SUBJECT/RECOMMENDATION:
Title
Amend Clearwater Code of Ordinances Chapter 33, Waterways, Section 33.058, Same-Areas defined, to add subsections 14-18, establishing slow speed - minimum wake zones along Stevenson Creek, and pass Ordinance 9640-22 on first reading.
Body
SUMMARY:
Stevenson Creek is a narrow, tidal-influenced, creek leading to Clearwater Harbor within the jurisdictional boundaries of the City of Clearwater. The creek flows into the harbor under the Fort Harrison Avenue bridge, just south of Sunset Point Road.
Stevenson Creek was barely navigable to motorized vessels until it was dredged in 2014. Since that time, those living on the creek have complained of vessels travelling through this narrow and shallow body of water at unsafe speeds. The creek is very narrow in areas (< 75 ft.) and has limited sight distances around the bridges. There are four bridges with low vertical and narrow horizontal clearances that pass over Stevenson Creek (Betty Lane, Douglas Avenue, Pinellas Trail, and Fort Harrison Avenue). These clearances limit visibility and sight distances around each of the bridges and in the narrow portions of the creek. Florida State Statutes provide for local regulation of waterways when these safety conditions exist.
The permitting process is very specific. The first step requires the passage of a local ordinance indicating the area a local governing body wishes to regulate. Upon passage, the State of Florida will review the ordinance and conditions to determine if local regulation is appropriate. The City has provided the State with a draft ordinance along with a legal description and map of the area it seeks to restrict to “slow speed, minimum wake” operation. A preliminary review of these documents by the State leads the City to believe that the State would likely approve its request.
The proposed amendment to the Clearwater Code of Ordinances would allow us to begin the permitting process that would ultimately result in establishing slow speed, minimum wake zones around all the bridges that cross over Stevenson Creek and in the very narrow areas of the creek. Such slow speed, minimum wake zones would not go into effect until approval by the State and other requisite regulatory agencies and authorities. These actions are necessary to ensure the safety of the public operating all classes of vessels in and around these areas.