The revised proposal calls for less paving and building, as some members of the public requested. County commissioners will again hear from the public about the plans today.
By NICK COLLINS
Published October 12, 2004
LARGO - Pinellas County planners have scaled back a development proposal for Eagle Lake Park after hearing the concerns of more than 500 citizens, many of whom want the park's 157 acres kept in a natural state.
The revised proposal calls for fewer shelters, restrooms and parking spaces than in earlier plans.
"It's good to hear that they cut back on the amount of development they had planned," said Ellen Pfau, conservation chairwoman for the Clearwater Audubon Society. "We would like to see the habitat as protected as could be . . . to be as natural as possible."
County commissioners are scheduled to hear from their constituents again today at a 9:30 a.m. work session when they will evaluate a plan for the park at Keene and Belleair roads on the former Taylor family citrus groves and estate.
Consultants and parks officials will present a proposal for $7.7-million in improvements to the property, said Joe Lupardus, county parks and recreation operations manager.
Commissioners could approve the plan or send it back to the county's staff for further research, county spokesman Len Ciecieznski said.
The proposal was put together by a team of representatives from the county Parks Department, the county Public Works department and the Tampa office of HDR, an engineering firm.
The park's main entrance was moved farther south on Keene to address traffic concerns of residents from a nearby neighborhood, Lupardus said. The entrance would be 1,500 feet south of Belleair Road. Three pedestrian entrances also are proposed.
Parking lots will be at least 130 feet from neighboring residences. Residents had complained that the originally proposed 20-foot minimum might diminish their property values.
One of the biggest hurdles the project faces is its $7.7-million price tag. The commissioners would need to approve an increase in the project's budget, currently $2.7-million for the next six years, if the park is to be completed any time soon, Lupardus said.
The proposal for the park also features a paved 3-mile multipurpose trail similar to the Pinellas Trail. A boardwalk around the lake also is planned, though officials have not decided whether fishing will be allowed.
Other improvements include a Frisbee golf course, a dog park, an off-road bike trail, a playground and unpaved hiking paths.
If the plan is adopted, the first step would be to obtain permits for construction, Lupardus said. Both federal and state agencies may be involved, as the development could affect wetland areas. Some exotic plant species, such as Brazilian pepper shrubs, also would be removed under the proposal.
Pfau and members of the Clearwater Audubon Society have argued against construction that would affect the habitat of the bobwhite, a small bird named for its calls. The park property is one of the few locations in the county where bobwhites live, Pfau said.
Pinellas County commissioners will take public comments on and consider a plan for Eagle Lake Park during their work session at 9:30 a.m. today on the fifth floor of the Pinellas County Courthouse, 315 Court St. in Clearwater.
