Clearwater FL Site Plan — Level One vs Level Two Approval, Concurrent Review, Gulf Coast

Clearwater is Pinellas County's Gulf Coast city — Clearwater Beach, the Marine Aquarium, and one of Tampa Bay's most active development scenes. The Community Development Department runs permit review, and the concurrent review model is the defining feature of how Clearwater processes site plans. Every permit application in Clearwater triggers review across six divisions at the same time: building plans, site plan, stormwater, transportation, landscaping, and zoning. This integrated approach means your site plan has to address all of those concerns upfront — not one department at a time. The two-tier approval system then determines who makes the decision: the Community Development Coordinator (Level One) for standard residential improvements, or the Community Development Board (Level Two) for more complex or discretionary projects. Getting the classification right before you design your project prevents surprises mid-process.

# Clearwater Has Two Site Plan Approval Tracks — and Every Permit Triggers Simultaneous Review Across Six City Divisions

When you submit a permit application in Clearwater, six city divisions open your file at the same time: building plans, site plan, stormwater, transportation, landscaping, and zoning. This concurrent review model means every one of those departments has to sign off before your permit issues — and missing any one element sends the whole application back for correction.

That's the important context before you draw. Your site plan isn't just for the building inspector. It also has to address stormwater drainage, landscape positioning, driveway and transportation access, and zoning setback compliance — all in one drawing.

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Level One vs. Level Two Approval

Clearwater routes projects to one of two approval tracks:

Track	Who Decides	Typical Projects
Level One	Community Development Coordinator	Standard residential improvements — decks, pools, sheds, additions, garage
Level Two	Community Development Board	More complex, discretionary, or higher-impact projects

Confirm which track applies to your project with the Community Development Department before you start drawing. Level One projects move faster; Level Two involves a scheduled board meeting.

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What the Site Plan Must Show

Element	Clearwater Requirement
Property lines	Lot boundaries with accurate dimensions
Setbacks	Distances from all structures to all property lines
Existing structures	All existing buildings and improvements
Proposed project	Footprint, dimensions, use, location
Utility easements	Location of all utility easements on the lot
Driveways	Location, dimensions, and material
North arrow	Required
Scale	Stated on drawing
Title block	Address, owner, date

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Clearwater Setbacks (Low Density Residential)

Yard	Setback
Front yard	25 ft
Interior side	5 – 7.5 ft
Rear yard	Verify with city

Front yard fence rule: Fences in front yards must be non-opaque and cannot exceed 4 feet in height. This applies to all fence types — chain-link, picket, decorative. A solid fence in the front yard exceeding 4 feet will be flagged at zoning review.

Verify your specific district setbacks at the Community Development Department. The Low Density Residential (LDR) district setbacks above are the standard reference — your parcel may be in a different zone.

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What Concurrent Review Means for Your Site Plan

Each division reviewing your application simultaneously is looking for different things:

Division	What They're Checking
Building plans	Code compliance, structural adequacy, materials
Site plan	Setback compliance, lot coverage, structure location
Stormwater	Drainage, impervious surface, runoff direction
Transportation	Driveway access, sight triangles, ROW impacts
Landscaping	Trees, required plantings, buffer areas
Zoning	Use compliance, district standards, overlay requirements

Your site plan needs to show enough information to satisfy all six — not just the building inspector. Missing driveway dimensions? Transportation flags it. Missing drainage notation? Stormwater flags it. Missing landscaping context? Landscaping flags it. One flagged division restarts the review process for everyone.

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Project-by-Project at Clearwater

Project	Key Concurrent Review Concern	Guide
Deck	Stormwater (impervious), setbacks (zoning), structure (building)	Permit required
Pool	Setbacks, drainage, landscape removal, access	Permit required
Fence	Front yard: non-opaque, max 4 ft; zoning review	Permit required
Shed	Footprint, setbacks, utility easement clearance	Permit required
Garage	Driveway, setbacks, impervious surface, landscaping	Permit required
Addition	All six concurrent reviews — full package	Permit required

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Using the Site Plan Creator for a Clearwater Permit

Enter your Clearwater address. Pinellas County parcel data loads — lot boundaries and easements from county records.
Place your project. Setback lines generate at 25 ft front and 5–7.5 ft interior side. Verify your district's exact figures.
Add utility easements. Check your recorded plat for easement locations and add them to the drawing — this is required and reviewed by multiple divisions.
Show driveway. Add driveway location and dimensions — transportation review checks this.
Note drainage. Add a drainage direction note — stormwater review checks impervious coverage and runoff.
Export and submit. Confirm submission portal with the Community Development Department.

If labels need adjusting after the plan generates, use the adjust labels tool before exporting.

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What This Doesn't Replace

The site plan creator generates preliminary, conceptual drawings. It is not a licensed land survey, a stormwater engineering report, or a landscape architecture plan. Where Clearwater's concurrent review process requires detail beyond what the site plan drawing can provide — particularly for stormwater calculations or landscaping compliance on larger lots — engage the appropriate licensed professionals. Final permit approval requires sign-off from all six reviewing divisions and is at the discretion of the City of Clearwater Community Development Department.

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Local Resources

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Nearby Florida Cities

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Frequently Asked Questions

1. What is the difference between Level One and Level Two approval in Clearwater?

Level One projects are decided by the Community Development Coordinator — these are standard residential improvements where the code requirements are clear and the project doesn't involve discretionary judgment. Level Two projects go before the full Community Development Board, which meets on a scheduled basis. Level Two applies to projects requiring variances, more complex site impacts, or projects in overlay districts. Contact the department to confirm which applies to your project before designing.

2. Why does my residential permit go through stormwater and transportation review?

Clearwater's concurrent review process routes every permit application through all six divisions simultaneously. Even a residential deck permit gets a stormwater review (to check impervious surface addition and drainage) and a transportation review (to confirm driveway and access aren't impacted). This is standard for all permits in Clearwater — not a special scrutiny for your project.

3. Can I put a solid fence in my front yard in Clearwater?

No. Front yard fences in Clearwater must be non-opaque and cannot exceed 4 feet in height. A solid privacy fence in the front yard will be rejected at zoning review. Decorative picket fences, split rail, and similar non-opaque designs under 4 feet are acceptable.

4. What utility easements need to show on the Clearwater site plan?

All utility easements recorded on your plat — drainage easements, electrical easements, phone/cable easements, water and sewer easements. Check your recorded subdivision plat at Pinellas County Property Appraiser for the easement map. The site plan must show these so the building and zoning divisions can confirm no structure is proposed within an easement.

5. How does concurrent review affect my timeline?

All six divisions review simultaneously — the slowest reviewer determines your approval timeline. If five divisions approve in one week but the stormwater division has a question, your permit waits until stormwater resolves it. A complete, well-prepared site plan that addresses all six review areas upfront is the best way to minimize review time.

6. Can homeowners pull their own permits in Clearwater?

Yes — Florida's owner-builder provisions allow homeowners to pull permits for their own property. Contact the Community Development Department to confirm the specific requirements for your project type.

7. What happens if one of the six reviewing divisions flags my application?

You'll receive correction comments specifying what needs to be addressed. Revise the relevant portion of the site plan or application, resubmit the corrected documents, and the reviewing division will re-evaluate. The other five divisions may or may not need to re-review depending on what was corrected.

8. Does the site plan creator load Clearwater utility easement data?

The tool loads Pinellas County parcel data, which includes recorded easements from the county database. Add any easement labels to the drawing and verify against your recorded plat before submitting, as easement records in county databases vary in completeness.

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Start Your Clearwater Site Plan

Six concurrent divisions. Two approval tracks. Show property lines, setbacks, easements, driveways, and drainage direction. Enter your address, pull Pinellas County parcel data, place your project, and export. First plan is free.

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Clearwater Has Two Site Plan Approval Tracks — and Every Permit Triggers Simultaneous Review Across Six City Divisions

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