ST. PETE. BEACH, Fla. (WFLA) —Some St. Pete Beach residents felt unheard Tuesday evening, after the city commission approved a plan to construct two new waterfront hotels on the Sirata Beach Resort property.
Kathryn Chipman has lived in St. Pete Beach since 2019.
“It is what it is,” she said. “We’re not going to be able to stop them.”
Joan Passaretti sang the same tune, telling 8 On Your Side, “It’s been approved and what we think doesn’t much matter at this point.”
Hundreds of people filed public comment, many opposing the plan to add the two new high-rise hotels to the city they call home.
“Of course a lot of the senior citizens who have lived here for 20 years are up in arms about it,” Chipman explained. “It’s going to completely block most of the view for everybody.”
The first hotel would be 10 stories with 290 rooms and rooftop dining, drinking and music.
The second would stand eight stories tall with 130 rooms.
Now, some St. Pete Beach residents are worried for the future.
“I don’t want to become like Treasure Island,” Chipman said. “I didn’t want to get in my car and have to drive anywhere and have all of these high-story buildings next to each other.”
“That’s what Treasure Island is, and that’s not why we moved to St. Pete Beach,” she continued.
Nevertheless, the motion passed 3-2, meaning both new hotels are coming.
“I’ve met with some people who own small businesses, some people who are for this,” St. Pete Beach Commissioner Richard Lorenzen said. “They think it’s time the city move on to a different phase away from the 50s and 60s.”
