Courtney Campbell Scenic Highway
Corridor Advocacy Group (CAG)
Minutes
Regular Meeting at the
Board Meeting Room – URS Corporation
7650 West Courtney Campbell Causeway
Tampa, Florida 33607-1462
July 26, 2002
8:30 to 10:00 a.m.
Note: This version contains Correction from Carol Cook to V.b.iii.1 received on 8/2/02
I.
Attending:
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
f.
g.
h.
i.
j.
k.
l.
Ms. Katie Cole, Clearwater Regional Chamber of Commerce
Ms. Chris Cook, Keep Hillsborough County Beautiful
Mr. Jim Gilman, URS Corporation
Ms. Nadine Jones, Hillsborough County Aviation Authority
The Honorable Bill Jonson, Clearwater City Commissioner and President Citizens for a Scenic Florida
Mr. Tim Kurtz, City of Clearwater Public Works Administration
Ms. Charlene Ponce, Representing Hillsborough County Commissioner
Jan Platt
Mr. Michael Palozzi, FDOT District Scenic Highways Coordinator, and
PBS&J Consultant
The Honorable Linda Saul-Sena, Councilmember, City of Tampa
Mr. Joe Toph, Urban Order Inc., representing the Westshore Alliance
Mr. Brian Smith, Executive Director, Pinellas County MPO
Mr. Jim Valentine, City of Tampa Parks Department
II.
Bill Jonson, CAG Chair, called the meeting to order at 8:45 a.m.
III.
The minutes of the meeting of June 28, 2002 were reviewed. They were
approved as issued.
IV.
Old Business
a. Mr. Palozzi reported on the status of the Eligibility Document approval
process. He is collecting comments and will prepare a letter with the
Department’s official response. He reported a question was raised
pertaining to the “landside” segments of the corridor boundaries. As these
segments seem to have a different characteristic than the rest of the
corridor, the suggestion was to adjust the boundaries or modify the
narrative to better describe why they are included:
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i. Councilmember Saul-Sena suggested that the eastern boundary
could really go further east to the Cypress Park and the Airport
entrance.
ii. Mr. Smith noted that McMullen Booth road is a County designated
Scenic Highway. Thus the current western terminus is appropriate.
iii. Mr. Palozzi suggested that connectivity is important at both ends
of the proposed scenic highway.
b. Ms. Jones reported that the Hillsborough Airport meets quarterly with
FDOT’s Ron Glass on the LINKS project. Mr. Glass intends to hold a
meeting with the Dana Shores Homeowners Association, The Airport
Authority, Westshore businesses and the CC Scenic Highway group in
November. After these discussions he will determine the funding level for
landscaping in the LINKS project.
c. Mr. Jonson distributed a letter he wrote to the TBRPC as directed by the
group at the last meeting asking for them to formally “adopt” our group.
Mr. Smith raised concerns that this relationship needs to facilitate the
accomplishment of our groups agenda, rather than “take over” our positive
direction. Mr. Jonson reported that the subject will be addressed at the
September executive committee meeting of TBRPC.
d. Additional Support Letters
i. Actions open from previous meetings are letters of support from
the following:]
1. Hillsborough Convention and Visitors – Saul-Sena
[Action]
2. Tampa Bay Partnership – Cole [Action]
3. Two of the three Pinellas County Chambers of Commerce
– Cole [Action]
4. Pinellas County Convention and Visitors Bureau – Cole
[Action]
V.
New Business
a. Reclaimed water availability for the causeway:
i. Mr. Kurtz reported that because of vacations he didn’t have a final
answer on the availability of reclaimed water on the Clearwater
end.
ii. Councilmember Saul-Sena reported that Phase II of the STAR
project will extend reclaimed water up to the golf course north of
Dana Shores. There are currently no plans to extend reclaimed
water to Ben T. Davis. It likely would be available at the airport
and the LINKS entryway.
iii. Mr. Gilman noted that St. Pete utilizes trucks to distribute
reclaimed water for the establishment of plantings and their
ongoing maintenance.
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b. Causeway Maintenance Status update
i. Mr. Kurtz reported that Clearwater City limits extend to the
County line on the causeway. He detailed the following
responsibilities in this area.
1. Clearwater participated in planting Cabbage Palms and
understory plants at several locations along the causeway.
The trees are maintained by the Clearwater Urban Forestry
group. A Clearwater Parks and Rec crew is responsible for
other plantings and landscape maintenance between the
guardrail and the water.
2. The P&R department also provides Level 2 service to the
plant material surrounding the AWTP and the small park
immediately east of this facility. Reclaimed water is
available in this area only. Levels of service range from 1
to 4 with level 4 the lowest level of support.
3. The P&R team also maintains the Clearwater Welcome
Center plantings, and the beach on the south side of the
causeway.
4. FDOT is responsible for mowing from the road to the
guardrail and uses contractors for this service.
ii. Mr. Valentine reported that Tampa Parks Department provided the
following support:
1. Tampa maintains all landscaping within the planting areas
in accordance with beautification grants.
2. The Ben T. Davis Beach concession stand will be reopened
soon as a new concessionaire has been selected. Beach
renourishment is needed at this location and will be
massive (expensive). Designation as a Scenic Highway
may assist in obtaining grants for this project.
iii. Ms. Cook reported that the Tampa Bay Parrot Heads have adopted
the land island in Hillsborough County as an adopt a shoreline.
They have a membership of 115 people and participate in a clean
up three times a year.
1. She also announced that the Courtney Campbell Causeway
is a site for the Great American Cleanup (held in April) and
the Coastal Cleanup. The Coastal Cleanup will be
September 21st.
2. Ms. Cook suggested that the group invite Bill Sanders,
President of Keep Pinellas Beautiful, to be a member of
this group.
iv. Mr. Palozzi presented an outline (Attachment A) of the FDOT
maintenance responsibilities.
c. Technical Committee Update
i. Mr. Smith reported that he and Mr. Baier discussed updating the
technical sections of the Eligibility Document for the Corridor
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VI.
VII.
Management Plan. They noted a need for a Executive Summary
within the document.
ii. The group also suggested adding a maintenance responsibility
summary. Mr. Gilman volunteered to prepare a consolidated list of
maintenance agreements applicable to the causeway.
d. LINKS Landscaping levels
i. Mr. Toph reported that in contacts with other FDOT districts he
has found significantly higher percentages of landscaping, up to
7%, in highway projects. Tampa Mayor Greco has a request
pending to increase the levels available in District 7.
ii. Mr. Toph suggested that an inventory be taken of existing
landscaping to ensure that the Tampa ordinance requiring
replacement of trees be followed as part of the LINKS project.
iii. The group suggested that Westshore Alliance write a letter asking
for enhanced landscaping.
iv. Councilmember Saull-Sena reported that South Florida had an
ordinance requiring landscaping. Thus when Andrew came
through the Federal Government reimbursed for the restoration of
landscaping. She took the action to investigate and make
recommendations for this area.
v. On a related subject, Tampa requested a beautification grant for
Dale Maby between Kennedy and Hillsborough.
e. Scenic Highway Presentation
i. Ms Cole and Councilmember Saul-Sena developed an outline for
the script (Attachment B)
ii. Ms. Cole reported on discussions with the URS graphics staff.
They can do a video as easy as doing a PowerPoint presentation.
iii. The group suggested that this video include an interview with Mrs.
Courtney Campbell.
iv. Mr. Smith suggested the video be placed on a business card size
CD.
Other Business
a. Ms. Cook volunteered to prepare a letter of support from their
organization’ s board of directors.
b. The group discussed the Tampa Mayor’ s Beautification Program.
i. This is a separate nonprofit that raises money for beautification
projects.
ii. Part of the program is to use unemployed youth to do the plantings.
iii. This group also mobilizes volunteers for mass plantings.
iv. Bonnie Moore who is now the Pinellas Worknet Executive
Director was the ED of the Tampa Beautification Program.
Next Meeting - 8:30 a.m. September 13 at the URS seventh floor Board
Meeting Room, 7650 West Courtney Campbell Causeway in Rocky Point
area. The meeting will cover the following:
a. Report on the public presentation – Linda Saul-Sena/Katie Cole
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b. Report on TBRPC Executive Committee discussion on our Corridor
Management Entity.
c. Status of the Technical Committee update – Brian Smith and Ned Baier
If corrections to these minutes are noted, please notify:
Bill Jonson, CAG Chair
2694 Redford Court West
Clearwater, Florida 33761
727-786-3075
bill.jonson@usa.net
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Attachment A
Florida Department of Transportation
Courtney Campbell Causeway Scenic Highway
July 26, 2002
FDOT Maintenance Responsibility
Pinellas Maintenance
Mr. Brian Bennett, Pinellas Maintenance Engineer
(727) 570-5101
Hillsborough Maintenance
Mr. Harvey Hunt, Hillsborough Maintenance Engineer
(813) 740-5101
General Corutney Campbell Causeway Responsibilities
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Highway structural integrity
Grass cutting
Guardrail
Highway debris
Oversight of local government agreements
Permitting
Contract management (lighting)
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Outline for Scenic Corridor Video
Attachment B
Introduction to Corridor Advocacy Group
Vision of the CAG: The Courtney Campbell Causeway should be preserved and
enhanced not as a highway, but as a scenic corridor that is a vital resource to the
prosperity of the region.
Main visuals: Recreation
Preservation Areas/Estuary
Beaches
Bay
Wildlife
What is the Corridor Advocacy Group?
Who: Governments, private citizens, associations, business interests from both
sides of the bay
What: Working to maintain and enhance the causeway
How: Apply for state designation of Florida Scenic Highway
Visuals: Meeting of CAG?
TBPRC/BOCC meetings?
College or Welcome Center?
What is the Florida Scenic Highway program?
Visuals: Show other corridors?
FDOT representative talking?
Why is the Courtney Campbell Causeway special?
Visuals: Show cleanup?
Endangered species
Recreation visuals on both ends – watercraft and beachgoers
History of Causeway?
Old Photos
Settlers of Pinellas and Hillsborough Counties
Plan for the Causeway?
Show LINKS project visuals
“ Enhance vehicular and pedestrian safety” visuals – i.e. nature walks
Lateral park
Potential markers for entrances – maybe reflect on past “ gate”
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