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Residents press Clearwater council on hotel-density transfers, 850 Bayway conversions and Greenwood armory outreach
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Summary
During Citizens to be Heard on April 23, multiple residents urged the council for greater transparency on hotel-density allocations, questioned whether units granted for the 850 Bayway hotel have been repurposed as condos/Airbnb, and requested better neighborhood notice and engagement around projects like the Greenwood armory.
Residents packed the podium during the Citizens to be Heard period on April 23 to press Clearwater leaders for clearer public notice and accountability on development decisions.
Rudy Michalak thanked staff for reinstating the Citizens to be Heard item and asked the council to place requests for hotel density pool allocations on a moratorium or extend notice periods after a rapid recent request he said disadvantaged other developers. "We ask the city council to put any request on a moratorium for an extended period of time," Michalak said, adding concerns about fairness in how units are allocated.
Richard DeSantis, a condominium owner at 868 Bayway Boulevard, raised specific questions about the 850 Bayway (the Chart House site), saying the project originally approved as a hotel is now being marketed as condos and Airbnb units. "How did the project morph from a hotel to a condo Airbnb without the city's knowledge or approval?" DeSantis asked, and he requested clarity on whether density units awarded from the hotel pool would be returned for use by others.
Christine Michaelick and other neighborhood speakers urged better notice and engagement after recent decisions affecting the North Greenwood community. Michaelick said residents have repeatedly been "blindsided" by developments and promised to send council members documentation and proposals on improving communications.
Barbara Sorey Love, president of the Clearwater African American Foundation, recounted local history and urged the council to honor promises about jobs, revenue and accountability tied to redevelopment; she encouraged ongoing tracking and community involvement.
Other commenters requested a Spanish-language resource guide for residents, raised concerns about disruptive lighting and parking at recent developments, and called for the council to schedule dedicated public sessions to address large projects. Council members acknowledged the concerns and said staff has begun talks about improving neighborhood notification processes and that they will follow up.
The meeting record does not show any immediate policy reversals; members said they would pursue clearer communication steps and review the specific project questions raised by residents.
