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What's Brewing

Traffic is organic ordeal

By SUSAN THURSTON
Published May 19, 2006

Shoppers stormed the Wild Oats when it opened last month, grabbing organic strawberries, natural sausage and golden pineapples by the cartloads.

Store officials, in fact, reported the highest sales for a grand opening in the company's history.

But will the health-conscious hordes keep coming?

Many say no, at least not on a weekly basis, for reasons that have nothing to do with food. The culprit: traffic.

Maneuvering in and out of the new shopping center at Dale Mabry Highway and Interstate 275 has sent many locals packing their shopping bags elsewhere. Yes, they like Wild Oats, Target and the other store offerings, but getting there isn't worth the hassle.

"Horrible." "Stupid.'' "Insane.'' Those are a few adjectives I've heard used to describe it.

Ann Carney of Beach Park was more diplomatic, but firm, in her disdain.

"It's a great collection of stores that's badly needed,'' she said. "But I'm truly avoiding them at all costs.''

It has become a frequent topic of discussion among Carney and her friends. Many resorted to setting their own rules for shopping at Walter's Crossing. Don't go during rush hour and, whatever you do, stay far away on weekends.

"It's an accident waiting to happen,'' Carney said. "It's truly frightening.''

The chief complaint centers on the new light along Dale Mabry. It takes forever - as in 2½ minutes per cycle - to turn left into the shopping center. Then you only get 30 seconds of green, forcing drivers to haul butt to make the light or get stuck waiting another round.

Conversely, when trying to leave, you often can't make a right turn on red because the car in front wants to go straight into Wal-Mart and has to wait for the green light.

Once in the shopping center, you've got to navigate a skinny, curvy road to the parking garage, past all the traffic from Home Depot, Macaroni Grill and every other store known to man trying to exit at the light. My first time there, I figured the setup must be temporary. Who in the world would intentionally design it this way?

Weeks later, it's the same. No more signs. No more stripes on the pavement. Just streams of cars - some experienced with the terrain, some not - desperate to just park and get inside one of the stores.

The parking garage poses more problems. It's dark and cramped but at least invitingly cool. You have to hit the gas hard to get up the steep ramp, then slam on the brakes to avoid the traffic trying to get down from the second level.

Imagine it during the holidays.

"I've gone in there a couple of times, but I hate it,'' said Sara Ulm of Sunset Park. "I had a bunch of Wild Oats coupons, but I wasn't swayed. They don't help you out to your car like at Publix. And people don't yield going into the garage.''

Ari FitzGerald says she's sticking to her old faithful, Nature's Harvest on MacDill Avenue.

"I will go there only as a last resort,'' she said of Walter's Crossing. "The light is poorly timed, and you are waiting there all the time. I don't think I've ever been in there when I haven't had a near miss.''

The center marks Tampa's first so-called vertical mall. Stores are stacked on top of each other and use a common multilevel garage. It's popular in high-density areas with mass transit but a little scary and confusing to car-loving places such as Tampa.

Keri Eisenbeis, who moved to Tampa from Washington, D.C., was thrilled to get a Wild Oats. She likes the store but has avoided it twice during rush hour because, "I didn't want to get caught in that whole situation.''

She laments that the area is so cramped, noting South Tampa has a shortage of developable space.

The city required the developer, MDG Walter LLC, to pay about $1.2-million to offset the transportation impact of the retail center based on its square footage, construction services officials said. The developer received some credit for making improvements along Dale Mabry but must cover the balance.

Last month, the developer appealed the city's impact fee credit amount, essentially saying it deserves more credit and shouldn't have to pay as much.

I'm no land expert, but given the traffic tangle out there, I suspect the city's amount was correct. Fortunately, others must have agreed because this week the developer withdrew its appeal.

Without elaborating, Michael Brooks, the developer's attorney, said it was "in everyone's best interest.''

So it appears no one comes out the big winner. Developers pay in dollars. Stores pay in lost business.

And shoppers pay in aggravation.

THE LAST DROP: New Port Tampa Bay, a huge residential and retail development south of Gandy Boulevard, celebrates its groundbreaking at 11 a.m. Tuesday at 4900 Bridge St., just west of Gandy and West Shore Boulevard. Ads call it Tampa Bay's most coveted place to live, work and play. Provided, of course, you don't mind a little more traffic.

Susan Thurston can be reached at thurston@sptimes.com or 226-3394.

[Last modified May 18, 2006, 11:47:47]