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Improvements considered for Treasure Island trail
By LEE DIEKEMPER
Article published on Tuesday, May 27, 2008 |
TREASURE ISLAND – The Treasure Island beach trail could see some improvements in the near future if City Commissioner Bob Minning gets his wishes.
In the commission’s workshop meeting March 20, Minning brought up the subject of improvements to the beach trail. In recent months the city has been sitting on more than $300,000 from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration that came from funds via a settlement over an oil spill in Tampa Bay in August 1993.
Despite the funds being available for improvements to access points of the trail, little has been done to the trail.
Not long ago, the city was given a plan to upgrade the entire trail at a cost of $1.9 million. Even with grants, given the current economy and city budget, that project is at best “a pipe dream,” Minning said.
But that doesn’t mean improving the trail is out of the question.
Minning wondered if there isn’t a way to improve the aesthetics of the trail in a more economical way than to possibly spend seven figures, which clearly the city doesn’t have. Minning suggested some sort of landscaping or vegetation might be a feasible option.
In short, Minning wants something done. He proposed a special workshop at which the commissioners and other city officials could meet at the beach trail and inspect the trail and look at possible options. Other commissioners agreed. The special workshop has yet to be scheduled.
“I think it’s fair to say the sand wall is dilapidated,” Minning said.
The money from NOAA can only be used on access points to the trail, not the central trail. Minning thought some of the money could be used on bike racks, some signage and additional lighting at access points.
Blind Pass Channel wake speeds
Commissioner Alan Bildz brought up a subject at the workshop to enforce boating speeds on the Treasure Island side of Blind Pass Channel to no greater than “slow/minimum wake” within 200 feet of any seawall, dock, pier or boat slip every day.
Currently, the ordinance holds vessels to such speeds in Treasure Island waters to slow/minimum wake speeds only on weekends and holidays.
Bildz wanted this ordinance to mirror St. Pete Beach’s current ordinance which is enforced daily.
In 1997 a similar issue came up with the commission and there were so many protests from boaters that a compromise was reached to enforce the slow/minimum wake speeds on weekends and holidays only when boat traffic is the most congested.
Bildz suggested that under the current ordinance, boaters navigated toward the Treasure Island jurisdiction of Blind Pass Channel where the speeders can avoid the St. Pete Beach authorities.
Boaters suggested extending the ordinance from its current time frame would delay boaters so much in addition to the same boaters spending more money on fuel, already at record price levels.
Neither Mayor Mary Maloof or the other commissioners supported the issue.
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Article published on Tuesday, May 27, 2008
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