St. Pete Beach leaders approve controversial expansion of Sirata Beach Resort
ST. PETE BEACH, Fla. - St. Pete Beach City Commission approved a controversial hotel expansion late Tuesday night after months of deliberations.
More than five hours into the meeting, city commissioners voted 3-2 to allow for a conditional use permit for the Sirata Beach Resort.
The hotel's new owners are planning to revamp the existing hotel while adding a 10-story JW Marriot and a 9-story Hampton Inn, bringing the total number of hotel rooms to just over 600.
"They ruined St. Pete Beach forever," said resident Debra, right after the vote was taken.
At Tuesday's meeting, the commissioners debated everything from the design of the parking garage to landscaping and traffic impacts.
"This is a big moment for St. Pete Beach," said Commissioner Rich Lorenzen.
READ: St. Pete Beach hotel expansion debate illuminates sea turtle ordinance issues
Hundreds of neighbors have weighed in saying they don’t want the expansion
They’re worried expanding the hotel complex would ruin the charm and feel of St. Pete Beach and they shared concerns about traffic, safety, obstructed views, and other impacts to the area.
One concerned woman who attended the meeting said several people are already planning on bringing lawsuits.
"There are so many other projects coming. We won't be St. Pete Beach anymore," Deborah Schechner said. "I'm just so frustrated. They did not listen to the truth. They didn't go by the plan. And I already know that several people are bringing lawsuits."
Representatives for the hotel owners pointed to several community benefits including dune restoration, crosswalk improvements, sea turtle lighting protection, and job creation and said they’ll create a public beach access point.
Neighbors said the decision is a generational one.
Mayor Adrian Petrila was firmly against the project. He wanted the hotel developer to go back to the drawing board and come back with something that would be more aligned with what the town was looking for.
He said he had more than 2,000 pages of e-mails from neighbors against the project.
"The residents and the developer don’t agree on almost anything, but they agree on one thing; that the impact of this will not be minimal," Petrila said. "It will have a major impact on the area, on Gulf Boulevard, on our community from now until perpetuity."
He said the hotel ownership group had not met the burden of proof to get the permit.
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"One can clearly see where the benefit is to the applicant, but I cannot find the benefit to the resident," said Petrila.
After the vote Tuesday night, neighbors vowed to keep fighting. Many said they plan to file lawsuits to prevent the construction.