By MICHAEL H. SAMUELS
The Tampa Tribune
Published: May 5, 2007
South Tampa - Everyone seems to agree that Bayshore Boulevard needs to be protected. The question now is how.
About 35 people, including city council members John Dingfelder, Linda Saul-Sena and Mary Mulhern, met Wednesday to discuss ways to preserve Bayshore and designate it as a scenic corridor. It was the third community meeting.
"Bayshore is an area of the city worth protecting and preserving," city zoning administrator Cathy Coyle said. "Now we need to nail down what to preserve and protect."
Last month, the city sent proposed amendments to its growth-management plan to the Hillsborough Planning Commission for review.
The amendments say "Bayshore Boulevard, the 'emerald jewel of Tampa,' contains one of the world's longest uninterrupted pedestrian sidewalks lined with a historic balustrade … and has been shaped by the development on the western perimeter, which encompasses architecture that highlights much of Tampa's eclectic physical and cultural history."
Beth Johnson, a preservation activist, said regulations do not have to be strict.
"We can take baby steps," she said. "We can start with the historic district regulations and work from there."
But John Grandoff, an attorney representing developers with property on Bayshore, questioned why changes must be considered now.
"I'm trying to understand what is the great harm out there that must be addressed by a scenic corridor," he said.
Clark Barlow said he has lived on Bayshore for years and doesn't want more rules.
"I have an old home and I keep it up," Barlow said. "Nobody told us how to do it. I do not like regulation. I think it stinks."
Civic leader Vicki Pollyea said neighborhoods have grown tired of fighting developers trying to build condominium towers on Bayshore. They want rules in place so they don't have to fight so hard.
"It's frightening when a property is up for sale or when there's an empty lot," she said. "You don't know what is involved to keep what is now on Bayshore. The idea of protecting this treasure is something everybody agrees on."
The council will discuss Bayshore at a public workshop at 1:30 p.m. June 7 at city hall, 315 E. Kennedy Blvd.
Reporter Michael H. Samuels can be reached at (813) 835-2109 or msamuels@tampatrib.com.
