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Council continues Gaspar's land-use requests to Jan. 20, 2026 after public notice dispute
Summary
The City of Temple Terrace continued three related land-use applications for 5416 and 5418 Rainbow Drive to Jan. 20, 2026 after neighbors raised objections that required public-notice signs were removed before the hearing.
The City of Temple Terrace continued three related land-use applications for 5416 and 5418 Rainbow Drive to Jan. 20, 2026 after an extended procedural debate about public notice.
The matters opened concurrently were a proposed comprehensive plan amendment (CPA-24-01), a rezoning from R-10 (residential) to CG (commercial general) (RZP-24-03), and a conditional-use request (CU-25-01) for a parking-lot expansion to serve Gaspar's Patio Bar and Grill. Clay Matthews, an attorney for the property owners, told council he needed more time to address issues raised in staff reports and requested the continuance to Jan. 20, 2026.
Neighbors urged council not to delay substantive review without resolving notice problems. Juan Carlos Perez, who said he represented a group of surrounding residents, objected to a continuance unless the city would ensure proper notice, saying many neighbors were told the hearing had been postponed and did not attend. "When I noticed [the signs] were removed over the weekend, I contacted the city in the morning, and the information that I was given was that this was postponed," Perez said during public comment. Supporters of the applicant also spoke: Mary Rose Owens described the owners as long-time, generous Temple Terrace residents.
City staff told council that signs required under the code must remain posted through the public hearing process and that some signs for the project were removed before the second hearing; staff said that defective posting constitutes a notice problem that must be remedied before a final hearing. The city attorney and staff advised the council that the misposting could be cured by republishing and reposting notices and that a continuance would allow the applicant to cure the defect and for the city to re-advertise.
After discussion, the council voted to grant the continuance to Jan. 20, 2026 and directed the applicant to repost signage and re-publish notice in accordance with city rules. Council Member Jonathan Kravitz recorded a dissenting vote, saying he believed the premature removal of signs was a strict compliance issue that could not simply be cured by reposting and therefore would have favored dismissing and restarting the application process. The motion passed with Kravitz voting nay.
The continuance halts substantive consideration of the comp plan change, rezoning and conditional-use request until the public-notice requirements are reestablished and staff and the applicant have had time to address outstanding technical issues.
What happens next: the applicant must re-post and re-advertise in the timeframe required by the city's land development code. If that is done, the matter will be returned to council on Jan. 20, 2026 for continued hearings on the comp plan amendment, rezoning, and conditional-use request.
