Lutz

Community's speed humps on hold

Crystal Lake Manors decides to try other means for 60 days to slow speeders on curving Crystal Grove Boulevard before resorting to the humps.

By BILL COATS, Times Staff Writer
© St. Petersburg Times
published February 7, 2003

LUTZ -- Crystal Lake Manors has an old speeding problem, and a new three-step solution to it.

The issue drew nearly 60 people to a meeting last week. They came to debate speed humps, but didn't endorse them outright. Instead, they planned for a stepped-up presence by deputies and other speed deterrents.

Crystal Lake Manors is a gated community of nearly 200 homes, west of U.S. 41 in central Lutz. Its roads are public.

The speed problem is on Crystal Grove Boulevard, the development's curving, half-mile entrance road. The speed limit there is 25 mph, but Hillsborough County employees had clocked vehicles moving as fast as 40.

"There is a problem," said Jerry Dabkowski, the hearing master who presided at the Jan. 30 meeting. "There are a tremendous amount of mailboxes being lost due to speeding."

Dabkowski said speeders have passed school buses that were loading children and have cut across the oncoming lane to accommodate the curve.

But the residents opted to postpone by 60 days a petition drive for speed humps.

Instead, Dabkowski endorsed these changes within 30 days:

-- More speed enforcement by the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office.

-- Use of a "speed trailer," a portable sign that shows oncoming drivers how fast they're going.

-- Double yellow striping to remind drivers to stay in their lanes.

-- Distribution of traffic-safety fliers.

After that, the Crystal Lake Manors homeowners association plans to hire off-duty deputies to nail speeders over another 30 days, Dabkowski said.

Then a formal petition drive for three speed humps will start.

"If the other changes haven't solved the problem, then they can petition for the speed humps," Dabkowski said. "If they have worked, then everybody can vote no on the petition.

"It was a very reasonable final opinion."

-- Bill Coats can be reached at (813) 269-5309 or coats@sptimes.com .

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