A Land Worth More Than Remembering:
A two-part special on a unique tract of land in Pinellas By James A. Schnur
PINELLAS PIONEER ARCHIVE
Part 2: What We Have Lost, What We Can Save Last week, we learned about Gladys Douglas and the 43.44 acre tract along Keene Road where she lived. This week, we’ll hear about efforts to acquire and preserve one of the few remaining undeveloped lands in PInellas so future generations can enjoy Florida’s natural environment. No pristine lands remain in Pinellas County. Aside from governmentmanaged preserves and a handful of private conservation easements, there are few flatwoods and wetlands left to offer a refuge for native flora and fauna from the cars and crowds surrounding them. The largest, Brooker Creek Preserve along Keystone Road east of Lake Tarpon, occupies 8,700 acres and protects a vast watershed.
Although Brooker Creek Preserve offers significant protection for many species, it covers a mere fraction of the lands Boot Ranch occupied when established by Al Boyd in 1952. Boyd created a place for livestock to roam after the state enacted fence laws to close the open range. Twenty years later, in 1972, he sold most of the property to developers on a handshake. Earthmovers and construction workers replaced cattle, horses and grasslands. Now the large ornamental boot that once stood out on the frontier sits in a parking lot of the Shoppes at Boot Ranch near where Tampa Road meets East Lake Road. Proposed developments sometimes spark ire. For example, plans to redevelop two golf courses in the Seminole area have mobilized residents who prefer to live close to
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tees, fairways and sandpits, rather than new neighbors. A homebuilding company recently abandoned plans to redevelop the Bardmoor Golf Course. The fate of the former Tides Golf Course remains uncertain as preservationists hope to persuade public officials to acquire this acreage east of Boca Ciega Millennium Park. In Tarpon Springs, residents, developers and members of the Friends of Anclote River have taken sides on a proposal to build 400 apartment units on 74 acres along the river and east of U.S. Highway 19. Walmart originally acquired the property more than 15 years ago to build a big box store on the site, but later abandoned those plans. City leaders in Tarpon Springs are presently discussing this parcel’s fate. A Land Worth Saving Fortunately, plans to bulldoze, pave over and build upon the Douglas property recently fell through. A window of opportunity now exists for Pinellas County and the public to preserve this endangered acreage, one comparable in size to Boca Ciega High School’s campus, including the former Little League lands along its northern boundary with Lincoln Cemetery.
theGabber.com | January 28, 2021 - February 3, 2021
