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Record of Proceedings

Gulfport Planning and Zoning Board Meeting - May 6, 2026: ADU Ordinances Discussed and Recommended for Approval

Planning and Zoning Commission — Wednesday, May 6, 2026
BodyGulfport, Florida
SessionPlanning and Zoning Commission
DateWednesday, May 6, 2026
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 2:32:43

Original source
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Speaker numbers apply only to this recording. Names come from transcript evidence. “Possibly” marks uncertain attribution.

Speaker 1

5:46

Good evening, and I'll call this meeting to order.

5:50

Um let's see, it's the City of Gulfport Planning and Zoning Board meeting for Wednesday, May 6th.

5:56

And if you could please join us in standing for the Pledge of Allegiance.

6:19

Thank you.

6:20

And Madam Clerk, will you do the roll call, please?

Speaker 2

6:24

Board Member Gonzalez Hastings.

6:25

Present.

6:26

Board Member Kelly.

6:27

Present.

6:28

Board Member McCoachy.

6:29

Here.

6:30

Board Member East.

Speaker 1

6:31

Here.

Speaker 2

6:32

Vice Chairperson Hanrahan.

6:34

Yeah.

6:34

Chairperson Cowen.

6:36

Present.

6:36

City Attorney Salzman.

6:38

Here.

6:38

And Deputy City Clerk Hartman present.

Speaker 1

6:41

Okay.

6:42

Thank you very much.

6:43

And at this time, we'll go into public comment.

6:46

If there's any member of the public that wishes to speak, they'll be limited to three minutes and they can come forward and speak at this time.

Speaker 3

6:54

Okay.

Unassigned speaker

6:55

I

Speaker 1

6:55

don't see anybody running towards the podium, so we have no public comment.

7:00

We did, though, I wanted to make sure the board was aware that we did receive one comment that was an e-comment, and that was from Amanda Costa in support of the ADUs, and she had a few questions, which I was just gonna ask of staff when the presentation occurred.

7:19

I've read it, I don't know if everybody's had an opportunity to read it, but if you have, then we'll just move forward.

7:24

Otherwise, we can have the clerk read it.

Speaker 4

7:25

And I just wanted to clarify that if somebody wanted to speak specifically about ADUs, that they will still have an opportunity.

Unassigned speaker

7:38

I

Speaker 4

7:38

believe that's right.

Unassigned speaker

7:39

I guess that's the first one.

Speaker 4

7:40

That is correct.

7:40

The public

Speaker 1

7:42

absolutely on each of the items.

7:45

Yeah.

7:46

Yeah.

7:46

Yep.

7:48

Okay.

7:49

So with that, we'll go on to the consideration of the minutes for the meeting that was held on January 7th of 2026.

7:56

Do I have a motion for approval?

Speaker 5

7:58

So move.

Speaker 1

8:01

Second.

8:02

Okay.

8:02

Okay.

Speaker 2

8:03

All in favor say aye.

8:04

Aye.

8:05

Aye.

8:05

Any opposed?

8:07

Passes unanimously.

8:09

Thank you.

Speaker 1

8:10

Okay, next.

8:11

Um, we have we don't have any applications, but we have two ordinances.

8:16

And the first ordinance is a proposed ordinance.

8:20

Um, an ordinance of the city council of the city of Gulfport, amending the City of Gulfport's 2025 comprehensive plan, amending the goals, objectives, and policies to add policy

Unassigned speaker

8:31

one

Speaker 1

8:32

point four point three and add policy one point four point four regarding accessory dwellings, amending the data and analysis to provide definitions for accessory dwelling units and a principal dwelling unit, providing for separability and providing for an effective date.

8:48

With that, I'll turn it over to staff for their presentation.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Affordable Housing███████████████████████████████████████████43%
Engineering And Infrastructure██████████████████18%
Procedural█████████████13%
Comprehensive Planning██████████10%
Environmental Protection██████6%
Public Engagement████4%
Permitting and Inspections███3%
Pending Litigation█1%
Community Engagement█1%
Summary of Proceedings

City of Gulfport Planning and Zoning Board Meeting - May 6, 2026

The City of Gulfport Planning and Zoning Board met on Wednesday, May 6, 2026, at 6:00 PM to consider two ordinances related to Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs). The board heard a staff presentation, debated key provisions such as size limits, coastal high hazard area exclusions, and owner occupancy requirements, and ultimately voted to recommend both ordinances to the City Council with specific amendments.

Consent Calendar

  • Approval of Minutes: The board unanimously approved the minutes from the January 7, 2026 meeting.

Public Comments & Testimony

  • Amanda Costa (e-comment): Submitted written support for ADUs with questions about the proposed regulations.
  • Kevin Connor (58th Street South): Opposed the owner occupancy requirement, calling it overly restrictive and harmful to resale value. Supported a maximum size limit (e.g., 800 sq ft) and requested clarity on setbacks and parking.
  • Christine Crosby (Baywood Point Drive): Expressed strong support for ADUs, noting their value for aging in place and caregiver housing. Urged the board not to unnecessarily restrict property rights.
  • Unnamed speaker: Raised concerns about evacuation challenges if more people live in the coastal high hazard area.

Discussion Items

  • Staff Presentation: Linda Fisher from Forward Pinellas presented the ADU study, projecting at most 15 ADUs per year in Gulfport based on St. Petersburg trends. She explained the need to amend both the Comprehensive Plan and the Land Development Code to define and regulate ADUs.
  • Coastal High Hazard Area (CHHA) Exclusion: Board members debated whether to allow ADUs in the CHHA. Concerns included potential negative impact on the city's Community Rating System (CRS) score and flood insurance discounts (currently 20%). Others argued that properly elevated ADUs pose no greater risk and that the prohibition deprives homeowners of rights. The board agreed to recommend that the City Council revisit the exclusion if FEMA confirms no adverse effect on the CRS rating.
  • Size and Height Regulations: The board discussed whether to set a maximum ADU size. After considering percentage-based limits and flat maxima, the board recommended a maximum of 800 square feet of living space. They also clarified that ADUs must be subordinate in scale and massing (not appearance) and that height is controlled by the zoning district's maximum building height.
  • Owner Occupancy Requirement: A restrictive covenant requiring the property owner to occupy either the primary or accessory unit was debated. Some members worried about limiting future owners' flexibility and marketability. City staff noted the covenant helps prevent absentee landlord issues and can be released if the ADU is permanently removed. The board chose to retain the requirement.
  • Short-Term Rentals: The board added a cross-reference to the city's existing short-term rental regulations to clarify that ADU rentals must comply.
  • Parking: No additional off-street parking is required for ADUs.
  • Document Corrections: The board noted typographical errors, including incorrect section numbering (22-6.15 should be 22-6.14) and formatting inconsistencies. Staff was directed to correct these before the final ordinance.

Key Outcomes

  • Motion 1 (Comprehensive Plan Amendment): The board unanimously approved a motion recommending the ordinance to the City Council with an amendment to the title to specify the "housing element" of the plan.
  • Motion 2 (Land Development Code Amendment): The board unanimously approved a motion recommending the ordinance with the following amendments:
    • Change section number to 22-6.14.
    • Add a new subsection under development standards: "Under no circumstances shall an accessory dwelling unit exceed 800 square feet of living space."
    • Revise subsection E3 to state that the ADU shall be subordinate in scale and massing (not appearance) and that height is governed by the zoning district.
    • Add a cross-reference to the city's short-term rental regulations.
    • Include a recommendation that the City Council revisit the coastal high hazard area prohibition if FEMA confirms no negative impact on the CRS rating.
  • The board also directed staff to include these recommendations in the memo to the City Council.
  • Board member East suggested a future discussion on varying setback requirements for larger lots to address the trend of oversized homes.

Meeting Transcript

Good evening, and I'll call this meeting to order. Um let's see, it's the City of Gulfport Planning and Zoning Board meeting for Wednesday, May 6th. And if you could please join us in standing for the Pledge of Allegiance. Thank you. And Madam Clerk, will you do the roll call, please? Board Member Gonzalez Hastings. Present. Board Member Kelly. Present. Board Member McCoachy. Here. Board Member East. Here. Vice Chairperson Hanrahan. Yeah. Chairperson Cowen. Present. City Attorney Salzman. Here. And Deputy City Clerk Hartman present. Okay. Thank you very much. And at this time, we'll go into public comment. If there's any member of the public that wishes to speak, they'll be limited to three minutes and they can come forward and speak at this time. Okay. I don't see anybody running towards the podium, so we have no public comment. We did, though, I wanted to make sure the board was aware that we did receive one comment that was an e-comment, and that was from Amanda Costa in support of the ADUs, and she had a few questions, which I was just gonna ask of staff when the presentation occurred. I've read it, I don't know if everybody's had an opportunity to read it, but if you have, then we'll just move forward. Otherwise, we can have the clerk read it. And I just wanted to clarify that if somebody wanted to speak specifically about ADUs, that they will still have an opportunity. I believe that's right. I guess that's the first one. That is correct. The public absolutely on each of the items. Yeah. Yeah. Yep. Okay. So with that, we'll go on to the consideration of the minutes for the meeting that was held on January 7th of 2026. Do I have a motion for approval? So move. Second. Okay. Okay. All in favor say aye. Aye. Aye.

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