Editor: Wal-Mart has a right to rebuild the former shopping center in Hudson on U.S. 19.
Wal-Mart does not have a right to facilitate traffic through Beacon Woods. The round-trip traffic volume of 5,000 to 10,000 additional vehicles they expect on U.S. 19 between State Road 52 and Hudson Avenue, bringing customers to a new Wal-Mart Supercenter, would seriously expand traffic through Beacon Woods. An estimated 5,400 adults live in 2,688 homes in Beacon Woods.
Glenwood condominiums has 88 homes restricted to residents over age 55. Many residents are beyond 70 and 80. Their only entrance is on Beacon Woods Drive. Several thousand vehicles going to and from Wal-Mart would create hazardous traffic for these residents.
In May 2003, the Pasco County Traffic Operations Division reported that 35 percent of the 337 vehicles moving through Beacon Woods Drive was by "cut-through vehicles." The bridge planned by Wal-Mart over Bear Creek for the parking lot to Beacon Woods Drive would increase cut-through traffic in all of Beacon Woods. It may require modification by Pasco County of Beacon Woods entrances on State Road 52 at Majestic Boulevard, Fivay Road at Clayton Boulevard, at Woodbine Drive and at U.S. 19.
Beacon Woods has been a desirable place in Pasco County for more than 25 years. Wal-Mart does not have a right to destroy its desirability in order to provide more traffic to a new store.
-- Thomas Knowles, Bayonet Point
Stronger code enforcement needed
Editor: Hopefully in the near future we will see that our pothole alley streets will be replaced at an expense to all property owners. This will enhance our property values.
But in hindsight, are we so blind that we shall expect the slum landlords who are only interested in collecting their rents to approve the replacement of our streets? I think not.
There are also homeowners who could not care less about how their property looks and who allow unsightly conditions to exist. What we need is a stronger county Code Enforcement Department.
I get a tree in my front yard trimmed professionally each year. But I am allowed to trim anything off the top. Dumb code.
However, properties on both sides of my home are allowed to have knee-high grass and unsightly conditions year-round. Yes, I can call code enforcement to complain and give my name. Next I'm just an ole biddy who has nothing else to do but complain. Perhaps I'll even expect some retaliation.
We need new roads, but we also need to fix some other problems.
-- Marie Wolownik, Port Richey
Bingo open to smokers, nonsmokers
Editor: The Disabled American Veterans Chapter 78, New Port Richey, is an organization that helps disabled veterans and their families.
We have only one income besides member donations, and that is bingo. We play on Mondays and Saturdays. It is a smoking bingo with a room for nonsmokers. We had to close our Monday bingo because we went nonsmoking, but that didn't work so we had to go back to smoking.
All of our people are veterans. Without us, the disabled vets and their families would get nothing, so please, if you could come to our bingo, we welcome smokers and nonsmokers.
-- Paul H. Clamp Sr., New Port Richey
Tax watchdog is a help to residents
Re: Penny politics should be lesson for community, Aug. 6 editorial
Editor: It wasn't nice for the editor to call Ann Bunting "the self-appointed hall monitor for keeping politics out of the classroom." She's probably got him worried. All liberals get nervous when citizens actually start watching what the government is doing.
I am glad Ann is on the job. We couldn't have a better watchdog. She did a great job showing how the former sheriff did not need the new tax sought. She'll do a good job bringing out the truth that we don't need the penny for Pasco sales tax. In fact, it will mean higher taxes for us all down the road.
-- Myrna Rhall, Port Richey
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