BELLEAIR — A lawsuit filed against Belleair by resident Rae Claire Johnson caused the Town Commission to tap the brakes last week on one action that could encourage redevelopment of the Belleview Biltmore hotel property. But it didn’t even slow them down on another.
The commissioners voted 4-1 to create a new zoning district that would give a developer of the Biltmore property more flexibility and height than the town’s two existing multifamily residential zoning designations.
The new designation, RM-10, would allow up to 10 units per acre — a density between the other two zoning categories — but unlike those, would not cap building heights at 32 feet. A developer who got RM-10 zoning could build up to 80 feet if he met certain desirable conditions, such as enclosing the parking area or setting buildings farther from the property line.