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Passes to ease re-entry after storms

By LORRIE LYKINS
Published July 19, 2006

ST. PETE BEACH - Residents who are evacuated during hurricane season may return to their homes more easily once the storm has passed by displaying a special resident re-entry tag in their vehicles.

St. Pete Beach residents may apply for the $1 hurricane re-entry permits, the brainchild of St. Pete Beach's fire Chief Fred Golliner, which will identify them as residents of the barrier island.

And it's important to plan ahead - the distribution of the passes is suspended once the county is placed under tropical storm warning status.

"The main goal of the re-entry tags is to protect the residents and their property," said Natalie Strong, public information officer for St. Pete Beach.

If the community is evacuated due to a threatening storm, residents will be allowed back on the island once the storm has passed in a smoother fashion if they have the identification. Strong said that once residents are allowed to return, law enforcement would designate one lane of incoming traffic for vehicles with permits only.

The program should be fairly easy to manage because there are only three routes on and off the island. "We've been using the program for a few years and thankfully, we haven't needed to implement it yet. It would only be implemented if there was major damage in the area," Strong said.

The program is in place only in St. Pete Beach right now, but several other barrier island communities are considering adopting a similar pass plan, Strong said.

More information and applications are available on the city's Web site at www.stpetebeach.org. The passes can be picked up at the city's fire or police departments once an application has been submitted.

The city of St. Pete Beach has also teamed up with Pinellas County to send disaster information directly to registered cell phones.

The free program sends text messages to cell phones, keeping residents up to date on all St. Pete Beach storm information.

To receive the alerts, St. Pete Beach residents should dial 1-888-689-8905 from their cell phones then enter ZIP code 33706.

St. Pete Beach

The Historic Preservation Board and the Planning Board will hold a joint meeting at 2 p.m. today in the commission chambers at City Hall, 155 Corey Ave.

The agenda will include discussion of tourist lodging and possible design standards for future residential construction in the Pass-a-Grille area.

The Unwinding at Upham concert series continues this month with a performance by the Spells on July 28 from 7 to 9 p.m.

Bring a blanket or a beach chair, and enjoy live music under the stars at Upham Beach.

Treasure Island

The Treasure Island Historical Society meets on the first Monday of each month at 6 p.m. at the Treasure Island Chamber of Commerce, 144 107th Ave.

News for the Beaches Neighborhood Notebook may be e-mailed to SPTimeslistings@yahoo.com or mailed to Lorrie Lykins, P.O. Box 4954, Seminole, FL 33775. The deadline for inclusion in the Wednesday Neighborhood Times is the previous Friday.

[Last modified July 18, 2006, 20:14:49]