The Landings Corporate Center

A Proposed Light Industrial Park

Abstract
Overview of proposed project includes conclusions and recommendations by subject matter
experts and reference to guiding principles, plans and resource documents

Prepared by Denise Sanderson, Director

September 16, 2020
Contents
Proposed Project........................................................................................................................................... 2
Term Sheet .................................................................................................................................................... 3
Due Diligence: 14 months of Evaluation and 3rd Party Analyses .................................................................. 4
City Charter Provisions & Council Strategic Direction .................................................................................. 9
Approval Process......................................................................................................................................... 10
Positives & Negatives for Citizens of Clearwater ........................................................................................ 11

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 The Landings Corporate Center
Proposed Project
I. Harrod Properties, Inc is a commercial real estate development company that designs, builds,
leases and manages office and industrial buildings. Proposal is to lease approximately 57.11
acres for development of a multi-tenant light/flex industrial park
a. 3 phases of construction
b. 710,000 SF; 9 buildings
i. Building height cannot exceed 50 ft; Developer indicated 32-40 ft will be typical.
c. Anticipated uses include a variety of light industrial manufacturing such as
research/technology, high-tech manufacturing, wholesale/distribution and office.
i. Light Industrial, defined 1:
1. Uses moderate amounts of partially processed materials to produce
items of relatively high value per unit weight and are easy to transport.
2. Facilities have less environmental impact than those associated with
heavy industry
a. Zoning laws permit light industry near residential areas
3. Local examples include Veriphone, Bausch + Lomb, and Monin.
d. Sustainability Features
i. Landscape
1. Reclaimed water for irrigation; drip irrigation will be utilized in all non-
turf areas to promote water savings; groundwater wells will be capped;
2. Many plantings will be native to Florida.
ii. External
1. Bicycle racks;
2. Electric vehicle charging stations; additional conduit within 15’ of
roadways to allow for additional EV stations as demand grows
3. A bus stop (if possible)
4. A recycling program will be in effect
iii. Building Construction
1. R-30 roof insulation with white membrane roofing systems;
2. Low E impact resistant glass; glass in the upper level warehouse walls to
allow for natural light.
3. LED lighting with light harvesting devices and motion detectors where
appropriate.
II. 8.31 acres of Public Parkland Buffer (north of St. Andrews Cove II)
a. To be constructed by Developer; maintained by the City;
b. Cost of annual maintenance to be paid by Developer

1 USLegal.com

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 III. 12.29 acres for Aqua Range to be operated by The Hustons (current operators of Golf Course) 2

Term Sheet
I. Each Phase: 65-Year Lease with up to (3) 10-year Renewal Options
a. Includes reverter and recapture provisions to ensure the project meets the Terms &
Conditions approved by Council
b. Includes escalation of lease rate (minimum 2%, maximum 5% compounded annually)

II. Additional Terms & Conditions generally depicted in table below:

Phase 1 Phase 2 Phase 3

Start Date is Building Permit for No later than 3 yrs from Start No later than 6 yrs from Start
1st Bldg. This could take 1-2 Date of Phase 1 Date of Phase 1
years from November
referendum.)

Ground Rent $1,665,355 $1,137,699 $686,818

(Mandatory Prepaid Lump Sum (7 years of collections) (4 years of collections)

amount for 1st 10 years, paid
w/in 30 days of issuance of
Certificate of Occupancy for 1st
bldg. completed)

Credit – Huston Family -$350,000

debt for golf course (Approximately)

irrigation system

Credit - Debris Removal -$300,000

(Not to Exceed)

Credit – Additional -$1,700,000

Construction Costs due
(Pier System w/Grade Beams vs
to Debris Field Slab on Grade)

SUBTOTAL $1,015,355 $1,137,699 $0*

(Years 1-10)

TOTAL $2,153,054
* Ground rent credit paid off no later than Year 16.

2Though not negotiated with The Hustons, the Council-approved Term Sheet requires the city enter negotiations with The
Hustons if project is approved by referendum.

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Due Diligence: 14 months of Evaluation and 3rd Party Analyses
I. Evaluation of Current Operation: The Landings Golf Course
a. Environmental Impacts of Golf Course Operation
i. Groundwater: +/- 39 Million gallons used in 2019 to irrigate the property and
properly maintain greens and fairways.
1. SWFWMD permit expires by end of 2020 and is unlikely to renew
ii. Chemical Use: Herbicides and pesticides used, which are common to golf course
operations
iii. Debris Field: Materials identified in Phase II ESA include glass, rubber, plastics,
ceramics, wood and metals.
iv. Trees: Vast majority of trees identified as invasive species (including melaleuca,
eucalyptus, camphor) or not recommended (laurel oak due to weakness of tree)
- (Catherine Corcoran, Sr. Landscape Architect & Certified Arborist – city of
Clearwater. May 2020)
b. Management Agreement with The Huston Family for operation of a Par 63 Golf Course
i. Recreational Use: Open to the Public, greens and cart fees apply. The course is
not a Par 3 course as has been described. Rather, 9 holes are Par 4; 9 holes are
Par 3.
ii. Expiration: Agreement expires on February 28, 2029.
1. Early termination of Agreement by the city requires a partial
reimbursement of capital improvements made by the operator. 3
iii. City Revenues: $1,000 monthly lease; $0 in property taxes
iv. Going Concern: The continued operation of the golf course is dependent, in
part, upon installation of a reclaimed water system upon expiration of the
SWFWMD groundwater permit.
1. The city would bear the cost of the installation which is estimated to be
$175,000.
2. Operator has indicated the anticipated cashflow from the operation of
the course will not support the usage costs of the reclaimed water.

II. Subject Matter Experts and 3rd Party Analyses

a. Phase I Environmental Site Assessment (Tierra, Inc – July 2019)
i. Trench patterns of disturbed earth are apparent (1957, 1962, 1970).
Recommended Phase II Environmental Site Assessment (Phase II ESA)
b. Preliminary Geotechnical Engineering and Limited Contamination Testing Services
(Tierra, Inc – October 2019)
i. Scope of work included Phase II ESA
1. Ground Penetrating Radar,
2. Ground surface soil tests,

3 Term Sheet: Harrod Properties, Inc. will pay operator the reimbursement of capital improvements in accordance with the
city’s current Agreement. City will provide ground rent credit equal to this amount in Phase I of the project.

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 3. 4 test pits
ii. Conclusions/Recommendations:
1. Alternative 1: Removal and replacement of debris materials
2. Alternative 2: Buildings, parking lots and drainage features to be
designed outside of the debris limits requiring no remediation for the
buried debris.
3. Alternative 3: Deep Foundations such as driven concrete piling for
structures where debris field remains
4. NOTE: Developer proposes combination of above alternatives
c. Wildlife Hazard Site Visit Report (Blue Wing Environmental, LLC – December 2019)
i. Scope of work included review of FAA National Wildlife Strike Database Analysis,
wildlife observations, identification of wildlife attractants, Listed Species
Regulatory Overview (Federal & State) and recommended actions.
ii. Conclusions/Recommendation:
1. Stormwater Management Ponds: Implementation of FAA off-airport
storm water management systems. For ponds closest to runway, steep
wall construction, rip-rap lined, narrow and linearly shaped water
detention basins and elimination of vegetation to reduce wildlife
attractants. (FAA AC 150/5200-33B)
2. Landscaping: Should be reviewed by Qualified Airport Wildlife Biologist
to ensure roosting trees, perch sites and shelter areas are not created
near airfield.
3. Aqua Range: Disruption of water surface by golf balls and the fencing
and netting associated with the perimeter of a range facility, it is not
likely that this open water habitat will create a wildlife hazard attractant
4. Perimeter Fence: Between project site and airfield should be replaced
with fence specifically designed to exclude wildlife from entering
airfield. (FAA CertAlert No. 16-03)
5. Additional Recommendations: Specific to airport property including
recommendations for drainage ditches, swales; woodlands removal
within airfield perimeter fence, and development of airport
plan/operating procedure for wildlife management.
d. The Landings Golf Course Redevelopment Feasibility Study (Geosyntec Consultants, Inc
– April 2020)
i. Scope of work included evaluation and engineering feasibility services to assess
floodplain impacts, required permitting, construction costs based on a
preliminary site layout 4 provided by a developer for an industrial, research, and
technology (IRT) land use.
ii. Review included:
1. 2019 Tierra Preliminary Geotechnical Engineering Report;

4 Site layout has since been modified to include public park. Total SF has been reduced from +/-750,000 SF to +/-710,000 SF

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 2. available topography;
3. FIRM from FEMA Flood Insurance Study: Pinellas County, Florida (FIS#
12103C0107H, 2005);
4. September 2015 City of Clearwater Stormwater Drainage Criteria
Manual; and
5. SWFWMD stormwater design criteria.
iii. Conclusions/Recommendations:
1. Debris Field: May cause total and differential settlements. Geosyntec
agrees with Tierra’s recommendation for debris removal and
replacement with fill to mitigate settlement impacts and improve
subsurface conditions for the use of shallow foundations. However, an
additional geotechnical investigation, that includes a GPR study, will
need to be completed for debris location and foundation design once
desired layout of the Site is determined. Hydraulic and hydrologic
modeling for final sizing of stormwater structures, optimization of the
overall stormwater system, and evaluation of contributing areas offsite
is recommended before the implementation of the presented
conceptual redevelopment of this Site.
2. Flood Zones: “Zone X” for majority of site; “Zone AE” in areas requires
compensatory stormwater storage to offset the fill impacts
a. NOTE: Projects developed will be required to meet the
standards in City of Clearwater Stormwater Drainage Criteria
Manual. Criteria is designed so runoff and pollutants will not be
increased beyond its present state by development. (Elliot
Shoberg, PE – Assistant Director – Engineering, City of
Clearwater)
3. Costs: Redevelopment of the Landings Golf Course has an estimated
cost of $16,438,000 (Range: $13,972,300 to $19,725,600).
e. Additional Staff/Subject Matter Expert Evaluations
i. Economic Impact Analysis (Denise Sanderson, Director – Economic
Development & Housing, City of Clearwater)
1. Utilizing software licensed from Impact DataSource 5, economic impact
of the proposed project is expected to yield over a 10-year period the
following:
a. 4,489.4 new jobs
i. 1,700 new direct jobs at an annual wage of $60,000.
ii. 1,581.6 new Indirect and Induced (“spinoff”) jobs within
the city boundaries and

5Uses industry-standard Regional Input-Output Modeling System (RIMS II) model developed by the U. S. Department of
Commerce, Bureau of Economic Analysis. Impact DataSource utilizes adjusted county-level multipliers to estimate the impact
occurring at the sub-county level.

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 iii. 1,207.8 new spinoff jobs county-wide.
b. $24.1 M in Taxes, Fees, Other Benefits (Net) for local taxing
authorities:
i. $7.6M - City of Clearwater
ii. $6.8M - Pinellas County
iii. $7.2M - Pinellas County Schools
iv. $2.5M - Others
c. $2.2 M in Lease Revenue for the City of Clearwater
ii. Certified Arborist (Catherine Corcoran, Sr. Landscape Architect & Certified
Arborist w/City of Clearwater - May 2020)
1. Conclusion: Vast majority of trees identified as invasive species
(including melaleuca, eucalyptus, camphor) or not recommended (laurel
oak due to weakness of tree)
2. Recommendation: Removal of invasive trees (and laurel oak). For
healthy trees, replace “inch for inch” per city code.
iii. Opinion of Value (Philip Kirkpatrick, Sr. Economic Development Coordinator
w/City of Clearwater 6 – June 2020)
1. Scope of work: Evaluated environmental audit data, physical
characteristics of the site, location, proposed land use and zoning,
comparable sales, cost of capital, and compiled an integrated valuation
to determined median, average and maximum price per square foot
and, for determination of median, average and maximum lease rates,
applied an equity risk premium of 6.0%
2. Conclusion: Proposed lease of $.22 per square foot is appropriate and
aligned with maximum price per square foot ($.215)
iv. Keene Road – Current Level of Service (Paul Bertels, Traffic Operations
Manager w/City of Clearwater – May 2020)
1. Definition: Qualitatively describes the operating conditions of
a roadway based on factors such as speed, travel time, maneuverability,
delay, and safety.
2. Determination: Level of Service is “C” which is described as having
“light congestion; occasional backups on critical approaches.”
v. Park Land - Level of Standard (Art Kader, Interim Parks & Recreation Director)
1. 4.0 acres/1,000 residents is Adopted Standard (1989 Comprehensive
Plan)
2. 15.82 acres/1,000 is current level
3. 15.33 acres/1,000 if 57.11 acres is rezoned to IRT
4. 111 acres recently acquired from former Clearwater Christian College

6 Subject matter expert with approximately 16 years’ private sector experience in office and industrial development

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 vi. Evaluation of Alternative Redevelopment Scenarios
1. Multifamily vs Flex Industrial
a. Multifamily development of similar density would yield 4.25X
more CO2 emission than Flex (light) industrial (18,842 tons vs
80,018 tons). 7 (Phil Kirkpatrick, Sr. Economic Development
Coordinator – City of Clearwater, July 2020)
i. Assumptions:
1. Multifamily – 30 dwelling units/acre = 1,713
units
2. Flex Industrial – 710,000 SF
2. Wildlife Refuge
a. Due to the property’s proximity to Clearwater Airpark, presence
of undesired surface and subsurface conditions, staff does not
recommend it be considered as wildlife refuge.
3. Remain as Golf Course
a. As detailed on page 2, The Landings Golf Course is not
anticipated to remain a Going Concern in the future
f. Additional Supporting Plans & Studies
i. Economic Development Strategic Plan, City of Clearwater (excerpts)
1. Goal One: Land Use – Encourage the development of sites and buildings
needed to accommodate higher intensity employment opportunities.
a. Strategy 1.4: Expand the use of Industrial, Research and
Technology District (IRT).
b. Action 1: Investigate the long-term feasibility of converting
Clearwater Executive Golf Course to an Industrial, Research and
Technology District.
ii. Clearwater Greenprint, City of Clearwater (excerpts)
1. Contrary to public narrative, the proposed project is not in conflict with
Greenprint. Economic issues identified in Greenprint provide context:
a. Lack of vacant land resulting in reliance on the renovation of
existing building stock and redevelopment to house future
residents and economic activity;
b. Increasing rate of building obsolescence due to rapid growth
over past decades using building systems and technology with
relatively short useful lives, high need for ongoing maintenance
and/or high operating costs;
c. The potential for a long-term decline in the retiree immigration
rate and a retiree population with less fixed and disposable
income than generations past;

7
Data and methodology references: Institute of Transportation Engineers, Washington, DC; EPA Green Vehicle Guide’s
Greenhouse Gas Emissions from a Typical Passenger Vehicle; Autoweek (1/7/2020); US Department of Energy

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 d. The need to attract young or otherwise new workers to the city
to live and work;
e. Competing with other United States and international cities to
attract new jobs including “green” jobs;
f. Sustainability is a balance between the environment, economy
and community.
iii. Economic Development Market Assessment, Pinellas County, FL (SB Friedman)
1. Conclusions:
a. Demand is outpacing development of facilities
i. If unable to increase capacity, will see job loss as
growing companies will be forced to relocate to other
areas.
b. Aged facilities do not meet needs of users
c. Vacancy is at/near an all-time low
i. Redevelopment of existing sites not currently feasible.
d. Employees desire to live near where they work
i. Reduced travel time and costs
ii. Work-Life balance
iii. Community engagement

City Charter Provisions & Council Strategic Direction

I. City Charter Provisions (excerpts, paraphrased)
a. Prior to the lease for a term longer than five years, real property must be declared
surplus and no longer needed for municipal public use by the council
b. No municipally owned real property identified as recreation/open space may be
sold, donated, leased for a new use, or otherwise transferred without prior
approval at referendum, except when the council determines it appropriate to
dedicate right-of-way from, or easement over, such property.
i. Such recreation/open space property may be leased for an existing use,
without referendum, unless such lease is otherwise prohibited by charter
or ordinance.

II. Council Strategic Direction (excerpts)

a. Facilitate the Development of the Economy
i. Diversify the Economic Base: Expand the tax base to reduce the reliance on
residential taxes
b. Increase Economic Opportunity
i. Foster industry sectors identified in the Economic Development Strategic
Plan

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Approval Process
I. May 21, 2020:
a. Staff introduced project to Council and public; Council directed staff to move forward
with necessary steps to obtain approval for redevelopment

II. June 18, 2020:

a. The initial scope of the project was amended to increase and make available to the
public a parkland buffer area north of St. Andrews Cove II. Total square footage of
proposed building construction decreased from 750,000 SF to 710,000 SF.
b. Council approved the surplus of 68 acres for purposes of redevelopment as described
c. Council approved the Term Sheet
d. Council provided direction for the ballot question/referendum, which is limited to </=
75 words

III. July 16, 2020:

a. Council approved the language for the referendum and authorized it to be placed on the
November 3 general election ballot
b. Should the referendum not pass on November 3, the approvals described above
become null and void.

IV. November 3, 2020:

a. Referendum is voted upon by registered voters of the city.

V. Additional public approvals

a. Should the referendum pass, the following are required:
i. Community Development Board (quasi-judicial board)
ii. City Council (Zoning Amendment, Land Use Plan Amendment)
iii. Forward Pinellas (Land Use Plan Amendment)
iv. Pinellas County BOCC as Countywide Planning Authority
v. FL Dept of Economic Opportunity

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Positives & Negatives for Citizens of Clearwater
I. Positives
a. 1,700 high quality, high wage jobs will be created
i. Will provide career opportunities that will allow job seekers a pathway from
unskilled/semi-skilled through advanced and highly skilled work.
ii. Unlike many service-sector jobs, employee benefits such as paid time off,
health insurance, tuition reimbursement, and 401(k)/Pension plans are often
available in this sector
b. Nearly 2,800 additional spinoff jobs are expected to be created county-wide over a 10-
year period with
i. 1,580 of them likely to be within the city.
ii. These figures do not include the construction jobs that result from the project
c. Generally, light industrial sector is more resilient to economic pressures.
i. COVID-19 pandemic is unfortunately providing us with a stark contrast: As
tourism, retail and food service industries have suffered immense revenue and
job losses, manufacturing has remained very strong and been deemed essential.
d. Other positives include increased revenues for the city in the form of lease revenue,
property taxes, utilities, and other taxes and user fees
e. Other taxing jurisdictions will also benefit including, Pinellas County, Pinellas County
Schools, Emergency Medical services, Juvenile Welfare Board, etc.
f. Mitigation of environmental hazards including
i. Removal of melaluca and other invasive species
ii. Reduction in the use of fertilizers and pesticides means these hazards will not
enter our watershed or gulf.
iii. By moving to reclaimed water, we’ll see a huge reduction in the use of well
water (>$39Million gallons last year).
iv. Improved soil conditions with debris removal
g. Public (no fee) Park will be constructed.
h. Reduced wildlife hazards – especially for the airpark.

II. Negatives
a. For some, current view corridors will be impacted
b. Those who currently frequent the par-63 course will need to travel 2 miles to another
municipal golf course.
c. There will be increased traffic in the area; those impacts would be far less compared to
certain other kinds of uses.

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