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Wimauma Roads Plan May Stick

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By SUSAN M. GREEN, The Tampa Tribune

Published: January 19, 2008

Updated: 01/17/2008 05:14 pm

WIMAUMA - Last year's brouhaha over new pavement envisioned for much of South Shore effectively scrapped the proposed South County Transportation Plan, except for a portion of it that discussed road improvements for Wimauma, county planners said this week.
Public outcry over the overall plan's recommendations led elected officials to direct the county's Metropolitan Planning Organization to start from scratch in planning for highway needs south of Bloomingdale Avenue, said Ned Baier, transportation planning manager in Hillsborough's Planning and Growth Management Department.

The most controversial of those recommendations were a proposed high-speed bypass highway through Wimauma, Balm and Lithia and new bridges over the Alafia River.

Less controversial, planners said, were road corridors suggested for Wimauma Village. Those suggestions were incorporated in the South County Transportation Plan that had been headed for consideration as an amendment to Hillsborough's comprehensive plan that shapes development.
County planners are hoping to salvage the Wimauma part of the plan and possibly present it as a proposed comprehensive plan amendment late this year, said Joe Incorvia, Hillsborough's community planning manager.

The plans included designated corridors to link existing roads to create more efficient throughways and widen some roads through the community.

Controversial for some residents were proposals to extend 19th Avenue east to Balm-Wimauma Road and build roads from Wimauma to Balm south of State Road 674.

Opponents said the proposed extensions would shuttle development to pockets of the county designated to remain rural for decades to come and possibly slice through county preservation land.

Incorvia said the county will seek public input on the Wimauma proposals before deciding what to include in the draft plan amendment. He said people who served on committees that drafted the Wimauma Village Plan will be notified of upcoming group meetings. Others may request notification by calling him at (813) 276-8455 or by e-mail at incorviaj@hillsboroughcounty .org.

Reporter Susan M. Green can be reached at (813) 865-1566 or sgreen@tampatrib.com.

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