St. Petersburg council refers response to FDOT memo on pavement art after residents urge protections

St. Petersburg City Council on Aug. 14 voted to refer to the Housing, Land Use and Transportation (HLUT) committee a staff-and-council review of a Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) memorandum that advises removal of pavement and surface art. The referral came after more than two hours of public comment from residents, artists and business owners imploring the city to protect murals, rainbow crosswalks and other asphalt art that community members said reflect local history and support tourism and small business.

The referral motion, introduced by Council Member Brandy Gabbard, passed unanimously; six council members voted yes and two were recorded as absent. The committee discussion was requested to include city administration, legal counsel and options for alternative placemaking and public-art displays that would meet safety and traffic-control standards.

Why this matters: the FDOT memorandum dated June 30, 2025, instructs local governments to remove nonconforming “traffic control devices,” a category the state says may include pavement art, unless a local government obtains an exception. City legal staff and administration told council there is a process for “good cause” exceptions but that the FDOT memo also cites a statute that could be used to withhold state…