City commissioners voted to strip a prime piece of city-owned waterfront property of its development approvals during their April 29 workshop, returning the land to its original zoning and capping future construction at three stories.
The “reset” of the property at 555 150th Ave. removes its Planned Development status and reverts it to C-4 Marine Commercial, eliminating approvals that had allowed two additional stories above base flood elevation.
Staff said the move was a legal necessity because the previous project failed to progress.
“Our code requires us, if the PD is not going forward, to rezone it back to the previous zoning category,” staff told the board. “So, because of that requirement, the current PD can’t be used.”
Commissioner Housh Ghovaee initially asked whether the city could preserve the previously approved density to save work later, but staff said the code requires a full return to C-4 standards. The clean slate allows the community to reconsider uses for the site, with suggestions including a public park, boat docks or a restaurant.
Parking
The commission selected ADSQ over Kimley-Horn to conduct a citywide parking garage feasibility study, citing a roughly $47,500 price difference between the two proposals. ADSQ’s quote came in at about $43,000, while the competing firm’s estimate ran as high as $90,500.
A deciding factor was a “go/no-go” methodology built into the ADSQ proposal that allows the city to halt the study if a site is found to be unfeasible before additional costs are incurred. Commissioner Chuck Dillon said ADSQ directly answered the city’s questions on cost-to-value ratios and provided a “safe out” that lets the board scale the analysis up or down without renegotiating the contract.
The study will analyze three primary locations, focusing mainly on John’s Pass and the north end near the recreation center. Mayor Anne Marie Brooks offered a blunt assessment of the city’s past planning.
“The one thing we’ve done in this city really, really, really good in my opinion is we’ve built for today without thinking about tomorrow,” she said. “It’s incumbent on us as a commission to make decisions not based on today but based on the future.”
The search has already hit hurdles at the south parking lot near the bridge. State transportation officials confirmed the John’s Pass Bridge is a “pre-stressed” structure that carries heavy safety restrictions. Any garage in that location cannot feature ground-floor shops or allow vehicles to drive directly under the bridge.
“If something hit it, it would be done,” Brooks said, citing the state’s findings as a reason for needing a professional study to identify a site that can support a multi-level structure.
Snack Shack
A specialized assessment of the historic Snack Shack found the building is in better structural shape than anticipated. After clearing sand to inspect the foundation, engineers found only 5% to 10% damage to the support pilings, meaning the supports can be reinforced in place rather than fully replaced.
The building still needs significant repairs. The inspection identified 450 square feet of subflooring that must be replaced, and rusting hardware throughout the structure must be swapped out. The city has spent $91,250 on the project to date.
While the city works toward a historical designation, a food truck program is keeping the beach area active. Seven of the next 11 weekends are booked.
Public Works Director Megan Wepfer told the board that insurance payouts are limited because the structure was not fully covered.
“I want to say we only had $65,000 or so in contents and then roughly $100,000 or so for the building for the structure,” she said.
Previous construction bids for the site ranged from roughly $238,000 to $399,000, according to Community Development Director Marci Forbes.
Strategic roadmap and federal grants
Commissioners pushed back on an earlier staff assumption that an upcoming strategic roadmap would cover only the next year, demanding instead a five- to 10-year vision for the city.
“If the intent was only for one year, then I think this whole commission missed that,” Brooks said. “We need to look at everything we’re going to do in the city and what we’re going to do over the next five years and how do we see that laying out.”
The commission also voted unanimously to remain in the Pinellas County federal grant program through 2029. By choosing “Option One,” the city enters a cooperation agreement that keeps Madeira Beach eligible for Community Development Block Grant funds, as well as the county’s HOME Investment Partnership and Emergency Solutions Grant programs.
The funding supports projects ranging from ADA-compliant sidewalk and park improvements to housing rehabilitation and emergency services for vulnerable residents.