CLEARWATER - Pinellas County Commissioners accepted a compromise from St. Petersburg leaders Tuesday and returned the favor with one of their own.
At a special public hearing, commissioners voted 5-2 to reverse their Oct. 5 decision that would have forced developers in Midtown, as well as core business districts in Safety Harbor and Pinellas Park, to pay for traffic created by their projects.
Instead, the majority agreed to extend the deadline of the three "no-fee zones" and hold off collecting transportation impact fees for new projects in those areas until April 30.
In return, St. Petersburg leaders agreed to remove the vibrant downtown area from their no-fee zone, narrowing the exemption to only the economically struggling Midtown. Safety Harbor and Pinellas Park's zones would stay intact. The decision temporarily ends a major conflict between county and city leaders.
"We were on a collision course and it appeared to me that there was a logical solution," said Commissioner Bob Stewart, who proposed the six-month extension.
Commission Chair Susan Latvala and Commissioner Karen Seel cast dissenting votes.
The compromise was struck at a special public hearing held at the urging of Commissioner Ken Welch, who represents a district that includes St. Petersburg. He asked for the hearing after city leaders complained their voices had not been heard.
St. Petersburg Mayor Rick Baker, who did not attend the public hearing, called the vote an "interim solution." He hopes to continue discussions with the county to preserve the no-fee zones in Midtown beyond April.
Initially, the commission followed the recommendation of the county's Metropolitan Planning Organization. The advisory board of city and county officials had proposed ending the zones Oct. 29 as part of a comprehensive revision of the transportation impact fee ordinance.
The seven commissioners unanimously accepted the MPO recommendation, saying it was unfair to allow some a free pass while others paid. They recommended cities apply for downtown designations that come with discounted impact fees, instead.
City leaders had wanted the zones to expire in December 2005. They spoke passionately about the strides made during the past six years.
"Right at the time when Midtown is starting to grow ... let's not choke it by getting rid of this impact fee (exemption)," said Darryl Rouson, St. Petersburg NAACP president, who also has a business interest in the area.
Welch and Stewart both live in St. Petersburg and are up for re-election next week. "This is a great compromise and a great example of the city and county working together," Welch said.
Commissioners acknowledged the incentives have helped. But they anticipate new incentives in the revised impact fee ordinance. Developers will have the option of earning credits against impact fees if they build traffic friendly projects called "Livable Communities." That ordinance is slated for approval in April.
Times Staff Writer Carrie Johnson contributed to this report.
