LARGO – Dozens of residents jammed a city meeting room Oct. 7 to oppose a plan that would allow a nearby asphalt plant to continue operating.
Spokesmen for each of the residential communities near the asphalt plant begged the City Commission for support in opposing approval of a land-use change scheduled for review by the Pinellas County Board of Commissioners on Oct. 21, 6:30 p.m.
The residents explained that the asphalt plant was erected more than 40 years ago on Starkey Road, just north of Ulmerton. During the 1970s, they said, the plant was shut down and condominiums were built all around it. These include Forestbrook, Country Club, Willow Greens and Seminole Palms.
“If it was operating when I came here, I wouldn’t have bought that condo,” said Michael Marcelek.
In 2005, the residents claimed, the asphalt plant resumed operations even though its zoning had been changed to light industrial, prohibiting such operations.
Now, residents said, their homes are filled with layers of dust, they have trouble breathing outside of their homes, their eyes burn and they are suffering other health conditions because of pollution from the asphalt plant, which manufactures oil-based road surfacing material.
The plant, owned by R.E. Purcell Inc., sits on the company’s 13-acre tract with piles of sand, dirt and stones in an unincorporated area of the county adjacent to the Largo city line.
City Community Development Director Carol Stricklin pointed out that Purcell’s application was for 9.9 acres of its land. She said a land-use change for 10 acres would require a more restrictive procedure.
This grated on several city commissioners.
“What a sneaky move,” said Vice Mayor Harriet Crozier.
Commissioner Woody Brown agreed, saying, “That is a Sneaky Pete . . . not a good neighbor.”
The commissioners asked if the city might raise the issue of the plant operating in violation of its land-use zoning.
Stricklin said that was a legal issue between the county and the property owner that Largo should not get involved with. She said the city might oppose the land-use change only on its incompatibility with surrounding land uses, which are mostly residential.
Commissioners agreed unanimously to have the city staff write a letter in opposition to the land-use change and asked that someone from the city staff attend the public hearing to oppose the proposal. Several commissioners said they wanted to attend the public hearing personally, but that they will be involved that night with a city commission meeting.
News vendors to be banned
In other action, the commission introduced an ordinance intended to stop newspaper vendors from peddling on medians of local streets. The issue arose two months ago when city activist Curtis Holmes pointed out the danger of these vendors working Sundays, selling newspapers to drivers passing by.
The city began issuing summonses to those vendors who ventured into the traffic lanes, but the police noted there was no law prohibiting vendors from using the grassy medians.
Holmes, during this week’s meeting, praised the city action, saying he recently watched a driver park his car on busy Ulmerton Road, near the Largo Mall, get out and buy a newspaper from one of the vendors.
The action was opposed by another city watchdog, Geoff Moakley, who asked why it was unsafe for newspaper vendors but safe for nonprofit fundraisers who are exempted from such legislation by state law.
A second reading and public hearing on the code was scheduled for the commission’s Oct. 21 meeting.
