Book 1 - City of St. Petersburg

BASIS OF DESIGN BOOK 1
3 GENERAL PLANNING CRITERIA
SITE AND URBAN
DESIGN CRITERIA
(continued)
Zoning Guidelines
The City’s Development Review Services Division served as a
resource for the following information.
The downtown area is the traditional gathering center of
the City. Since its inception, it has been the regional center,
attracting residents and visitors for recreation, socializing,
shopping and business. It is also a vibrant residential
neighborhood offering a variety of housing typologies. The City
is fortunate to have created and maintained a strong pedestrianoriented
streetscape, with its grid street pattern and buildings
at a typical 2 to 4- story scale along its wide sidewalks. Although
high rise buildings, including those that occupy a full city block,
have been added to the downtown area, they are the exception,
retaining a pedestrian character at the sidewalk. The 100 ft.
wide right-of-way allows ample room for vehicles in the street
travel lanes, on-street parking, and pedestrian sidewalks. Future
development should recognize and reinforce the pedestrian
scale as a key asset by protecting the right-of-way through both
the selection and location of pedestrian-oriented businesses.
Development regulations for the downtown area require that
the base of all buildings create and maintain a strongly defined
street edge, while allowing and encouraging larger and taller
buildings to be constructed above and stepped back into the
property. By reinforcing the street edges, providing active
uses, concealing parking areas and requiring streetscape
improvements, vibrant activity will continue at the street level.
Figure 3.18 describes zoning guidelines for the downtown
waterfront area of St. Petersburg. The blue color that covers the
Pier and other areas represents the DC-3 zoning district. The
green color on the abutting land represents the DC-P district.
Noted are the City’s allowable lease terms for buildings leased
by private entities. The southern portion of the Uplands (the area
of the Hub) allows a 10-year lease, while the northern portion
allows a 5-year lease.
The DC-3 zoning district encourages development of residential,
offices, hotels, specialty retail and other permitted mixed
uses compatible with the waterfront area with emphasis on
pedestrian-oriented development at the street level. There is no
required waterfront setback in the DC-3 zone, but projects must
adhere to a building-to-building setback along interior property
lines; for portions of a building located above 50 ft. in height, a
building setback along streets and an additional setback along
Beach Drive are applicable.
The DC-P district denotes lands that are public parks or
developments within public parks, east of Beach Drive. In
these areas, heights and development intensities are limited
and setbacks are generous to maintain a sense of open space
adjacent to the public spaces.
3 - 32
THE NEW ST. PETERSBURG PIER