Comm Voice
Transit-oriented development simply makes sense
“Walkability is a defining characteristic of great cities.”
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The City of St. Petersburg is in the process of creating higher-density land use regulations around PSTA’s SunRunner stations to encourage transit-oriented development – clusters of activity where people can live, work and play.
It’s important to note that these new regulations are an option, not a mandate: Developers have the flexibility to choose to build with existing land use stipulations or they can opt-in to the proposed SunRunner TOD Overlay options. The new options are designed to facilitate community-oriented development that isn’t just built for cars, but for pedestrians and transit riders.
These higher-density areas are focused on the SunRunner corridor, which runs between downtown and the beaches along 1st Avenue N and 1st Avenue S, while also creating larger higher-density areas around SunRunner stops. (Of special note: The SunRunner TEC overlay adopted in 2024 is already established to spur more development along 22nd Street S, which leads to the historically Black neighborhood called The Deuces.)
The changes also eliminate expensive parking requirements, which allows developers to build more housing and attract people who choose to rely on transit. The changes will provide the opportunity to spur the creation of more residential options for the City’s residents, and in turn, new businesses that serve the folks living nearby. Imagine going out your front door and walking to your coffee shop, doctor’s office, grocery store, and a bus that can get you to downtown or the beaches.
Certainly, higher density can cause concerns, whether it’s worries about the height of new buildings (will they be in line with the neighborhood’s character?) or about more traffic. But density for density’s sake is not the purpose. Thoughtful density which considers design, destination, and diversity builds the kind of community that people want to live in and more can afford.
Based on the experience of other cities, transit-oriented development can have a significant positive impact to a community over time. And new development at reasonable heights (which this plan specifies) can create new nodes of activity to the west of downtown, tying new development to a premium transit line that has proven to be successful so far.
As I see it, here are three key things to note as the City moves along in its approval process:
- Anything that can encourage more affordable housing options is welcome. The plan uses density bonuses, workforce housing bonus provisions, and no parking requirements to incentivize developers to include affordable units in their plans, which is promising.
- It makes sense to offer an opt-in choice for developers to reduce or eliminate parking minimums in these new areas, so the minimums can reflect the actual need. If you are looking to attract residents who need only one car vs. two per household, or no car at all, why would you require developers to create excess parking spaces?
- New developments should include retail, restaurant, and office spaces, consistent with the “live, work and play” trend in urban development. This entire concept should not require a hard sell. And perhaps it does not, since the St. Petersburg City Council has already voted unanimously to support elimination of parking requirements along the SunRunner TOD Overlay corridor and stations as the changes head to a final adoption public hearing on May 14.
As the City moves towards approval of this new opt-in zoning, I applaud the move and encourage citizens, developers, investors and retail owners to learn more about the changes. As the plans are finalized, the hope is that developers will help the City leverage the SunRunner route to grow the parts of the city that are walkable.
Walkability is a defining characteristic of great cities. Downtown St. Petersburg has come such a long way, with more retailers and other services close to the condo and apartment residents downtown. Now, it’s time for that same thing to happen to the west of downtown, and this plan seems to be a smart way to help that along.
Larry Silvestri is a partner with the Tampa Bay-based law firm Mechanik Nuccio Hearne & Silvestri.
