BELLEAIR BLUFFS — With the Atlantic hurricane season just weeks away, city officials will host the third annual Bluffs Hurricane Expo on Saturday, June 6, to help residents prepare.
The free event runs from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Belleair Bluffs Community Center auditorium at 2747 Sunset Blvd. It is presented in conjunction with Largo Fire Rescue and Pinellas County Emergency Management.
Hurricane season begins Monday, June 1, and runs through Nov. 30. Many Pinellas County residents still remember the devastating 2024 season, when back-to-back Category 3 storms hit the county.
Attendees will be able to meet with emergency preparedness professionals, including city staff, Pinellas County Emergency Management, Largo Fire Rescue, the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office Marine Unit and Waste Management, according to the city’s website. The event will also feature educational booths and giveaways.
City Clerk Alexis Silcox, who has helped lead the expo since its launch, said the goal is to strengthen the community’s resilience by providing storm information and resources. State Rep. Kim Berfield will also be on hand with information about state resources, Silcox said.
Last year’s event drew dozens of vendors, agencies and organizations, along with a large crowd.
Zac Ferguson of the Ace Hardware on West Bay Drive said the store saw an uptick in hurricane preparedness purchases following the 2024 season.
“Last year was really eye-opening for a lot of people when it comes to storm preparation,” Ferguson said at last year’s expo, as he demonstrated the Dam Easy metal door barrier, an alternative to sandbags. “I think we all learned if you wait, it’s too late.”
For more information, visit the city’s website or call 727-584-2151.
Commission OKs taller fences for noise barriers
The City Commission, acting as the Local Planning Agency, unanimously approved an ordinance allowing taller fences in certain commercial settings.
The ordinance allows fence heights of up to 12 feet where the fencing serves as a visual screen or noise suppression for HVAC units, emergency generators or similar equipment in commercial districts. It also allows up to 8 feet as a buffer between residential and commercial uses in a required side or rear yard, without requiring approval from the Board of Adjustment.
The current code caps fences at 6 feet, with buffers between residential and commercial uses allowed up to 8 feet through a variance process, City Attorney Tom Trask said.
Trask said the change was prompted by Publix on West Bay Drive, which installed a new generator and needed taller fencing to muffle the noise for surrounding neighborhoods.
“The only way they could do that was to raise it up to 12 feet,” he said. “It’s not going to happen in a whole lot of situations because of how the city is made up. But that was the basis for this particular change.”
The next Belleair Bluffs City Commission meeting is scheduled for Monday, May 18, at 6 p.m.