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Old Florida district plans should help local owners

The city of Clearwater's plan for the Old Florida district of Clearwater Beach, presented to concerned citizens at last month's meeting at the Clearwater Beach Recreation Center, is dependent on combining properties for the construction of larger structures for more condominiums.

The city's new planning template for larger setbacks is tailored for larger developers (mostly from out of town) and not for local resident owners of smaller parcels who wish to participate in rebuilding their older dwellings.

Local owners who call Clearwater Beach their home have been completely ignored by current planning guidelines and are now prevented from improving their smaller parcels due to setbacks that have increased by 100 percent - for example, side lot setbacks of 10 feet versus 5 feet.

Since most of the lots in this area are 50 feet wide, the new setback requirement is now 40 percent of available frontage.

These owners are faced with the choice of doing nothing or selling out to larger developers - a sort of back-door eminent domain procedure - and if that does not force a sale, then the city can use eminent domain up front to take property from private citizens, thanks to the recent U.S. Supreme Court's decision.

It is time for the city to rethink its Old Florida district plans for local resident owners - repeat, local resident owners - of smaller properties who wish to rebuild their older dwellings on the existing footprint. And perish the thought of eminent domain.

It's time to tone down the hurricane hysteria

Recently, in this space, I criticized Pinellas County for changing the term "voluntary evacuation" to "recommended evacuation."

I hate to say I told you so, but after its first use in preparing for Hurricane Dennis, it seemed to have no more effect than "voluntary." Not all shelters were opened, there was no exodus and "recommended" added no urgency.

There will be those who will defend "recommended" and claim it is better to be safe than sorry. But there was never a forecast of a direct hit by this hurricane at any time. For that reason, I believe, most people, watching the weather reports, decided not to move. They felt safe. There would be nothing to be sorry about. But, hey, thanks for the recommendation.

By the way, when you're watching those endless weather reports, as I was, and you see, on almost every channel, reporters standing on a shoreline or the edge of a highway or God knows where being pelted with rain or buffeted by wind, you have to say to yourself, "Why should I evacuate? Doesn't look that bad to me."

And, oh, those weather reports.

If I see one more "crawl" with alarming bulletins during one of my favorite programs or hear that ear-piercing beep-beep-beep telling me to finish in the bathroom and come watch this dramatic announcement, I will scream.

I know. I know. They're just doing their job. Well, I "recommend" they dial it down a bit.

Geez. Between wondering whether to evacuate and watching the ominous weather reports, preparing for the worst is sometimes worse than the worst.

Giving blood is easy, and does so much good

At the end of the month, I am scheduled to have surgery at a local hospital. My doctor's office made an appointment at Florida Blood Services on Missouri Avenue in Clearwater for me to donate a pint of blood to be kept on hand for my surgery.

At my appointment, I was greeted by June, a very pleasant lady. After I read and signed a few documents, she proceeded to draw my blood, a very painless procedure. When finished, I was given instructions to take it easy the balance of the day and to drink plenty of fluids. While resting, I noticed pictures on the wall of people who have donated gallons of blood in the past. Here I was, for the first time, giving blood, but for myself.

Later, I noticed in the newspaper an announcement of where the bloodmobile would be. Hereafter, I plan to visit a blood center or bloodmobile regularly to donate for others. My reward won't be a T-shirt or a free ticket but rather the knowledge that my blood donation may help someone who is injured or needs blood for other reasons.

So, hats off to those who work in the blood banks and to those who so valiantly donate blood on a regular basis. Everyone is so busy these days, but giving blood takes very little time and is painless. That's why I'm so proud of my daughter, who visits the bloodmobile regularly.

Please visit your local blood donation center or mobile unit. It's an easy way to give of yourself to others.

[Last modified July 12, 2005, 01:26:22]