We're in a fight to keep our neighborhood safe and quiet
Old growth trees line the quiet, safe streets of the Mangrove Bay neighborhood.
|
If you're a resident of the Mangrove Bay neighborhood, you know we live in a very special place. The streets are quiet, walkable and safe. The yards are inviting with lots of flowering plants and big trees. We know our neighbors and we keep an eye out for each other. It's a simple, friendly, small-town way of life absent in many large cities. But soon, our neighborhood could be changed forever.
There is little through-traffic on our streets making them safe for children and families
|
School Board plans threaten our way of life
|
Just to the east of our neighborhood is a huge piece of vacant property owned by the Pinellas County School Board. From the mid 1960s until 2008, thousands of young, St. Petersburg students passed though the halls of the old Riviera Middle School. The aging building had a lot of problems with mold that couldn't be easily resolved, so it was torn down in 2008. While the school was still open, the School Board also purchased several homes behind the school, more than likely planning for future expansion. That property was never developed and the huge, shady oaks remained while Mangrove Bay neighbors enjoyed that little "park" as a great place to walk our dogs, exercise and play catch. All that will change soon - and much, much more.
|
|
The Pinellas County School Board is rapidly moving ahead with plans to replace the old Riviera Middle School with a large, new middle school. What makes this property unique among schools in Pinellas County, and most other places for that matter, is the school board has partnered with the Suncoast YMCA to build additional facilities on the school site which are to be shared. These facilities add considerably to the size of the school. That means in addition to traffic for a large school, there will also be a sudden influx of traffic to our neighborhood for the new YMCA as well. And unlike the Monday through Friday traffic of a school, cars will be coming and going from the YMCA seven days a week. Construction of this facility is scheduled to begin this spring.
|
The site plan created by Harvard Jolly architects. Click on image to enlarge.
|
With constant growth in our city, most of us understand there is a need for new middle schools. Realistically, it would be extremely difficult to stop construction of a new school on property the School Board has owned for close to sixty years. Having a nearby YMCA could offer benefits to neighborhood residents as well. However, none of us want the additional traffic, noise and the environmental impact that accompanies these properties. Unless something is done to mitigate the impact of this plan, our quality of life in our neighborhood will be greatly diminished, as will our property values.
|
we will see, at a minimum, 250 or more cars,The school board is planning for somewhere between 600 to 800 students at this site. There is also a possibility the school may be expanded in the future to add elementary school students as well. The current site plan approved by the Development Review Commission provides for all school buses to enter school property off of 62nd Avenue NE, while students being delivered in cars are to be herded into and out of the school’s parking lot through a Pershing Street NE entrance. The majority of students will arrive in automobiles. It is expected that somewhere between 300 to 500 students will be dropped off from cars every day the school is in session. If the plan remains in place as they are now, we will see, at a minimum, 250 or more cars rushing down our quiet streets,
|
If plans are carried through as designed, traffic from this commercial building will be entering the Mangrove Bay Neighborhood.
|
twice a day on weekdays from now on. However, this doesn’t even take into account traffic created by the YMCA. That could be another 100 cars a day or more, seven days a week, all entering from that same entrance off of Pershing Street NE.
For those unfamiliar with Pershing Street, it passes directly though our neighborhood - moving north at 62nd, curving to the west and ending at 1st Street NE. Everyday, dozens of cars already use Pershing as a way to bypass the traffic signal at 1st and 62nd. But with the addition of new school and YMCA traffic, this quiet street will be transformed into a constantly busy thoroughfare.
Vehicles will enter off 62nd and exit through the neighborhood. Click on image to enlarge - esc to return to website.
|
|
This increase in traffic will be devastating to our neighborhood. We will lose the quiet, walkable streets many of us enjoy on a daily basis, and more importantly, our streets will no longer be safe for kids on bicycles, walking our pets or even casual strolls. This is because parents will be rushing through our neighborhood, twice a day, to drop off and pick up their kids on time. People will block our streets and driveways as they let kids out of cars to walk the rest of the way to school. Every single resident in this neighborhood will notice a massive influx in traffic and noise as parents of students seek time-saving shortcuts though our neighborhood.
Only a few houses within 300 feet of the school property were provided with any written notice of the Development Review Commission meeting where the site plan was approved. The rest of us were left in the dark. This fast-track, ramrodding of the site plan was more than likely intentional so there would not be enough time to organize against it. But, if we act quickly, we do still have enough time to mount a concerted effort. Together, we could fight for changes to the plan which could hopefully mitigate some of these traffic issues. |
If the School Board plan moves ahead unabated, these streets could be lined with cars everyday as parents seek a easier way to get their children to school
|
Are there alternatives to the original plan?
Yes, there are alternatives, but while they may have been considered by the architects, they were not chosen for the final plan. The designers of this project would like the attractive facade of the buildings to be in the front along 62nd Avenue NE. They'd also like to hide the unsightly parking in the rear of the property. By its placement, this limits how the parking lot can be accessed by vehicles. The School Board may not be aware of the potential for traffic problems, but the architects and engineers should be. The traffic department for the city does not believe there will be a problem and stated so repeatedly in the first DRC meeting to vacate Davenport Ave NE . They used federal guidelines to reinforce their decision rather than an on-site traffic study. Anyone who has ever tried to make a left-hand turn from Pershing onto 62nd Ave NE between 7 a.m. and 9 a.m. can tell you just how busy traffic is at that location. The same goes for late afternoon between 4 p.m. and 6 p.m.
The primary issue is all traffic into and out of the school and YMCA, other than buses, is slated to enter our neighborhood at Pershing Street NE. This opens the door to traffic exiting the parking lot and taking a right had turn into our neighborhood. People will do this, regardless of signs, to avoid the expected backups on Pershing. Persons driving students to the school will also attempt to shortcut the lines entering Pershing from 62nd Avenue NE by cutting though the neighborhood to the Pershing entrance. Considering the expected volume of traffic, it makes absolutely no sense to put an entrance anywhere but 62nd Ave NE. Additionally, even if the entrance were moved to 62nd, the entrance to Pershing at that corner should be vacated and closed off.
This major problem is traffic in our neighborhood, but there are other issues as well, including, but not limited to, noise pollution from loudspeakers on the track and outside the school as well strong outdoor lighting from the parking lot and sports facilities shooting into our windows at night.
To see some of the solutions that are suggested, please click on this link or go to the solutions page.
The primary issue is all traffic into and out of the school and YMCA, other than buses, is slated to enter our neighborhood at Pershing Street NE. This opens the door to traffic exiting the parking lot and taking a right had turn into our neighborhood. People will do this, regardless of signs, to avoid the expected backups on Pershing. Persons driving students to the school will also attempt to shortcut the lines entering Pershing from 62nd Avenue NE by cutting though the neighborhood to the Pershing entrance. Considering the expected volume of traffic, it makes absolutely no sense to put an entrance anywhere but 62nd Ave NE. Additionally, even if the entrance were moved to 62nd, the entrance to Pershing at that corner should be vacated and closed off.
This major problem is traffic in our neighborhood, but there are other issues as well, including, but not limited to, noise pollution from loudspeakers on the track and outside the school as well strong outdoor lighting from the parking lot and sports facilities shooting into our windows at night.
To see some of the solutions that are suggested, please click on this link or go to the solutions page.
What about other important issues like noise pollution, light pollution and the impact to our environment? Of course, the increase in traffic will be devastating, but there are many other ways this property will impact our lives.
Don't you just love how peacefully quiet this neighborhood is? Better enjoy it while you can. Soon there will be a cacophony of loud sounds coming from the school. Noises that we don't have to put up with now. Let's start with the din of traffic noise from cars rushing down our streets. That will be bad enough, but add to that announcements blaring every hour from the school's outdoor speakers. How about music for special events from that same source? There will also be a PA system used to amplify the play by play reporting of school track and soccer events? Add to that youth football and soccer leagues using the property on weekends.
There will also be bells or horn blasts to announce period changes, as well as startling noise from fire alarm drills. There will be constant noise created by huge commercial air conditioners, emergency generators, pumps for the pool and lawn equipment to care for the property. No doubt there will be a great increase in noise. We must be thinking of how the school can mitigate these irritants and offer solutions.
Another irritant will be lighting on the property. Forget about gazing at the stars or night sky from your Mangrove Bay home. There will constant be light pollution committing from brilliant LED security lighting surrounding the parking lot around placed around the campus. Those lights will be shining brightly all night long, every night from now on. Not to be forgotten is the lighting around the track and field. Those lights will be higher and much, much brighter. Plan on having those shining several times a week on and weekends. On the Nextdoor website, dozens of people in Shore Acres are complaining about the new Shore Acres Recreation Center and how intrusive the bright lights are. This facility is more than four times the size of the rec center.
We think about the human impact, but what about the impact to nature? All those little creatures we see on the lot, the endangered gopher tortoise, the burrowing owls ... they're federally protected. Has a study been done to locate and keep them safe? What about those not protected, the beautiful black racers, the marsh rabbits, the coyotes, otters (yes, otters), the cranes, ospreys, woodpeckers, night herons? What happens to these beautiful creatures with all this construction. There also also several majestic oaks - some more than 100 years old. Can they be saved from the bulldozers?
Another factor many haven't considered is the heat generated by paving a huge grass lot to make a 250-space parking lot. How can that heat be mitigated? What about the toxic water runoff from the roofs of the buildings and parking lot every time it rains? Will it be going into the wetland area the architects are required to protect? Can all the runoff water be ushered into storm water systems? Not realistically. Won't some make it's way into our groundwater, and that of the nearby wetland? Drains on the west side are already overtaxed, not maintained and don't work well. This will just add to that issue.
Don't you just love how peacefully quiet this neighborhood is? Better enjoy it while you can. Soon there will be a cacophony of loud sounds coming from the school. Noises that we don't have to put up with now. Let's start with the din of traffic noise from cars rushing down our streets. That will be bad enough, but add to that announcements blaring every hour from the school's outdoor speakers. How about music for special events from that same source? There will also be a PA system used to amplify the play by play reporting of school track and soccer events? Add to that youth football and soccer leagues using the property on weekends.
There will also be bells or horn blasts to announce period changes, as well as startling noise from fire alarm drills. There will be constant noise created by huge commercial air conditioners, emergency generators, pumps for the pool and lawn equipment to care for the property. No doubt there will be a great increase in noise. We must be thinking of how the school can mitigate these irritants and offer solutions.
Another irritant will be lighting on the property. Forget about gazing at the stars or night sky from your Mangrove Bay home. There will constant be light pollution committing from brilliant LED security lighting surrounding the parking lot around placed around the campus. Those lights will be shining brightly all night long, every night from now on. Not to be forgotten is the lighting around the track and field. Those lights will be higher and much, much brighter. Plan on having those shining several times a week on and weekends. On the Nextdoor website, dozens of people in Shore Acres are complaining about the new Shore Acres Recreation Center and how intrusive the bright lights are. This facility is more than four times the size of the rec center.
We think about the human impact, but what about the impact to nature? All those little creatures we see on the lot, the endangered gopher tortoise, the burrowing owls ... they're federally protected. Has a study been done to locate and keep them safe? What about those not protected, the beautiful black racers, the marsh rabbits, the coyotes, otters (yes, otters), the cranes, ospreys, woodpeckers, night herons? What happens to these beautiful creatures with all this construction. There also also several majestic oaks - some more than 100 years old. Can they be saved from the bulldozers?
Another factor many haven't considered is the heat generated by paving a huge grass lot to make a 250-space parking lot. How can that heat be mitigated? What about the toxic water runoff from the roofs of the buildings and parking lot every time it rains? Will it be going into the wetland area the architects are required to protect? Can all the runoff water be ushered into storm water systems? Not realistically. Won't some make it's way into our groundwater, and that of the nearby wetland? Drains on the west side are already overtaxed, not maintained and don't work well. This will just add to that issue.
What can we do to stop this?
Several of your neighbors have already been busy the last few weeks contacting city council members, the St. Petersburg traffic department, the school board, as well as engineers and architects involved in this project. Keep in mind, we are just in the beginning stages and need your help!
1. Write your City Council Member
|
One of the most important things you can do to help this effort is to contact your city council member. Let your council member know how this influx of traffic into our neighborhood could ruin our way of life and bring down property values. It is probably best to email them, but phone calls are effective too. The Mangrove Bay neighborhood is covered by two districts. About five houses on the northeastern tip of the neighborhood are in District 2 (the magenta or light purple side of the map). The people living in those homes are constituents of Councilperson Brandi Gabbard. The Riviera School Board Property also sits in District 2. The rest of the neighborhood is in District 3 and are constituents of Councilperson Ed Montanari. It may be helpful to contact both council members regardless of where you live. Below is contact information for both of these city council members: |
|
Brandi Gabbard: [email protected]
District 2 Councilperson Legislative Aide: [email protected] 727-893-4096 |
|
|
2. Attend Public Meetings
Prior to the beginning of construction, there should be several public meetings held in City Hall. These meetings will be directly related to the construction of this middle school and YMCA project. It is important that everyone in this neighborhood be represented. Plan in advance to get a few hours off from work or have someone watch the kids. IT'S THAT IMPORTANT! If we show up in large numbers, that could influence the outcome of any decision towards our favor. It's hard to ignore the wishes of a room full of people. One of the first meetings will be a Development Review Commission (DRC) hearing on a request by the Pinellas County School Board. The school board wishes to vacate Davenport Avenue where it sits between, and beside two separate School Board parcels of land. The school board wants this road to be removed and the property transferred to back to them, so it can be used as part of their huge parking lot. If this doesn't pass the DRC, then the plans for the school must be redesigned. |
Thanks to a letter from neighbor, Mike Barnett, the city and DNC have agreed to a new public hearing. Plan on being there!
|
This meeting was originally held this past January. Only two people from our neighborhood attended. That's because almost no one received any notice from the city. One determined neighbor, bothered by the lack of notice, fired off a letter to a city official. The result was the DRC will hold another hearing on the vacation of the Davenport Avenue NE. Giving neighbors a second chance to speak out. This meeting will be help April, 6, 2022 at 10am. Plan on being there and sharing your opinion about this construction with the commission members. Everyone will be given three minutes to speak. For anyone unfamiliar with speaking at a city meeting, we've set up a page to show you what to do. Follow this link to learn how easy it is to speak at a public meeting.
3. Express yourself - with the power of the pen!
You can change minds and sway opinions just by getting facts into the right hands. The are many important individuals involved with every aspect of this project - from design to construction to approvals. It's conceivable that many have no idea the impact this project will have on our neighborhood. We've listed several names below and you may be able to think of more to contact. It only takes a few minutes to write an email. This website has a couple sample email letters you can use to help formulate your own. To see sample emails, please follow this link.
Please keep in mind, the more emails you send, the more impact you will have. Please send each individual only one email. It doesn't help to pester them. Always be kind, be polite, be positive and let your voice be heard!
You can change minds and sway opinions just by getting facts into the right hands. The are many important individuals involved with every aspect of this project - from design to construction to approvals. It's conceivable that many have no idea the impact this project will have on our neighborhood. We've listed several names below and you may be able to think of more to contact. It only takes a few minutes to write an email. This website has a couple sample email letters you can use to help formulate your own. To see sample emails, please follow this link.
Please keep in mind, the more emails you send, the more impact you will have. Please send each individual only one email. It doesn't help to pester them. Always be kind, be polite, be positive and let your voice be heard!
City of St. Petersburg leadership and staff
Ken Welch, Mayor [email protected]
Tom Greene, Interim City Administrator, [email protected]
Stephanie Owens, Deputy Mayor and Chief of Policy, [email protected]
Robert Gerdes, Assistant City Administrator, [email protected]
Joe Zeoli, Interim City Development Administrator, [email protected]
James Corbett, Neighborhood Affairs Administrator, james.corbett@stpete.
Ken Welch, Mayor [email protected]
Tom Greene, Interim City Administrator, [email protected]
Stephanie Owens, Deputy Mayor and Chief of Policy, [email protected]
Robert Gerdes, Assistant City Administrator, [email protected]
Joe Zeoli, Interim City Development Administrator, [email protected]
James Corbett, Neighborhood Affairs Administrator, james.corbett@stpete.
Pinellas County Schools
Dr. Michael A. Grego, Superintendent of Pinellas County Schools [email protected]
Doug Pollei, AIA, Director, Facilities Design and Construction (727) 547-7113 [email protected]
Jason Novisk, Senior Construction Coordinator (727) 547-7149 [email protected]
Mario Bowleg, Manager Facilities Construction (727) 547-7133 [email protected]
Dr. Michael A. Grego, Superintendent of Pinellas County Schools [email protected]
Doug Pollei, AIA, Director, Facilities Design and Construction (727) 547-7113 [email protected]
Jason Novisk, Senior Construction Coordinator (727) 547-7149 [email protected]
Mario Bowleg, Manager Facilities Construction (727) 547-7133 [email protected]
YMCA of the Suncoast
G. Scott Goyer, CEOPresident [email protected]
Tom Button, Senior Vice President/COO [email protected]
Tim Ackerman, Vice President of Properties [email protected]
Cathy Mayo Senior Director of Communications [email protected] (813) 224-9622 ext. 1240
G. Scott Goyer, CEOPresident [email protected]
Tom Button, Senior Vice President/COO [email protected]
Tim Ackerman, Vice President of Properties [email protected]
Cathy Mayo Senior Director of Communications [email protected] (813) 224-9622 ext. 1240
Architects
Jason Jensen, AIA, LEED, Partner
Wannamaker Jensen Architects (Construction Coordinator)
Amy Weber, AIA, LEED, Vice President, Harvard Jolly Architects (Project Architect)
2714 Dr M.L.K. Jr St N, St. Petersburg, FL 33704
(727) 896-4611
Jason Jensen, AIA, LEED, Partner
Wannamaker Jensen Architects (Construction Coordinator)
Amy Weber, AIA, LEED, Vice President, Harvard Jolly Architects (Project Architect)
2714 Dr M.L.K. Jr St N, St. Petersburg, FL 33704
(727) 896-4611
4. Sign our Petition
We hope to have a petition circulating the neighborhood before April 1. Please be sure you sign the petition using a verifiable name and address.
We hope to have a petition circulating the neighborhood before April 1. Please be sure you sign the petition using a verifiable name and address.