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Pinellas LPA Unanimously Recommends Land‑Use Change for Palm Harbor Church at 2261 Tampa Road
Summary
The Local Planning Agency recommended approval of a future land use map amendment to change a 4‑acre Palm Harbor property at 2261 Tampa Road from Residential Suburban to Institutional to accommodate an expansion of an existing church; the recommendation will go to the Board of County Commissioners on June 17, 2025.
The Local Planning Agency (LPA) for Pinellas County unanimously voted to recommend approval of a future land use map amendment for a property at 2261 Tampa Road in Palm Harbor, changing the parcel’s designation from Residential Suburban to Institutional.
The recommendation matters because the change would formally align the county’s future land use map with the site’s existing limited institutional zoning and allow the church owner to proceed with building plans that exceed the Residential Suburban nonresidential floor‑area‑ratio (FAR) limit. Scott Swearingen, Pinellas County long‑range planning manager, presented staff’s analysis and said staff and the development review committee recommended approval.
Swearingen told the LPA the subject property is just over four acres on the north side of Tampa Road at Reverie Road and is already used as a religious institution. He described Tampa Road in that segment as a scenic noncommercial corridor with restrictions that limit commercial intensity and said the existing limited institutional (LI) zoning does not permit residential dwelling units. According to the county’s comprehensive plan language cited by staff, the Residential Suburban designation allows up to 2.5 residential units per acre and a 0.3 FAR for nonresidential uses; the Institutional designation allows up to 12.5 residential units per acre and a 0.65 FAR for nonresidential uses.
Representing the applicant, Brian Anks said the church—owned by the applicant since 2019—was rezoned to limited institutional in 2019 and that the requested countywide plan amendment is intended to accommodate a phase‑2 expansion. Anks said the project’s completed FAR is 0.34, about 4 percent above the 0.3 FAR allowed under the Residential Suburban designation, and that the LI zoning would still bar residential development without a separate rezoning.
Swearingen summarized staff’s findings: the property lies outside coastal high hazard and coastal storm areas, is not in the 100‑ or 500‑year floodplain, and is in a non‑evacuation zone. He said Tampa Road currently operates at a level of service (LOS) C with a volume‑to‑capacity ratio of about 0.5 and that the project’s traffic impacts would not change the roadway’s LOS; the county’s standard would require additional consideration if the LOS reached D.
No members of the public appeared in support or opposition, and no online participants registered comments. After discussion, a motion to approve the LPA recommendation for FLU‑25‑02 was made by Board member Hamilton, seconded by Board member Larry Johnson, and passed unanimously. The LPA’s favorable recommendation and the required countywide plan amendment will be transmitted to the Pinellas County Board of County Commissioners; staff noted the BCC hearing is scheduled for 6 p.m. on June 17, 2025.
The recommendation is advisory: the Board of County Commissioners and the countywide plan authority must take final action on the amendment and any implementing changes to the countywide plan or local land development code.
