Pinellas LPA recommends approval of land-use and zoning changes for Keystone Road property in East Lake Tarpon

The Pinellas County Local Planning Agency voted unanimously to recommend approval of two companion applications affecting 2577 Keystone Road in East Lake Tarpon: a Future Land Use Map amendment (FLU26-01) and a Zoning Atlas amendment (ZON26-03). The recommendations will be transmitted to the Pinellas County Board of County Commissioners for final action at a public hearing scheduled for June 16, 2026, at 9:30 a.m.

Scott Swearingen, Pinellas County’s long-range planning manager, told the Local Planning Agency that the subject property is approximately 2.69 acres and is currently used as a community assembly facility (a religious institution). Staff described the FLU26-01 change from Rural Residential to Institutional and the companion ZON26-03 change from Residential Agricultural to Limited Institutional, each paired with a conditional overlay that would limit the site to a single primary community assembly facility with accessory storage. "Staff finds the proposed request ... consistent with our comprehensive plan," Swearingen said, and recommended approval with conditions intended to protect the surrounding neighborhood.

Key conditions in the conditional overlay include limiting vehicular access to East Lake Drive (removing the existing curb cut on Keystone Road), a five-foot landscape buffer along East Lake Drive, revised setback requirements, an impervious-surface limit tied to the overlay, and a maximum building height of 35 feet. Swearingen said a like-for-like redevelopment under the overlay was expected to generate a small increase in traffic; an initial land-use-level estimate showed about 266 additional daily trips, and staff noted that a more detailed traffic analysis would be required at site-plan review. He also said stormwater retention and other code requirements will be addressed during site-plan review.

Diego Rodriguez, the applicant’s engineer with Infinity Engineering, told the panel the applicant intends "to take it down and bring up a new building approximately the same size." Rodriguez said the applicant seeks to bring the property up to current code standards and will work through the permitting and site-plan process.

Board members asked staff clarifying questions about impervious-surface calculations (staff confirmed ISR includes paved parking and sidewalks), stormwater retention, and a small portion of the property that lies in the northern flood zone; staff said the applicant is aware and the proposed building footprint in concept avoids that area.

After brief discussion, the Local Planning Agency approved motions to recommend both applications. The motion to recommend approval of FLU26-01 passed on a motion by Brito with a second by Larry Johnson. The motion to recommend approval of ZON26-03 passed on a motion by Brito with a second by Hamilton. Both motions were adopted unanimously.

Both recommendations will be forwarded to the Pinellas County Board of County Commissioners for its public hearing on June 16, 2026. The applicant will still need to complete site-plan review and meet stormwater, parking and other code requirements before building permits could be issued.

The Local Planning Agency also heard two administrative items: a staff update on a planned shift to electronic agendas and tablets for board members to reduce paper use, and a scheduling note that there will be no LPA meeting in June due to county budget work sessions. The meeting was adjourned with the board to reconvene in July.