St. Pete approves zoning change to increase housing supply
By Breanne Williams
Tampa Bay Business Journal
Published: Mar 24, 2023

St. Petersburg has approved a zoning change that will allow for more residential units to be added to nearly 3,000 parcels in the city.

City council on Thursday voted 7 to 1 to allow some owners of single-family homes to add more units to their property. The change allows for what supporters call “missing middle housing,” such as duplexes, triplexes and quadplexes. Councilman Ed Montanari cast the sole dissenting vote.

The vote is a small step toward combating the city’s ongoing housing crisis. The housing supply in St. Pete has not kept up with demand, and costs have skyrocketed. In 2017, the city began discussing ways to start increasing density.

Dozens of public speakers showed up both for and against the proposed change. Many residents supported allowing “gentle density” in neighborhoods, while others voiced concerns about parking, traffic and solid waste collection.

City development administrator James Corbett said the city is growing exponentially, and while city leaders cannot create more land, they can take steps to allow for more equitable development and housing. The change opens the door to more housing variety, allowing for a mix of homeowners including families, renters and multigenerational households.

Mack Feldman, a member of YIMBY St. Pete and vice president of Feldman Equities, told the Tampa Bay Business Journal the city must “weigh the vague and parochial preferences of incumbent homeowners against the concrete and acute effects of the housing crisis.”

“A third of Pinellas County families spend more than 40% of their income on housing,” Feldman said. “Missing middle housing is a key step towards solving the housing crisis in St. Pete. NTM-1 [the new zoning] is thoughtful about neighborhood character and parking concerns while providing attainable housing for our teachers, first responders and nurses.”

If a homeowner wanted to take advantage of the new zoning, they would still have to comply with city design standards. Those in the coastal high-hazard area do not qualify. Qualifying lots need to be within 175 feet of main thoroughfares and have direct access to a public alley.

After hearing feedback from the community, the city added the following requirements:

There can be no less than one parking space per unit

For three or more units an alley shall be paved to the nearest roadway

For three or more units there will be a reserved area for garbage

Council chairwoman Brandi Gabbard said she feels confident the decision was a step in the right direction and will allow more people to call St. Pete home while still respecting the character of the neighborhoods. She said there is still more work to do and hopes these changes are one day seen throughout the entire city.

When the city expanded regulations for accessory dwelling units last fall, it allowed 47 neighborhoods throughout the city to now qualify. There has been a steady uptick in applications since, but not a wave of requests.

Gabbard said she expects the same trend to happen with this zoning change. While nearly 3,000 units qualify, she said only a fraction of those will likely be ready to move forward with the change.