County funds controversial special needs housing project 

Long-discussed plans to build an affordable housing complex for adults with intellectual or developmental disabilities in Seminole are now moving forward. 

Pinellas County commissioners unanimously approved allocating $1.38 million to the $9.13 million project Tuesday. A split vote following contentious public comments in November 2023 cleared the way for Community Assisted & Supported Living (CASL) to develop a 2.79-acre lot at 13000 Park Blvd. 

The Sarasota-based housing nonprofit bought the property in the estate-style community in 2021 and announced plans for Independence Place. The 20-unit development will serve 24 residents with special needs who earn just 30% to 60% of the area median income (AMI). 

“It’s a little bit unique,” said Bruce Bussey, community development manager. “It’s not one of our typical affordable housing projects.” 

Public funding used to subsidize the project stems from the pandemic-era American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) rather than Penny for Pinellas tax coffers. Bussey said the money has “special requirements” and must support low and very-low-income households who are “either homeless or at risk of homelessness.” 

He said those dollars are “a little bit challenging to spend unless you can find some projects like these.” County administrators believe Independence Place provides a “good opportunity to utilize those funds.” 

CASL will dedicate seven apartments to households earning below 30% of the AMI, about $22,000 for one person. The remaining 13 units are for those who earn up to 60%, or roughly $44,000. 

An overhead view of the location. Project opponents thought it would “fundamentally change the character of the neighborhood.” Image: Screengrab, county documents.

Bussey said the per-unit subsidy is $68,000. While that is at the “maximum” end of the county’s typical range, he noted that most affordable housing projects are in cities that also contribute funding. 

Independence Place is in unincorporated Seminole and lacks any municipal support. However, the state is providing $1.64 million in grants and a $4.2 million loan. 

CASL has a $788,249 deferred developer fee and paid $1.9 million to acquire the two parcels. One featured a single-family home, now Independence House, which will serve as a clubhouse for residents.

There was once little hope that the project would reach this point.

A complicated history

CASL opened its first assisted living facility in 1998 and has since housed over 1,300 people. The nonprofit builds affordable single-family and group homes, apartments and residential treatment facilities. 

“Our mission is to provide safe, affordable and permanent supportive housing for adults with developmental differences and mental health diagnoses,” states the organization’s website. “We believe that without the security of a place to live, it is impossible for individuals who struggle with homelessness to break the cycle.” 

The neighborhood in unincorporated Seminole consists of single-family homes on large, oak-filled lots. Several area homeowners organized opposition to the project.

The property at 13000 Park Blvd encompasses 2.79 acres. Screengrab, county documents.

The county’s Local Planning Agency denied CASL’s request for a zoning change in a 4-1 vote due to compatibility, traffic and drainage concerns. Commissioners debated the proposal for several hours in December 2022 and again in February 2023 without taking a vote. 

Independence Place fronts Park Boulevard, a four-lane arterial roadway, and sits between a medical office, a retail center and a residential area. County administrators believed the zoning change constituted an “appropriate transition” between commercial uses and single-family homes. 

Hundreds of residents disagreed. Their attorney, Brian Aungst, called it a “takeover.” 

The project stalled until November 2023. CASL returned with a plan that reduced the proposed occupancy to 24 people, widened setbacks and moved some of the development’s seven buildings away from neighbors’ property lines. 

Over 300 residents still signed a petition that asked the commission to deny the nonprofit’s proposal. Commissioner Kathleen Peters empathized with them and said the county should preserve its dwindling low-density areas.

“I’ve watched south Pinellas County shrink, shrink, shrink,” she said. “This is the one area I can think of in south county where we have an area that is designated one unit per acre.”

Commissioners Rene Flowers, Chris Latvala and former Commissioners Janet Long and Charlie Justice approved the project. Commissioners Dave Eggers, Brian Scott and Peters dissented. 

“Pinellas County is a county for all,” Latvala said. “That means it’s a county that includes our developmentally disabled population, and they deserve to have a place to live as well.” 

The current commission, which includes Peters, Latvala, Eggers and Scott, did not discuss the project’s complicated history Tuesday. Bussey said CASL representatives were present to “answer any more specifics about the clientele” or project costs. 

No one asked them to speak, and their funding request passed unanimously.