For years, the Pinellas Bayway has been largely taken for granted in the affairs of southern Pinellas County. It has been considered as the route to the Beaches, Tierra Verde and Fort DeSoto. Yet, over the years, increasingly large numbers of people have made their homes along the waters of Tampa and Boca Ciega Bays in South Pinellas. Even so, the Bayway has had a reputation of being populated by absentee snowbirds and more or less passive residents who quietly write out big property tax checks every year, and infrequently involve themselves in matters that may favor their surrounding Pinellas and St. Petersburg neighbors.
In mid-2013, the “gazing at the sunset” mentality started to change. Several of the Bayway condo Associations joined to compare notes and policies, procedures, vendors and costs for services that are common to condo communities. This effort, now known as the “Benchmarking Group” has been cited in community association management publications as a model of how associations may join together for the common good. Currently, twenty-seven condo Associations from the Bayway, the City of St. Pete and the Beaches meet about six times a year to collect information, compare notes and take joint actions that are common to them all.
Some of the Bayway residents decided that it was time to be more assertive in discussions of issues that affected them, and to see if they could positively affect the local world around them. Initially, a chance discussion about the high price of Bayway cable services led to an ad hoc group determined to address the issue. An industry consultant was hired and negotiations with area telecommunications providers began. The effort eventually resulted in an agreement with Bright House Networks that significantly reduced charges to 33 Bayway Associations for basic cable TV services.
Both early successes have led members of the Boards of some of the participating community associations to begin to appreciate the wisdom of using the strength of residential numbers to influence policy affecting the area. As a result, In October 2014, the Alliance for Bayway Communities (aka ABC) was formed as a representative organization for Bayway Residents. The organizers put out a call to the Boards of Bayway Community Associations to sign association and representation agreements that would permit a small project group to undertake “influencing” efforts on behalf of the Bayway populace.
Since that time, 48 Bayway Community Associations have signed up in the area between Broadwater and the Bay from north to south, and between the Interstate to the new Bayway bridge from east to west. ABC member associations have reported nearly 10,000 residents living in their communities. The constituent communities estimate that far more than half are full time residents and registered voters. As the Alliance likes to say these days: there are enough ABC residents to swing a “hanging chad” election. In addition to community associations, the Alliance has formed partnerships with principal non- residential organizations in the area. These include Eckerd College and ASPEC, the Isla del Sol Yacht and Country Club, and the Skyway Marina District organization.
The Alliance is led by a small working group, and takes on a few “projects” of multi-community interest, each led by one of the “Principals” of the Alliance leadership team. Currently, the Alliance is pursuing four projects: the Bayway Water Treatment Plant upgrade, Bayway landscaping, safety and security, and Bayway telecommunications services.
Due to its proximity to the Southwest plant (aka SWWRF), the Alliance has been in the thick of the plans to modify the City’s sewer system since learning of the changes in November of 2014. The SWWRF and Clam Bayou overflow in August of last year accelerated their involvement. The August 5th event revealed major shortcomings with the City waste treatment system that had been ignored for decades. In response to the ABC’s frequent interactions and recommendations to the City Council and the City Administration, the City of St. Petersburg has spent almost $400,000 to review the condition of the system.
The Alliance leadership and Eckerd College management is part of the review committee overseeing a System-wide engineering simulation and assessment of the City sewer system. The system engineering study has a goal to prevent any future overflows in all but hurricane-type conditions. The study is being conducted in three phases; the first will report a plan of action to the City Council by April. System fixes will then be undertaken over the next eighteen months, with long term sewer improvements to follow during the third phase. It’s likely that tens of millions of dollars will be spent to address infrastructure problems and ABC representatives will track the decision process to assure that Bayway sewage overflows are a thing of the past.
The City and DOT have been responsive to the ABC campaign to improve the visual condition of landscaping along the Bayway. The Alliance has been monitoring the condition of the landscaping, and directly requesting mowing services when the medians or rights-of-way start to become unsightly. The City’s $600,000 upgrade to Bayway landscaping commenced installation in January at the eastern edge of the Bayway. Landscaping improvements will continue for several months, improving the ambiance of our area. The ABC considers the Bayway to be their “front yard” and having that area in good condition is their goal.
One of the targeted areas of concern of the Alliance involves the inherent safety challenges presented by the interaction of automobiles speeding along the Bayway and pedestrian and bike traffic along the new bicycle path especially in the vicinity of Pinellas Bayway and Bahia Del Mar Boulevard North. The ABC is in continuing communication with the Saint Petersburg Police Department, City Council, County, and the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT), with the goal of providing a safe environment for all. Likely responses include new signage, education and enforcement of traffic laws.
Regarding the agreement mentioned earlier that provides basic telecommunications services, the ABC has formed a team to engage Bright House Networks in an annual review of services provided. The intent is to track the quality of service and to anticipate the future needs of residents in the area. This continuing effort will provide important information for negotiating future telecommunication agreements.
So, over the eighteen months of its existence, the Alliance concept has proven viable and effective. The ABC is now well known to most elected and non-elected officials from the City Council District to the State levels. As the ABC matures and formalizes itself in the future, they hope to continue as a voice for Bayway residents who want to enjoy the ambiance of life along the water of the Sunshine City, but who don’t want to be taken for granted.