To: Charlie.Crist@MyFlorida.com
Sent: Fri, Jun 4, 2010 10:20 pm

Office of Governor Charlie Crist
State of Florida
The Capitol
400 S. Monroe St.
Tallahassee, FL 32399-0001

RE:  US Highway 92 – Gandy Blvd – Tampa, FL

Governor Crist,

Being from St. Petersburg you are familiar, quite familiar probably, with Gandy Blvd. which runs through South Tampa. It is one of Tampa’s gateways from Pinellas County, with the Gandy Bridge being one of the three bridges that cross Tampa Bay and connect Pinellas with Hillsborough.

As you may know the Florida Department of Transportation has recently completed a safety and beautification project on Gandy which has not only made it much more attractive but has also significantly improved the flow of traffic, especially during rush hour times. Being a local resident who lives five streets north of Gandy I could not be more pleased with the results of this project, a project which was long and at times very trying. I have heard nothing but praise for the new Gandy, and the twenty-three million dollars spent to make it happen seems to be no longer discussed. Until you start talking about the possibility of it being unearthed and marred by a currently proposed project, which is why I am writing to you today.

The Tampa Hillsborough Expressway Authority (THEA), a local transportation authority with several board members who have been appointed by you, has proposed an elevated bypass road to be constructed down the middle of Gandy Blvd. which will connect the Selmon Expressway to the Gandy Bridge. This concept has caused quite a stir with a solid majority of the local residents, many of whom live within only hundreds of feet of this proposed structure. I am one of the members of the majority, and the thought of a massive concrete structure running down the middle of my neighborhood’s main street is simply unacceptable.

The defacing of our neighborhood is definitely not necessary at this point in time, and it may never be. The scary traffic counts that have been predicted are nothing but guesses, and we feel speculation alone is not even close to being a good enough reason to ruin the character of our thoroughfare. Gandy is a commercial/retail corridor with neighborhoods one block away on both the north and south sides. This is certainly not the proper place to erect an elevated roadway. It is totally wrong, and this is the main reason why an estimated 75% of the locals soundly reject the idea. If the majority of us, the people who using Gandy the most, are willing to deal with thick rush hour traffic for a few hours five days a week, why force a very unwanted project on us when nobody needs it and everything will still be quite functional without it? In short, the minor benefit to be realized falls way short of the negative impact we will feel, and there is no way we will agree to a project that will deface our neighborhood unless it can be proven to absolutely necessary for reasons of life safety. The sales pitch that it will serve as a better hurricane evacuation route is fooling nobody. The overhead will be just as clogged and backed up as any other route has been in the past and will be in the future.

We have made our case in front of the Tampa City Council and the Hillsborough County Commission, and both boards, after seeing that we have over 1,500 names on a grass roots petition that we circulated and also many letters written by businesses on Gandy, have sent a letter to THEA saying that the local residents and businesses do not support the project. They did this because THEA has said since the beginning that they would not do anything the community does not support. Well, we will soon see how sincere they have been with that statement.

Attached are the aforementioned letters from the Tampa City Council and the Hillsborough Board of County Commissioners, as well as a letter from Senator Charlie Justice to FDOT Secretary Stephanie Kopelousos. We have reached out to our local leaders in an effort to have our voices heard. A small group of us even went to see Michelle Todd in St. Petersburg, and we were rather disappointed to hear her say that she had not heard of any opposition to the project. Senator Justice said the same to me, and he even added that he had heard it had “all been worked out”. Well, it hasn’t. We are so upset with the prospect of our neighborhood being ruined by an out of place concrete monster that we will not stop opposing until a final decision is made.

We are reaching out to you in hope that you will sympathize with our position and see the connection we feel with our neighborhood. Perhaps your authoratative voice can influence the individuals who are sitting in THEA board seats because of you. We sincerely ask you for your help in preserving the character of our main street and keeping our neighborhood feeling like a neighborhood and not a transit corridor.

Respectfully,

Bill W

From observations, I feel that the extended ramp would not alleviate the traffic. Anyone can sit at the existing on ramps located on Gandy and Dale Mabry to observe what I mean. Most drivers pass up the Cross town on ramps and continue their way onto to Dale Mabry. Even during rush hour, the traffic on the cross town is considerably light.

Secondly, I believe that if the city builds a ramp on Gandy blvd the result would be the death of businesses in the area. Shops along Gandy depend on street traffic for their survival. With reduced traffic, shop keepers will be forced to close down. With shops abandoned, crime would begin to fester and reduce the value of properties.

Thirdly, even though the citizens of Tampa have been against this project for many years, the City of Tampa, elected public servants, has continued to push for this project. I believe that if the Public Officials of Tampa really want to push for this project, then they need to pay the fair market value of each and every business that will be hurt by such a move and their relocation.

Finally, each and every city official will need to be prepared to receive the public out lash at the polls as retaliation for their insubordination toward the desires of the public.

Since I own a business on Gandy, I implore you and the City of Tampa to reevaluate its’ decision to go forth with this project. I vote no to the Cross Town Gandy Project.

Sincerely,
Richard  RML Tanning Supply
4542 W. Gandy Blvd.

by Jeff. M /New Port Richey
via online petition comment

I think the best argument that I have read so far is the fact that we are cutting back on our teachers, firemen, and police, yet our wonderful local politicians somehow manage to “find” the money to build a useless extension of the Crosstown. And if that isn’t enough, the quality of the road construction is ridiculous. Drive the Crosstown sometime. You pay ridiculous fees to drive on some of the roughest, uneven roadway known to mankind. Oh yeah, then there is always that pleasant thought of the upper deck sinking or collapsing (flashback to the Crosstown construction). This is just another attempt to create an atmosphere and appearance like some big city, while totally ignoring the important issues that really should be addressed, like police, firemen and education. But then most of the old fogies deciding these matters don’t have kids in this pathetic education system or they have enough money to send them to a “better” school somewhere. Take care of the basics first, then if there is anything left over, go out and play in your sandboxes creating pretty little sculptures and overpasses and sidewalks leading to nowhere.

The idea of an elevated road down Gandy is absolutely ridiculous….
1) The argument of it helping St Pete during a hurricane evacuation does not even live up to basic math. When a huge hurricane hits all lanes will be open heading East on the Gandy bridge (like New Orleans did). A 4 lane bridge into a 4 lane road (Gandy “Corridor”) and then into a 4 lane highway (crosstown) as is current. What will two additional lanes 30 feet in the air do for this evacuation route? NOTHING! It will be nothing more than an additional choke point / 30 foot high parking lot. As for traffic needing to head West during this horrible scenario, there are streets to the North and South of Gandy that can facilitate this.
2) The second top argument, of traffic issues for “Gandy Corridor” in the future.” We just got done redesigning the street thanks to the state and traffic is flowing just fine, much better than before. Not to mention the only time there is a traffic problem is 249 days out of the year, 365 days minus weekends and holidays. Of those 249 days you have two hours of heavy traffic in the morning and two hours in the evening, 4 out of 24 hours which turns out to be 16.6% of the time during work days (249) there’s heavy traffic on “Gandy Corridor”. So, the percentage for the whole year is 11.3% of the time there is extra/heavy traffic on Gandy Blvd.

To build an eyesore such as this in close proximity to neighborhoods, to put businesses and local jobs in jeopardy, spend $130 million dollars on a .25 cent, 2 lane, 2 mile toll road all for 11% of time issue is RIDICULOUS!!!

Brandon Overhead Toll Road. A concrete monster is born.                                     Would a similar project benefit our neighborhood?  We the community think not!

Rose has asked for information.  Maybe we can send her an email with our thoughts.

Please read below.

January 5, 2010

Dear Neighborhood Leader,

Final decisions on the viability of the Gandy Boulevard Overhead Expressway Project will soon be made.  It will be presented to the Florida Department of Transportation and then to the Board of the Tampa-Hillsborough Expressway Authority (THEA) later in February 2010 for a public hearing and final vote.

South Tampa, of course, is part of my District.  I always appreciate input and feedback from my constituents so this is the reason for my request.

I would like to know if your association has voted and taken a formal position on this project.  It is important to me to know the feelings of citizens affected by different projects.  Thank you for taking the time to respond.  I hope all of you had a wonderful holiday season.  Wishing you all the best in 2010.

Warmest regards,

Rose

Ghost Town formally known as Gandy Blvd

From email response Sat, Nov 14, 2009 8:13 am

Subject: Re: Gandy Overhead Expressway
Bill,

Being a Mayor and running a beach community for ten years I’ve evacuated thousands of people from the beach several times. We didn’t need overhead expressways to do it.

To move traffic from the Gandy bridge to the expressway is only one mile, and all you have to do is direct ALL lanes east bound (no west bound) to the expressway. You have two entrances to the expressway, one off gandy and one on Dale Mabry.

There is no reason to disturb a quiet south Tampa neighborhood and destroy properties and values when there are other ways to achieve a solution to the problem.

Don Taber, former Mayor Indian Shores, FL

Al Steenson, President, Gandy Civic Association and member of the MPO Citizens Advisory Committee, testifies before MPO for FULL FUNDING of the Promised Gandy Enhancement.

Toll bridge disaster

Main Steet now affectionately known as Ghost Town

Email dated 11 March 2009

I am looking forward to our next informal meeting tomorrow to discuss action our local residents and merchants can take to avoid and petition the proposed Crosstown Expressway Extension at Gandy.  I copied and attached to this email an old article referring the railroad south of Gandy and its potential for a tollway back in 1987.  Also attached to this email for your review is the formal presentation for the extension now featured on the THEA website.  I believe this proposal will be the end for any business that currently enjoys drive-by and walk-in customers from the Gandy roadway. Tomorrow Mikael and I are meeting with Al Steenson of the Gandy Civic Association to discuss and plan our objections.

The THEA Community Advisory Board was selected by the Hillsborough Crosstown Expressway Authority for the sole purpose of viewing and discussing plans for a toll road.  The final Advisory Board meeting is scheduled for April.  By then, if no public objections are noticed, the toll road could become reality!  We need help.

Because Mikael of Scan Design serves on the Advisory Board, he was forwarded the following email correspondence that originated from me.  This email includes  FOR YOUR FILES AND RECORDS the email addresses for those individuals who serve on this advisory board.  It is imperative our voices are heard! See you all tomorrow and I hope you can bring more signatures for our petitions!

Linda Bell

A dysfunctional toll booth

Email dated 25 February 2009

Dear Project Advisory Group,

This e-mail is being sent to you because Ms. Linda Bell, at the Triage Consignment Shop in Gandy, has asked for the names of the Project Advisory Group (PAG) members so that she may directly discuss the study with you.  I wanted to give you notice that we have provided her with that information (attached).

In our first meeting with you on the Gandy study, THEA emphasized the need for clear, open, and honest communication.  When sharing information, understanding “who said what” can be as important as “what was said.”  Our e-mail below, to Linda, is a good example.

Linda is concerned about the THEA proposal for an elevated bypass of Gandy Boulevard.  Her understanding of the proposal comes from stories and articles that have been in the media. In this case we believe she is referencing a story from Tampa Bay 10 News. The link to that story below is provided for your use.

http://www.tampabays10.com/news/local/story.aspx?storyid824&catid=8 ***

The reporter’s comments in that story incorrectly attribute the THEA proposal to the PAG.  In our response to Linda we make it clear that the current proposal is THEA’s response to issues and concerns expressed by the PAG.

In our e-mail to Linda we have made this clear.  We also provided Linda with a more complete overview of the proposal, and offered to meet with her and other business owners for additional discussions.

As you know, we are working on additional analysis that will be presented to the PAG in our April 14^th meeting at Monroe Middle School. If you have questions, or would like us to present to your Board or Group before then, we will make ourselves available.

Your hard work on this project is appreciated.

Thanks again,

Joe

813.272.6740 office

Joe Waggoner, Executive Director

Tampa-Hillsborough County

Expressway Authority

The Tampa-Hillsborough County Expressway Authority is a public agency subject to Chapter 119 of the Florida Statutes concerning public records.

*** Please note: Link provided on original email does not seem to work !!! ??