 A 3-D rendering of the mass and scale of the proposed Markopoulos resort (left), and the Seashell/Hyatt resort (right). Illustration courtesy of Morris Architects. |
CLEARWATER - The City's Community Development Board approved the site plan for Tony Markopoulos' planned resort during their August 17 meeting, overruling the recommendation of the Planning staff for denial.
Markopoulos had requested Flexible Development approval for construction of a resort with 350 hotel rooms and 75 attached condo units on a set of properties now occupied by the Days Inn, Beach Towers Motel, Spyglass Motel and Golden Beach Motel. His request included 250 units from Beach by Design's hotel room density pool, and the vacation of 1st Street and part of Gulfview Blvd. In exchange, Markopoulos will dedicate sixty feet of what is now the Golden Beach Motel for a new 2nd Street, and a strip of land eighteen feet wide on the east side of his properties for the widening of Coronado Drive.
Despite the City having identified Markopoulos site as a priority candidate for redevelopment and revitalization for Clearwater Beach, and the site plan meeting 13 of the 14 Beach by Design requirements for use of the density pool, Clearwater's planning staff recommended denial of Markopoulos' application. "The primary concern staff has with this proposal", said Planner Wayne Wells, "relates to the design, scale and massing of the building."
Wells went on to explain that Beach by Design allows buildings to exceed 100 feet in height, but only if towers are separated by 100 feet, that there be no more than 4 such structures within 800 feet, and that no more that 40% of the North-South plane of the building parallel to Coronado be solid. By staff calculations, the Markopoulos resort exceeds the 40% rule, presenting a 48.85% solid profile.
Gerald Koi, Markopoulos' architect and Hospitality Design Studio Director of Morris Architects in Orlando, argued that his design was in compliance with Beach by Design. He compared the Markopoulos site plan with that of the already approved Seashell resort next door, and claimed that they had similar density, 155 units per acre vs Seashell's 153, and similar profiles from the East (40%) when using the same measurement standards. In addition, Koi claimed that the volume of the Markopoulos resort between 45 and 150 feet of elevation was far less than the already-approved Seashell. "We're equal in density, equal on the 40% rule, and we're 1/3 less in volume, and that's the only way we know how to evaluate mass and scale", said Koi.
In the end, the Board's decision was based more on the resort's potential benefit to the Clearwater Beach tourism industry than on the technical requirements of Beach by Design. Member Johnson said, "I think this is a plan that meets all requirements. It may not dot every I and cross every t, but it can be worked out by staff." Member Dennehy said, "Philosophically, this project should happen." And happen it did, with the CDB voting to approve Markopoulos' site plan by a margin of 4-2, with members Johnson, Dennehy, Moran and Doran in favor, and members Plisko and Gildersleeve opposed.
The hearing regarding the companion development agreement between the City and Markopoulos was continued to the next CDB meeting on September 21, giving staff the opportunity to negotiate additional terms and conditions; one of the terms under discussion could make 100 of the resorts parking spaces available for use by the public. But according to Planning Director Cyndi Tarapani, the staff will persist with their recommendation of denial, largely because the development agreement commits 250 bonus pool units that contribute to the resort's scale and mass.
But some City staffers saw benefits from CDB's approval at this time. Assistant City Manager Garry Brumback was happy that Markopoulos would be contributing to the construction of Beach Walk, whose funding was committed by the City Council last week. "It literally frees up $3.5 million for other projects", he said. City engineer Mike Quillen thinks that the approval will help with Beach Walk construction. Without the Markopoulos project going forward "we wouldn't be able to do the 5-lane width of Coronado and we'd have to leave the existing Gulfview in front of all the Markopoulos properties until they redevelop", said Quillen.
Ed Hooper, spokesperson for Markopoulos on this project, was delighted with the outcome; "It's huge to overcome a staff recommendation of denial", he said. In addition to benefiting the city with its contribution to Beach Walk and future ad veloram taxes, Hooper thinks that the approval will benefit the Seashell development next door. Markopoulos, at his sole expense, will fund the construction of 2nd Street as a condition of the City vacating 1st Street, giving the Seashell resort street access on the North side of its property.
Pending the City Council approval of the development agreement during one of their October meetings, Hooper expects the Markopoulos resort to open in 2007 along with the planned Seashell resort and completion of Beach Walk.