St. Pete Beach Commission Approves First Reading of Planning Fee Increases

St. Pete Beach commissioners voted unanimously Oct. 13 to advance an ordinance that would overhaul the city's planning and zoning fee schedule for the first time since 2016, directing staff to return before second reading with a tiered approach for hardship variances and conditional use permits.

The measure would raise the fee for a typical conditional use permit from $500 to $1,500 and lift hardship variance fees from $500 to $1,500. Major conditional use permits covering large lodging projects or density pool requests would rise from a range of $500 to $1,000 to $3,500, plus $900 for a Planning Board hearing. Practical difficulty variances, available only to single-family homes, would carry a proposed $750 base fee, up from $500.

Senior planner Brandon Berry told commissioners the current schedule does not cover the cost of reviewing applications, particularly for larger development projects. "This ordinance shifts development and commercial permit reviews to a cost-recovery model, to reduce reliance on general fund revenue to cover zoning and development application review costs," Berry said.

Site plan review fees outside the Community Redevelopment District would climb from $900 to $1,900 plus 2 cents per square foot. Inside the district, the fee would rise from $1,100 to $2,300 plus 25 cents per square foot. The ordinance also establishes zoning review fees for commercial building permits, covering new construction, additions, reconstruction, accessory structures, interior renovations that change a space's use or increase parking demand, and demolitions. A $100 pre-application meeting fee for variances would be credited toward the application cost once a request is filed.

Commissioner Karen Marriott said the review was overdue but questioned the size of the increases for hardship variances and typical conditional use permits. "One of the criticisms we get in St. Pete Beach is that we're not very small-business friendly and it's a hard place to do business, and it's a hard place for some to start a business," Marriott said. "My concern is just being sensitive to some of those smallest, least impactful uses that we might be adversely affecting by making those fees higher than what it warrants."

Commissioner Lisa Robinson noted the conditional use permit is a one-time fee and said she would have expected it to be charged annually. Commissioner Jon Maldonado said the fee for major lodging and density pool requests, "is pretty close to where it needs to be," but added, "I think we need to tier that down to not impact small business." Mayor Scott Tate agreed the hardship variance and conditional use fees should be tiered before the ordinance returns for a second reading.

Staff is still working with a consultant on residential review fees, which could come later in a separate ordinance. Applications deemed complete before the ordinance takes effect, or submitted before then and later deemed complete, would be charged under the current schedule.