St. Petersburg council rejects alley vacation tied to proposed Mariner car wash expansion

City of St. Petersburg City Council on Jan. 23, 2025 denied a proposed vacation of multiple alleys and easements tied to an expanded Mariner car wash development, after extensive public comment from the affected neighborhood and a lengthy staff presentation.

The motion to approve the vacation failed 1–5. Council Member Richie Floyd cast the lone vote in favor; Council Members Deborah Fick Sanders, (as announced) Gurtis, Corey Givens Jr., Lizeth Hanowitz and Mike Harding voted no as announced from the dais. The Development Review Commission had unanimously recommended the site plan on Dec. 4, 2024, but councilors and residents raised new concerns about the intensity of the proposed expansion and neighborhood impacts.

Why this matters: Residents and neighborhood leaders warned that the proposed reconfiguration — which would separate commercial access from an alley and create a new north–south alley closer to homes — would increase traffic, noise and safety risks on residential streets. Joshua Shulman, president of the 5 Points Neighborhood Association, told council the traffic study was inadequate and that queuing or blockages could push cars into smaller neighborhood streets. "The main issue being the traffic study that was done was inadequate for the space," Shulman said during public comment.

Opponents, including nearby homeowners, described a history of speeding and crashes on 34th Avenue North and urged traffic-calming measures instead of permitting new, higher-volume commercial activity adjacent to homes. Eric Monaco, who lives across from the site, said he did not support turning residential lots into business lots and warned the proposal could depress property values.

Applicant and staff position: Don Mastry, representing the applicant, said the car wash has occupied the site for 38 years and that the vacation and reconfiguration were intended to reduce commercial traffic through the existing alley, not increase it. City staff and Development Review Commission materials recommended approval of the right-of-way vacation with conditions, including a required replat, replacement alley through the owner’s property, utility easements and letters of no objection from utilities.

Traffic analysis: Transportation staff told council the traffic study reported the previous car wash operated at roughly 400–600 cars per day and that a worst-case peak-hour projection provided by the applicant’s consultant was about 130 vehicles per hour (in/out combined). Several neighborhood speakers disputed those assumptions and the study’s modeling, and professional transportation consultant Todd Bogner and others argued the proposed scale (participants cited as high as 900 cars per day in public comment) would change neighborhood dynamics.

Council debate and decision: Vice Chair Lizeth Hanowitz and other council members expressed concern that the expansion — not merely the alley vacation — drove the request and raised questions about whether the vacation would adversely impact surrounding streets and pedestrian safety. After discussion the council voted to deny the vacation, which will effectively block the applicant’s conditioned expansion tied to the DRC approval.

What’s next: With the vacation denied, the special exception for the expanded car wash that the DRC approved will not proceed as conditioned. The existing car wash use on the property remains legal; the council’s vote prevents the particular expansion plan that depended on alley reconfiguration. Residents said they appreciated the council’s attention and turnout at the hearing.

The council’s action is final for this meeting; any future proposal would require revised plans or a renewed application to staff and commissions.