Planning board clears Safe Harbor Marina abandonments, landscape text amendment and site plan amid neighborhood traffic and buffers debate

The Planning and Zoning Board voted to recommend City Council approval for three linked items from Safe Harbor Marina: an abandonment of portions of public rights-of-way (abdash24-0002), a text amendment to allow working‑waterfront projects to pay a contribution in lieu of some landscape requirements, and site plan SP-24-0020 for a reduced redevelopment area of approximately 4.81 acres within an 18.72-acre Safe Harbor property.

Planner Kurt Thompson summarized the three related requests and presented renderings showing the project area. Thompson said the total property comprises roughly 18.72 acres but that the active project area would be limited to about 4.81 acres. He described a “liner” trade-and-service building (screening upland operations from nearby residences) with a footprint and mezzanine and said the building height would be approximately 45–50 feet to screen marine operations from the Lakeview Park neighborhood. Thompson said disciplines reviewed the application and staff recommends approval subject to numerous conditions.

Thompson and staff described two required payments tied to approvals: a privilege fee tied to abandonment under section 29‑66 of the land development code in the amount of $861,612.24 (to be submitted per the ordinance conditions) and a payment in lieu to satisfy the proposed landscape deficit, approximately $230,853.10, computed in the staff report’s landscape table. Thompson said the applicant is proposing roughly 4% landscaped area versus a 20% code minimum; the deficit would be addressed through the pay‑in‑lieu calculation in the proposed text amendment.

Colby Cooper and Eric Ruska presented for Safe Harbor and said they reduced the project footprint from earlier iterations, limited physical work to the 4.81‑acre project area, and committed to streetscape improvements on East 22nd Street including curb, gutter, sidewalks, drainage work and added parallel public parking. Cooper described the submission as “a fresh start,” and said the project will address legacy code violations and provide a buffer between the marine operations and the Lakeview Park neighborhood. Ruska explained operations and said boats of significant size are part of the yard’s operations and that the design aims to concentrate activity so it is not visible from residences.

Public comment included a mix of neighborhood residents and nearby business owners. Mike Mahoney and others requested clarity about where upland boat storage and repair would occur and voiced long‑running complaints about smoke, fumes and parking. Lakeview Park neighborhood representatives said they had met with Safe Harbor and that the current, reduced proposal was more compatible than earlier versions. Commenters asked for traffic routing and calming to keep heavy commercial traffic off small residential streets; both Safe Harbor and staff said those traffic routing questions remain subject to further coordination and, where appropriate, public-works or police review.

Board discussion emphasized conditions staff read into the record. Thompson read lengthy conditions that include: payment of the privilege fee within required timeframes; recording of a notarized memorandum preserving utility access until utilities are relocated and certified; two‑year landscape performance bond equal to 110% of landscaping and irrigation value; demolition and site-preparation rules; permits required from SFWMD/DEP before building permits; reconstruction of East 22nd Street (phase 1) with curb, gutter and sidewalks; an on‑site transit shelter and permanent maintenance obligations; requirements that the site plan not take effect until a plat is approved and recorded; and obligations for local hiring outreach and reporting after occupancy. The transcript contains the full set of conditions staff read into the record.

On separate roll-call votes, the board approved the abandonment with the staff conditions (motion carried with Board member Gallen dissenting), approved the landscape text amendment unanimously, and approved the site plan SP‑24‑0020 unanimously. The board’s recommendations move to City Council; several board members asked staff to forward ongoing neighborhood requests (traffic calming, signage and seawall/drainage repairs on the court) to Council for consideration.

Speakers recorded include Kurt Thompson (principal planner), Colby Cooper and Eric Ruska (applicants, Safe Harbor), several neighborhood commenters (Mike Mahoney, BJ Sykes, Scott Lewis, Brandy Davis Balzamo), board members, and staff.