Southpinellas: City agrees with plan to junk Tyrone overpass

City agrees with plan to junk Tyrone overpass

By BRYAN GILMER

ST. PETERSBURG -- The Tyrone Boulevard overpass will disappear if the Florida Department of Transportation accepts a reconstruction plan the City Council recommended Thursday.

The overpass near 71st Street N and Tyrone Square Mall was originally built to carry the boulevard over a railroad line, which has since been converted to the Pinellas Trail. Now, the overpass is too narrow and limits drivers' sight.

The DOT proposed several options for rebuilding the intersection, including two that would keep the boulevard raised and two that would bring it down to earth.

Area business people wanted to lower the road and add an exit from Tyrone Boulevard to increase visibility of their businesses to motorists. Residents were worried more cars would turn off the main thoroughfare and drive through their neighborhoods.

After talking about it for months, local business people and residents from the nearby Jungle Terrace neighborhood agreed to favor one DOT scheme to bring Tyrone Boulevard back to ground level and build a pedestrian bridge over it for the Pinellas Trail, after city officials agreed to add devices to slow traffic on the residential streets.

Praising that consensus, the council endorsed the recommendation Thursday.

"The process used to get there is really a model," council member Jay Lasita said. After hearing the opinion of the Metropolitan Planning Organization, DOT officials will decide whether to take the suggestion.

Also Thursday, the council:

Declined to make regulations on portable storage units -- rented under the name of PODS by one company -- more strict. A year ago, the council restricted the units to stays of seven days at a time at homes in the city.

Agreed to try to shorten its notoriously long first- and third-Thursday council meetings by having more meetings. Beginning in June, the council will hold additional second- and fourth-Tuesday afternoon "mini-meetings" to give awards and presentations, hear from people who write letters to the council and handle legal items.

Formally adopted the Southwest Florida Water Management District's order that lawn irrigation be cut to one day a week for users of potable water or private wells. Residents of homes with odd-numbered addresses may water their lawns with drinkable water or from private wells on Sunday between 5 and 9 a.m. and/or 7 to 11 p.m. Even-numbered addresses may water on Tuesdays at the same times. Reclaimed water users are not restricted, but are encouraged to conserve.

Rejected council member Kathleen Ford's idea to study new ways to conserve water. Ford had proposed a moratorium on buildings and swimming pools.