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Development Review Commission
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| Application Public Notification Instructions |
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| The
Development Review Commission (DRC)
The City of St. Petersburg
Development Review Commission is comprised of nine persons appointed
by the Mayor and confirmed by the City Council. The DRC meets once per month (generally on the first
Wednesday) to consider the following types of requests:
1. Requests for approval of Special Exception Uses and
appurtenant site plans;
2. Proposals for site
plans which either 1) exceed the square footage threshold established
by the zoning district in which the project is proposed; and/or 2) include variances which must
be reviewed and approved by the DRC;
3. Lot
Line Adjustments which require variances;
4. Preliminary
Plats which require variances;
5. Dock
site plans which require variances;
6. Requests for street
and/or alley vacations;
7. Requests for the
designation of Transfer
of Development Rights (TDR); and
8. Applications for Lot
Refacing with variances.
Actions of the Development Review Commission are final (except for vacations) unless appealed to the City
Council.
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| Filing an
Application
Persons who think they may need approval of
an application by Development Review Commission are encouraged to
contact the Department of Development Services prior to filing an
application. Our staff of professionals is available to discuss your
particular needs and can advise if a variance is necessary and whether
other options exist. Please call (727) 551-3342 between the hours of 8:00
a.m. and 5:00 p.m. Monday thru Friday or e-mail Development
Review Services to set up a pre-application conference.
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| Applications
and Fees
Applications must be filed by the submittal
deadline for the next regularly scheduled meeting of the
Development Review Commission. The Commission meets at 2:00 p.m. in the City
Council Chambers of City Hall, located at 175 5th Street North,
St. Petersburg. All hearings are quasi-judicial and persons wishing to speak regarding any matter on the Commission’s
agenda are required to take an oath. |
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Special
Exception
Special
Exception / Site Plan Variances
Site
Plan Review
Sign
Variance Application
Site
Plan Modifications
Concurrency
Dock
Variance
One Year
Extensions of Approval
Street /
Alley Vacation
In-house
Applications / Temp Parking Lots
Easement
Vacation
Walkway
Vacation
Air
Rights Vacation
Lot Line
Adjustment
Reface
Lot
Lot Line
Adjustment w/ Variance
Street
Name Changes
Permanent
Street Closing
Plats less than three (3) acres and without
variancesPlats of three (3) acres or
more and/or plats requiring variances |
$900
$75
each variance
$500
$100
$200
$25
$250
$250
$1,000
$250
$200
$300
$795
$200
(no variances)
$100
$300
$500
$795
$650
$750 |
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| Special
Exception Uses
In each zoning district, there are
permitted uses and Special Exception Uses. Permitted uses are allowed by
right, and if a proposed use or site plan does not require variances,
permitted uses can be processed directly through the construction
permitting process. Special Exception Uses are uses which may be
appropriate in a zoning district, depending on the location, the intensity
of the use, and the impacts associated with the use. Because Special
Exception Uses may have impacts that require special consideration, these
uses must be reviewed at a public hearing and approved by the DRC.
Typically, issues that require special consideration may include the
location of the building, traffic impacts, general traffic circulation,
landscaping and buffering from adjoining uses, hours of operation, and
other operational aspects. Persons seeking approval of a Special Exception
Use should submit a copy of the required application and fee by the
submittal deadline.
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| Site Plans
Site plans without variances can generally
be approved by City Staff through the construction permitting process.
However, site plans which exceed the square footage threshold in certain
zoning districts and/or those which include certain variances must
be approved by the DRC. In general, projects which exceed 50,000 square
feet or 60 dwelling units in residential zones; and projects which exceed
150,000 square feet or 60 dwelling units in all other zones require DRC
approval at a public hearing. Persons seeking approval of a site plan
which requires a public hearing should submit a copy of the required application and fee by the submittal deadline.
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| Variances
Which Require DRC Approval
The following types of variances must be
approved by the DRC:
1. Variances to encroach into designated environmental preservation areas;
2. Variances from the requirement for landscaping;
3. Variance from the requirement for signage;
4. Variances from the requirement for Albert Whitted Airport overlay;
5. Variances from the requirement for alcoholic beverages;
6.
Variances associated with a proposed community residential home;
7. Variances to the setbacks for docks and dock-related structures;
8.
Variances to the requirements for lot area or lot width associated with a
lot line adjustment;
9.
Variances to the requirements for lot area or lot width associated with a
preliminary plat; and
10.Variances related to proposals for
wireless communications towers.
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Variances for
Airport Zoning (Building Height)
Building
height in and around the downtown is restricted by both allowable floor
area ratio and the City’s Airport Zoning for Albert Whitted Field. As
shown on the Civil Airport Imaginary Surfaces Map (insert hyperlink to
map), maximum building height is related to the approaches of each airport
runway and to the distance of the project site from the airport. Variances
to building height may be granted by the DRC upon evaluation of the
criteria contained in the Airport Zoning Ordinance and a Federal Aviation
Administration (FAA) finding that the proposed building height does not
constitute a hazard to air navigation. All requests for variances must be
accompanied by a completed application (insert hyperlink to application -
3 pages) and the required exhibits. Additional information regarding
construction in the vicinity of the airport or the FAA or FDOT review
procedures may be obtained by contacting the City’s Airport Manager at
(727) 893-7049.
Application for Variance to Airport Zoning
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| Lot
Line Adjustments with Variances
Lot line adjustments involve moving or
shifting the lot line for previously platted lots. When this shifting of
lot lines results in lots with a lot width or lot area that does not meet
the requirements of the applicable zoning district or buildings that do
not meet the required setbacks, variances must be approved by the DRC.
Persons seeking to proceed with a lot line adjustment which requires
variances should submit the required application and fee by the
submittal deadline.
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| Preliminary
Plats with Variances
Preliminary plats are usually reviewed and
approved by the Zoning Official. However, if a preliminary plat proposes
lots which do not meet the required lot area or lot width as prescribed by
the applicable zoning district, variances must be approved by the DRC.
Persons seeking to proceed with a preliminary plat with variances should
submit the required application and fee by the submittal deadline.
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| Dock
Site Plans with Variances
Dock site plans which do not require
variances can be approved in person at the zoning counter on the first
floor of the Municipal Services Center. Dock site plans which require
variances, however, must be approved by the Zoning Official (depending on
the details of the application) or the DRC at a public hearing. Variances
usually associated with docks include 1) variances from the minimum side
lot setback of 20 feet; 2) variances from the allowance to extend a dock
25 percent of the waterway width; and 3) variances from the required 10
foot side lot setback for tie poles. These regulations apply to docks and
dock-related structures, including boat lifts. Persons seeking approval of
a dock site plan with variances should submit the required application and fee by the submittal deadline.
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| Vacation
of Street and Alleys
Applications to vacate streets and alleys
must be reviewed by the DRC at a public hearing. The DRC serves in an
advisory capacity for vacation applications, with all requests ultimately
considered by the City Council as an ordinance. Typically, vacation
requests take 10 to 12 weeks to process. Individuals seeking to file for a
vacation must have signatures from property owners comprising a minimum of
51 percent of the frontage of the street or alley to be vacated. The
frontage includes lots fronting on both sides of the street or
alley. Persons interested in a street or alley vacation are urged to
contact the Zoning Official to discuss the request prior to submittal of an application and
fee.
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| Transfer
of Development Rights (TDR)
The City allows for the creation of TDR
credits when developers set aside environmentally sensitive lands. These
credits are available on the open market and can be transferred for
residential development within certain zoning districts. The role of the
DRC is to approve the recipient site. The DRC considers whether the
recipient site can accommodate the additional dwelling units without the
need for variances or the creation of adverse impacts. Persons seeking to
approve a site for the transfer of development credits should submit the
required application by the submittal deadline.
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| Lot
Refacing with Variances
Lot refacing involves a minimum of two lots
which are situated on a corner. Usually applicants seeking a lot refacing
wish to reorient the lots to face the street which is currently the side
street. Refacing of lots changes the location of the legal front yard and
may substantially impact any existing buildings that might be located on
the property. Lot refacing which involves variances as to lot width, lot
area, or setbacks requires DRC approval. Persons seeking approval of a lot
refacing should submit an application and fee by the submittal
deadline.
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| Quasi-Judicial
Procedures
All proceedings of the Development Review Commission are Quasi-Judicial and require that certain
specific procedures be followed by the staff, applicants, and the public.
Under the Quasi-Judicial process the Commission acts in the role of a
"judge" and therefore, is required to follow certain procedures
and base their decision on factual evidence. In general, the
Quasi-Judicial procedures involve the following steps:
1. The swearing in of witnesses will be
done en-masse at the beginning of this meeting. Anyone who wishes to speak
on any item must be sworn-in prior to testifying.
2. Staff, applicants, and appellant will
have a total of ten minutes each to present their case.
3. At the conclusion of the presentations,
the public hearing will begin and the public will have three minutes to
speak. If you wish to speak please fill out a card and submit this to the
Clerk. When called on to speak please come to the podium and state your
name and address. We ask that your remarks be brief and not repetitious of
prior testimony and provide factual information. Once the Commission Chair
closes the public hearing no one from the public may speak.
4. If anyone wishes to utilize the time
provided for cross examination and rebuttal as an Opponent, said
individual shall notify the Commission Chair prior to the
conclusion on the Public Hearing. Persons opposed to the application may
select one person to represent them during this phase of the process and
shall declare their intent prior to the close of the public hearing. If
more than one person wishes to be the Opponent representative then the
Commission will choose a single representative to participate in the
process.
5. The Cross-examination and Rebuttal
phases allows each participant (staff, applicant, and appellant) five
minutes each to ask questions of each other. All questions shall be
directed to the Chair, who will direct the question to the appropriate
person.
The Commission Chair will then close the
proceedings and go into Executive Action and make a decision. The
Commission members may ask questions at any time during the Quasi-Judicial
process.
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| Past Environmental Development Commission Agendas |
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