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Board approves removal of one grand tree for new public safety training facility at 3420 E. Clark St.
Summary
The Variance Review Board authorized removal of a single grand live oak at the City of Tampa’s public safety training complex to make way for a new 17,000 sq. ft. training facility, with a mitigation requirement described in staff materials.
The City of Tampa Variance Review Board on March 11 approved removal of a 42‑inch live oak to allow construction of a new training facility at 3420 East Clark Street, part of the city’s joint police and fire training campus.
Staff said the site is an existing municipal campus with solid waste operations at the front and a police and fire training area at the rear. Steven Eister, development coordination staff, told the board Natural Resources identified the subject tree as a 42‑inch DBH live oak (condition C7) and that mitigation would require planting 15 Type‑1 trees at 2.5‑inch DBH per the code standard for grand tree removal (section 27‑284.20.5).
Chase Myers, the architect representing Wannamaker Jensen Architects, told the board the design team evaluated three site options and worked with city natural resources staff to minimize tree impacts. “This was sort of our best attempt for, you know, not only the project's budget but for also accommodating Tampa Police, Tampa Fire, City of Tampa,” Myers said, adding the proposed site preserves numerous other specimen trees on the property.
Jeff McDowell and Travis Parker, members of the project team, described operational constraints at the active training complex — including burn towers and a driving loop used by apparatus — that influenced building placement. Staff and the applicant said Transportation, wastewater, water, right‑of‑way, stormwater and TECO found the plan consistent with conditions.
A board member moved to grant the tree removal based on the six factors for grand‑tree removal in section 27‑284.20.5 and the applicant’s demonstration of three alternatives and accommodations to preserve adjacent trees. The board voted to approve the removal; the motion language and staff packet specify compensatory plantings as mitigation.
