HOLMES BEACH – Preliminary discussions have occurred regarding the possible rezoning of the Gloria Dei Lutheran Church property for residential development.
The church operations ceased in January 2025 and the Manatee County Property Appraiser’s Office still lists Gloria Dei Evangelical of Anna Maria Island as the property owner. In June, the Florida Bahamas Synod Council that’s overseeing the sale of the church property declined the city of Holmes Beach’s $3 million offer to purchase the three-parcel, 2.96-acre property at 6608 Marina Drive.
The church property parcels carry the Public/ Semi-Public (PSP) zoning designation and a similar Public/Semi-Public future land use map designation in the city’s comprehensive plan. The PSP zoning designation and future land use designations do not allow for residential or commercial development.
In accordance with the current zoning designation, the mayor and commission hoped to preserve and repurpose the iconic, triangular-shaped church building and the spacious property that surrounds it for public use and public green space.
REZONING DISCUSSIONS
On Friday, May 1, Holmes Beach Director of Development Services Chad Minor confirmed that on Feb. 24 he, Mayor Judy Titsworth, Public Works Director Herb Raybourn, Development Services Coordinator Kim Charron and the potential applicant’s representative, Marshall Robinson, participated in a pre-application discussion regarding the potential rezoning of the Gloria Dei property. Robinson is a land planner for the Grimes Galvano law firm in Bradenton. Minor said he, Raybourn and Robinson also participated in a follow-up phone discussion pertaining to a traffic study.
Minor confirmed the preliminary rezoning discussions when responding to an email inquiry received from The Sun. Minor said he doesn’t know for certain if Robinson is representing the current property owners, a potential buyer or both. He also said he doesn’t know for certain whether there’s a pending offer for the purchase of the Gloria Dei property.
According to Minor, Robinson’s client, or clients, desire a R-1 (single-family residential) zoning designation. According to the city’s land development code, the R-1 zoning designation requires a minimum parcel size of 7,510 square feet and allows 5.8 dwelling units per gross acre of land. The R-1 zoning designation allows rentals of 30 days or more and does not allow for weekly or shorter-term rentals.
The properties directly east of the church property carry the R-1 zoning designation and the low-density residential future land use map designation set forth in the comp plan. The Gloria Dei property is surrounded to the north, west and south by residential properties that carry the R-2 (two-family residential) zoning designation that allows up to 10 dwelling units per acre and rental stays of seven consecutive days or more. Those properties carry a medium-density residential future land use designation.
When asked if the city commissioners must consider the zoning and future land use designations for the surrounding properties when considering a rezoning application, Minor said, “Yes, compatibility is something that the commission considers.”
When asked if the city expects to receive a Gloria Dei rezoning application at some point, Minor said, “Yes.”
As of May 1, the city had not received a rezoning application for the Gloria Dei property.
REZONING PROCESS
Minor said the applicant initiates the rezoning application and then follows the rezoning processes outlined in Section 2.13 of the city’s land development code.
City code requires rezoning applications to be reviewed and voted on during publicly noticed public hearings that allow for public input. Section 2.13 of the code says, “Four members of the city commission shall constitute a quorum and not less than three affirmative votes shall be required for commission adoption of any ordinance amending this ordinance or rezoning of property.”
According to city code, “No amendment rezoning any parcel may be granted unless the city commission finds that such amendment is consistent with the comprehensive plan of the city of Holmes Beach.”
City code says, “In determining whether to approve the rezoning of property or substantial changes in permitted use categories in zoning districts, the city commission shall consider the following criteria:
• “Whether the proposed change is in conformance with all applicable requirements of this land development code;
• “Whether there has been a change in the conditions upon which the original zoning classification was based;
• “Whether the proposed change is consistent with development patterns and is a logical expansion of adjacent zoning districts;
• “Whether the proposed change will increase population density or development intensity in a manner that will have an adverse impact on traffic patterns, public facilities and services, or other infrastructure;
• “Whether the proposed change is compatible with existing development patterns in the area;
• “Whether the proposed change will adversely affect any historic resources or environmentally sensitive lands;
• “Whether the proposed change will adversely affect the health, safety or welfare of the adjacent properties, or of the city of Holmes Beach in its entirety;
• “Any other matters which may be appropriate.”
If submitted to the city, a rezoning application would also be reviewed by the Holmes Beach Planning Commission for compliance with the city’s comprehensive plan.
According to the comprehensive plan amended and adopted in 2022, “The Public/Semi-Public future land use category recognizes identifiable areas of the community which support public, municipal and semi-public center, community services and facilities – i.e., churches, schools, both public and private.”
PAST EFFORTS
In 2016, city commissioners denied a comprehensive plan amendment sought by church officials who wanted to change the future land use designation to R-2 (multi-family residential) for the two undeveloped parcels and rezone those parcels in the same manner. Church officials hoped to sell the rezoned parcels for development by someone else and use the proceeds to fund the church operations.
In 2018, city officials discussed purchasing the undeveloped portions of the church property, but not the church building, but that potential $1.3 million sale never transpired.
The city’s $3 million purchase offer in 2025 was based on two value appraisals that assumed the property would continue to carry the PSP zoning designation. To date, the city has not made another offer on the property.
After the city’s $3 million offer was declined, St. Petersburg-based Virtual Realty Inc. real estate agent Taylor Rahdert listed the church property for $9.95 million – an asking price based on a value appraisal that assumes the church property would be rezoned for future development.
