This was very predictable. People have very little say in how their communities are developed. No hometown democracy, no concurrency. The hearings are just a dog and pony show and the decisions are made before the people ever say a word. Commissions typically have these split votes in favor of the developer. This has happened over and over in city after city. Residents have to go through a long, time consuming, expensive process to fight what they don't want. The natural environment has little value to politicians and usually loses out to greed in the long run. What comprehensive plan?! All you have to do is look around and you can see that Pinellas County has turned into an asphalt peninsula. Traffic on McMullen booth is already choked up. That's just what we need, more car habitat. Those new dwellers are not going to support downtown Safety Harbor. They are going to shop at Northwood Plaza like everyone else does. You can barely get a parking space in there as it is. The city needs to ask a lot more of the Richman Group. All the yes votes out there - you are responsible for the loss of wildlife that will occur. Not enough homework was done on this project and the commission didn't ask for nearly enough to pay for the long term costs the additional population will cost the City of Safety Harbor. Pretty quick turn around on this too and all on a government holiday.

The plaza across the street from Northwood - dead. That is where the apartments should be.

All the legal wrangling didn't meet this or that standard was a frivolous attempt at blocking the inevitable. I'm not sure why a corporation as big as Richman Group is so hot for this property. What is driving their zeal to build here? I’m not saying they are looking to do something sinister but, big corporations don’t usually do something that will not benefit them. Personally I just don’t see how a complex like this is going to make it. The market rate projection that in 10 years people are going to be willing to fork over a $1000 plus for an apartment with views of a yard waste facility, a Walgreen’s and a gas station is beyond my comprehension. I don’t know maybe they have a consultant with a crystal ball, personally I see it as failure waiting to happen.

The residents put up a good fight, kudos to all of you! Time will tell if this will good, bad or rotten to the core

I for one, will not be patronizing any businesses that move into the Richland Group's planned store front development facing McMullen Booth. Let's all vote with our feet and continue to shop in downtown and support all other businesses that already exist in the surrounding area. Plus, when elections come around again, let's all come together and vote Ayoub, Bandoni and Blake out of office because they certainly did not serve the best interests of the citizens of Safety Harbor last night.

Thank goodness for three insightful mayor/commissioners who have the foresight to look into the future and see the benefits of controlled growth that will fuel the local economy.
Vowing to boycott any new business that will come into the community -- all paying city taxes, which funds most of public programs and events which you claim to enjoy about Safety Harbor -- is simply foolish and clueless.
There are only two commissiones who should have be worrying about losing votes as a result of Monday's meeting.
You enjoy the beneifts and convenience of local businesses, but you are not willing to support the owners. Shame on you.

I would like to thank Commissioner Nancy Besore and Vice Mayor Cliff Merz for standing up for the people last night. I would also like to thank the residents of Safety Harbor who contacted City Hall and came out to protest the excessively large Richman Group proposals. If it hadn't been for these resident's efforts to protest the prior proposals, we would have 4-story apartment buildings with 296 units at SR 590 and McMullen Booth Rd. It was unfortunate that this Richman Group proposal passed the City Commission last night. At a minimum, the Richman Group should have been asked to minimize the height of the apartment buildings to two stories and the number of apartments to 200 units. I hope that all Safety Harbor residents remember this Commission vote when they vote in the next City elections.

In the end, all the efforts of S.H. citizens did not seem to matter. There wasn't even one additional concession last night, except for changing the 10 year ... commitment to 20 (can't tremember the wording). And I agree with Bob Saltzman's question: Why is the Richman Group 'so hot for this property'?

I Believe the Richmond Group is so hot for this property because Safety Harbor is a great place to live and they are well aware of the number of people that would love to live here. I thank the mayor and the other two commissioners who had the foresight in approving this proposal for the good of all of Safety Harbors residents.

Mayor Ayoub and rubberstamp Blake were predictable, the Commissioner I hoped would stick to her guns from the previous meeting was Commissioner Bandoni, who asked for closer to 200 units, which would have created far less traffic and ticked off fewer tax paying voter residents. As I saw it, the city attorney consoled the commissioners with dire warnings of possible lawsuits from Firmenich and Richman, if they didn't get their proposal approved. Let's remember in a few years whose expert opinions hold up to the reality of added traffic congestion, fewer tax dollars from an unkempt rental complex and have the commissioners who voted for this project back up our loses of home values and revenue lost due to reduced property values. I for one will aggressively pursue lower taxes on my property. While I'm on the issue of traffic I need to ask the question again "Why is it that the only right hand turn off MacBooth without a turn lane from the Bayside bridge up north of East Lake on both north and south bound sides of the road is at Main St headed east? We tax payers paid to beautify the entrance, but couldn't have better access to downtown via Main Street. It seems to me business owners would wonder about that question as well. The entrance to Safety Harbor should have easy access as well as a welcoming entry. SR590 is not the primary path to downtown, at least not to visitors coming from MacBooth regardless of signs. You tell me, what brings more visitors, signs or easy access?

I wonder if it will be necessary to protect ourselves from the city commission and rampant uncontrolled development to gate OHP? I never wanted to live in a gated subdivision, but there might be a need to gate or move on down the road as traffic and other undesirable issues crop up. I won't subject my comfort or safety to an unfeeling and unsympathetic commission more concerned with developing than safety of its citizens. I know OHP has residents more capable and qualified than some the current commission. Its never too early to start looking for a new mayor either. One that won't be so easily manipulated.

I question the motivation of one of the commissioners "yes" vote....enough said!

Did anyone besides myself find it unusual that City Hall was closed all day due to President's Day and the commissioners had the meeting last night. I was talking to a friend who summized that they wore everyone down the last meeting and then scheduled this meeting on a national holiday in the hope that very few residents would show up to protest. Makes one wonder about the manipulative timing, doesn't it. Let's all vote Ayoub, Bandoni and Blake out of office next election as they certainly showed last night that the citizens of Safety Harbor don't matter to them much.

Standard: The property CANNOT create an isolated community. It is a gated community with it's own theater and internet cafe.....how much more "isolated" does it have to be to be considered ISOLATED?

one of the most effective ways to stop this will probably be to get the EPA involved as it is my understanding there are wetlands on the property

As far as I know there is no net loss of wetlands. My biggest concern is that it is a whole ecosystem that includes wetlands and adjacent uplands. Plus it has been undisturbed for a long time so the potential to have wildlife that shouldn't be disturbed is pretty high. There could be rare and endangered plants in there too, but I guess we'll never know. The footprint is still too big to be consistent with the comprehensive plan. Are the buildings going to be green buildings? Are they putting in permeable surfaces for pavement?

"I don't know how we can vote 'no' on these specific standards for review and not put ourselves in a position of having legal action taken against us." Commissioner Bandoni said.

The old saying about you can't fight City Hall has been turned around City Hall has been sued so many times it is gun shy. Richman Group has deep pockets deep enough to sue and put the City in a position of defending "its rights". The residents did not have the money or the time to have their own studies done, the quasi traffic study done by Commissioner Merz although noble was not considered scientific. There are just too many variables going on here. But it all comes down to we don't want to be sued so we better give them what they want. It is only a matter of time before they come asking for variances and we will see the Commission be squeezed into a "well ok position". I hope I am around to see it come to fruition and I hope it's a wonderful project, with birds singing and people flocking downtown to support our businesses as the traffic flows incisively free as the wind. But deep in my dark heart I don’t think that will happen!

Desi, who are the businesses besides yourself that supported this development? We know that Brady's supported it because the owner's wife spoke at the commissioners meeting in favor of approving this bad for Safety Harbor idea. Are you saying here that we should develop every bit of green space available in Safety Harbor to benefit the business community at the expense of all the residents or what?

Good Morning Bobby :) Spoken like a true champ as always, we all know it wont be a wonderful project, the birds are not singing & people will not be flocking downtown to support businesses as for the traffic it is more disaster waiting to happen, now I look at it this way what a huge shame & disaster that a huge money hungry corporation won especially one that has other properties that are hot spots for undesirable elements, my question to the 3 commissioners, have you done your homework on the goings on of other properties Richman owns?? How can you ignore facts about those poorly operated communities Richman owns?? How sure are you that when Richman fails to rent the units that it will not become another section 8 property?? How can you be sure Richman will not sell to another corporation which will turn this property into an undesirable community?? here's my favorite questions if you are so sure this project is the greatest development then would you live right next to it & how will you react when your dream home which sits next to this project loses its value & you are forced to sell it much less than what you purchased it for??
To the concerned residents of Safety Harbor my prayers goes out to all of you, please don't give up, you may have lost the battle but you haven't lost the war, explore all your rights, form a citizens action group while you still have time!
As a downtown business owner I don't support this project & doubt it will benefit businesses!

FYI: Commissioner Bandoni and Mayor Ayoub are up for re-election in March of 2014. Time for a change.

As I said in my last post to the concerned residents of Safety Harbor you may have lost the battle but you haven't lost the war, well good news you have a very good chance to continue your fight, here's why; "The Firmenich proposal will next go before the Pinellas Planning Council before moving on to the Board of County Commissioners." what a beautiful paragraph this is, do you realize there is safety in numbers for this as citizens of Pinellas county we may be able to really voice our opinions to a larger audience by getting the EPA, all nature lovers involved in this plus get Pinellas county officials to get a traffic analysis done on already overcrowded traffic on McMullen Booth Road so the real work begins now to get your voices heard, I am also very sure many Pinellas county citizens will object to this project as well, hey go get them tigers, here's your oppotunity to leap into action :)