Letters to the Editors

Uncontrolled expansion threatens our quality of life

© St. Petersburg Times, published June 9, 2000

Editor:

Having just read your article Modest growth blocks roads, I am amazed and shocked at what I read. The bottom line of your article is that 30,000-plus are suffering with one major road, Bruce B. Downs Boulevard, and will have to suffer more to have any hope of improvement.

Seems to me it is about time to turn out the entire city-county planning commission if they have allowed this to happen. Previous studies show that Bruce B. Downs averaged 50,000-plus vehicles in a 24-hour period, way too much for a four-lane divided road. If the planning commission failed to get developers to kick in more money for roads, just as they did for schools, then they need to come up with money from other sources. The idea that we would have to experience another building boom in New Tampa in order to generate money for the east-west link to I-275 would mean, in the interim, even higher congestion on Bruce B. Downs.

It is about time for all the residents in New Tampa to say "enough" to uncontrolled and downright stupid, blind expansion. Look what it has gotten us over the past five years:

1. Eight traffic lights, 20-plus minutes of extra driving time and unwanted traffic backups.

2. Overcrowded schools with more temporary buildings than permanent structures.

3. Loss of trees, to be replaced with unsightly strip malls and apartments.

4. Promises of new road links to I-275, none of which have been delivered to date.

Enough is enough. People need to say no more homes, apartments, strip malls or anything else until major improvements are made to the road network in New Tampa, new schools added and trees replaced along Bruce B. Downs.

The solution is easy and should have been done all along.

First, developers should have paid more money and set aside land for schools and roads. Second, developers should have been required to maintain the tree line along Bruce B. Downs, placing their apartments and strip malls behind them where people could access but not have to see them.

Third, Bruce B. Downs should have been widened to six lanes (minimum) before or at least during the initial expansion of building into the area. It is very nice that we will have a bike trail along Bruce B. Downs, but that does nothing for congestion.

Don't blame the lack of commercial expansion into the area for no money for roads or schools. Blame those responsible -- the planning commission, which failed to get those funds from developers back at the beginning of the expansion.

It is time to truly plan for development (including schools, roads, environment, water, etc.) rather than just accept what is happening now. If the commission isn't capable of that, then let's get new people on it who can and will plan.

Many of us moved to New Tampa to get away from the congestion, not become part of it.
-- Dave Inglee, Hunter's Green

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