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City moves forward on comprehensive Land Development Code rewrite; council approves several rezonings
Summary
Consultant Clarion Associates presented a Land Development Code (LDC) assessment and schedule; council members pressed for transit‑oriented zoning, neighborhood protections and transparency. Council approved a slate of routine street vacations and rezonings tied to development review.
Tampa — City staff and consultants outlined a plan Monday to rewrite Tampa’s Land Development Code, aiming to modernize rules that have been amended piecemeal for decades and to draft clearer, more transit‑supportive zoning rules.
"The LDC is one of the most important building blocks of the community, and it establishes the rules that govern how the city can grow and develop," Jeff Green, principal at Clarion Associates, told the City Council during a presentation of the consultant team’s LDC assessment and road map.
The assessment, the first public deliverable in a multi‑stage process, reviews the current code against the city’s land‑use priorities and recommends organization, new zoning districts and updates to review procedures. Abby Feeley, the city’s administrator for Development and Economic Opportunity, summarized the need: "The land development code has not comprehensively been updated since the late 19 eighties," she said, noting the city currently lacks modern definitions for uses such as dog daycares and relies on many isolated text amendments.
Why it matters: Council members said the rewrite is a once‑in‑many‑decades opportunity to steer growth. Council member Ken Clendenin emphasized transit‑oriented development and “urban villages” as priorities; others asked for concrete neighborhood protections and more transparent public materials during drafting.
What Clarion proposes: The consultant team said it will (1) finalize the assessment after public feedback, (2) produce the draft code in three public installments, (3) test the draft against recent or proposed projects, and (4) deliver a complete ordinance ready for adoption. Public feedback on the assessment was open through March 24 on tampa.gov/tampaforward, and Clarion indicated drafting would begin in April.
Council feedback and process details: Council members pressed for recorded advisory‑committee meetings and video of public touchpoints to help residents digest the technical work. Green and Feeley said the project will use an advisory committee composed of developers, neighborhood leaders and housing advocates and will include public drafts and testing of sample projects.
Votes at a glance: Several land‑use and property items were taken up as part of the agenda. Outcomes below follow motions and roll calls recorded during the meeting. - Ordinance (Item 71) updating permitting and regulation for certain non‑motorized vehicles and related code sections: adopted on second reading (motion carried; Henderson and Carlson recorded as absent). - Vacation of portion of Marie Avenue (Item 72, VAC25‑03): adopted on second reading (motion carried; Carlson absent). - Rezoning near 201 N. Dale Mabry Highway (Item 73, REZ2505): approved on second reading (motion carried; Carlson absent). - Rezoning at 2010 E. Powhatan Ave. from SHRS to SHRM (Item 74, REZ2447): approved on second reading (motion carried; Council members Clinton and Hertak voted no; Carlson absent). - Rezoning at 3916 W. Alba Street to PD for vehicle sales/leasing (Item 75, REZ2490): approved on second reading (motion carried unanimously; Carlson absent). - Rezoning at 3212 W. Marlin Ave. (Item 76, REZ2496): approved on second reading (motion carried unanimously; Carlson absent). - Rezoning at 5200 S. Manhattan Ave. (Item 77, REZ2508): approved on second reading (motion carried unanimously; Carlson absent).
What the next phase looks like: After the assessment stage Clarion plans to begin drafting in April, publish three public drafts, run testing scenarios against recent developments, and finalize an ordinance for the council adoption process. The team will provide periodic check‑ins with staff, council and the advisory committee.
Who spoke (selected): Abby Feeley, administrator, Development and Economic Opportunity; Jeff Green, principal, Clarion Associates; Council members Ken Clendenin, Miranda, Viera, Hertak and Henderson. Council members urged emphasis on transit corridors, step‑down density near single‑family neighborhoods and stronger public outreach.
What’s unresolved: Council members asked for recordings of advisory‑committee meetings and clarification of how updated zoning districts will be applied near existing single‑family neighborhoods. Clarion said detailed zoning definitions and procedure updates will be part of the drafting phase and will be presented in public drafts to allow comment.
The next steps: Clarion will incorporate public feedback from the assessment, meet with staff and the advisory group, begin drafting the first public installment of the LDC and return drafts for public review and council briefings as scheduled.
