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August 18, 2011
Here's something different. A group of Tampa businesses is asking for more and tighter restrictions, not fewer, and they're doing it in hopes of creating more jobs.
Their goal is to make the Westshore business district, which is the largest commercial district in the state, an even more attractive place to work and invest. Improving the curb appeal of new offices, hotels and stores appears to have overwhelming support among business owners and residents.
That support wasn't automatic. Ron Rotella, the veteran executive director of the Westshore Alliance, has been working on the plan for a year. He involved city planning experts early on, met with neighborhood representatives and incorporated their concerns into the wording of the proposed Westshore Overlay District Development Standards.
Not everyone in the district likes everything in the 18-page document, and city council could hear some objections when the plan is presented this afternoon. If the plan is approved, a property owner wanting a variance would still be able to appeal to the council, but it would be a time-consuming and uncertain process.
One goal of the precise development guidelines is to streamline the approval process and make the outcomes predictable. That would be good for business.
A developer would know exactly what is expected, including putting the building near the street, with most parking in the rear or along the sides. People living nearby would not have to worry about unpleasant surprises, such as stinky Dumpsters being put right against their back fences — a major residential concern.
Under the plan, a Dumpster would have to be 25 feet from a residential neighbor. No new billboards would be allowed, sidewalks would be wider, and more walking would be encouraged.
The alliance has 375 members within the 10 square miles north of Kennedy Boulevard, south of Hillsborough Avenue and west of Himes Avenue. The group's mission is to improve the working life of the nearly 100,000 employees there, lower crime, upgrade transportation, spruce up the environment and generally promote better business. The district includes Tampa International Airport, two shopping malls, 38 hotels, numerous offices and more than 250 restaurants.
The new, stricter development standards wouldn't be appropriate everywhere in the county, but in this important urban district, they would send a message that business is not in decline here but is very much looking up.
Original article in Tampa Tribune.
http://www2.tbo.com/news/opinion/2011/aug/18/meopino1-polishing-westshore-ar-251148/
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