By Joey Lachman
(Published 04/30/24)
ST.PETE BEACH- After years of planning, months of deliberation, and countless hours of city meetings on April 23rd the expansion of Tradewinds Resorts was approved by the St. Pete Beach city council with a vote of three to two.
With this approval, the developer and owner of Tradewinds, 1754 properties have obtained a conditional use permit (CUP) allowing them to move forward with a 20-year expansion plan that will transform the historic Tradewinds property into a resort the size and scale of which St. Pete beach has never seen before.
With this ground-breaking project being approved it raises the question of whether this is responsible development that the beach can handle or is it irreversibly ravaging the beauty of St. Pete Beach for profit?
“When I moved here in 1974 it was close to what it is today with the hotels down the road and easy beach access,” says Suzie Brooks, St. Pete Beach resident for 50 years. “The main thing that has changed is how many flippin’ people are here and how big the buildings are!” Brooks exclaimed.
The St. Pete Beach municipality was founded in 1957 after a similarly close vote of 758-753. In that time the area was known as a quiet beach town instead of the budding economical gem it is today. There were not many resort hotels or mansion homes yet and it was a place where Mother Nature ruled.
Now the city is home to resorts and condos with little of the forests seen above remaining. There are still parts of old St. Pete Beach that you can find like Horan Park or the Upham Beach Gardens. With this development being approved will it flood the beach with more tourists and end the story of sleepy St. Pete Beach? it seems so. But maybe that is something that must happen.
“We won’t be able to drive down Gulf Boulevard for the next 20 years,” says Linda Lewellen, a resident. “This is all a business deal that a few people are going to make a whole lot of money on.” Says Lewellen.
Lewellen was one of many disgruntled residents present at the city council meetings this month. She expressed feelings of sadness and frustration many others have about the changing image of their beloved beach. But for this beach to remain, neighbors who pay plenty of property tax and bring in millions for surrounding businesses are a necessity.
“80% of the property taxes are right now coming from the residents and only 20% from the commercial. You want to do the residents a favor, get somebody else to help with this burden” says Paul Worsfold a Tradewinds condo owner. “If you deny the CUP, you’re still going to have to take care of the roads, you’re still going to have to maintain your sewage…” Says Worsfold.
Looking deeper at the city of St. Pete Beach’s comprehensive plan and zoning of the area I came across something. The land Tradewinds is on is zoned as a “redevelopment area” so why not keep developing the resorts in that area? To keep up with rising infrastructure costs the city must increase tax revenue and continue to attract travelers from all over the globe. This project when it is complete, will certainly help to do just that.
Visit St. Pete-Clearwater, the official tourism chamber reports nearly 75% of the local economy comes from tourism. Because the beach itself relies so heavily on attracting travelers, a jump into the modern era of luxury resorts should be a great thing, right?
“At the PM peak hour, we are estimating to add around 400 new trips in phase 1,” says transportation engineer Steve Henry. “We are going to come back after Phase 1 a re-study so in a sense you are not approving 20 years of traffic off of one study,” says Henry.
According to Henry, the project is estimated at completion to add at least 2,000 transient travelers to the beach during peak times. While it is difficult to tell whether this will be a daily or seasonal effect, it is clear to see that the project approval will add an influx of travelers to the small, nearly five-mile-long strip of the barrier island. The city council will continue to monitor and study the effects this project has on the island's traffic flow.
It is important to note that as part of the early phases of the project, a frontage road will be created to connect the five-block property and absorb the new travelers the expansion creates.
“We’re proposing to develop a new frontage road that will be a buffer between Gulf Boulevard, it will help to set the standard for the Gulf Boulevard experience.” Says Scott Eisenhart who is one of the architects of the development.
This is one of many times where the developer has been quick to accommodate resident complaints and change their design to make it community-friendly. Whether it be the sea turtles, funding to help improve city systems, or adding a whole new road 1754 properties look to be attentive and sensitive to community pushback.
Although the resort itself should be able to handle all the new travelers, will the rest of the island be able to? Bikers, joggers, and walkers are frequent on St. Pete Beach and their safety may be in jeopardy with crowded roads and frustrated drivers.
“Another concern I have is my safety when riding my bike,” Says Tradewinds condo owner Mark Arado. “With all this new fluctuation I want to make sure it happens safely and fairly,” says Arado.
After reviewing public records from the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Department, I noticed a roughly 30% increase in yearly reported traffic accidents on St Pete Beach from the year 2018 to 2023. I chose these years to avoid the COVID-19 anomaly and provide a real understanding that traffic accidents are increasing before this development has even started. Pedestrian safety was a hot topic during the many hours of St. Pete Beach City Council debate, and for good reason adding so many new travelers to a small 2-lane-each-way road can be dangerous if not done right.
It is also important to note that the Sirata Resort (now owned by Marriott) just a few doors down was also recently approved for an expansion of a similar scale. There is also a large community development in the nearby Skyway Marina district that will attract tourists and locals to St. Pete.
“My expert opinion as a planner is that the project is consistent with the city comprehensive plan and code,” says Ken Metcalf a planning expert who is familiar with the details of the project.
There is no denying that with this approval St. Pete Beach is going to change in the next 20 years. Many community members are unhappy and worried about the change that will come with this approved project. From a business perspective operating and investing in a property on a barrier island that is potentially hurricane-prone is a huge risk. The St. Pete Beach community needs to redevelop and improve its resort areas to increase tax revenue and ensure the beach's future.
The building and renovation that 1754 properties have been approved to begin will help to attract more travelers to St. Pete Beach and aid the community economically. How will this change the identity of St. Pete Beach as many have come to know and love? Will there be a sacrifice of the natural beauty and sleepy vibe the city was once known to turn a profit? Only time will tell.
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