City Commission Will Consider Incentives for Businesses for Redevelopment

The Largo City Commission will consider an early sign replacement incentive program for the West Bay Drive area at tonight's workshop session.

The commission will also review other incentives tonight to encourage community redevelopment in Largo's downtown area, such as office building development and targeted job creation to support the use of new and existing downtown office space.

The possible early sign incentive program is part of a city-wide goal to replace non-conforming pole signs with monument signs by June 5, 2017.

When the city created its new sign ordinance in 2007, it provided a 10-year timeframe for businesses to comply.

This summer, the commission discussed a proposed new incentive program to encourage the replacement of the signs, but that program did not include businesses in the redevelopment areas along Clearwater-Largo Road and West Bay Drive.

Last week the city commission agreed to waive the temporary event permit application fee for the month of November for businesses that hold sidewalk sales, parking lot sales, tent sales and other temporary events.

The businesses will not need to pay the $75 temporary event fee, but they will still need to complete the application paperwork.