Video courtesy of Fox13 News
TV broadcast 4 March 2010

Mike Deeson
Video courtesy of 10connects.com
TV broadcast 4 March 2010

Proponents say adding an elevated roadway along Gandy Boulevard would reduce rush-hour traffic on Gandy and provide another evacuation route from Pinellas County. Critics say it would make businesses less accessible and reduce property values

By CHRISTIAN M. WADE | The Tampa Tribune

Staff photo by MICHAEL SPOONEYBARGER

Published: March 1, 2010

TAMPA – They’ve gathered hundreds of signatures on petitions, packed dozens of public hearings to voice their outrage and written angry letters to state transportation officials.

Now opponents of a proposed elevated roadway over Gandy Boulevard are turning to the Tampa City Council for support. They argue the project will force business owners into bankruptcy and cause property values in surrounding neighborhoods to tumble.

“This project will turn Gandy Boulevard into a graveyard,” said Linda Bell, owner Triage Consignment Showcase. “We didn’t like the previous plans and we don’t like this one.”

Bell is one of dozens of protestors who plan to converge on council chambers Thursday to voice their concerns about the Tampa-Hillsborough Expressway Authority project to the city’s seven-member governing body.

While the city council doesn’t have a vote on the roadway, opponents like Al Steenson, president of the Gandy Civic Association, hope to enlist their help to fight the project.

“We didn’t elect these people to sit on their hands and remain silent,” he said. “They’re supposed to be representing the community’s interests, even if they can’t vote on it.”

Opposition to the project dates back more than two decades. The two-lane elevated roadway, as proposed by the expressway authority, would extend the Selmon Crosstown Expressway over to Gandy Bridge.

The project, which has gone through many changes over the years, is aimed at reducing rush-hour traffic on Gandy and providing another evacuation route from Pinellas County.

The Florida Department of Transportation has given a green light to move ahead with the project and the authority’s board of directors is expected vote on it March 22.

If approved, the $115 million project isn’t expected to break ground until 2013. Funding for the project would come from bonds backed by future revenue from toll collections.

Sue Chrzan, a spokeswoman for the expressway authority, said the new proposal is less invasive than previous designs and would be done in segments to avoid disruptions.

Previous proposals called for destroying nearly 200 homes and businesses, she said, and expressway officials have made every attempt to incorporate the concerns of Gandy business owners and residents into the new conceptual designs for the roadway.

The current proposal also wouldn’t displace any businesses or homes, Chrzan said.

She said there is still opposition to the project, but much less than in previous years.

“There are people in the neighborhood who just don’t want anything,” Chrzan said.

Mark Rubio, who owns several commercial and residential properties along Gandy, said after years of fighting the project, many people feel like it’s “being crammed down their throats.”

He said few believe the project will alleviate traffic congestion along the boulevard, because it will mean more vehicles passing through to get to somewhere else.

“The structure is a massive, concrete, two-story bridge that’s flat-out ugly,” he said. “We just don’t want it.”

The council meets Thursday at 9 a.m. in city hall at 315 E. Kennedy Blvd. in downtown.

Reporter Christian M. Wade can be reached at (813) 259-7679

Video courtesy of 10connects.com
TV broadcast 8 February 2010

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!!!

Post by DrH300
via Wtsp.com -10connects, online comment

I’ve lived in this area most of my life. I agree we’re not having our voices heard. This is an eyesore and will redefine the area as such. It’s true that study is worthless. In addition to the suspect nature of the relationship between the report director and the expressway director, it didn’t even address the effect on decreasing residential market values. No doubt they will. No doubt THAT study was not done for a reason. When commercial buildings remain vacant, they will rezone the area for its “best use”. I’m sure “heavy commercial” type zoning will eventually come and any freed up traffic flow can be used for the new semi-trailer traffic that will come afterward. Seriously…the cross-town authority was going to build this ugly beast regardless of what they told residents and whether the residents opposed it. It’s all about money. This area is one of Tampa’s best kept secrets. Now, it’ll be a mini-Detroit. C’mon people, it’s only a few traffic lights! I have no prob’s with Gandy traffic at rush hours, especially since the new construction and the no left turns (not a fan, but it does speed things up). The residents said NO! So much for them keeping their word – NO to this concrete monstrosity!

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

Photograph News Channel8  John Winterrrowd

News flash title SaveGandy.com

By JAMIE PILARCZYK

jpilarczyk@tampatrib.com

First published January 15 2009

GANDY/SUN BAY SOUTH – While about 70 residents showed up at the Gandy/Sun Bay South Civic center Thursday night with grievances in mind, they walked away with solutions in hand.

Their main concern was about what they are sure will be a problem: runoff traffic from the Wal-Mart Super Store just days away from construction on the southwest corner of Gandy Boulevard and Lois Avenue.

“It’s frustrating for this neighborhood and it’s going to get continually worse,” said Mildred McFadden, who has lived on Pearl Avenue since 1960, a stretch between Lois Avenue and Dale Mabry Highway that has become a favorite cut-through for drivers avoiding Gandy Boulevard.

County Commissioner Rose Ferlita promised to be a conduit between the community and Wal-Mart. The city’s transportation division manager, Tony Rodriguez, promised to follow up post-construction to study whether Pearl Avenue is being used as a cut-through.

Al Steenson, the civic association president, said he’d work on establishing a hotline for residents to report traffic violations near Wal-Mart.

And while he recommended to the city council they not attend the meeting because of Wal-Mart’s upcoming wet zoning hearing, council attorney Martin Shelby said he’d take residents’ concerns to the city council about the lack of law enforcement for trucks illegally using Pearl Avenue.

“It’s not a perfect situation, but I see they are working with you,” said Ferlita, who has no jurisdiction over the issue. “When development and the neighborhood work together, it can be tolerable.”

While still awaiting formal approval from the Florida Department of Transportation, Scott Gilner, project engineer with Kimley-Horn and Associates, said they have a dedicated right-turn lane on Gandy heading eastbound with one entrance into the Wal-Mart that includes a right-turn out of the store.

The single, left-turn lane on Gandy to Lois extends 785 feet from the light back. There will be two accesses on Lois with a dedicated right-turn lane off of Lois into Wal-Mart that both include right and left turns both in and out.

Engineers for the project said they have followed city codes and don’t anticipate there being a traffic problem. If there is, though, they reassured that it would be addressed.

“We will work with the community and if you feel there is a cut-through problem, we’ll come out, do traffic studies and try to mitigate it,” Rodriguez said.

The stretch of Pearl Avenue from Lois east is not a truck route. If trucks are using it, it is illegal and needs to be enforced, Rodriguez said of McFadden’s lament.

Some weren’t appeased.

“It’s seems to me like the city is saying, ‘We know there’s a bomb down there but we’re going to wait until it goes off before we do anything about it,’” said Joseph Booker, who lives on West Shore Circle.

But some were.

“I think ultimately it will bring people to the area to shop and will attract other reputable business that will help clean-up the area,” said Lee Sheldon of Gandy/Sun Bay South.

Linda Bell, owner of Triage Consignment, wasn’t able to attend the meeting to voice her support for Wal-Mart. As its neighbor on Lois, Bell said the growth is good for the neighborhood with the additional taxes that Wal-Mart will be contributing.

“They’ve gone above and beyond the call of a retail giant to alleviate the concerns of the local residents,” Bell said. “And I think it’s time we just let them go with it.”

Demolition is expected to begin on the 12.8-acre property within 60 days. Construction should follow soon after with an opening expected for early 2010, said lawyer Jim Porter of Ruden McClosky who represents Wal-Mart.

It will use xeriscaping, drip-irrigation and will recycle as much as they are able of the existing buildings for use as a concrete base on the new store.

The 140,000-square-foot super center will include traditional Wal-Mart merchandise plus a full grocery store and a 6,000-square-foot garden center. Porter said they will seek a permit to sell beer and wine only.

Reporter Jamie Pilarczyk can be reached at (813) 259-7661.