Safety Harbor Condo Project Irks Some Readers

Now that developer Farhod Nikjeh has won a two-year extension on building a 48-unit, condominium project at the Harbour Pointe Village, some Safety Harbor Patch readers are expressing concern about the future of downtown. 

City leaders agreed to the request for an extension after attorneys for the bank that owns the parcel cited a recent state law granting such delays during the difficult economy. (See Real Estate Loophole Paves the Way for Safety Harbor Condos.)

Harborite wrote: "This "little-known state law" allowing a developer two additional years to pull the permits and submit a site plan means that Safety Harbor will now get this oversized 7-story condo complex that will forever change the character of our downtown area. Unfortunately, the developer no longer needs to negotiate anything with the City in order to build this massive project."

Jimmy p urged the city to oppose the development: "Can they still do this if every single person that lives there is against it? The town needs to address this with their lawyers and get an amendment made."   

Gary Greer indicated that there were a lot of unanswered questions about the project that need to be addressed: "Are there any city, county or state traffic flow requirements that can limit the scope of a project based on the lack of a supporting road infrastructure? 48 condo units could have as many as 96-100 cars going in and out of that complex, and can the single lane roads in that area support that amount of additional traffic? Do traffic studies need to be done and are there traffic volume limits that can be imposed on the number of units that can be built?"   

There also was finger-pointing. A reader with the moniker,  817.234(1)(A),                           commented: "The damage was done 5 years ago when the property owner wined and dined your then commissioners and mayor and the ok'd the project. Why is Saltzman and Grossman not commenting on here? Can't blame Ayoub or Blake for this one. This was Andy's Regime that pushed this one thru. I am just putting it out there that we see a lot of one sided negative comments on how Ayoub and Blake and other commissioners are doing so much destruction to the city when 5 years ago Steingold's regime sold their soul to the developers on this project." 

Susan added: "Instead of getting distracted by infighting, lets look at the important issue here. I'm reading from the legislative link above and Chapter 2011-39 says: bill extends deadline for "PERMIT HOLDER" to notify authorizing agency of the PERMIT HOLDER'S intention to utilize 2 yr. extension. The new proposed buyer isn't the permit holder and neither is Wells Fargo. Who was the permit issued to?"     

What do you think? Should the city try to oppose the development?