The Pinellas Current

Belleair Beach may allow hooting, singing after dark. Basketball hoops? Still up in the air.

BELLEAIR BEACH — It soon may be legal to hoot, whistle or sing on city streets after 10 p.m. But can you leave a portable basketball hoop in your driveway overnight? It’s complicated. Such unusual and rarely enforced rules are among the quirks that remain on the city’s code books, legal tomes that govern life in this beachside community of about 1,600 residents. The city council on July 6 tried to add some clarity and common sense to some of these outdated and lesser-known ordinances, approving

Largo officials eye fire assessment if tax amendment passes

South Pasadena only Pinellas city to see taxable values decline, eyes higher tax rate

SOUTH PASADENA — Among Pinellas County’s 24 municipalities, this city of retirees holds an unwanted distinction: It was the only one that saw a decline in taxable property values last year. That unusual dip — less than 1% — nonetheless led city commissioners to set a tentative maximum property tax rate for next year that is 10% above the rollback rate, leaving open the possibility of a major tax increase. The commission voted unanimously July 1 to certify a maximum tax rate, or millage, of 5.81

Two developers pitch competing visions for Largo’s former City Hall campus

LARGO — Two development groups have proposed sharply different visions for transforming the city’s former 14-acre municipal campus, with project costs ranging from tens of millions to more than $300 million, documents show. The submittals — from Gotham Property Acquisitions LLC of New York and Stanbery Development Group of Ohio — were in response to a request for proposals the city and brokerage CBRE issued in January to redevelop the former city hall site. City Hall personnel relocated last mon

State rejects Belleair Shore bid to remove public-private beach boundary

BELLEAIR SHORE — Siding with Pinellas County and Belleair Beach, the state has rejected this town’s controversial bid to remove a long-standing coastal boundary, a move that opponents feared could privatize public beach areas. In a final order issued June 23, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) denied Belleair Shore's petition to cancel the erosion control line, or ECL. The DEP ruled that the town failed to meet the conditions required under state law for removing the bound

Will public drinking help revive downtown Largo?

LARGO — Will promoting public drinking help bring more foot traffic, vibrancy and commerce to downtown? Or will it create unintended challenges such as crime, litter, disorder and other alcohol-related problems? City leaders are betting the former will outweigh the latter. The Largo City Commission on June 2 voted 7-0 to create the West Bay Drive Downtown Entertainment District, allowing patrons to legally carry alcoholic beverages in designated public areas as they move between restaurants, b