City of Indian Rocks Beach Comprehensive Plan Adopted by the Indian Rocks Beach City Commission w:\planning and zoning department\comp plan for web site 2016\comp plan for website 2016.docx 1 w:\planning and zoning department\comp plan for web site 2016\comp plan for website 2016.docx 2 Contents Executive Summary 4 Goals, Objectives and Policies 11 Future Land Use 12 Transportation 37 Housing 42 Infrastructure 46 Coastal Management & Conservation 55 Recreation & Open Space 68 Intergovernmental Coordination 72 Capital Improvements 79 Data & Analysis 91 Future Land Use Element 92 Transportation Element 107 Housing Element 117 Infrastructure Element 137 Coastal Management & Conservation Element 153 Recreation & Open Space Element 180 Intergovernmental Coordination Element 198 Capital Improvements Element 232 Glossary 256 Terms & Acronyms 273 Maps 274 w:\planning and zoning department\comp plan for web site 2016\comp plan for website 2016.docx 3 Executive Summary A. OVERVIEW The City of Indian Rocks Beach is a barrier island community located on Sand Key along the Gulf of Mexico shore of Pinellas County. It is bordered on the north by the towns of Belleair Shore and Belleair Beach, and on the south by Indian Shores. To the east can be found the Intracoastal Waterway “Narrows”, which connects Boca Ciega Bay and Clearwater Harbor while on the west is the Gulf of Mexico. To effectively create a comprehensive plan that reflects the needs of the city, the social characteristics that define the community must be considered. Using information obtained from the 1990 and 2000 U.S. Census, the following items list several socio- economic facts regarding Indian Rocks Beach. In 2010, the largest age group, by percentage, was the 55 to 59 with 11.4 percent of the population, while the smallest was the 85 years and over group with 1.7 percent. The Census found that children, through the age of 19, comprised only 11percent of the population; and, 21 percent of the population was aged 65 or older. The population in 2010 was composed of 50.1 percent female and 49.9 percent male. The median age increased from 48 in 2000 to 52.1 in 2010. In 2010, the city remained predominantly white (96.2%). The city had a higher percentage of residents with a high school diploma (94.6%) or four or more years of college (38.6%) than either the county or state. In 1990, 86 percent of the city’s population was born out-of-state, but that percentage had declined to 72.6 percent by 2000. In 1990, 48 percent of households earned between $10,000 and $34,999 annually, but that percentage decreased to 29.2 percent in 2000. Twenty four percent of the population earns between $75,999 and $149,999 per year. It is important to note that in 1990 12 percent earned less than $10,000 annually, but that statistic was decreased to 5.2 percent by 2000. In 2000, Indian Rocks Beach had a per capita income of $40,195 and the median income of $65,724 exceeded that of both the county and state. In 2000, the city had a lower percentage (4.7%) of persons (238) living below the poverty level then either the county (10%) or state (12.5%). w:\planning and zoning department\comp plan for web site 2016\comp plan for website 2016.docx 4 Table 1 Permanent and Seasonal Population Estimates and Projections, 2010-2025 Table 1 shows the permanent and seasonal population projections for the City of Indian Rocks Beach through the year 2025. Seasonal Population Year Permanent Permanent Total Population Housing* Tourists Population 2010 4,113 1655 1158 6926 2015 4133 1658 1158 6949 2020 4153 1666 1163 6982 2025 4174 1674 1169 7017 B. LAND USE Table 2 Existing Land Use Acreages Table 2 shows the acreage and the corresponding density or intensity allowances for the land uses. Land Use Acres Percentage Single-Family (0-7.5 upa)* 194.69 48.19% Duplex-Triplex/Multifamily (0-30 upa) 107.67 26.66% Commercial-Office (0-0.55 FAR)** 36.31 8.98% Public/Semi-Public (0-0.70 FAR) 17.64 4.37% Vacant (NA) 21.04 5.20% Recreation/Open Space (0-0.25 FAR) 18.26 4.52% Conservation/Preservation (NA) 8.4 2.08% Total Acreage 404.0 100.00% Source: Pinellas Planning Council and Pinellas County Property Appraiser, 2007 * upa = Units per acre ** FAR = Floor Area Ratio As can be seen in the above table, approximately 42 percent of the city is developed with single-family residences which are concentrated on the finger islands projecting into the Intracoastal Waterway. Another 23 percent is developed with multifamily residential uses located primarily on the east side of Gulf Boulevard. w:\planning and zoning department\comp plan for web site 2016\comp plan for website 2016.docx 5 Commercial uses tend to focus around the areas visited by residents and tourists. In an effort to expand the range of commercial/office uses in the city, a plan for redevelopment of the Narrows aka “Business District Triangle” has been developed. The City of Indian Rocks Beach is reaching the point of being a “built-out” community. There are approximately 21 acres of vacant/undeveloped land representing approximately 5 percent of the total land area. The majority of this land can be found in two tracts at Gulf Boulevard just south of 10th Avenue and the intersection of Miami Avenue and 2nd Street. The remaining acreage is in individually platted residential lots. Table 3 outlines the vacant land by future land use category and the corresponding acreage, density or intensity. Table 3 Vacant Land by Future Land Use Category Future Land Use Category Acreage Percentage Residential Low (0-5 upa)* 4.34 21% Residential Medium (0-15 upa) 4.16 20% Resort Facilities High (0-30 upa) 5.31 25% Residential/Office General 1.16 5% (0-0.4 FAR)** Residential/Office/Retail (0-0.5 FAR) 0.00 0% Commercial General (0-0.55 FAR) 0.68 3% Preservation (0-0.1 FAR) 0.00 0% Institutional (0-0.65 FAR) 0.00 0% Transportation/ Utility 0.71 3% Miscellaneous 4.68 23% Total 21.04 100% * upa = Units per acre ** FAR = Floor Area Ratio Because of the limited amount of vacant land, emphasis has been placed on redevelopment rather than development. Extensive redevelopment has been taking place along the west side of Gulf Boulevard, much of which has resulted in the demolition of single-family residences, duplexes, beach bungalows, and “mom and pop” motels, and the erection of condominiums and commercial tourist facilities. The rezoning and change of land use within the “Narrows aka “Business District Triangle” is also providing redevelopment opportunities for the city and its businesses. Some unique revitalization opportunities exist for the area with regard to the following: • Parking; • Landscaping; • Pedestrian access; • Upgrading property values; and • Rejuvenation of the entire area. w:\planning and zoning department\comp plan for web site 2016\comp plan for website 2016.docx 6 C. TRANSPORTATION Two major highway facilities are located within the community. Gulf Boulevard (S.R. 699) runs north/south the length of the Pinellas barrier islands. The Indian Rocks Causeway (S.R. 688) connects Sand Key with the mainland. All other facilities are classified as local streets. Residents of the city must go either north to the Belleair Causeway in Belleair Beach, south to the Park Boulevard Bridge in Indian Shores, or use the Indian Rocks Bridge to reach the mainland. In 2007, all roadway segments, with the exception of S.R. 699 from S.R. 688 to Park Road, were operating at the adopted level of service (LOS) standard “D” or better. S.R. 699 is currently operating at LOS “C.” The roadway has recently been improved to a 2- lane undivided roadway with a 10 foot pedestrian/bike lane on either side. D. HOUSING The city is a predominantly residential area, with a great deal of focus on a single-family home environment. Its location on a barrier island has attracted residential development not only for permanent, but also for seasonal residents. However, because it is almost built out, there is limited opportunity for future growth. Since the City of Indian Rocks Beach is not directly involved in the building and maintenance of housing, the responsibility lies with the private sector for both owner- occupied and rental housing. By ordinance, the city has adopted the Southern Standard Building Code and Housing Code, along with a health and sanitary code, but beyond these guidelines, its role is minimal. The private sector remains the main provider and preserver of the housing stock. Table 4 is an inventory of the housing types based on the 1990 Census. Table 5 is based on 2000 U.S. Census data and estimates from the Pinellas County Population Projection Report, 2007 Table 4 2000 Housing Types Type Indian Rocks Beach Pinellas County** # of Units % of Total # of Units % of Total Single-Family 1,541 38% 261,008 54% Multifamily 2,491 62% 169,202 35% Mobile Home 0 0% 50,264 11% Other* 0 0% 1,099 0% Total 4,032 100% 481,573 100% w:\planning and zoning department\comp plan for web site 2016\comp plan for website 2016.docx 7 Table 5 2000 Housing Tenure Indian Rocks Beach Pinellas County** Tenure # of units % of total # of units % of total Owner-Occupied 2,189 62.98% 415,876 82.57% Renter-Occupied 1,284 37.02% 87,578 17.43% Total Households 3,476 100.0% 503,634 100.0% As projected by the University of Florida and based on Pinellas County population projections, Table 6 shows the total housing need through the year 2025.