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Talk of trail extension hits some rough spots
By JOSH ZIMMER, Times Staff Writer
ODESSA -- Supporters think extending the Upper Tampa Bay Trail through Keystone and Odessa would create an invaluable public asset. Their grand plan would create a 44-mile connection between Tampa Bay and the 29-mile Suncoast Trail, which runs parallel to the Suncoast Parkway through Pasco County. Other connections, including one to St. Petersburg, could increase the total length to about 100 miles. But try telling that to John Volz of Canterbury. One of the proposed routes would run by his house, on Isbell Lane. Uncomfortable with the possibility of strangers in his cul-de-sac neighborhood and the potential for collisions with children, Volz asked county officials to reconsider one route during a heated meeting Thursday night at Keystone Park. "We brought properties (here) to have a secluded neighborhood that has no accessibility to it," he said. "I'm not opposed to the trail. I just don't want it through my back yard." County officials and planners came to the meeting with a variety of options. Knowing the importance public support will play in the project's success, they sought out opinions in an open forum and repeatedly told landowners they were willing to consider rerouting sections of the proposed trail to minimize impacts on individual properties. The proposed routes through Keystone and Odessa would be 7.5 miles. They merge and branch off in different places before connecting and moving east toward the Suncoast Trail on Lutz-Lake Fern Road. Their starting point is Peterson Road, the northernmost edge of the trail. The estimated cost for the alignment study, land acquisition and trail design is $7.4-million, said Charner Reese, a greenways planner with the county's Department of Planning and Growth Management. Reese said the proposed routes seek to make good use of public land and various rights of way controlled by Tampa Bay Water, Tampa Electric Co. or both. Arranging deals with them could greatly simplify and lower the cost of land acquisition, she said. About half the trail would use the west side of the publicly owned Brooker Creek Headwaters Preserve. Money for the project comes from a variety of sources, including the state and federal governments and county Community Investment Tax funds. On Wednesday, Hillsborough county commissioners allocated $98,382 to the trail budget to add a half-mile on either end of the 1.4-mile paved trail running through Town 'N Country from Shimberg Park to Webb Road. In addition to a small trail head on the west side of Webb, the plan extends the trail from Sheldon Road to George Road, and builds bicycle bridges over Channel G and Rocky Creek. Construction on the section through Town 'N Country, which is expected to take about a year, is scheduled to start in the spring. Some of the more than 50 people at Keystone Park on Thursday night said they already use the trail, which stretches 4 miles from Linebaugh Avenue to Peterson Road. Keystone resident Karen Rafferty said she skates there. Janet Hiltz of Citrus Park said she rides her bike on it. But supporters were largely drowned out by detractors, who saw land they owned, or that friends owned, about to be bisected by the pathway. They spoke of a loss of privacy and a fear of crime and speeding cyclists. With an anxious look, John McMullen, owner of McMullen Wholesale Nursery, stood by maps showing a route that would practically bisect his 23-acre parcel. McMullen would be paid for right of way. But he worries about vandals entering off the trail. "Who would be liable for people getting off the trail?" he asked. Planners will spend the coming weeks combing over comments with an eye toward resolving individual complaints. But Reese does not foresee major changes. The proposed completion date is 2010. "I think it's a matter of tweaking those alternatives," she said. -- Staff writer Jackie Ripley contributed to this story. Josh Zimmer covers Keystone, Citrus Park and the environment. He can be reached at 269-5314 or zimmer@sptimes.com .
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