At the Aug. 28 city council meeting, the Pinellas Park City Council voted unanimously to approve a package of land‑use and budget measures that city staff and county planners said are intended to preserve industrial land, encourage targeted job‑generating uses and provide developers limited incentives to redevelop key corridors.

The measures included second‑reading approval of an amendment to the land development code governing vacations of rights‑of‑way and easements, first readings of a new overlay district and related comprehensive‑plan language to create Target Employment Centers (TECs), and a budget amendment that increases the city’s fiscal year spending primarily to cover hurricane recovery and previously approved capital projects.

City planners and consultants said the TEC overlay is optional for property owners and intends to concentrate incentives—such as modest increases in floor‑area ratio, limited height allowances and parking flexibility—on parcels that commit to a minimum of employment uses. Amanda, a consultant with the Renaissance team working with Ford Pinellas, said the overlay requires a site to dedicate at least 40% of first‑floor area to “target employment uses” before receiving density or intensity bonuses. “No certificate of occupancy would be issued for non target employment uses on a site until the required 40% is met,” Amanda said during the presentation.

The proposed overlay would offer developers limited increases in maximum floor‑area ratios (FAR) and, in some districts, small height increases (examples discussed included raising certain limits from 40 to 60 feet or from 50 to 60 feet). The overlay would also allow up to a 20% parking reduction if justified by a parking demand study or utilization survey and permit compact parking stalls for up to 10% of spaces for qualifying uses. City staff said parcels adjacent to residential neighborhoods would continue to require city council review.

Ford Pinellas principal planner Nosheen Grama told council the TEC language aligns countywide policies with local zoning and is meant to be an implementation tool to encourage redevelopment—particularly for industries identified by county economic planning, including medical technology, microelectronics, aerospace and other higher‑wage sectors. Grama said the overlay is designed as a “middle ground” between current local allowances and higher densities contemplated by state programs, and that the county board will consider related countywide rule updates on Oct. 8; the council was told a second reading at the city level is tentatively scheduled for Oct. 23.

On the budget amendment, Dan Casianas, who presented the item, said the package budgets $5,995,667 for storm‑related expenses tied to hurricanes Elaine and Milton, moves $6,688,810 in previously authorized capital improvement projects from the prior fiscal year into the current year, and allocates $8,882,440 for new projects the council had already approved. Casianas said the changes raise the city’s total budget by $24,863,876 to a revised grand total of $296,073,938.

Council members voted unanimously on the items. Council discussion was largely technical: staff and consultants walked council through the code language, incentive mechanics and an approval path that requires a preliminary site plan review by the planning and development services director, with appeals to the council if certain thresholds are exceeded.

Votes at a glance

- Ordinance 2025‑22 (second reading): Amend LDC procedures for vacations of rights‑of‑way/easements — approved unanimously.
- Ordinance 2025‑23 (second reading): Amend certification forms for final plats (surveyor certificate language) — approved unanimously.
- Ordinance 2025‑25 (first reading/public hearing): Comprehensive plan amendment and Healthy Places future land use changes to enable TECs — passed first reading unanimously; second reading tentatively Oct. 23.
- Ordinance 2025‑24 (first reading): Add Article 19 (overlay districts) and related LDC amendments to authorize TEC overlay — passed first reading unanimously.
- Ordinance 2025‑21 (second reading): Budget amendment to cover hurricane expenses, carryover CIP items and new projects — approved unanimously.
- Consent agenda (C1–C13): approved unanimously. The consent agenda included routine items such as acceptance of utility easements, final payments on two construction contracts, a reappointment on the Pinellas County Suncoast Transit Authority board as listed on the agenda (name listed as Patty Reid on the agenda packet), and two utility‑related ordinances placed on first reading prior to public hearing.

Why it matters

City staff and county planners framed the overlay as a tool to preserve and revitalize industrial and employment corridors in Pinellas Park while giving property owners a voluntary path to added density or mixed uses if they commit space to job‑generating uses. The budget amendment funds immediate hurricane recovery and continues previously approved capital projects.

Implementation and next steps

Staff said property owners inside the proposed TEC areas would choose whether to develop under existing zoning or opt into the TEC overlay standards. Projects seeking bonuses must submit a preliminary site plan; if the request exceeds certain thresholds, additional notice and council review are required. Ford Pinellas will consider countywide rule language Oct. 8; the city’s next formal city‑level reading is expected Oct. 23. City staff also highlighted that parcels adjacent to residential areas will remain subject to greater scrutiny.

Reporters’ note: The council packet and staff presentations include the full proposed code text, sample FAR tables and a list of targeted NAICS categories the county identified. For specific parcel‑level impacts or developer inquiries, the city’s planning division was listed as the contact on the packet.