FL: St. Petersburg may allow new buildings without parking, to promote buses

City officials began studying how to boost public transit in St. Petersburg 14 years ago.

They imagined a bus rapid transit system along First Avenue North and First Avenue South around Central Avenue. Enter the SunRunner rapid-bus service between downtown and the beach in 2022.

To become eligible for federal grants, the city began changing zoning and land use rules along the corridor to allow more densely packed development.

Now they want to further promote dense construction by allowing builders to opt out of including required parking spots at residences and businesses.

Transit activists and at least one neighborhood are embracing the changes, saying they create more walkable communities.

“This package of reforms, including getting rid of the parking mandates, is going to be a really great step, I think, in revitalizing the west side of 34th Street and getting us a lot of the same amenities that people on the east side currently get to enjoy,” said resident John Tyler, who lives near the President Barack Obama Main Library.

But some of the corridor’s nearby residents are worried that their neighborhoods will be used for parking.

The city held its first public hearing on the proposed changes Thursday. The City Council will hold a second and final vote on the new ordinance May 14.

How the changes would work

The city sees this as the next evolution of zoning changes it made in 2023, when it rezoned about 3,000 properties along city thoroughfares. Some of those properties are single-family homes that can now be converted into duplexes, triplexes or fourplexes, depending on lot size.

Next, council members voted 6-0 to support removing a minimum number of parking spaces required for properties along Central Avenue or within a quarter-mile of a SunRunner bus stop around First avenues north and south. Affected properties span from 19th Street South near Interstate 275 west to Pasadena Avenue.

Council member Richie Floyd was absent, and council member Mike Harting, the owner of 3 Daughters Brewing, recused himself from the vote because of his brewery’s proximity.

Owners of affected properties could still build with parking, but would have the option of forgoing it.

“This is a strictly voluntary, opt-in option,” said Derek Kilborn, manager of the city’s urban planning and historic preservation division. “We want to move away from vehicle-dependent or vehicle-oriented uses.”

Transit activists and the Central Oak Park Neighborhood Association are on board. The St. Petersburg Area Chamber of Commerce also wrote a letter in support.

“This approach will further encourage use of the SunRunner route and provides property owners and businesses the greatest flexibility to determine appropriate parking levels to support new housing and neighborhood-serving businesses,” the chamber wrote.

In letters and in public comments, some residents said they want the city to be more aggressive in abolishing parking minimums.

“Cities across the country from Gainesville to Anchorage have eliminated parking mandates and seen more affordable housing, higher ridership, and stronger economies as a result,” wrote Max McCann, co-founder of the advocacy group Activate St. Pete. “The SunRunner represents a rare transit success in Florida. It needs zoning rules that allow it to succeed.”

Who’s opposed?

Preservation group Preserve the ‘Burg wrote in a letter to the city that it is “very concerned” about what is proposed, citing “downstream effects” of increased densities on Central Avenue east of 31st Street.

It asked for the Grand Central District to be excluded from the density and parking changes, given the concentration of historic buildings there.

“Central Avenue is already a valued local amenity, a significant regional tourist draw, a thriving hub of local businesses, and a main street steeped in St. Pete history,” the letter read. “Indeed, Central’s unique local vibe is what will encourage (bus rapid transit) ridership. We can both keep St. Pete’s coolest street ‘cool’ and have a successful (bus rapid transit).”

The president of the Historic Kenwood Neighborhood Association, just north of the Grand Central District, emailed a call to action to members.

Nicholas Igneri outlined reasons why Kenwood residents should be concerned: Street parking is already scarce, as visitors already park in the neighborhood and delivery trucks often block alleys and streets due to limited parking zones, and fewer parking spaces could exacerbate that.

At Thursday’s meeting, Igneri said the neighborhood’s concern would be eliminated if residential parking permits for Kenwood are part of the plan. If not, he asks for a study on the potential effects of the zoning changes.

“Our concern is that development will be strong, which is a good thing. Ridership will increase, which is also good,” he said. “However, car reduction will be minimal, and parking spillover will be high.”

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