Madeira Beach to vote tonight on major hotel development at John’s Pass

The Madeira Beach City Commission is set to vote Wednesday on a proposed five-story hotel in John’s Pass.

MADEIRA BEACH, Fla. — The Madeira Beach City Commission will vote Wednesday evening on a proposal that could bring one of the largest developments in the history of John’s Pass Village.

Commissioners will decide whether to approve a rezoning request that would allow developers to move forward with plans for a five-story, 87-room hotel. Amenities include retail, a restaurant, rooftop access, and public parking.

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Ahead of the vote, visitors and business owners are divided on the issue.

For decades, Ashley Wilson and her family have been vacationing at John’s Pass every few years. She worries a larger development could change what makes the waterfront village special.

“I think it would take a little bit away from the charm of John’s Pass, just kind of the small feel, the old-timey beachy feel this has,” Wilson said.

She said many of the same locally owned shops she visited as a child are still there today.

“There’s some stores here that have been here since I was a kid that I still love to frequent,” she said. “It’s kind of what makes this place unique.”

Her husband, Jon Wilson, believes the area’s slower pace sets it apart from other popular Florida beach destinations.

“While I understand the growth and the revenue it would bring in, it would take away the feel that we have,” he said. “There’s a lot of comfort in knowing these shops we love are gonna be here.”

Not everyone shares those concerns.

Sue Bousfiha, who has owned Cups and More in John’s Pass for 18 years, believes the project would bring more visitors and help local businesses. She believes additional hotel guests would spend money at nearby businesses, therefore benefitting the local economy.

“I am so happy because it’s going to bring more people and more business for us, and the property is going to go up,” Bousfiha said.

Still, she acknowledges other residents’ worries that this development would make John’s Pass resemble any other waterfront beach community.

“I know a lot of people are mad about it… they don’t want it to be that way,” she said. “But we’re happy about it.”

Developers have said the project would also include nearly 100 public parking spaces, new sidewalks, public restrooms and roadway improvements designed to improve traffic flow through the busy village.

The Madeira Beach City Commission meeting begins at 6 p.m.