Tampa City Attorney Andrea Zelman is accused of threatening to suspend all zoning considerations following a judicial ruling that could limit municipal rezoning powers in Florida.
The allegations were made in a letter from attorney Ethan Loeb, the Tampa Bay Business Journal reported.
The controversy revolves around local developer Liberty Group’s proposed AC Hotel project at 800 South Harbour Island Boulevard. The firm, led by Raxit Shah, sued over the city’s two zoning denials, and Hillsborough County Judge Anne-Leigh Gaylord Moe dismissed the project on grounds that the Tampa City Council doesn’t have the constitutional authority to review matters such as zoning.
Loeb accused Zelman of trying to intimidate consultant Stephen Michelini by suggesting that the city could suspend zoning considerations while an appeal of the judge’s ruling is pending.
Zelman allegedly “became combative” and threatened to “shut down” zoning considerations as part of the city’s response to the ruling.
She has refuted the allegations, explaining that she has known Michelini for decades and believed their conversation to be a candid exchange.
“I certainly did not in any way threaten or try to intimidate him,” Zelman told the outlet. “The statements in Mr. Loeb’s letter mischaracterize both my comments about the Liberty case and my intent in making them.”
Read more
Commercial
Tampa
WPG scoops last piece of Tampa mall slated for redevelopment
Development
Tampa
Tampa Bay Rays’ $1.3B stadium development with Hines moves forward
Commercial
Tampa
Tampa Bay island listed for $75M after state blew up deal to buy
Loeb also asked Zelman to publicly apologize and criticized the city for not acknowledging the broader implications of Judge Moe’s ruling, which he argues exposes fundamental flaws in the city’s zoning process.
Developers, meanwhile, await clarity on the city’s next steps, wary of potential disruptions to zoning processes statewide.
— Andrew Terrell