BAYSHORE GARDENS - Bill Robinson is going to build a condominium tower at Bayshore and Bay to Bay boulevards.

He has city approval to build a 120-foot building with 31 residences that will take up 60 percent of the land on the nearly 1-acre property.

But Robinson, president of Citivest Construction, doesn't want to do that.

He expressed his plans and thoughts to a group of about 20 Bayshore Gardens Neighborhood Association residents last week.

Instead, he said, he wants to build a taller building on a smaller portion of the land, contributing to the Bayshore scenic coridor.

The new plan calls for a 190-foot tower with the same 31 residences that only takes up 36 percent of the land and includes 14,000 square feet of green space along Bayshore.

The project needs city council approval to allow for the extra height. The property is zoned to allow for the 120-foot building.

Robinson said the taller building would fit in better with the scenic corridor guidelines because it is set back away from Bayshore and has a smaller, less-intrusive footprint.

'The rearranging of the site was in respect to the spirit and intent of the corridor designation and to the pedestrian's point of view,' he said.

The taller building would be further away from Bayshore; a parking garage would be hidden at the back of the building. He said the shorter building would be more massive and closer to Bayshore.

'We are willing to give up a great deal of green space on Bayshore in exchange for additional air space,' he said.

The property is best known for being where the Bayshore Patriots wave flags Fridays at 5 p.m. The northern corner of the property is designated Bayshore Patriots Corner. Robinson said the sign and flagpole at the corner will remain.

As with other versions of the building, which were denied approval by city council last year, height is the hot-button issue.

The previous proposals called for a 195-foot, 40-unit tower and a 148-foot, 31-unit building.

Marilyn Weekley, who lives on Bayshore, is an outspoken critic of condominium towers on Bayshore. She said she would prefer the smaller building because it does not set a precedent to allow developers to ask for more height.

'This is not the last property on Bayshore that can have multifamily use,' she said. 'Why don't they just build what they can and leave us alone?'

Resident Jack Richardson disagrees. He said he's not worried about the height. He said he liked Robinson's plan and the amount of green space on Bayshore.

'Some people just don't like development,' Richardson said. 'He's invested a lot of money. He's got to make it work. Height means nothing.'

The city council is scheduled to hear the rezoning request at 6 p.m. Nov. 8.

Reporter Michael H. Samuels can be reached at (813) 835-2109 or msamuels@tampatrib.com.