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STAY OFF I-275 THIS WEEKEND!!

DOT to Tampa motorists: Avoid I-275 this weekend!

TAMPA -- Expect massive delays in Tampa this weekend along northbound Interstate 275 as transportation officials shift traffic to the newly constructed northbound lanes.

How massive? Backed up into Pinellas County massive.

The Florida Department of Transportation is warning of serious traffic jams along the busy thoroughfare beginning at 9 p.m. Friday and continuing through 5:30 a.m. Monday.

Here's how it will go:

* 8 p.m. Friday to 8 a.m. Saturday: The Dale Mabry Highway entrance ramp to northbound I-275 will be closed. Drivers should use Lois Avenue or Howard Avenue to enter northbound I-275.

* Starting at 9 p.m. Friday:
-- One to two of the three lanes will close on northbound I-275 from Lois Avenue (Exit 40B) to Ashley Drive/Scott Street (Exit 44).
-- The Ashley Drive/Scott Street exit ramps (Exit 44) will alternately be closed until 5:30 a.m. Saturday. Traffic will be detoured to whichever of these two ramps is open at the time.

* Early morning Saturday: Traffic will be shifted to the new I-275 northbound lanes. Only two lanes will be open until about 5:30 a.m. Monday. The Dale Mabry entrance ramp to northbound I-275 will also reopen early Saturday morning.

Additionally, DOT expects residual congestion along nearby local east-west roads such as Columbus Drive, Kennedy Boulevard, and Cypress Street. Motorists are encouraged to use alternate routes, avoiding I-275 northbound.

By Monday morning, traffic is expected to be flowing on the new alignment in three through-lanes.

But don't get too excited.

The lanes will not be full width and shoulders will be hard to come by until this fall as workers continue to widen the area from Willow Avenue to west of the Ashley Drive exit.

Until that widening is completed, northbound I-275 on the eastern end of the project will have two 11-foot lanes and a 12-foot middle lane. Trucks will be instructed to use the full-width middle lane. And the speed limit will be reduced to 45 mph until construction is completed.

The Himes Avenue entrance ramp, closed since December, is also planned to open to traffic Monday.

-- Rebecca Catalanello, Times staff writer

Posted by tampabaycom at 12:08:24 PM on April 23, 2009
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IMPORTANT INFORMATION FOR SH RESIDENTS!!

From: Christie Hess [mailto:chess@seminoleheightsfoundation.org]
Sent: Tuesday, April 21, 2009 11:27 AM
Subject: Form Based Zoning Codes on the City's Website 

I am sending this information so that you can become knowledgeable how this new type of zoning will affect you and the Seminole Heights area. The city’s Community Planning through Form Based Zoning is a critical ingredient towards improving the sustainability and vitality of SeminoleHeights. One of the goals of the Seminole Heights Foundation is to potentially provide additional avenues that would allow this zoning to be realized. We hope that you will be able to attend the meetings next week. I wanted to give you the opportunity to review the work to date via the City of Tampa’s website. This is your opportunity to have a say in the future re-development of Seminole Heights, if your schedule permits, please try to attend one or both of the meetings. 

Here is the link: 

http://www.tampagov.net/dept_Land_Development/information_resources/Zoning/community_planning_through_form_based_codes.asp

Tuesday, April 28 at 6pm – Overview
Wednesday, April 29 at 6pm – Working session 

Ragan Center
at 1200 E. Lake Ave  

Thank you,

Christie Hess

COPS ON DONUTS!

Did not see our local Krispy Kreme on the bottom, but have asked if they are participating.  Will post, if they are.

Scroll down for complete info.

 

THE FOUNDATION

From an article in St. Pete Times

SEMINOLE HEIGHTS

Trailblazers in this historic section of central Tampa have big ambitions:

They're eager to embrace form-based zoning, a method of planning that values design. They're excited about half a dozen new restaurants moving in.

They feel they're on the verge of a neighborhood renaissance, even under the cloud of this pesky economy, which has forced the city to tighten its budget and discontinue its neighborhood minigrant program.

Instead of sitting back and waiting for the city to give them park benches and sidewalks and traffic-calming devices, neighbors are establishing a private foundation to do it themselves.

The Seminole Heights Foundation is in the process of applying for its nonprofit status as a 501(c)(3) organization.

Shannon Edge, the city's director of neighborhood services, said she's never heard of any other Tampa neighborhood establishing its own foundation.

But she said she isn't surprised the first would be Seminole Heights. "They are trailblazers," she said.

She's sure others will follow.

Right now, the Seminole Heights Foundation is just an idea, conceived a few weeks ago by former neighborhood presidents Susan Long and Randy Baron and neighborhood leader Christie Hess.

As a nonprofit organization, residents would be able to make tax-deductible donations for improvements in their own neighborhoods. Baron says these donations could be made to the general pot of money, or for specific projects.

"We are open to any and all ideas," Baron said. "There is no bad idea."

For example, if someone comes forward who wants to spearhead the renovation of the historic Seminole Theatre on Florida Avenue, the foundation would step in and try to find grants, and start collecting funds through charity events.

"A lot of giving these days is given to some large charity," Baron said. "This is a little more closer to home."

Donors will have the benefit of seeing the tangible fruits of their contributions, he said.

They'll get a chance to leave a lasting mark on their neighborhood.

So far, the wish list includes more historic streetlights, trees and neighborhood markers to give the place character — in other words, things that say, Welcome to Seminole Heights.

Unlike the area's three neighborhood associations, the foundation won't enforce hard boundaries. In fact, one project idea involves improving the park surrounding the Sulphur Springs water tower.

"Anything we can do to promote this whole area," Hess said.

Edge says she has been telling the city's 126 neighborhood associations that they need to be more proactive about getting the improvements they need.

"Money is tight everywhere," she said. "I think anyone right now who's searching and doing things to help is to be commended."

Alexandra Zayas can be reached at azayas@sptimes.com or (813) 226-3354.

 

FRIENDS OF THE LIBRARY ANNOUNCEMENT

‘FRIENDS OF THE LIBRARY’ GROUP FORMING

As we here in Seminole Heights look forward to the construction of a new library facility for the neighborhood, a project is underway to form a ‘Friends of the Library’ chapter for the Seminole Heights Branch Public Library.

Friends of the Library of Tampa-Hillsborough County is a non-profit organization that oversees and coordinates fourteen ‘Friends’ groups throughout Hillsborough County. ‘Friends’ groups support, both financially and with volunteer work, many of the County’s public libraries. One of the most notable efforts in fund raising for ‘Friends’ groups is the operation of a bookstore within each library. Each bookstore collects books from the library as they are removed from inventory and accepts donations of books as well. The books are sold at very economical prices and the proceeds applied to library services. A bookstore is planned for the new Seminole Heights Library.

Southeast Seminole Heights Civic Association member Pat Benjamin is heading up the formation of a new ‘Friends of the Library’ group for the Seminole Heights Branch. She has invited the Old Seminole Heights Neighborhood Association and the South Seminole Heights Civic Association to participate in a joint effort to form the group. The first step, according to Margaret Rials, Friends of the Library Coordinator for the County, is to form a Steering Committee. The Committee will then write bylaws for the group and submit them to the umbrella organization for approval. The estimated time it will take to form the group is about six months.

The Old Seminole Heights Neighborhood Association has a Library Committee that has held an annual book sale named in honor of long-time supporter and literacy advocate, Dr. Steve Gluckman. This year saw the fifteenth sale. The OSHNA Committee raised over $1,600.00 for the library, a large part of which will go towards summer programs of children and young adults. The Gluckman sale is a once-a-year event. A ‘Friends’ group offers year-round support. It is easy to understand how they could complement each other in benefitting the library.

Pat Benjamin, and Evan St. Ives, Chair of the OSHNA Library Committee, foresee a cooperative partnership between the ‘Friends of the Library’ group and the OSHNA Library Committee. They are agreed that whatever benefits the Seminole Heights Library benefits the neighborhood as a whole. With the current state of the economy, the budget cuts in the County and City budgets and the decreasing amount of library staff, grass-roots support from the community will help the Seminole Heights Branch maintain or exceed its present levels of excellent service.

If you are interested in being a part of this project, watch the calendar of events on either the SSHCA website or the OSHNA website for a posting giving the date and time of the first ‘Friends Group’ meeting. All are welcome.