The maps are part of a two-year pilot project, launched in February, to learn what residents and property owners want for three neighborhoods: South, Southeast and Old Seminole Heights.

Should there be more commercial development and, if so, what kind - restaurants, medical offices, banks or boutiques? What type of housing is best - the bungalows Seminole Heights is known for or more town homes and apartments?
Or do residents want to leave the neighborhoods as they are?

"We're really trying to capture what people said they wanted," said Cathy Coyle, the city's zoning administrator.

Last week's workshop was one in a series to get resident input. Additional tweaking is being done before a final map is presented to the council for review, likely in December.

If a map is approved, city staff will begin writing regulations, known as form-based codes, to turn vision into reality over the next decades.

The city plans to launch similar redevelopment projects next year in Tampa Heights and along the 40th Street corridor.

Generally, form-based codes focus on the size and appearance of buildings, as well as the layout of streets and public spaces. The intent is to create more mixed-use, pedestrian-friendly neighborhoods.

Traditional zoning generally separates areas based on land use and decisions of public health and safety, placing shops, homes and factories in different districts.
That zoning seems to work against businesses trying to locate in Seminole Heights, notably Cappy's Pizza, which nearly closed because of parking issues.
"We need to do something so that businesses can come in without dying," said Susan Long of Old Seminole Heights.

Some residents worried the changes would allow businesses to encroach into neighborhoods, especially off major corridors such as Florida and Nebraska avenues.

Others wondered how to safely blend the needs of pedestrians and motorists.
And there were fears about property rights.

"The city has no plan to take anyone's property, no plan for eminent domain to widen any roads," Coyle said.

Surveys were collected during the Oct. 29 meeting, and adjustments can be made to meet neighborhood or individual preferences, Coyle said.

For information or to comment, call the city's land development office at (813) 274-8405. To view the proposed maps, go to www.tampa gov.net and select the link for Land Development Coordination.