Updates on Activities

Here's a look at our Association's current projects and concerns. If you are a resident of Palma Ceia, have questions or would like to participate in any of the following activities, contact us at info@PalmaCeiaNA.org. Please include your address, phone number and note "PCNA" somewhere in the subject field.

Are you receiving updates on PCNA current developments? To be added to our emailing list (or to Unsubscribe), contact Kim at mailinglist@PalmaCeiaNA.org.

Meeting Minutes: October 11, 2005

Land Use Change
• The Land use meetings before the City Council are Oct. 27th at 5:01 P.M. and Nov. 17th at 9:30 A.M. in the City Council Chambers. Lori Jennis, President of PCNA, discussed the plan to rally neighbors to attend the meetings. There was concern expressed that the City does not realize how development is changing our neighborhood. The City should recognize which neighborhoods have the capacity to support development and which neighborhoods, like Palma Ceia, do not have the infrastructure to support the constant development. The Plan Amendment was a long and difficult process involving a lot of time and work from the neighbors and the Planning Commission to curtail the unbridled development that impacts our daily lives in Palma Ceia. It is critical that there is a strong showing of support for the Plan Amendment. Lori shared that Terry Cullen of the Planning Commission said he will not be involved in future Plan Amendments for neighborhoods.
Action: Signs will be posted throughout the neighborhood with a phone number to call for Land Use meeting details. David Fabian will supply the number and the information message. Lori Jennis will draft a flier to pass out in the neighborhood. Volunteers are needed for passing out the fliers. Denise Monte will send out e-mail reminders to the Palma Ceia Neighborhood members. Support for the Plan Amendment will be voiced at the Mayor’s Town Hall Meeting for South Tampa neighborhoods October 18th.

Variance Review Requests
• Alex Awad, the owner of the property at 3418 Granada St. is requesting a variance to change the side yard setback from 7 ‘ to 0’. The variance request goes before City Council 11/15/05.
Action: Lori Jennis asked Mr. Awad to speak to his neighbors about the variance request. Mr. Awad spoke to his immediate neighbors and there was no real issue with the variance at this time.
• The property owner at 3309 Corona is requesting a structure height variance to increase the height of his garage from 15’ to 26’ so a home office can be placed over the garage. The variance request goes before City Council 11/15/05.
Action: PCNA will research to see what the neighbors think about the request.

• Several months ago, a developer requested to rezone property located between W. Neptune Street, S. Carolina Ave. and W. Mississippi Ave (a.k.a. Theresa Circle) in order to replace the existing "Bayside at Palma Ceia" apartments This project was to be an eight-story town homes project. There was a lot of opposition to the plan from the surrounding neighborhood associations. It is thought that the original developer is no longer involved in the project.
Action: Brent Baris is researching the Theresa Circle project and will inform PCNA of the status of this project.
• Dr. Muscaro has purchased the Palma Ceia Christian Church at 3516 Bay to Bay Blvd. For use as a living facility for Alzheimer patients. This is a Planned Development and the neighbors can specify certain requirements The entrance to the facility will be on Santiago St. and parking access will be in the rear. Dr. Muscaro’s dental employees will also park on the lot.
Action: Phil Moody will organize a meeting with Dr. Muscaro, his lawyer, John Grandoff and the Palma Ceia neighbors to go over the plans for the facility. The meeting is tentatively planned for the first or second week in November.

Update from Special Interest Committees
• Anni Ellis called the tree hotline about a grand pecan tree in the 3600 block of Bay to Bay whose limbs were severely cut by a developer. Construction Services approved the cutting of the tree and said that the Parks Dept. also agreed the tree was to be cut. When pressed about this decision, the Parks Dept.said that tree was a grand tree and should not be cut down. The tree was supposed to be trimmed, however, it is likely the tree will not survive the cutting.
Action: Anni Ellis will have a conference call with Cindy Miller, Director of Construction Services, about her department’s handling of this and other similar issues.

• The City will install a water main to improve the storm water issues effecting Barcelona, Granada, Palmira and MacDill. This will be done between 10/03/05 and 11/23/05.
Action: No action for PCNA.
• The city will upgrade a water main that will effect Granada, Concordia and Malijo.
Action: No action for PCNA at this time.

Meeting Minutes: March 8, 2005

Discuss Palm Bank's revised building plans. Palm Bank has indicated that it will ask for a continuance to be heard on April 14^th.

Brent Baris, Palma Ceia Neighborhood Association (PCNA) Vice President, stated that when rezoning is requested, PCNA gets an outline of issues to the developer expressing the neighbor’s concerns about the rezoning.

Mike and Danni Gallagher’s letter to the Tampa City Council will be used to address these concerns including:

The request to rezone to a PD will open this property to future development that may not be acceptable to the neighborhood should the bank decide to vacate.

Brent stated that a waiver can be placed on the PD to limit the use of the property.

There were also concerns about parking, security lighting infiltrating the neighbors’ property, buffer zones and traffic patterns.

Discuss the Grand Tree Removal Request for 3208 W Granada.

Lori Jennis, President of PCNA, stated that 3208 W. Granada is a new single family home and the tree is between two houses. Lori spoke to the Parks Dept. about the tree and was told the tree was not a great tree.

The 30 day period to protest the removal of the tree ends March 25,2005.

There is also a request for a grand oak tree removal at 3001 W. San Miguel because it is a hazard. The tree is dying and it is close to the home on the property. There are two other healthy oaks on the property. The 30 day period to protest the removal of this tree is April 1, 2005.

Discuss the request to increase the density of the lot located on Mississippi Ave. between Georgia and Carolina from R-10 to R-20. The agent for the developer advises that he will ask to continue the hearing from its scheduled date of March 10^th. As of the morning of March 3,2005 this has NOT been done. IF IT ISN"T DONE, it is VERY IMPORTANT that bodies are there.

The developer for the property is Westshore Holding. There are currently no site plans for this PD (Planned Development) requesting the construction of townhomes on a single family lot. There are 7 properties involved. Anni Ellis, PCNA member, stated that Rose Petrucha, City Planner, conducted a Planning study (Tampa Comprehensive Plan Amendment 04-20) and it was recommended that the property stay R-10.

The representative for the developer misrepresented some of the facts in his presentation to the Hillsborough County Planning Commission on 2/14/05. Anni Ellis got a disk recording of the meeting to confirm these misrepresentations.

Using the transcript of the 2/14/05 meeting, available from the City Clerk’s office in a few weeks, Anni Ellis will attempt to get Hillsborough County to require anyone speaking at a Commission meeting to be sworn in. Sworn testimony will have greater penalty if the testimony is proven false. Tampa City Council passed the ordinance last year that requires all people who speak in any quasi-judicial meeting to be sworn in.

The developer has asked for a continuance, which will probably be in June. PCNA will need support from its members to discourage the Council from approving the Planned Development.

The Tampa City Council has passed an ordinance that allows only one continuance. The Council will allow only 2 or 3 slots in each agenda for continuances.

Discuss proposed Preservation Agreement and proposed Deed Restriction to be used collectively by people selling their Palma Ceia home.

Homeowners in Palma Ceia are unsuspectingly selling their homes to developers. Brent Baris is working on a Preservation Agreement that requires the buyer to pay damages to the seller if townhomes are built on the property.

PCNA would like to send out Deed Restrictions to all the realtors and prospective sellers to restrict multi-family development through a deed restriction process.

Update from Special Interest Committees

Anni Ellis will draft a sketch of the enclosed sign that PCNA will use to post information pertinent to the neighborhood. There will be three signs, one of which will be on the Palm Bank property on MacDill Ave. The other locations will be determined at a later date.

The meeting attendees voted to place the PCNA membership dues at $12.00 a year. There will be no further prorating of dues.

Lori Jennis thanked everyone who participated in the 3105 Granada victory, especially Brent Baris , Tom Gordin and Tom & Janet Rockey, who were at the 3/8/05 PCNA meeting. The PD was denied by the Tampa City Council largely due to the participation of concerned neighbors.

Other issues were discussed:

Phil Moody informed PCNA that there is a lot on 3211 W. Tacon St. that is selling as a Tri-plex. The previous owner was told that the property would be used as a single family home.

Phil Moody also commented on the low environmental impact fees that Hillsborough County charges. The fees are $200. In comparison, Pasco County fees are $3200 and Osceola County fees are increasing from $7000 to $9000. Phil will follow-up on the low impact fee issue.

Lori Jennis said that the townhomes at 3410 Barcelona may be illegal. The Tampa City Code, Official schedule of district regulations, Sec 27-77 (2)b. states that RM-16 residential multifamily provides for low-medium density residential uses, similar to those provided in the RM-12 district, including single-family and two-family developments, at an increased density. Multiple-family development may be permitted through the special use permit procedure.

Special Use permits allow no construction unless approved by the City Council. John Dingfelder will bring this issue up at the March 10 Council meeting.

The goal of PCNA is to stop the construction of townhomes on Mary Mitchell’s lot at 3406 Granada St. The developer can not build without going through the PD (Planned Development) process first.

Parking Issues continue to plague the neighborhood. There are 8 more classrooms proposed at Roosevelt Elementary School. There is not enough parking currently at the school.

Palma Ceia Presbyterian Church and Plant High School continue to park in No Parking areas. W. San Miguel has become a dangerous parking lot for construction workers and Plant High students. Police enforcement is rare.

The Palma Ceia Dog Park has caused undue hardship on the homeowners surrounding the dog park. Parking and noise constantly plague the neighbors. Two City employees are stationed at the park for a few hours each day to quiet the dogs.

There is concern about parking with the new Palm Bank on Mac Dill and San Miguel.

Denise and Gaspar Monte are on the Parking Committee and are scheduling a meeting with John Dingfelder to address the parking issues in the neighborhood. The meeting will be scheduled for March 29^th or April 12^th at 7PM.

There is a meeting with the Tampa Parks Dept. about the Palma Ceia Dog Park on Thursday, March 17^th at 6PM at Kate Jackson Community Center, 821 S. Rome Ave.

An overlay district like Seminole Heights was discussed as a solution to the problems with developers changing the character of the neighborhood as well as parking and traffic issues.

The Land Use Plan Meeting is April 7^th. There are committees for Parking and Storm Water. PCNA will present that the neighborhood infrastructure will not support the continual growth of high density development. The committee will regroup in the next few weeks to work on presentation materials.

Meeting adjourned: 9:00 pm

Minutes Recorded by Dee Monte

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