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County Shares Plans For Projects

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By ANGELA DELGADO, The Tampa Tribune

Published: September 8, 2007

TOWN 'N COUNTRY - Local residents got an update from several county officials Wednesday on new developments and road work planned for the area.

More than 30 interested parties attended an Upper Tampa Bay Chamber of Commerce breakfast at Town & Country Hospital, where Bill Lamboy from Planning and Growth and Ben Kniesly from Public Works addressed upcoming projects, answered questions and took in public comment.

The officials discussed work at the Hanley Road and Waters Avenue intersection, the Town 'N Country Community Plan, a crosswalk on Sheldon Road that connects the Upper Tampa Bay Trail to the Town 'N Country Greenway and the Hillsborough Avenue Overlay District.

The county budget includes $575,000 for a crosswalk on Sheldon, a mile south of Waters Avenue. That includes design, staff and construction costs. Kniesly told the crowd it would take about six months to complete, and he expects it will open in a year.

The crosswalk will have a hot button, which, when pushed, will immediately grant pedestrians the right-of-way.

'I don't think it's a very complicated project to envision,' he said. 'It's needed, and the parks department is funding it. As it stands, after this is built, there is going to be adequate connectivity.'

Kniesly also discussed work on Hillsborough Avenue. The $400,000 project will focus on beautifying a quarter-mile segment of the road from Town 'N Country Boulevard to Ambassador Drive. Terry Finch, of Parsons, will be the consultant on the project.

Although the project was initially supposed to span from the Veterans Expressway to Webb Road, the county decided centering on the quarter-mile would act as a template for what the rest of the road can look like.

Gene Milas, of Bay Crest, liked the county's general plans but was upset the project was being downsized.

'I was a little disappointed in the progress of the overlay,' he said after the meeting. 'It seems like they're starting over and over again, and it seems like a long time since they've been working on this thing.'

'I agree it makes sense to tie it into the Town 'N Country Commons area, but Hillsborough is in such a need of repair, it seems like a drop in the bucket compared to what needs to be done,' he said.

Julianne Corlew, vice president and managing partner of Mainsail, outlined plans for a new 12,000-square-foot, 3-story building that will be used for conferences and office space for the hotel group at 5108 Eisenhower Blvd., off Hillsborough Avenue. In addition, Mainsail is interested in adding landscaping at Hillsborough and Eisenhower.

'It's an enhancement to our property, and it serves as an entrance to Town 'N Country,' Corlew said.

Jerry Custin, president and chief executive officer of the chamber, said the proposed addition to Mainsail is a great one.

'They're doing exactly what the community wants,' he said. 'This is a business owner who is trying to make the business more attractive, but in doing so is making the community more attractive.'

Overall, many of those who attended the meeting left feeling informed about what is happening in their community.

'When you get that many people here at 7:30 in the morning, they care,' Custin said. 'To me, when we have folks that go out of their way and are passionate about their community, that's a good meeting.'

Reporter Angela Delgado can be reached at (813) 865-1501 or adelgado@tampatrib.com.

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