Clearwater officials recently learned the results of the survey they commissioned seeking answers to why residents innately distrust any development/redevelopment plan the city puts forth.
Were they surprised to find that their past debacles may have contributed to the perception that they are incompetent? Wasn't the heralded beach roundabout a tipoff? How about the success story that is the Memorial Causeway Bridge? How about Harborview Center? How about the bayfront referendum?
Today, I opened the Clearwater section of the St. Petersburg Times to read about and see renderings of the redevelopment that would replace the Clearwater Beach Hotel. Attendant comments by our leaders were absolutely giddy. I wasn't.
The proposed project appears to encompass more than the hotel site. Does it? If so, what else is impacted? Does Frenchy's restaurant go? How about the Rockaway municipal parking lot?
Do we lose beach access to the south? Do they plan convention business? Where do the conventioneers park? Do they plan to make the streetscape as unattractive as the developers of Sand Key did?
Giddy? Based on what?
If city officials don't have the answers to these fundamental questions, they have no business expressing an opinion one way or the other. If they have answers and we don't, shame on them.
I, for one, have no interest in seeing Clearwater Beach become Sand Key North. I agree with Mayor Brian Aungst's opinion that we can be and should be much more than the gulf coast's low-cost alternative. The overriding consideration, however, should be that it is our beach. It belongs to the residents of Clearwater.
If the proposed plan is well thought out and will enhance the beach for all our residents, not just the resort clientele; if they'll take care of all their parking needs, including worst-case scenarios and not place more burdens on our already woefully inadequate public parking; if they'll spend as much money making the street side as attractive to our residents as they'll spend making the gulf side attractive to their clientele, then the project should probably go to the next step.
But if their interest is only in building a fortress on our beach with the express purpose of keeping our residents from accessing our beach while reserving it for their clientele, tell them to move along. We're not interested.
-- Jeff Feeley, Clearwater
EDITOR'S NOTE: The resort and condominium project proposed by JMC Communities and the Hunter Hotel Co. will cover most of two blocks on the west side of Mandalay Avenue immediately north of the Mandalay Beach Club. It will absorb parcels already owned by JMC, as well as the parcels and buildings owned by the Hunter family, owners of the Clearwater Beach Hotel. The project site does not include Frenchy's and does not extend into the Rockaway parking lot. The beach in front of the resort and condominium will remain public. The drawings of the resort that have been printed in the Times show the street side of the project, not the gulf side, because design of the project is not yet complete and no drawings of the gulf side are available. The Clearwater City Council members have responded to only concepts for the property. A site plan and development agreement will be submitted to the city later.
-- Bringing in resort, tourists as good an idea as the roundabout
Re: "Timeless' resort intended to rid beach of bargain label, story, June 13.
What a wonderful idea! Get rid of those common folks from the Midwest who have been coming to Clearwater Beach and get us some highfalutin tourists.
Why, that's almost as good an idea as building the roundabout.
-- Bob Coffey, Clearwater
There may not be a trophy, but Clearwater is still a winner
Re: No trophy for Clearwater in its All-America City bid, story, June 13.
We did not bring home the trophy as the city of Clearwater's delegation had hoped in the competition among finalists in the All-America City presentations in Atlanta, but we did come home knowing that Clearwater is a winner.
The many programs in which the city partners with citizens, corporations and not-for-profit groups offer a helping hand to those in need.
One example is the GOALS program with the public library, in which students at risk of not graduating take time to read regularly to young children in day care settings. This responsibility of not letting the children down (by studying to stay in school and being allowed to perform this reading so enjoyed by the little children) helped one of our delegates graduate with her class. Her goal now is to become an obstetrical nurse.
Quality of life is a priority in Clearwater. Helping those in need (be it neighborhoods or individuals) has a ripple effect on the entire community.
I am proud of Clearwater.
-- Elizabeth France, Clearwater
If worried about fluoridated water, you can remove it
Re: Pinellas County fluoridating its water.
This is written neither to promote acceptance of fluoridation nor be critical of its value or safety. People worried about drinking it can restore their peace of mind by installing an undersink reverse osmosis filter system. These systems do an excellent job of contaminant removal and produce really great-tasting water.
The startup expense (often less than $200) plus the semiannual filter changes are well worth it to those of us who tire of fighting windmills.
-- Art Palmer, Largo
Fluoride has hazardous uses that seem harmful to people
Re: Pinellas County's fluoridated water.
All information on the chemical hydrofluorosilicic acid being added to Pinellas County water lists the applications as sterilization of equipment, electroplating, tanning of animal hides, glass etching, in commercial laundry, as a neutralizer for alkalis, for hardening of cement, oil well acidizing, rust and stain removal for textiles and a wood preservative.
I am sorry, but something that can do these things is not a product that I want added to my water and my body. Do you?
Which leads to another point: The issue is not only the fluoride. The issue is also that the county commissioners are using their power to decide on your behalf that you and your children require medication and that we, as people, have no choice as to whether or not we want this medication in our body.
I don't want the government making a decision like this for me. Do you?
-- Lenore Day, Palm Harbor
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