I live in Pass-a-Grille, but this kind of thing is happening all over our beach communities. After the horrific storms of 2024, there are hundreds, maybe thousands of homes and buildings that were destroyed. And, of course the new buildings need to be built to withstand future weather, and, unless they are historic (more than 50 years old), they have to be built higher off the ground. So I understand that our neighborhoods will change. That’s sad, but inevitable.
The photograph above is not really a convention center. That’s just a joke about how it looks. Other neighbors think it looks like an office building. Believe it or not, it’s a house being built on spec. It is way too big for our historic neighborhood and sticks out like a sore thumb. Everybody I know who lives near me absolutely hates it. And its design is really out of place for Pass-a-Grille. And there is nothing we can do about it.
For 20 years our family vacationed in Cape May, New Jersey. It’s a nationally registered historic town. A building such as the one pictured could not be built there. Its zoning would not allow it. Any new building would have to reflect the look of Cape May.
I have also visited Williamsburg, Virginia. As one of the oldest cities in the country, nobody would dare try to erect an edifice as out of place as the one pictured. Here in Florida we have at least two cities I know of that are designated historic, St. Augustine and Key West. A building like the above would not be permitted.
Each of our barrier islands around here are different. But I know Madeira Beach is having debates about the style and size of buildings. Belleair Shore allows larger houses, but is zoned in a way to preserve its quiet, low-density environment.
I mean no disrespect to Clearwater Beach, they can have it anyway that pleases them. But in St. Pete Beach, candidates for office often run on the “Don’t Clearwater Our Town” platform. While we do have zoning here, none of it requires approval based on design alone. In my opinion it should. And I think it should for any historic city that wants it. Otherwise, we will lose the feel of the places we fell in love with when we moved here.
In the words of Joni Mitchell, “They paved paradise and put up a parking lot.” Or a big ugly and inappropriate house.
Chris Core is a former Washington, D.C. radio and television personality who now lives in Pass-a-Grille. He is a winner of the Edward R. Murrow Award for outstanding achievement in broadcast journalism.