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Sierra Club files suit over mall construction

By Times Staff Writer
Published October 2, 2007

Wesley chapel

The Sierra Club on Monday made good on its 2-month-old threat to sue the Army Corps of Engineers for awarding a permit to Cypress Creek Town Center, a 1-million-square-foot mall under construction at Interstate 75 and State Road 56.

The club, together with the Clean Water Action group and Gulf Restoration Network, filed papers in Washington, D.C., accusing the corps and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service of failing to fully and accurately assess the environmental impact of the development.

"The land clearing has already polluted the creek, an Outstanding Florida Water," said Denise Layne, Tampa's spokeswoman for the club.

Amanda Ellison, a spokeswoman for the corps, said a court would need to issue an injunction to stop the work.

CLEARWATER

City to extend contract for officers in schools

Clearwater leaders tentatively signed off on a plan Monday to keep school resource officers, a move that officially ends months of debate over the program.

The City Council during its work session unanimously agreed to a one-year contract with the Pinellas County School Board to place one Clearwater police officer in each Clearwater High, Countryside High, Oak Grove Middle and Kennedy Middle. Earlier this year, some school and city leaders battled publicly over whose responsibility it was to pay and staff the schools.

CLEARWATER

New overpass opens on northbound U.S. 19

The $47-million project to build the U.S. 19 bridges over Sunset Point and NE Coachman roads is almost done. Two of three northbound lanes opened early Monday morning.

Another layer of asphalt and proper road markings still need to be added, said Kris Carson, a spokeswoman for the Florida Transportation Department. Construction at the intersections below isn't complete. Work is expected to be finished by the end of the year.

Traffic opened on the southbound bridges last year.

SAN ANTONIO

Roadwork delay also stalls developments

The interests of two city-sized developments in east Pasco have gridlocked over an $11-million road project.

Pasco Town Centre and Bella Verde sit side by side just southeast of State Road 52 and Interstate 75.

But their prospects now depend on working out differences over a two-lane road just over a mile long, running on the northern edge of both projects.

Pasco Town Centre needs that stretch of SR 52 widened.

But the responsibility lies with New Cities Development Group, the California developer behind the proposed 2,000-acre, 27-hole golf community Bella Verde.

Bipin Parikh, Pasco's development services chief, said the Transportation Department is implicated because it failed to perform maintenance work on the road.

[Last modified October 2, 2007, 00:19:06]