This is our community, please get involved! A few clarifications to this article, there is no meeting on March 12th.
It wasn’t ITID Officials that met with the 7-Eleven representatives, it was the ALA Board President, Tim Sayre who invited me and board members Perry Williams and Michelle Floyd to have a discussion with them. Thank you to the ALA for inviting me.
ITID discussed the text amendment at our meeting in February and the BOS instructed staff to send a letter to the planning commission and the BCC opposing the text amendment. This letter has not yet been sent because of the postponement and possible amendments.
The owners advised me on the way to the ALA meeting and formally requested Wednesday to postpone their application an additional month to allow them the opportunity to look at alternative locations as a result of discussions. (Of course the PLC staff recommendation of denial did not help them). I appreciate that they have listened to our concerns and will take them into consideration while looking at alternative locations.
Regarding 60th Street widening, at this time all the County is attempting to do is add an additional 20ft to 60th Street (between 140th and 120th) on the Long Range Thoroughfare map. However, having that additional 20 ft will allow them to build a 5 lane road with no protections / bufferings for our residents along 60th. The County ownership rights is currently only 80ft which allows them to build a 3 lane road similar to what was built East of 120th. In most cases, when they want to widen the road to 5 lanes, that is when they would have to obtain (purchase from the residents or eminent domain) the additional 20ft. However, they could not do that without the Long Range Thoroughfare Map being amended first.
The point is that ITID residents need to be involved in the design of 60th, especially the residents along 60th who are going to be most directly impacted. Even the 3 lane road they intend to build in the near future, will be a very busy road once it is opened to Seminole Pratt Whitney Road. This is our opportunity to have our voices heard and ask that it be designed with our residents and our community concerns addressed.
How to get involved:
- Attend the ITID workshop on 60th with the County, tentatively set for April 4th at the ITID office;
- Attend the County public meeting on 60th Street to hear their plans and express your concerns, desires, vision etc. tentatively set for April 10th;
- Attend the Board of County Commissioners meeting on May 2nd for the initiation of the plans for 60th Street;
- If you are unable to attend meetings, you may send me an email and I can incorporate your concerns into my discussions
- Send emails to the County Commission, our District 6 Commissioner is Mayor McKinlay, mmckinlay@pbcgov.org. To reach all commissioners, email bcc-allcommissioners@pbcgov.org;
Future dates regarding the application for the 7-Eleven, I will let you know when it is confirmed they are moving forward.
http://gotowncrier.com/2018/03/ala-learns-about-60th-street-widening-and-7-eleven-store/
