Belleair’s Belleview Biltmore zoning changes net tentative support
BELLEAIR — Developers’ plans to bulldoze the Belleview Biltmore appeared to move forward Tuesday as town commissioners threw their tentative support behind proposed zoning changes that would allow the historic resort’s owners to erect condos and townhomes in its place.
The Biltmore is currently zoned for only hotels or single-family homes. And the town’s only existing multi-family zoning district is “RM-15,” a designation that caps developments at 15 units per acre and heights at 32 feet — resulting in a uniform, concrete block look that officials agreed tends to look unattractive.
So, town staffers have proposed a new zoning designation, RM-10, which would allow only 10 unit per acre. But developers would be able to gain height bonuses if they incorporate certain elements such as a parking structure underneath buildings, or if they go beyond the minimum setback requirements.