4-3 vote clears path for mosque expansion in Tarpon Springs

The Pinellas County Commission voted 4-3 on Monday to change the land-use designation for a 2.69-acre property at 2577 Keystone Road in Tarpon Springs. The decision allows Masjid Al-Rahman to rebuild and expand its facility. The vote marks the newest development in a process that has drawn attention to how the county labels religious properties in its planning documents.

The primary point of contention during the public hearing was the terminology used in the staff report. The document described the mosque only as a “community assembly” use. Commissioner Vince Nowicki questioned why the term mosque did not appear in the provided materials. He asked Scott Swearengen, the county long range planning manager, to confirm the nature of the building. Swearengen agreed the site is a mosque but explained that staff follows the county’s zoning ordinance. That ordinance was updated around 2019 to align with state definitions. It groups various religious structures under the collective term of community assembly facility.

Nowicki expressed dissatisfaction with the explanation. He cited six other planning cases from 2021 to 2025 involving churches in St. Petersburg, Clearwater and Pasadena. In those instances, supporting documents explicitly identified the religious use. In a follow-up email to County Administrator Barry Burton, Nowicki argued that residents should receive plain descriptions in every case. He stated that residents read these materials to understand what is being proposed near their homes. He maintained that uniform standards should apply regardless of the applicant.

The land-use change shifts the Countywide Plan Map designation from Residential Rural to Public/Semi-Public. This reclassification clears the way for a new building that is about 1,000 square feet larger than the current structure. The project also includes new parking and stormwater improvements. Swearengen noted that the current property holds an older community assembly building and an accessory storage building. The existing infrastructure includes older parking and inadequate stormwater management. The owner plans to replace the building and update the site systems.

Commission Chairman Dave Eggers asked staff to walk through the request publicly to ensure transparency. He noted that the Keystone Road corridor is a scenic area with continuing activity. Eggers wanted residents to know what is happening in their community. Swearengen explained that the project would remove the driveway onto Keystone Road. Access would shift to another adjacent road. The site would also require plan approval to bring it into compliance with current zoning rules. The landowner gains the ability to build the larger structure and make the necessary site improvements.

Swearengen stated that the Residential Rural category would not allow the existing use to be changed or expanded. This is why the owner sought an institutional designation. Institutional land already sits directly next to the property. He acknowledged that the plans would result in a slight increase in activity on the site. The staff report called the Public/Semi-Public category appropriate for the existing use. The Keystone Road corridor already includes residential, institutional and other nonresidential uses. The site keeps its Scenic/Noncommercial Corridor overlay. The subclassification shifts from Rural/Open Space to Mixed Use.

A companion local zoning amendment and conditional overlay would restrict the property to community assembly with accessory storage. This restriction imposes additional requirements for setbacks, landscaping, height and access. Forward Pinellas and the Planners Advisory Committee both unanimously recommended approval. Nowicki opposed the change partly because the county has resisted added activity in north Pinellas. He noted that a request on a parcel a short distance down the road had been denied. He said he did not believe uniform standards were being applied to nearby properties. He stated that he did not see the value in increasing activity in the north county area. He added that many residents feel the county is overdeveloped and do not want to see an increased footprint of traffic and activity. The project now moves to site plan review.