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Bridge Idea Spurs Conservation Push

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By SUSAN M. GREEN, The Tampa Tribune

Published: November 14, 2007

RIVERVIEW - The possibility of a bridge spanning the Alafia River at Valrie Lane has rallied opponents into pushing for county acquisition of Buckhorn Springs and its surrounding property, which some said would have been affected by the proposed bridge crossing.

David Moberg, who with his wife, Lisa, built a home near Valrie's dead-end at the river, said he has long been interested in seeing the springs on the north side of the Alafia preserved.

But the threat of a bridge spurred him to do research on the springs and contact officials of Hillsborough's Environmental Lands Acquisition and Protection Program, a taxpayer-funded effort that buys land for preservation.

At a meeting last week of the Alafia River Ridge Civic Association, Moberg showed slides of other springs in Hillsborough County that have been significantly altered or destroyed by development. He and his wife are circulating a petition asking for support for land preservation instead of a bridge.

Forest Turbiville, who oversees regional parks and conservation lands for the county, said Hillsborough's ELAPP tried to acquire Buckhorn Springs and surrounding property some years back. But owner Cargill Fertilizer, now called Mosaic, did not want to sell.

The 146-acre parcel, which includes much of Buckhorn Creek, is considered highly desirable under the program, Turbiville said. But he said any renewed interest by ELAPP officials would have to start with an inquiry from the property owner.

A Mosaic spokesman could not be reached for comment Thursday. The phosphate processor holds a permit to pump up to 6 million gallons of water a day from Lithia and Buckhorn springs to cool the Riverview plant's boilers, though officials have said daily withdrawals typically are substantially less.

Although county officials have killed the prospect of a Valrie Lane bridge, about 35 people turned out Nov. 6 to meet with the coordinator of the controversial South County Transportation Plan that had included it. Ned Baier, transportation planning manager for Hillsborough's Planning and Growth Management Department, said officials abandoned the proposal largely because of Moberg's research on its potential environmental effects.

"The Valrie Lane bridge proposal is dead," Baier told the crowd, to a round of applause.

Rex Garrison, acting president of the association, noted that the attendance was high for a regular meeting of the group. Talk of a two-lane bridge funneling thousands of cars from Bloomingdale Avenue through a 40-year-old riverside neighborhood rallied residents, many of whom also attended public meetings about the plan two weeks ago.

"We want it off the map forever and ever and ever," Garrison told Baier.

The bridge siting was one of two in the long-range transportation proposal that was intended to preserve road corridors to accommodate growth during the next 40 years.

Baier and county consultant Keli Paul said they haven't removed a second proposal that would extend 78th Street on the north side of the Alafia and build a four-lane bridge to cross the river into a long-standing neighborhood off Gibsonton Drive. The plan calls for 78th Street to create a corridor all the way to Big Bend Road.

Baier said the idea might come off the plan after environmental evaluations. Bob Minthorn of Gibsonton, who lives near the proposed bridge crossing and has been involved in environmental and civic groups, has said the project would destroy an environmentally significant salt marsh on the river's edge, as well as require demolition of homes.

But, Baier said, the 78th Street extension not only would divert tens of thousands of cars from U.S. 41 and Interstate 75 but also it would shuttle south Hillsborough commuters to roadways that would take them east into Tampa job centers.

"It's something that, as a traffic planner, you have to seriously look at," Baier said.

The plan will be revised, Baier said, but there is no deadline, and county officials will seek broader community input after release of the first plan led to uproar in several communities, including Wimauma, Balm and Lithia.

"We heard the message loud and clear: no corridors outside the urban services boundary," Baier said, referring to some residents' objection to new roads suggested in rural areas.

"That's clearly off the table for now," Baier said. "You can't say forever."

Paul and Baier said the county also has to consider the need for emergency evacuation routes. Baier asked the group to remember last year's wildfires that closed Interstate 75 and brought traffic in the area to a standstill.

Reporter Susan M. Green can be reached at (813) 865-1566 or sgreen@tampatrib.com.

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