SUBJECT/RECOMMENDATION:
Title
Authorize staff to move forward with the necessary steps to obtain approval for the redevelopment of The Landings Golf Course site as a light industrial center.
Body
SUMMARY:
Staff is seeking direction for a proposed redevelopment of property addressed at 1875 Airport Drive in Clearwater.
About the Property:
The subject property is city-owned land currently operating as The Landings Golf Course. The zoning and land use is designated Open Space/Recreation (OS/R). In total, the site is 77.71 acres MOL and is bounded by N. Keene Rd to the east, Airport Dr. to the south and adjacent to Clearwater Airpark which is both west and north of the property.
About the Project:
The proposed project envisions construction of a multi-building industrial center comprised of +/- 750,000 SF Class A rentable space on 65.49 acres MOL. The proposed developer, Harrod Properties anticipates that the project will be developed in 4 phases over a 5 to 7-year period, subject to market conditions and seeks to enter into four separate ground leases with the same terms and conditions. The term of each lease is proposed to be 65 years with three successive 10-year renewal options. The only modifications will be the commencement dates and the Tenant under each ground lease resulting from the developer’s desire to phase the project in accordance with market conditions and the fact that each phase may be owned by a different entity, but all of which will be an affiliate of Harrod Properties. These leases may be assigned by Tenant (Exhibit A).
If Council determines to move this project forward for further review and necessary approvals, the following steps are necessary:
• At the next council meeting (June 4), staff will bring forward the proposed term sheet for approval. Council will consider declaring the property surplus for the purpose of leasing the site for an industrial center.
• The city attorney will prepare and bring forward in June, draft language of referendum question to be placed on the ballot for the November election. The City Charter section 2.01 (d)(5)(v) requires approval at referendum prior to the lease of property identified as recreation open safe space on the city’s comprehensive plan.
• The city attorney will prepare and bring forward in July the referendum question for approval on 1st reading. Upon approval of the language at 2nd reading in August, the referendum language will be transmitted to Pinellas County Supervisor of Elections for placement on the ballot for the November 3 election.
• The developer will prepare and submit applications for appropriate land use plan amendment (IL, Industrial Limited), rezoning (IRT) and FLD (Flexible Development) approvals.
• Staff will bring to Council for approval the final lease agreements.
Remainder Parcel:
The remainder of the property, approximately 12.22 acres, is proposed to remain recreational use and the city anticipates entering into a lease agreement with the current golf course operator. The operator envisions the construction and operation of an Aqua Range at this location.
Staff Recommendation:
An appraisal of the subject property was conducted in May, 2019, and subsequent limited environmental (Phase I Environmental Site Assessment, Limited Contamination Study), wildlife hazard, (Wildlife Hazard Site Visit Report), and geotechnical studies (Preliminary Geotechnical Engineering, Redevelopment Feasibility Study) were conducted between July, 2019, and April, 2020.
The City is committed to preserving and protecting open space for recreational uses and environmental sustainability. An inventory of current park lands (1,708 acres) in Clearwater shows the level of service is 14.6 acres per 1,000 residents which exceeds the minimum standard of 4.0 acres per 1,000 residents. The removal of 65.49 acres from inventory will reduce this level to 14.2 acres per 1,000 residents which exceeds the minimum standard by 355%.
Staff also evaluated the level of service on Keene Road/CR1 and finds that the roadway capacity is currently rated Level C which is generally defined as having stable flow, at or near free flow. Signalization at Palmetto Street/Keene Road is currently being deployed as a joint project with Pinellas County.
Additionally, staff conducted a limited economic impact analysis of the proposed use of the subject site and found that the proposed construction of +/- 750,000 SF with a capital investment of $131 million might yield for the city 1,950 direct jobs, 1,823 additional spin-off jobs in the city (indirect and induced), and $11 million in net benefits to the city over a 10-year period. A more thorough examination of economic impact will be conducted as negotiations are finalized and more information regarding employer operations becomes available.
Finally, the city Economic Development Strategic Plan (November 2011) recommends the following: “Located adjacent to the Hercules industrial area, the par-3 golf course represents the best opportunity for expanding Clearwater’s stock of undeveloped industrial property. For a built-out, landlocked city with little industrial land this is essential. If the city hopes to expand its manufacturing base, this and other similarly underutilized city-owned properties should be evaluated for accommodating new industrial development.”
APPROPRIATION CODE AND AMOUNT:
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USE OF RESERVE FUNDS:
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