.
4.1 FLD2025-06014: Flexible Development approval for the conversion to a restaurant in the
Tourist (T) District and the Destination Resort Character District of Beach by Design as a
Comprehensive Infill Redevelopment Project for the property at 524 Mandalay Avenue.
The building does not exceed 15 feet in height and includes five off-street parking
spaces. Requested is flexibility for reduced off-street parking for the site based on a
parking demand study. (Community Development Code Section 2-803.D and Section
Page 2
City of Clearwater
Docusign Envelope ID:07844121-A696-4DD8-9238-EECEF7330C06
Community Development Board Meeting Minutes September 16, 2025
3-1401.C) (Level Two Application)
Case: FLD2025-06014 - 524 Mandalay Avenue
Owner(s): Tema Investments
Applicant: Krikor Kassarjian; Gulf Coast Consulting, Inc., 13825 ICOT Blvd.,
Suite 605, Clearwater, FL 33760; phone: (727) 524-1818; email:
krikor@gulfcoastconsultinginc.com
Location: Northwest corner of Mandalay Avenue and Ambler Street (0.19
acres)
Request: Flexible Development approval for the conversion to a restaurant in
the Tourist (T) District and the Destination Resort Character District of Beach
by Design as a Comprehensive Infill Redevelopment Project for the property at
524 Mandalay Avenue. The building does not exceed 15 feet in height and
includes five off-street parking spaces. Requested is flexibility for reduced
off-street parking for the site based on a parking demand study. (Community
Development Code Section 2-803.D and Section 3-1401.C)
Associations: Board of County Commissioners, Clearwater Neighborhoods
Coalition, Pinellas County School Board, Clearwater Beach Association
Assigned Planner: Melissa Hauck-Baker, AICP, Planner III; email:
melissa.hauckbaker@myclearwater.com; phone: (727) 444-8769
Board Members Hupp and Chenault disclosed they individually spoke
with the restaurant operator in the past regarding the expansion.
In response to a question, Board Members Hupp and Chenault said their
communications did not prohibit them from rendering a fair and impartial
decision on the application.
Board Member Haudricourt moved to approve Case
FLD2025-06014 (524 Mandalay Avenue) based on the evidence and
testimony presented in the application, the Staff Report and at today's
hearing, and hereby adopt the Findings of Fact and Conclusions of Law
stated in the Staff Report with conditions of approval as listed. The
motion was duly seconded and carried unanimously.
5. Director's Report
5.1 Discuss Addition of Prayer to Meeting
Board Member Mastruserio moved to open each meeting with a prayer
to Jesus Christ. The motion was duly seconded.
Attorney Daigneault said the motion as stated suggests a singularly
Page 3
City of Clearwater
Docusign Envelope ID:07844121-A696-4DD8-9238-EECEF7330C06
Community Development Board Meeting Minutes September 16, 2025
Christian prayer, which is not constitutionally permissible. He cited the
memorandum he provided board members and suggested that the
prayer be broader and more generalized.
Discussion ensued with comments made that a board member should
not have to pray to a god they do not believe exists, that consideration
should be given to implement language that respects constitutional law and
prevents the City from being sued, that this is not the forum to interject
religion or politics because the Board is here to do the people's business,
and that the courts have recognized the tradition in this country of
opening government and non-government meetings with prayer in a
manner that does not establish a religion. It was stated that when the
Board used to offer a prayer, it was difficult for the Chair to find an
individual willing to participate and board members often used a generic
written prayer. It was suggested that offering the prayer should be
rotated monthly among board members and each board member
should have the option to offer the prayer, invite someone from the
community, or not offer a prayer.
Attorney Daigneault suggested the Board should first determine if it wishes
to add an invocation at the beginning of the meeting. If the answer is yes,
then determine how it is done.
Board Member Mastruserio withdrew his motion.
In response to a question, the City Clerk said the city council meeting
agenda lists the prayer as an invocation.
Board Member Mastruserio moved to open each meeting with an
invocation. The motion was duly seconded and carried with the
following
vote:
Ayes: 5 - Board Member Boutzoukas, Board Member Park, Board Member
Hinrichs, Board Member Mastruserio and Board Member Chenault
Nays: 2 - Board Member Haudricourt and Board Member Hupp
In response to questions, Attorney Daigneault offered three procedural
options: 1) rotate or assign amongst board members to offer the invocation,
2) individual board members invite an individual to offer the invocation, or 3)
city staff schedule members of the local clergy community to offer the
invocation. He said the Board may impose a time limit.
Page 4
City of Clearwater
Docusign Envelope ID:07844121-A696-4DD8-9238-EECEF7330C06
Community Development Board Meeting Minutes September 16, 2025
Discussion ensued with support expressed to have the responsibility to
offer a brief invocation be rotated amongst board members or observe a
moment of silence.
Board Member Park moved to adopt a rotation of members of the
board, or their guest, to lead an invocation, a moment of silence or opt
out of the opening invocation on a monthly basis for a maximum of 60
seconds. The motion was duly seconded and carried with the following
vote:
Ayes: 5 - Board Member Boutzoukas, Board Member Park, Board Member
Hinrichs, Board Member Mastruserio and Board Member Chenault
Nays: 2 - Board Member Haudricourt and Board Member Hupp
Staff was directed to share requests to offer the invocation with the Chair
and the board member scheduled to offer the prayer.
6. Board Members to be Heard — None.
7. Adjourn
The meeting adjourned at 1:39 p.m.
DocuSigned by;
E
R tt b6Vf Vt S
A313D4F1 E8OE462...
Chair, Community Development Board
Attest: Ds
E62ODD5FEDFFE40F
DocuSigned by:
I Lau
...
City Clerk
Page 5
City of Clearwater
CITY OF CLEARWATER
CLEARWATER PLANNING & DEVELOPMENT, Posr OFFICE Box 4748, CLEARWATER, FLORIDA 33758-4748
MUNICIPAL SERVICES BUILDING, 100 SOUTH MYRTLE AVENUE, CLEARWATER, FLORIDA 33756
TELEPHONE (727) 562-4567
TO: Community Development Board Members
FROM: Lauren Matzke, AICP, Planning & Development Director
SUBJECT: Agenda Items for September 16, 2025
DATE: September 8, 2025
Community Development Board agenda contains the following:
Level Two Applications:
1. FLD2025-06014 – 524 Mandalay Avenue
Assigned Planner: Melissa Hauck -Baker
Yes: 1.— No:
I have conducted a •ers• -,:
Signature. Jr.r i .
Print Name: &/
I investigation on the personal site visit to the following properties.
l %
Date:
Prepared by: Alba Horanlli, Administrative Assistant