St. Pete Beach city commissioners narrowly approve TradeWinds Resort expansion

Trevor Sochocki
·2 min read
2

ST. PETE BEACH, Fla. (WFLA) — After yet another marathon meeting last night in which public comment and debate lasted more than six hours until nearly 12:30 a.m., the St. Pete Beach City Commission voted to approve the TradeWinds Island Grand Resort expansion plan, 3-2.

“The hotel company has worked with the community to include a lot of aspects that are going to be good for the community,” said Kyle Parks, TradeWinds spokesperson.

But prior to the meeting, neighbors were still upset over the plans.

“We didn’t want another Clearwater Beach,” said Jody Powell, St. Pete Beach resident. “We don’t want heavy traffic. Everybody likes the serenity of St. Pete Beach. It’s the best hidden secret and it’s our sunset capital of the world.”

Road congestion was the biggest issue for locals, which the resort said it would address. TradeWinds also said studies showed local roads can handle the traffic of phase one of expansion.

“The biggest thing about traffic in this plan is that there is going to be a road within the property that takes cars off Gulf Boulevard,” said Parks. “So, if there are people backing up, they’re going to be within the property and not getting in the way of other people on Gulf Boulevard.”

However, residents foresee more change coming to the area. This project approval comes as commissioners approved another large-scale hotel expansion just two blocks away.

“I know what’s going to happen then,” Powell said. “You’re going to get a domino effect down the beach. And it’s not that we don’t want development or improvement, it’s just not to the max.”

The St. Pete Beach fire chief also said his department would conduct studies to determine what the impact of expansion and more tourists would be on emergency services to ensure response times stay as low as possible.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WFLA.