The City of Safety Harbor is considering a development agreement that proposes to make a large scale land use change. Richman Group, a development corporation, wants to purchase prime property located at State Road 590 and McMullen Booth Road behind the Walgreens (known as Firmenich Citrus Center) and build an extensive apartment complex. The proposed complex consists of 276 units of 1, 2, and 3 bedroom apartments (population density of 2 persons per dwelling predicted or 552 residences). The plan proposes 6, Four story apartment buildings, 3, Three story apartment buildings, 5, Two story apartment buildings, parking garages, recreation area, pool, club house, etc.). The only entrance and exit to the apartment complex is State Road 590. The apartment complex will not be accessible by McMullen Booth Road.

In addition to the apartment complex, a portion of the property will be dedicated to General Office use. The property located on McMullen Booth Road north of the current car wash will consist of 25,000 square feet of General Office use buildings not to exceed one story or 25 feet in height.

Citizens opposed to this project site the following concerns:

Project density. The project is too dense for the location. Because approximately half of the acreage cannot be built on due to wetland conditions, storm water runoff and environmental concerns the density is too great for the remaining usable acreage.

Traffic and congestion are of major concern. The intersection at State Road 590 and McMullen Booth is currently considered a constrained road by the county and the state. The only improvements would be to add a turn lane on 590 into the complex without helping with the additional traffic that will be created exiting during peak traffic hours.

Height of the apartment buildings. The City has held a firm stance on limiting building height and this project exceeds the precedence. The Comprehensive plan says that the City shall insure that the general character, density and land use pattern is maintained and protected while striving to be compatible with existing developments. The height of these buildings and the size of this development are not compatible with the "small town" character of Safety Harbor or surrounding residential neighborhoods.

The citizens of Safety Harbor are not opposed to growth and development. Change is inevitable and Firmenich certainly has the right to sell their property. The undersigned, however, believe that the Richman Group Development plan is not the right fit for the City of Safety Harbor and for one of the last large undeveloped pieces of property in the city. We think special considerations should be taken when developing this property based on the above mentioned concerns.

Sign our petition and we will add your voice to the hundreds of others when we deliver our petition directly to the City of Safety Harbor City Commissioners during the Monday, February 4, 2013, 7:30 pm, public hearing where a vote will occur. The meeting will be held at the City of Safety Harbor City Hall located at 750 Main Street, Safety Harbor, FL.