Firmenich Proposal Goes Before Board of County Commissioners Today

After many months full of meetings, debates, proposals and counter proposals, a major decision on the fate of the Firmenich property will come today. 

The Board of County Commissioners, acting as the Countywide Planning Authority, will meet this morning and vote on the Richman Group’s proposal to build a 246-unit apartment complex with office space on the 34-acre property on State Road 590 in Safety Harbor. 

The proposal has already received approval from both the Safety Harbor City Commission and the Pinellas Planning Council, which ruled 8-5 in favor of recommending the project last month. 

While the CPA does take those votes into account, the board is able to make its own decision on the issue, which may or may not coincide with the previous recommendations. 

Indeed in the agenda notes on the proposed amendment, county official Larry Arrington pointed out the fact that if approved, the Richman Group's project would eliminate another valuable piece of industrial land in the county.

"The Countywide Plan recognizes the importance of of ensuring that Pinellas County has adequate industrially-designated land to support industries targeted for growth in Pinellas County that are vital to the economy," the notes state.

Arrington, the Director of Strategic Planning and Initiatives, went on to say that while the staff concurs with the PPC's recommendation, he asked for certain conditions to be met, including:

...the majority of the office development site be given special consideration with respect to attracting a compatible business meeting one of the PPC's target industry clusters as identified in the 'Target Employment and Industrial Lands Study.'  

So while many in the community believe the Board of County Commissioners will just rubber stamp the Richman Group's plan, the fact is that might not be the case.

The county's inherent interest in preserving industrial lands, the vocal opposition of Safety Harbor residents, including City Commissioner Nancy Besore, and the additional conditions applied to the amendment could all potentially affect the outcome.

Safety Harbor city officials have cautioned residents from declaring the decision on the issue a foregone conclusion.

“Just because the City Commission and the PPC voted in favor of the proposal doesn’t mean the County Commission will do the same,” City Manager Matt Spoor told Patch recently. 

“They have many factors to take into consideration and must vote on what they believe is in the best interest of the county. This is by no means a done deal.” 

The Board of County Commissioners will meet at 9:30 a.m. on Tuesday, May 7 on the fifth floor of the Pinellas County Courthouse. The courthouse is located at 315 Court St. in downtown Clearwater.

Related:

-Complete coverage of the Firmenich property saga 

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