We can't blame you if the St. Petersburg Comprehensive Plan didn't make your summer reading list.
But, the "comp plan," along with the In-Town Redevelopment Plan and many other publications, is kind of the ultimate “choose your own adventure” story—except the choices are things like: “Should we bulldoze this historic block” or “will this sidewalk ever get fixed?”
It's these wonky city documents plot where the city’s going next, what it values, and how it plans to grow (or not) over the next couple of decades. Housing, transit, parks, preservation—it’s all in there, ready for your next beach read.
Importantly, elected and appointed representitives are legally required to follow the city's comprehensive plan. In fact, in 1985, the state of Florida passed a law requiring municipalities to adopt and follow their comprehensive plans. Appointed boards like the Development Review Commission or the Community Plalnning and Preservation Commission must adeare to these plans as well as the city's Land Development Regulations (LDRs) when reviewing proposals that come before them, even though that oversight is slowly being ceded to the state over local concerns.
So where does Historic Preservation fit into the story? It may not be the main character, but Historic Preservation shows up repeatedly in St. Petersburg's comp plan.
The Plan includes the goal of “protect[ing] and preserve[ing]historically and culturally significant buildings, structures, and landscapes” and defines “historic resource” as “all areas, districts or sites containing properties listed on the Florida Master File, the National Register of Historic Places, or designated by the City as historically, architecturally, or archaeologically significant.” "Objective LU26" within the comp plan’s “Future Land Use Element” states, “the City’s LDRs shall continue to support the adaptive reuse of existing and historic buildings in order to maximize the use of existing infrastructure...”
But there's more! Chapers include Section 16.30.070.2.11 - "Identification of potentially eligible landmarks which are not locally designated" which states “in order to protect and preserve the City's historic resources, the City shall discourage the demolition of historic resources which are listed or eligible for listing on the NRHP or the St. Petersburg Register of Historic Places.”
The plan directs the city to “appropriately develop, utilize, and protect natural and historic resources” and section 16.30.070, titled "Historic and Archeological Preservation Overlay" says somewhat emphatically, “the City Council declares as a matter of public policy that the preservation, protection, perpetuation and use of local landmarks is a public necessity.”
Also a hot read, the city's In-Town Redevelopment Plan is the document that guides development of St. Pete's downton core. City Council members, sitting as the Community Redevolpment Agency, must decide if a project is "consistent with the In-Town Redevelopment Plan."
How does Historic Preservation fit in? Well, page 28 reminds readers that, "dozens of ... smaller-scale historic preservation projects have helped preserve the unique architectural and local character of Downtown" while section C directs the CRA board to "ensure that the form of new development and redevelopment promotes, reinforces and maintains the historic, cultural and aesthetic integrity of the intown redevelopment area."
Despite the text on the page, however, St. Petersburg's historic resources remain under threat. The City approved the demolition of a 1920s retail building at 446 4th St. South despite it being listed on the Florida Master Site File, and the Development Review Commission is set to review a proposal that will demolish five contributing structures to the St. Petersburg Downtown National Register District.
So, don't feel guilty, it seems like you're not the only one who didn't have the comp plan on your reading list.
