Volume 21 Issue 23
Inside:
Are You Feeling Like A Little Greek?
November 9, 2013
See Neighborhood Magazine!
The Direct-Mail News Magazines Serving New Tampa & Wesley Chapel Since 1993! THIS INDEPENDENT COMMUNITY NEWS MAGAZINE IS DIRECTLY MAILED TO: NEW TAMPA: Arbor Greene • Cory Lake Isles • Cross Creek • Easton Park • Grand Hampton • Heritage Isles • Hunter’s Green • Hunter’s Key • K-Bar Ranch • Lake Forest • Live Oak Preserve • Pebble Creek • Richmond Place • Tampa Palms • The Hammocks • West Meadows WESLEY CHAPEL: Aberdeen • Belle Chase • Bridgewater • Brookside • Chapel Pines • Country Walk • Lexington Oaks • Meadow Pointe • New River • Northwood • Pinewalk • Pine Ridge Saddlebrook • Saddleridge Estates • Saddlewood • Seven Oaks • The Lakes at Northwood • The Villages of Wesley Chapel • Watergrass • Wesley Pointe • Westbrook Estates • Williamsburg
City Council Approves Tampa Palms Area 3 Commercial Development By Matt Wiley Restaurants and other potential commercial uses are on the horizon in Tampa Palms Area 3, as the commercial development of several parcels bordering on Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd. recently were approved on a “first reading” by the Tampa City Council. Approved unanimously at the Council’s October 10 public hearing, the change hopefully will bring more restaurants and other potential commercial development to three areas in Tampa Palms Area 3: one parcel in the Market Square shopping plaza (located at Commerce Palms Dr. and BBD and anchored by B.J.’s Wholesale Club and Bed, Bath & Beyond), as well as two parcels adjacent to (and across Cypress Preserve Dr. from) the Chase Bank on BBD, as well as one south of the Lowe’s Home Improvement store. “This sounds very involved, but the changes we have requested are really quite simple,” said attorney Andrea Zelman, who represented Tampa Palms Area 3 developer and New Tampa, Inc., president Warren Kinsler at the meeting. Zelman explained that the requested addition of more than 116,000 sq.-ft. of commercial space in Area 3 has been al-
lowed since 1982, as part of the original Tampa Palms Development of Regional Impact (DRI) Development Order (DO), which allows for 700,000 sq. ft. of commercial entitlements. Once the approved entitlements exceed 441,500 sq.-ft., Zelman explained, a traffic study had to be conducted, which meant that the addition of more commercial development would still have to be approved by the Council. The Hillsborough County CityCounty Planning Commission, represented by David Hay, found that the Council’s approval of the proposed commercial development was in agreement with the Planning Commission’s long-range plan for the New Tampa area. The approval did not come without some public opposition, however, most of it coming from Buckingham at Tampa Palms residents who worried that the development would be built too close to their homes on Tampa Palms Blvd. However, the planned commercial construction only would be between BBD and Compton Dr., and Buckingham is located well east of Compton Dr. Some confusion sprang from the multitude of signs announcing the public hearing. Zelman explained that the signs have to be placed to raise public awareness of the meeting for
residents and property owners located within 250 feet of the property to be developed (per Tampa City Ordinance 2011-12) and were not placed where the planned development would actually take place. Kinsler said that he hopes to bring three restaurants to the Market Square area, one next to Lowe’s and one across Cypress Preserve Dr. from Chase. The plot of land behind Chase also could be used for a restaurant or for other commercial uses. The areas in bright green are the parcels in Tampa Palms “We haven’t really Area 3 that recently were approved for commercial use. explored what restaurants could come to the area, yet,” Kinsler residences already are allowed under the existing Tampa Palms Area 3 DO. explained. “But, we’re all ears.” “Assisted living facilities are possible in In addition to restaurants and other commercial uses, Kinsler said that he wants the future,” Kinsler explains. “As our area to add assisted living facilities to the ap- (continues to) age, it will be a compatible proved uses in the residential areas of use (for the land).” See “TP Area 3” on page 10. Tampa Palms Area 3, where multi-family
I-75 Northbound Overpass Open To Traffic, Work To Begin On BBD Below
NEIGHBORHOOD MAGAZINE
Planning Commission Redistricting City ‘Festival Of Flight’ Draws A Crowd, New Tampa Council Districts, Freedom’s Swimmers Mother & Daughter Are Finalists In Pillsbury Advance To Regionals, Lots Of Local Business Bake-Off, WC Woman Appears In ‘12 Years A Features & Much More! Slave,’ Plus Neighborhood Nibbles & Biz Bytes!
Pages 1-44
Pages 45-64
ECRWSS
NEWS, BUSINESS, SPORTS & EDUCATION UPDATES
mer of 2014,” McShaffrey says. Although the new lanes on I-75 are open, construction is continuing on the northbound BBD entrance and exit ramps, which are not complete. The exit from I75 is now located a little further north than before and the merge lane onto I-75 from BBD has a temporarily short merge lane, but will expand as construction continues. “The (I-75-widening project from Fowler Ave. to south of S.R. 56) is currently well ahead of schedule and tracking towards completion by the fall of 2014,” McShaffrey says. PRSRT STD U.S. POSTAGE PAID TAMPA FL PERMIT 2801
Also Inside This Issue!
Blvd. and Doña Michele Dr. FDOT spokesman John McShaffrey says that the temporary Acrow bridge— which was used to divert traffic during the construction of the new overpasses—will have to be removed before the widening of BBD between just north of Commerce Palms Blvd. north to Dona Michelle Dr. can really pick up steam. McShaffrey says that the contractor, Prince Contracting, LLC, plans to have the bridge removed by early December, which it will then have to clean, disassemble and return to FDOT for use in other projects around the state. Currently, the foundations for the temporary bridge are preventing the BBD widening construction from beginning. “Most of the (BBD) work is expected to be completed by late spring to early sum-
Dated Material Please Rush!
New Tampa drivers are now just months away from being able to rejoice, as the Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd. bottlenecks under the I-75 overpasses are one step closer to becoming a faint traffic memory, although they still will be around for the next few months.
According to the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT), two of the new northbound lanes of the widened I-75 overpass above BBD opened to traffic on October 25. As we previously reported, the overpass-widening project was holding up the widening of BBD underneath the overpasses, where there are still only two lanes in each direction between Palm Springs
Postal Customer
By Matt Wiley