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Updating An Image

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By LENORA LAKE, Tribune correspondent

Published: October 13, 2007

TAMPA PALMS - Replace the blue signage with black throughout Tampa Palms?

Increase the access and amount of playground equipment in Oak Park or discourage children from using the facility?

Add a shallow end to the pool at Compton Park or have a 'kiddie' pool?

Those are just some of the decisions yet to be made for Tampa Palms as it tries to update its image. It's all part of Tampa Palms Visioning 2011, an effort to upgrade the 20-year-old community.

Replacing the existing signs, which have a blue background and gold lettering, with new ones that have a black background and gold lettering would make a 'big impact,' said Jason E. Rinard, a landscape architect with Hardeman-Kempton & Associates.

Rinard presented recommendations to about 35 Tampa Palms residents during a 2 1/2 -hour session Oct. 6 at Compton Park. It was the second in a series to take residents' input and establish a plan for the community.

'I am definitely against black,' said resident Nicki Lowe, who likened the blue signs that have been used since the community's beginning to school colors and Coca-Cola's red-and-white logo.

Others said they thought black granite would be 'elegant' and a show of hands had the residents about evenly divided on the color.

Gene Field, chairman of the Tampa Palms Community Development District board of supervisors, said the plan will be implemented over five years. Each year there will be about $3 million for new construction and $2 million for maintenance improvements, he said. Other funds would come from the Tampa Palms Owners Association.

Overall plans call for updating the Compton Park Community Center, revamping the pool at the center to a more resort-style look, adding pavilions at outlying parks, adding parking at the community center and other parks, replacing sand under playground equipment with rubber surfacing material, improving the restroom facilities at the parks and providing better maintenance of all facilities.

The recommendations also included adding 18- to 20-foot pylon beacon markers along Bruce B. Downs Boulevard to help identify the community. The vertical, lighted monuments would be surrounded by colorful flower beds.

One recommendation was almost unanimously disliked. Rinard suggested adding landscape plants amid a row of oaks along Tampa Palms Boulevard. Attendees said they liked the look of the stretch of green grass and trees.

Kristin Mallia, the mother of three young children, said: 'I'm excited to hear about bathrooms. They're gross.' She said she carries a portable toilet in her van for the children to use at Hampton Park.

One area of concern was Oak Park, between Yardley Way and the power company easement.

'Security is a huge concern' because it is isolated and has heavy growth, Rinard said. 'The big constraint is that this is a preservation area.'

He recommended improved playground equipment and additional entry and exit points.

'But the environmental agencies may tell me to buzz off,' he said.

Another option is to remove the playground and discourage children from going into the park, which could become more of a preserve, he said.

Andy Miller, a CDD supervisor, said he would like to see more upgrades to River Park, where Rinard's main recommendations were adding boat storage and marking the trails.

William Albertson said he would like to see more fencing and gates around parks and the community center. An access card could be given to residents.

'We need to have some way of identifying who is using it,' Albertson said.

Several residents expressed concern about increased expenses with the improvements and additional facilities.

'All this is really great, but you are going to need more staff,' Pamela Mard said.

Many residents said they felt the overall maintenance of the community's common areas is inadequate. Rinard noted that seedlings were growing from the rooftops of some pavilions and buildings. Field asked residents to give him a list of specific areas needing improvement.

The architects will make a revised proposal based on recommendations from the residents and the CDD supervisors, to whom they were scheduled to make a presentation Wednesday night. That revised report will be presented in a community meeting at the end of 2007 or early 2008.

Correspondent Lenora Lake can be reached at (813) 965-4851 or llake@tampatrib.com.

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