Clearwater Community Development Board Meeting - March 17, 2026
Clearwater Community Development Board Meeting - March 17, 2026
The Clearwater Community Development Board (CDB) met on Tuesday, March 17, 2026, at 1:00 PM in the Main Library Council Chambers. The board approved consent agenda items, heard a public hearing on a land use map amendment, and held its annual election of officers. The meeting lasted approximately one hour.
Consent Calendar
- Approval of Minutes: The board unanimously approved the minutes from the February 19, 2026 meeting.
- FLD2025-12029 (Consent Item 4.1): A flexible development approval for an existing 4,776 square foot commercial dock (10 slips private, 18 slips public) accessory to a 60-unit overnight accommodation at 850 Bayway Boulevard. The board approved this item by consent without discussion. The building does not exceed 80 feet in height and includes 84 off-street parking spaces.
Public Comments & Testimony
- LUP2025-11004 (Land Use Amendment): Two residents from the neighboring Rose Street Court subdivision spoke in opposition. The first speaker presented a petition signed by 16 residents voting no to the ordinance, citing traffic, safety concerns, and operational issues such as naked residents being seen and frequent emergency vehicle visits. The second speaker (Barbara Birenbaum) questioned licensing, background checks, cleanliness, kitchen standards, and staffing of the assisted living facility, and noted that the facility is near a K-12 school.
- One additional public commenter (Bill Jones) noted that a new school across the street has increased traffic and questioned additional staff needs if the facility expands.
- No speakers supported the amendment during public comment.
Discussion Items
- LUP2025-11004: Future Land Use Map Amendment: This Level Three application seeks to change the designation of the 0.4-acre property at 2446 Nursery Road from Residential Urban (RU) to Residential Medium (RM). The existing assisted living facility (Lantern Senior Care LLC) currently operates with a license for 12 beds (grandfathered above the RU density limit of 7.5 units/acre; 3 beds = 1 unit). The amendment would allow a maximum of 18 beds (15 units/acre). Staff recommended approval, stating the change is consistent with the comprehensive plan and will not degrade public facilities. The applicant, Adams Ferweij (administrator), explained the need for additional mental health beds, noting the facility holds a limited mental health license—one of only three in Clearwater. He read a supportive letter from the Clearwater FACT team and emphasized no neighbor complaints and a permaculture garden. Board members noted that operational concerns fall under state and city code enforcement, not the land use decision, and that any future building changes would require separate permits. The board discussed that the petition alone did not provide detailed evidence, but the public testimony raised concerns.
Key Outcomes
- Land Use Recommendation Approved (LUP2025-11004): The board voted 5-2 to recommend approval of the future land use map amendment from Residential Urban to Residential Medium to the City Council. Two members (Haudricourt and Mastruserio) voted against. The motion adopted the findings and conditions in the staff report. City Council will make the final decision.
- Election of Officers: The board re-elected Chair Boutzoukas and Vice Chair Hupp for the upcoming year by unanimous oral vote.
- Adjournment: The meeting adjourned after the election.
Meeting Transcript
Good afternoon. This meeting of the community development board is called to order at one PM on March 17th. Happy St. Patrick's Day one. Welcome everyone. Please rise and join me in the vacation followed by the Pledge of Allegiance. Dearly Father, thank you for this day and for the opportunity to serve the people of Clearwater. Help us remember the responsibility we carry and the trust that has been placed upon us. Grant us wisdom today in all of our decisions as we work to improve our community and the lives who live within it. Bless each member of this board and guide us as we strive to build a future mark of fairness and integrity in all that we do in Christ's name, amen. Indivisible. Speaking to the microphone at the podium in front of us. Clearly state your name and spell your last name for the clerk. Agenda for today's meeting on the podium to your left near the entry door. Our first order of business is to review and approve the minutes from last month's meeting. May I have a motion to approve minutes? Motion to approve the minutes from last month. Second. Second. Motion made and seconded. All in favor say aye. Aye. All opposed. Motion carries. Next items not on the agenda. Is there any person wishing to address the board today concerning any matter that does not appear on today's agenda? Seeing none. This board has adopted a consent agenda format and the consent items are identified as such on the agenda. Consent agenda items are those items for which the planning and development department recommends approval and the applicant is in agreement with any proposed conditions. Please note that written comments to the case that have been received today do not result in an action being removed from the consent agenda. Items may be removed from the consent agenda today only by a member of the board, a member of the staff, or any person in the audience for questions or objections. I'll reach each item or read each item on the consent agenda. And if any person wishes to remove this item from the consent agenda, please so state or raise your hand, and we will remove it from the consent agenda. Items removed from the consent agenda will be heard in the regular order of the meeting. Items that remain in the consent agenda will be approved with a single vote as to each type of hearing. Today's agenda includes two items on the consent agenda. First is FLD 2025-12029, a flexible development for approval of an existing 4,776 square foot commercial dock and marine facility, an accessory to six unit overnight accommodations in a tourist district. The building does not exceed 80 feet in height, includes 84 off street parking spaces, and a request that is flexibility for a commercial dock and marina facility. Does anybody wish to have item 4.1 FLD 2025 12029 removed from the consent agenda? Seeing none. The next item on the consent agenda consent agenda. Sorry, I'm having difficulty speaking today. I have not started with the Green Beer early, I promise you. Um P 2025-1104. An amendment to the future land use map designation from residential urban to residential medium. This is a level three application. Does anyone wish to have LUP 2025-1104 removed from the consent agenda? We do have somebody raising your hand to have that removed. That's fine. We'll remove that one from the consent agenda.
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