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County declines sewer settlement
By BOB MACPHERSON
Article published on Wednesday, April 12, 2006 |
REDINGTON BEACH – The Town Commission attempted to settle a long, simmering dispute with Pinellas County over work allegedly not completed by the county on the town’s sewer system after its sale to the county under a $1.8 million contract.
According to town officials, work on the system allegedly stalled after the county spent only $800,000 of the $1.8 million. The town maintained that the county has not lived up to the contract.
County officials disputed the town’s position and the issue was debated in a conflict resolution process involving the town and the county.
The commission proposed to settle the dispute provided the county pay the town $10,000. To help resolve the issue the town hired Tim Weber of the law firm Battaglia, Ross, Dicus & Wein. Weber suggested that a $10,000 payoff to the town might be acceptable to the county to settle the issue rather than continue the wrangling which could eventually lead to litigation.
On behalf of the town Weber made the offer to the county on April 6.
The county rejected the offer.
It appears now that the town commission will meet with the county commission on Thursday, April 13 to try to renegotiate a settlement.
Town sets minimum lot frontage
The Town Commission adopted amendments to its zoning ordinance April 4 which sets a minimum lot frontage of 60 feet for all lots in residential districts. That requirement applies only to newly created lots.
The ordinance now requires both a minimum parcel size of 5,808 square feet and a minimum street frontage of 60 feet. The adopted amendments do not limit the right to rebuild on an existing platted lot.
The unanimous vote came after citizens debated both the pros and cons of the proposed amendment. Most of those who were opposed to the 60-foot minimum frontage were concerned that their right to subdivide their existing lot would be affected. These concerns, said Commissioner Deborah Bradbeer, were based on a mistaken interpretation of the proposed amendment.
Bradbeer took the lead in promoting the amended ordinance. She argued that the town has no established minimum frontage requirement, only a minimum lot size requirement of 5,808 square feet which is in compliance with the town’s comprehensive land use plan. Bradbeer claimed the absence of a required minimum lot frontage could result in unattractive development that would change the character of the community.
“This requirement is not going to take away anyone’s rights,” she said.
Vice Mayor Leslie Peck-Epstein said that in some areas of the city “houses are so close together you can reach out and borrow a bar of soap from your neighbor.”
Specifically amended is Section 15, Appendix A of the zoning ordinance. According to Bradbeer, who said she conducted extensive research on the issue, most towns have differing requirements but most have at least a 60-foot lot frontage requirement and some even more.
At an earlier meeting on the issue, assistant director of the county building department Jack Tipton said that homeowners that have a home on two platted lots would not be affected if they decided to sell the lots individually.
“A plat is totally different from somebody splitting a lot,” Tipton said. “You can take a lot and subdivide it and get two different parcel identification numbers. Pinellas County does not require that to be re-platted. A re-plat is like if someone should come in, say a developer, and talks 30 people into selling their lots and then changing all the lot sizes. That would have to go through a re-plat. That would require a site plan approval and have to go before the planning commission, city council and then up to the county planning council. That is totally different from somebody staking a lot and subdividing it.”
The amended ordinance will go into effect April 14.
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Article published on Wednesday, April 12, 2006
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