Davis Islands: Community task force envisions 2023 needs
A neighborhood task force presented the Davis Islands community with its vision for the future.
By AMY SCHERZER
Published November 28, 2003
Underground power lines. Bicycle lanes. Ample parking. Caring citizens.
Those are some of the goals for Davis Islands, according to members of a neighborhood planning task force.
The committee of 10 residents and one business owner presented its vision for the community Nov. 20 at Davis Islands Baptist Church. About 100 residents stopped by to review the set of vision statements and offer input that will help the task force refine general concepts.
"It's what we think the community wants Davis Islands to look like 20 years down the road," said Lee Medart, chairman of the Davis Islands neighborhood planning task force.
Member Connie Gee, a Tampa General Hospital employee, put her sentiments to music. She wrote lyrics to the Louis Armstrong tune, What a Wonderful World: "I see trees of green, waters so blue, a warm welcome home for me and for you."
The group will use the vision to create a neighborhood plan by the end of next year. Residents, property owners and anyone employed on Davis Islands will vote to support or reject the plan, said Michele Ogilvie with the Hillsborough County City-County Planning Commission.
"Approval of a neighborhood plan says to the city these are our priorities," Medart said.
Four study groups spent four months researching aesthetics, land use, transportation and parks and recreation to create a collective vision for Davis Islands' 5,400 residents. One group walked the entire island taking pictures of what they liked and disliked.
So, what might life be like on the downtown islands in the decades to come? Think Mayberry in the 1950s, just a bit more uptown.
Mediterranean-revival architecture will be preserved. Pedestrians and bicyclists will feel safe and respected because nonmotorized transportation will have a high priority. Overhead utility lines will be buried. The public will have more access to clean and safe water for swimming. Problems with speeding, parking shortages, litter, noise and trash disposal will be resolved. New parks and recreational facilities will accommodate every stage of life.
"I see nothing there that can't happen," said Gary Brown, a task force member.
