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Lutz school gets warmer reception

Last time around, proposed sites met with grumbling. This time, hundreds of residents turn out with nary a peep of protest. "We need this school," one writes.

By BILL COATS
Published January 23, 2005

LUTZ - Seven years ago, a series of high-school sites proposed near Lutz's settled, country-style neighborhoods drew 300 or more residents in protest.

Last week, a site proposed between the Suncoast Parkway and Lutz's newest developments attracted scarcely 100 residents, and not a one registered opposition. Nearly all who expressed an opinion emphatically supported the high school.

"There is overcrowding in schools," Caroline Perciavalle of Heritage Harbor wrote on a comment sheet. "We need this school."

School officials had braced for hundreds of people, but didn't mind Wednesday night's outcome.

MaryEllen Elia, the school system's chief facilities officer, said such hearings elsewhere have drawn as few as a half-dozen.

"We weren't overrun, but we certainly had steady people," she said.

"When something isn't controversial, your attendance may be less," said John Bowers, the high school project manager for the school system's planning consultants.

"Everybody seems to be supportive ... so I'm going to celebrate," Elia said.

Back in the days of controversy, the Hillsborough County School Board eventually gave up the fight after a shopping center developer bought the site it wanted. Money earmarked for the Lutz school was diverted to help Gaither and Sickles high schools expand.

Now those schools are packed with students, and the quest for another campus has resumed.

But this time, the proposed site is in the heart of Lutz's growth belt along Lutz-Lake Fern Road. The surroundings are suburban rather than semirural.

The nearest subdivisions, with some 10,000 residents, are endorsing the high school. They also have banded together to demand road improvements, even if those attract heavier traffic.

"We are here to be a different voice than you have heard before," a leader, VillaRosa's Sharon Calvo, told the Hillsborough County Commission on Wednesday.

The school system is proposing to create its first triple campus by packaging the planned high school next to Martinez Middle School and McKitrick Elementary off Lutz-Lake Fern. If the plan flies, a McKitrick child could matriculate from kindergarten through high school at roughly the same location.

The high school would be separated from the closest houses, in VillaRosa, by the Martinez campus and by a swath of lakes and swamps. School planners envision the high school's athletic fields flanking the Suncoast Parkway, away from VillaRosa.

Wednesday's public meeting was held at Martinez, and most people who showed up had a child there or at McKitrick. Many of the 43 people who completed comment forms said the high school would improve their property values.

"Build the school to its maximum capacity from the beginning," urged one, David Langsam of VillaRosa.

"The population has grown and is only growing," wrote Adina Bratz of Heritage Harbor. "It is essential we have a high school for our children, to prevent them from going into double sessions at Sickles."

Yet many people expressed qualms about traffic on two-lane Lutz-Lake Fern Road. It's already over capacity near N Dale Mabry Highway and the high school would generate some 1,400 trips a day.

"Lutz-Lake Fern Road is very dangerous at high peak times," wrote Mary Noble of Cheval. "We need to get school traffic off the main thoroughfare and onto school property."

Auralee Buckingham, with three grandchildren in line for the high school, questioned traffic engineer Elton Smith, who works for the school system's planning consultants, WilsonMiller.

"I don't know how in the world you're going to get three schools down that one roadway," she told Smith.

He had a variety of answers, including major road work by the school system and perhaps the county government.

WilsonMiller is proposing that Lutz-Lake Fern be widened to seven lanes in the vicinity of the three schools. Their combined driveway would contain six lanes. Drivers would use double-left-turn lanes onto and off of Lutz-Lake Fern.

"The staggering of the school start helps that intersection work," Smith said. Each day's first bells would ring at 7:25 a.m. for the high school, 8 a.m. for the elementary school and 8:50 a.m. for the middle school.

Smith also hopes the county will approve a traffic light at the intersection.

"My opinion is that they'll wind up having to four-lane Lutz-Lake Fern," he said.

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

[Last modified January 23, 2005, 00:14:21]