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© St. Petersburg Times, published February 15, 2000
Re: Neighbors can only watch as trees tumble, story, Feb. 10.
Why should citizens of Pinellas County be surprised when apartments replace the beautiful woods behind their homes? This is just another example of the lack of foresight by our county commissioners.
We do have some protected land, such as the Brooker Creek Preserve, but it is the overdevelopment of other land that has caused situations such as what has happened to the residents of Dove Hollow. I sympathize with these people as I have experienced this problem firsthand.
What made my situation even more aggravating is that I checked with the county's Development Review Services before I purchased my property. DRS employees informed me that the land behind my property was owned by the county and probably would not be developed because there was no site plan on file. My neighbors and I were shocked when we found out that an apartment complex would be developed behind us.
The developer did leave a 25-foot buffer zone as is required, but this is not much at all. My neighbors and I were subjected to loud noise at all hours of the day for months. We registered numerous complaints with the county's environmental department because some of the loud work was being done in violation of county code.
After trying for several months to contact Commissioner Barbara Sheen Todd, I finally contacted Commissioner Sallie Parks. She was kind enough to come to my home to see the situation firsthand. She vowed to contact the developer to see whether he would be willing to do more. It has been about six months and I still have not heard a word.
It is obvious that our county commissioners cater to the developers and not the homeowners of Pinellas County. We have to rely on other counties for our water supply. Our children are subjected to portable classrooms. Our roads are so overcrowded that even the various expansion projects have barely helped. Our commissioners feel the best solution to all of these problems is to continue to allow the development of multifamily housing.
If our county commissioners had any common sense, Pinellas County would not be one of the most densely populated counties in the state of Florida.
-- John W. Honoski, Palm Harbor
The drug sweep that took place in Tarpon Springs recently is a good example of why Pinellas County law enforcement should be consolidated into one agency. Any time talk of consolidation comes up, those with something to lose, such as police chiefs, talk it down. They claim their police departments can provide better service to their cities than the sheriff's office. This is laughable.
Does anyone know why the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office has to perform these undercover operations in Tarpon Springs every year? It's because the department is so small that all the drug dealers recognize all the police officers.
It's time for these small cities to let down their guard, save their taxpayers millions of dollars every year and improve their level of law enforcement by joining forces with the Sheriff's Office.
-- Lynn Becron, Largo
I wish to thank all the voters and particularly those who voted for me in the recent Dunedin election. I thank all those people who worked hard for my election and those who supported me with their donations. My campaign staff and my family tried desperately to appeal to the 82 percent of the people that did not vote.
We did bring out some issues that need to be addressed and still have hope that those people who have been overlooked by the powers that be will win out against those that have ignored them. We do have some good commissioners that care more about people than material things. Perhaps those commissioners will take a look at why 82 out of every 100 registered voters do not care enough to vote.
I believe that distance from the polls (three miles in some cases) has a lot to do with people not voting. Perhaps we need more precincts. A lot of people do not drive anymore and they simply will not get in a car with a stranger to go vote. We need to stop begging people to exercise their right to vote (unfortunately, they also have a right not to vote) and seek new ways to appeal to them.
Again, thanks to everyone who participated and I have no regrets about running.
-- G. Wayne Dailey, Dunedin
Re: Public-private venture needed for development, letter, Feb. 13.
It should be noted that the letter writer, F. Wallace Pope Jr., works for the law firm that represents one of the prospective Clearwater bluff developers as well as the Church of Scientology. He is therefore hardly a disinterested observer when he states: "The only thing that will work is a public/private venture that employs the skills of private people who know what they are doing."
-- A.C. Scheer, Clearwater
Was there any question that Clearwater City Manager Mike Roberto would pick MarketFest as his choice to develop the bluff after the developer employed Tim Johnson and two other local hired guns to shill for them? I am sure that the City Commission will follow suit.
Whether you want a development or not, I question the assertion that a theater will bring in 100,000 people a month. That is better than 3,000 a day, and if you believe that, you also believe in the tooth fairy. Let's at least be realistic.
-- Jack Heckert, Clearwater
Re: Largo learned and profited from first development try, editorial, Feb. 10.
After having read your editorial regarding redevelopment of Largo's downtown, I feel that I must respond. Although I don't live in Largo, I work there.
Largo has a wonderful opportunity to make downtown a people place. Apparently the old city hall will be torn down. It should be replaced by the new library that is being planned.
With some shops close by, I can see people spending a morning or afternoon there. At present, many people spend a lot of time at the library. With a coffee shop, a restaurant and the nice little park nearby, it would be the place to spend time.
-- Gordon Parsons, St. Petersburg
I have been a frequent visitor to Clearwater Beach in the last 15 years and a resident of Sand Key for the last two. I don't understand the complaints on the roundabout. I drive through it many times a week at various hours and other than the first weekend it opened, I have never had a problem.
People should stop complaining about it and just learn how to use it. It's here; get used to it. Instead of looking for trouble, watch where you are going, slow down and stay alert. And the complaints about the water spray from that beautiful fountain? How petty can a person be?
Clearwater Beach is a paradise. It was meant to be enjoyed. Don't be in such a hurry and share the road. Let's be proud of the city in which we live and work. Stop complaining and be thankful for what we have.
-- Mary Mascaro, Clearwater
I retired more than six years ago from a career in transportation planning and traffic engineering. I watched the furor about the then-proposed roundabout on Clearwater Beach and agreed with the people opposed to the construction of a traffic circle at the beach. However, I was retired and new techniques are developed almost daily.
I contacted one of my old associates to find out whether the traffic circle, a design that was being eliminated elsewhere, was back in use. I learned that some places in the U.S. were installing traffic circles. Based on this information, I kept my concerns to myself.
When I returned to my home on Sand Key, I had the scare of my life traversing the then-nearly completed roundabout. In more than 30 years working with traffic and transportation programs, I had never before seen a permitted right turn from a left lane when the adjacent right lane is not required to turn right.
It is my conclusion that we the taxpayers have been sold a very dangerous design with uncontrolled traffic movements and a sight-impairing fountain, which we can expect to be the site of increased traffic accidents and near-miss pedestrian collisions.
-- Charles Kole, Clearwater