TBO.com - TBO is Tampa Bay Online

Community ID's Threats, Opportunities; Seeks Public Input

ADVERTISEMENT

By YVETTE C. HAMMETT yhammett@tampatrib.com

The Tampa Tribune

Published: October 21, 2008

Updated:

RUSKIN - Ecotourism, Port of Manatee growth, access to Interstate 75 and the redevelopment of Old Sun City are all opportunities the South Side community can seize on as they plan for the area's future, activists say.

Increased port traffic, expanded industrial areas, sprawl and a tight growth strategy are considered threats by some members of the South Side Community Plan Committee.

Committee members, meeting for several months now, devised their lists during a group exercise designed to help them focus on the area's pros and cons.

The South Side plan encompasses the region south of the Little Manatee River to the Manatee County line, which includes large tracts of undeveloped land, agricultural lands, historic Sun City and Sundance, an equestrian community.

"We just took strengths, problems, opportunities or threats and we broke the citizens up into three groups and they listed what they saw in their communities," said Yeneka Hemmingway, a planner with the Hillsborough Planning Commission, assisting in the creation of the new community plan.

"At our follow-up meeting Oct. 28, we're going to begin to gather those answers into themes, like environmental issues and road issues," Hemmingway said. "It will help us to formulate objectives and policies for the plan."

The community plan, which will take about a year to devise, must be approved by the Hillsborough County Commission and will be used as a guide for future development.

GET INVOLVED

WHAT: South Side Community Plan Committee

WHEN: 6-8 p.m. Tuesday

WHERE: SouthShore Regional Library, 15816 Beth Shields Way, Ruskin

INFORMATION: Pedro Parra, (813) 273-3774, ext. 356; or e-mail pparra@plancom.org

Reporter Yvette C. Hammett can be reached at (813) 865-1566.

Share this:

Loading Comments...

Email Print

ADVERTISEMENT