This browser does not support the Video element.
Residents concerned over Palm Harbor project
Kailey Tracy reports.
PALM HARBOR, Fla. - County leaders in Pinellas say they want to improve the road, sidewalks and drainage systems in part of Palm Harbor, but the residents who live there say they have concerns.
The proposed improvements are planned for a one-mile stretch of Nebraska Avenue from Alternate U.S.-19 to Westlake Boulevard.
"We did not ask for this, and we don’t want it," Ada Henderson, who lives along Nebraska Avenue, said.
Right now, the two lanes vary in width from 11 to 12 feet, and there are sporadic sidewalks and ditches on both sides, the county said. The proposal would make the lanes a consistent 11 feet wide, sidewalks six feet wide on the south side and create a 10-foot-wide multiuse trail on the north side of the road.
READ: Hearing underway for lawsuit filed by Lakewood Ranch residents against county expansion plan
"People will be backing out into this path and into the street. They're going to run people over if they think that's going to be safe for people to have bicycles or a baby stroller. It's not safe," Henderson said. "You're not supposed to put a path in front of people's driveways, in front of their homes. People won’t be able to park. They won't be able to get their mail."
Some Palm Harbor residents are not in favor of proposed improvements.
Henderson and Steve Ehlers, who also lives along Nebraska, said they’re concerned about traffic, safety and the value of their homes decreasing.
"You'll have no real driveway," Ehlers said. "You'll have just a parking lot right in front of your house. The houses are maybe 25 to 30 feet from the county right of way mark."
Ehlers and Henderson said residents are also concerned the project would eliminate the majority of the street’s trees.
"They want to cut most of the old growth trees down, which we find is one of the characteristics of Palm Harbor," Ehlers said.
The proposal also suggests possibly adding a roundabout at 16th Street.
READ: Mobile home rent at Fort Meade park could double with new owner
Pinellas says the goal is to improve roads. Courtesy: Pinellas County
"They're not going to be able to maneuver around this roundabout," Henderson said.
Their biggest concern, they said, is for the safety of students from nearby schools who frequently walk and bike Nebraska Avenue.
"Right now, it is not safe, and what they’re going to do is going to be even worse," Henderson said.
Henderson said she’d rather see four way stops, traffic lights, streetlights and crosswalks with blinking lights added to Nebraska Avenue.
Right now, they have more than 400 signatures on a petition against the project.
The county said in a statement:
"The Nebraska Avenue Roadway Improvements Project is still early in the design phase. The design has changed significantly since it was first envisioned, particularly regarding tree preservation. Our aim is to make the route safer for schoolchildren and other pedestrians, improve drainage, and maintain the community’s charm. We are reviewing comments received from residents during a Project Information Meeting in February and in the months since, and we will continue to actively engage with the community."
Residents said they feel like the county hasn’t been listening to them. They plan to voice their concerns again at Tuesday’s Board of Commissioners meeting.
Construction is supposed to start in spring of 2024 and wrap up by the end of summer 2025.