A Guiding Document for Developers
- vmbrennan17
- Jan 8
- 3 min read
Why the Tierra Verde Overlay matters
The Pinellas County Future Land Use plan includes a special chapter for Tierra Verde, the Tierra Verde Overlay. The Overlay, which consists of guiding principles for development, was added explicitly to protect the quality of life and residential character of our island. This Overlay was approved and added to the County land-use plan in 2008 in cooperation with residents and the Tierra Verde Community Association.
The Tierra Verde Overlay recognizes Tierra Verde as a cohesive community and provides that governmental decisions "will support the local vision, community character, and natural environment." It has 20 sections stating foundational principles that should apply to future development efforts on the island.
As best as Tierra Verde NEXT can tell, the Overlay plan has never been considered by Greenleaf Capital, the developer that wants to greatly expand the Tierra Verde High & Dry Marina with massive boat-storage towers on our waterfront. Neither was it, to our knowledge, considered by staff of the St. Petersburg Development Review Committee when it reviewed the plan that was withdrawn by Greenleaf in November 2025.
The governing rules for the parcel that includes the High & Dry Marina, a seven-acre parcel at 100 Pinellas Bay South, are complicated. St. Petersburg annexed the property in November 2008, about eight months after the Tierra Verde Overlay was adopted.
St. Petersburg used the (faulty) premise that the City and Tierra Verde are connected by contiguous “submerged lands," which include a portion of the federal Intracoastal Waterway (ICW), a deep channel that must be kept free for maritime traffic at all times.
In 2010, a bid by St. Petersburg to include the property in its land-use plan was denied in court. Thus, while the parcel is now part of St. Petersburg, the Pinellas County Future Land Use Plan and Pinellas County zoning rules apply.
Tierra Verde Next and the residents of Tierra Verde, as well as surrounding Bayway communities at Isla del Sol and along the east-west Bayway, support the Tierra Verde Overlay whole-heartedly. The plan protects the residential character of the island and the surrounding natural area.
It requires that developments remain within the height and scale of current development criteria and remain in character with the surrounding residential development.
The plan also requires protection of the surrounding natural area, placing a priority "on the protection of native vegetation, terrestrial and marine habitats and dependent species." Many residents are concerned about the health of surrounding seagrass beds, our resident manatees and dolphins, the robust fish hatcheries, the sea turtle nesting sites on nearby beaches, bald eagle nesting, and other sea and shorebird nests. All of these could be negatively impacted by a massive expansion of boat storage in our small area.
As we work to preserve our island, we all should familiarize ourselves with the Tierra Verde Overlay and write to County, City and State officials. To every person who writes or contacts officials: your voice matters.
Here’s a list of officials you can email with your request that they take the Tierra Verde Overlay into consideration for any planning or land-use decisions on our island.
Pinellas Co. | Commissioner Kathleen Peters | |
Pinellas Co. | Commissioner Chris Scherer | |
Pinellas Co. | Commission Chair Brian Scott | |
Pinellas Co. | Commissioner Dave Eggers | |
Pinellas Co. | Commissioner Chris Latvala | |
Pinellas Co. | Commissioner Rene Flowers | |
Pinellas Co. | Commissioner Vince Nowicki | |
St Pete Mayor | Ken Welch | |
SP City Council | council member | |
SP City Council | council member | |
SP City Council | council member | |
SP City Council | council member | |
St. Pete -City | legislative aide | |
SP City Council | council member | |
SP City Council | council member | |
SP City Council | Administrative Officer | |
SP City Council | council member | |
SP City Council | council member | |
St. Pete -City | DRC org | |
St. Pete -City | Administrative Officer | |
SP City Council | council member | |
State of FL | Governor Ron DeSantis |
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