Palm Boulevard work planned

Residents will be able to ask questions and comment on the project at an open house Jan. 30.

By LEON M. TUCKER

© St. Petersburg Times, published January 13, 2001

DUNEDIN -- It's been about 50 years since extensive work has been was done on Palm Boulevard -- and it shows.

With cars bouncing over zig-zagging, weed-sprouting cracks, it's clear the winding stretch through Dunedin's Fairway Estates needs help.

So, this month, the city will ask residents for input on a plan to improve the half-mile stretch of Palm Boulevard between the Pinellas Trail and Demaret Drive.

"It's going to be a good thing," said Leslie Misener, who lives on the boulevard. "It's just going to bring this area up and make it look nice. I'm sure it will bring up some hassles with tractors digging up the street, but you got to do what you've got to do."

By reconstructing the road, the city hopes to improve vehicular and pedestrian traffic as well as address flooding concerns.

City officials say the project won't be as simple as laying down new asphalt.

Also planned in the construction will be bicycle lanes in both directions, an emergency lane, a new sidewalk on the north side of the street and concrete curbs.

Last year, the city projected the cost of tearing up and repaving the road east of Alt. U.S. 19 to be $1-million, of which $585,000 would come from Penny for Pinellas tax money.

Now, officials say all the money will come from the county gas tax fund, which contains about $1.5-million. The city is waiting for a finished design to see how much it will cost.

"One-million is what we have in there now for the Palm Boulevard project," said Bob Brotherton, the city's public works director. "But that may not be enough money, so we may have to take some money out of our (city) reserves. But once we finish the design, we'll have a closer understanding of what that estimate will be."

Brotherton said work on the project could begin later this year. That will be decided once the design proposal in finished, he added. With a new drainage system and enhanced median landscaping included in the planned construction, the job likely will take as long as 11 months to complete -- a cause for concern for some of the area's residents.

"I don't object to it," said John McAuley, who lives on Burke Avenue just off Palm Boulevard. "But my biggest concern is how we're going to get in and out. If they do one side at a time, it probably won't be so bad."

Brotherton said the city is open to suggestions as to how to handle the traffic issue and will take comments from residents at an open house Jan. 30. The session will be held at the Dunedin Public Library, 223 Douglas Ave., from 5 to 8 p.m. Residents will be able to inspect the preliminary design and ask questions about the plan.

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