City Committee To Review New Plans To Develop Anclote Harbor

TARPON SPRINGS, FL — Starting from scratch, the city of Tarpon Springs' Technical Review Committee is scheduled to review a new proposal to develop the Anclote Harbor area on Thursday at 10 a.m.

The city of Tarpon Springs received a new submission for the contentious development of the 72.62-acre property along the Anclote River at 42501 U.S. 19, the latest of several proposals submitted over the past 15 years to development the property.

A special Tarpon Springs City Commission meeting to discuss the proposal to build a 404-unit apartment complex on the property was unexpectedly canceled July 15 when attorney Ed Armstrong, representing the Houston-based developer the Morgan Development Group, withdrew the application.

Armstrong told city officials that the Morgan Development Group wanted to redesign the project to include a second access point to U.S. 19.

The original proposal had a single access point. The Morgan Development Group requested the city waive its rule requiring two access points for projects with more than 50 units.

Under the original proposal reviewed by the city commission Jan. 15, the developer proposed spending $65,000 on a feasibility study for a single access point from Hays Road and then pay $444,000 to build it.

However, the feasibility study showed there wasn't enough right of way available to widen the Hays Road. It would require the taking of private property, said Armstrong.

Instead, on July 8 the Florida Department of Transportation agreed to give the Morgan Group preliminary approval for a second access point.

Under the revised plan submitted July 15 Cardno Engineering, the two access points on U.S. 19 would be about 600 feet apart.

Except for the addition of the second access, the Morgan Development Group's proposal remains much the same. The developer wants to build 404 apartments clustered in five buildings with garage parking and recreational amenities.

The site, which is currently undeveloped, is located on the east side of U.S. 19 about a mile north of Tarpon Avenue with the Anclote River running along the site's southern boundary. The property consists of 42.09 acres of uplands and 30.53 acres of wetlands.

Concerned Citizens of Tarpon Springs, the Florida Suncoast Group of the Sierra Club and The Friends of the Anclote River say the site is a pristine wildlife habit and is integral to the area's ecosystem. They want it to be preserved as a public park, not developed.

They're willing to take their fight to court if need be and have set up a Paypal account to pay for legal expenses and expert witnesses. The opponents have also launched a petition drive, hosted a benefit concert and has been holding weekly estate sales to raise money for legal fees.

At the Jan. 15 meeting, the Tarpon Springs City Commission voted to allow the developer to proceed with its development plans for the site, saying the plan met all the requirements of the city's comprehensive land use plan and the commission had no legal reason to deny it.

Opponents promptly appealed the city's decision in Pinellas County Circuit Court, noting that the property, which abuts the Pinellas County's 158-acre Anclote Islands Management Area, is home to endangered species including bald eagles, gopher tortoises and great horned owls.

The developer agreed to preserve part of the property for conservation, but said it wouldn't be open to the public.

"We want people to be able to visit, walk through, enjoy, exercise at and kayak alongside the entire 74 acres," Resident Ann Joanow Samarkos said. "We do not want the pristine environmentally sensitive land to be destroyed, cleared, filled, concrete-paved nor built upon. If that happens, it can never be replaced."

Residents have been fighting to preserve the site since 2005 when Walmart proposed building a Walmart Supercenter on the property.

The project is tentatively set to go before the planning and zoning board Sept. 20 then to the city commission Oct. 26 for a first reading and again Nov. 9 for a second reading where it will either be approved or rejected.

Thursday's technical review committee meeting will be broadcast live on the city's government channel (Spectrum# 641, Frontier #21 and WOW #15) and live on the city's YouTube Channel.

See related story: Residents Rally To Fight Apartment Complex Along Anclote River