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City commissioners on Aug. 9 approved Tarpon Springs Apartments, an eight-unit multifamily apartment complex at the corner of North Safford Street and East Park Street.

City commissioners on Aug. 9 approved Tarpon Springs Apartments, an eight-unit multifamily apartment complex at the corner of North Safford Street and East Park Street.

TARPON SPRINGS — City commissioners on Aug. 9 approved Tarpon Springs Apartments, an eight-unit multifamily apartment complex at the corner of North Safford Street and East Park Street.

By a 5-0 vote, the commission approved construction of the three-building complex to sit on a 11,200-square-foot plot in the city’s uptown charter district.

One building will house four apartment units, with two other buildings made up of two units apiece.

Recommended by the city’s Planning and Zoning Board at its July 18 meeting, the complex application generated two concerns with city commissioners.

The first issue: Apartment developer Nick Mavromatis’ use of a 6-foot white plastic fence to satisfy the city code to provide an attractive appearance to land area fronting the units.

Tarpon Springs Vice Mayor Craig Lunt opposed use of the PVC plastic fence.

“I’m not a particular fan of white vinyl fences; we are starting to see way too many of them,” Lunt said.

Mavromatis said the choice of a vinyl fence over a concrete or brick wall is the economically feasible decision.

“We feel that vinyl is going to meet the requirements of trying to put something there to divide something off and provide protection,” Mavromatis said. “A block wall requires painting and upkeep, whereas a vinyl wall I easy to replace.”

The second application issue: site visibility at the complex’s corner street intersection.

Commissioner Panagiotis Koulias voiced concerns about the complex creating a driver visibility problem.

“My only concern is that the visible triangle at that street corner area,” Koulias said. “Would you consider using less trees to open the visibility?”

Mavromatis said the landscape design won’t impair street corner visibility.

“We won’t block it,” Mavromatis said. “I don’t see this as being necessary.”

Commissioner Jacob Karr praised the project, calling the proposed apartment complex “a great project for the area.”

The board voted unanimously 5-0 to support one of the four engineering options proposed by engineering firm Arcadia to shore up the Whitcomb Bayou shoreline.

The report also provided grant funding options for a project that when done could cost up to $41 million.

The commission in September authorized the long-term project to study potential engineering improvements to mitigate future flooding along the Whitcomb Bayou shoreline.

According to Ajani Stewart, senior consultant for Arcadis, and lead project manager on the Whitcomb Bayou project, several climatic environmental factors have increased the probability of flood damage in Florida.

“You’re seeing increased flood risks because of extreme high tide events, regular summer heavy precipitation events, and storm surges associated with hurricanes and tropical storms,” Stewart said. “And all these flood risks are being exacerbated by high sea levels.”

Commissioners voted to pursue option No. 4, a hybrid that combines an earthen berm with a concrete barricade — or “T-wall.”

Each option would also build “living shoreline” construction elements, including a flood barricade gate to be installed on the west side of the Whitcomb Bridge.

The report also provided grant funding options for a project that could cost as much as $41 million.

The board’s approval means Arcadis has the go-ahead to prepare and submit applications for possible state and federal grant funding for the project.

In other business, the board voted 5-0 to OK construction of a four-way stop at the intersection of West MLK Drive and South Spring Boulevard and Pineapple Street to improve traffic flow at the intersection.

The board, which had previously approved the project, chose a four-way stop option over a proposed roundabout.

Project work includes raising intersection elevation to improve pedestrian safety, and improve flood drainage.

The design of the project is currently 60% complete.

Project funding includes a $673,619 state grant.

According to a survey, city residents preferred a four-way stop over a roundabout by 60% to 40%.

Karr said that while he is an advocate for roundabouts, in this instance he supports a four-way stop sign.

“A four-way stop is safer for the people to walk, and it doesn’t make it a complicated intersection,” said Mary Coburn, who lives on South Spring Boulevard. “A roundabout is a nightmare, and I’m asking you not to do it.”

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