The Ybor City Stogie

Thursday, March 19, 2015

Take Action To Save The Everglades From Big Sugar

It’s time to protect our water by ending the deadlock on Everglades restoration once and for all. What has been called "the most critical piece of land ever for Everglades restoration" could be bought this year, but Big Sugar, who agreed to sell this land to the public in 2010, is trying to run out the clock, hoping you won’t notice.

Sign the petition to the Florida Legislature today and tell them to buy this critical land south of Lake Okeechobee. We can help save the Everglades from Big Sugar and protect Florida’s drinking water all at the same time. here

Ybor Surveillance

7th Ave

Seminole Heights Fights FDOT and Wins

Seminole Heights is a historic streetcar suburb, three miles north of Downtown Tampa. During the 1990s, still recovering from the dark days of urban America's 1980s, the neighborhood found itself in a fight for its life. FDOT had plans to widen Hillsborough Avenue through the heart of the neighborhood. DOT saw the road as part of a six-lane divided highway with turn lanes running from Pinellas to Polk counties. Their $33.5 million plan to widen Hillsborough Avenue only included the cost of a chain-link in the budget. On the other hand, the historic district's residents envisioned a four-lane boulevard with trees, period streetlights, landscaped medians and brick crosswalks.

Something had to give. Seminole Heights residents convinced FDOT to make concessions by embracing their four-lane boulevard concept. 20 years later, now featuring mature landscaping, this stretch of Hillsborough Avenue shines above the rest of US 92's path through Hillsborough County and the dire traffic congestion predictions have not materialized. here