John's Pass hotel rezoning and alley vacation approved despite residents' access concerns

The Madeira Beach Board of Commissioners on July 8 approved a rezoning and related development agreement for the proposed Johns Pass Village Hotel and vacated a portion of Fisherman's Alley, actions the city said will include permanent easements and public parking but that prompted residents and businesses to warn of access and safety problems.

The commission read and voted on Ordinance 2026-05 to rezone roughly 1.457 acres in Johns Pass Village to a plan development district and approved the associated development agreement. The development agreement calls for 92 public parking spaces in a garage, a public green space with restrooms, and an easement guaranteeing access to adjacent properties through the garage. The agreement allows the developer to offer public parking at the higher of $5.50 per hour or $1 more than the city's average rate in the Johns Pass Village Activity Center; the commission approved the agreement 4 to 0.

During the hearing, the applicant's representative described measures to maintain boardwalk and Pelican Lane access during construction and said the project will include historical signage and perpetual ingress/egress easements for public use. The representative also told the commission the applicant will provide roughly 16,000 square feet of perpetual easements in exchange for about 3,300 square feet of right-of-way vacation along Fisherman's Alley.

Residents and local business owners said the planned changes could reduce emergency access and complicate day-to-day travel. "It's for the safety and for, just the tenants," said Sue, who identified herself as representing Walt's Fish Shack, noting that her restaurant and neighbors use East End Lane for deliveries and customer access and that narrowing access could create safety risks during events. Resident Sean Nguyen said his property has only two ways in and out and urged the city to preserve options for returning home.

City staff and the project's civil engineer, Sean Cashren, said utilities will be relocated before any removal of existing lines and that temporary easements and conditions in the ordinances are intended to protect access and services during construction. The city reiterated that the right-of-way vacation will not be recorded until replacement easements are in place.

Commissioners pressed the applicant and staff on specifics including timing for utility relocation and whether there would be service interruptions. Staff said short, temporary service disruptions are possible when systems are tied over but that continuous service interruptions of multiple days are not anticipated. After discussion, commissioners moved, seconded and voted to approve the rezoning, the vacation ordinance and the development agreement; each motion passed on a 4-0 roll call.

The decisions conclude the local legislative approvals; subsequent actions will include construction permitting and implementation of the easements and parking program. The commission did not specify an exact construction start date at the meeting.