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Letter to the editor

Road plan foes flex muscle in opposition

A proposed widening of 102nd Avenue N sparks organized resistance.

By ANNE LINDBERG, Times Staff Writer
Published January 8, 2008

SEMINOLE - When county officials hosted a recent public meeting to gather comments about improvements to Starkey Road, they spent a good deal of time twiddling their thumbs and watching the Osceola High School wrestling team practice on the other side of the cafeteria.

They had no such problem at a similar meeting when the topic was 102nd Avenue N.

People came to that meeting. Lots of people. Opponents sat at the entrance to the Seminole High School cafeteria and drummed up support to defeat the proposal.

The result has been a flood of letters, calls and petitions to the county with the opposition running well ahead of support for the improvements.

Opponents have taken their battle to the Internet, under the name "Save Our Neighborhood: Preserve 102nd." Their Web site, www.preserve102.org, describes their group as "a grass roots group of residents and others who have an interest in preserving 102nd and the surrounding area."

The goal is to defeat the proposed $33-million road-widening project and petition the County Commission to declare 102nd a "constrained corridor."

Constrained corridor is a county designation that means a road cannot be widened although other improvements, such as lights, can be used to help traffic flow.

The site also provides details and a map of the proposal, a place for comments, a petition, links to news stories and to members of the Pinellas County Commission, the Seminole City Council and the Metropolitan Planning Organization, the countywide agency that develops plans and policies for transportation issues.

This week the site listed 221 signatures with comments. Activists say they have more than 500 signatures. Their goal is 1,000.

"We figured that was the best way to reach more people," said Marjorie Bulone, one of the group's leaders. The activists found that going door to door took a lot of time - about 30 minutes per person - to explain the situation.

The Web site also gives people a chance to make comments that Bulone said are "very compelling" in some cases.

Activists have met with County Commissioners Calvin Harris and Karen Seel to urge them to visit the site and read the comments.

"It shows it's not a one-sided issue," Bulone said of the comments. "It's multidimensional."

But for Pinellas traffic officials, there is no argument. They say the widening is essential because 102nd is substandard for the estimated 20,000 vehicles that travel the road every day.

The project, which is in the conceptual stage, would widen the road from Seminole Boulevard west to Antilles Drive (137th Street N). When finished, it would be four lanes with bike lanes on both sides and a median.

The project would be done in three phases:

- The first phase, would cost an estimated $18.6-million and begin in the spring of 2010. It would begin west of 125th Street N and extend to the east side of 113th Street, a distance of about 1.2 miles.

- The second phase, which has not been scheduled, would cost an estimated $13.2-million and extend from west of 125th Street to Antilles Drive (137th Street N).

- The third phase, which also has not been scheduled, would cost an estimated $1.2-million and would cover the road between Seminole Boulevard and 113th Street.

The County Commission must grant approval before the final design and work begin. No hearing has been scheduled, but one could be held as early as February.

The group's main argument against the widening is summarized on its Web site:

"Simply put, this area of Pinellas County cannot sustain additional growth - there's no land left for development.

"Additionally, 102nd is not a through road. It dead-ends at Hamlin Boulevard, so it's not used by people either coming from or going to the beaches. It's clearly not necessary to consider a road-widening project of this magnitude when population growth doesn't warrant it and when 102nd is, in fact, a dead-end street.

"While 102nd does see heavy traffic for about 45 minutes during morning rush hour and again for about 45 minutes during evening rush hour, traffic always proceeds at a steady flow at the 35 mph speed limit and never backs up or comes to a standstill. Those who live along the roadway agree that traffic is manageable, even at peak times.

"Trading off the little bit of green space and recreational areas that are still left in this County to cut commute times by what would amount to mere minutes a day is just not worth it ...especially when you consider the $33-million price tag!"

Other objections center on the character of the neighborhood, which residents want preserved, safety and the failure of the county to consider the needs of nearby equestrians who must cross the road to reach a nearby park.

James Curley summarized many of the objections with his comment on the site: "When are they going to LISTEN to the people?!? This road is our BACK YARD! It's where we live and where we play and where EVERYONE in the county has a SAFE and EASY access to neighborhoods, the Trail and public parks! What in the WORLD are they thinking!?!"

[Last modified January 7, 2008, 21:10:26]