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Bypass Dispute Is Still Boiling

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By RICH SHOPES, The Tampa Tribune

Published: November 6, 2007

TAMPA - A county report released Monday rebuts allegations planners misled the public about the South County Transportation Plan, particularly the inclusion of a bypass, but concedes officials should have been clearer in presentations to citizen groups. Now the groups who were arguing about being misled are saying the report isn't accurate.

After hearing complaints from residents, Hillsborough County Commissioner Al Higginbotham sent an Oct. 19 letter to the county's administration asking for an investigation into how the plan was conceived and presented to the public.

The 80-page report released Monday by the county's Office of Planning and Growth Management concludes, "The accuracy of information presented to county staff was true, however, staff failed, at times, to present the information in a clear and concise manner."

The report goes on to say, "There were significant efforts to engage and educate the public about the plan. However, a second round of public workshops may have prevented at least some of the issues concerning the plan development and public participation process."

George Niemann, a Dover activist, disagrees with the findings. He reviewed a copy of the report Monday afternoon. "It was not a communication breakdown," said Niemann. "Certain staff in Planning and Growth Management lied to the public."

The main complaint from Niemann and other south Hillsborough County residents is that county officials had assured the activist groups a bypass to carry thousands of motorists through eastern Hillsborough was only conceptual and would not be included in any county plan.

Then the groups learned in late September the bypass was part of the South County Transportation Plan and that county officials were hoping to include the bypass in the county's comprehensive plan for long-range development.

The South County Transportation Plan was created over the past year to address anticipated growth in south Hillsborough. It includes two bridges, a rail line and dozens of road projects.

After hearing the bypass made it into the plan, Niemann and seven others complained at a county commission meeting last month that they were intentionally misled by planners. The dispute touched off a monthlong internal review at the county's planning office.

Pam Prysner, an activist from Lithia, said she "disagreed with it completely," after she scanned the report.

"It made it sound like the citizens misconstrued what they were saying, but we have a tape, and it's very clear on the tape," she said.

Higginbotham said he had not seen the report Monday but said he sympathized with the citizens after hearing complaints. "At the point in this process when this started they should have contacted the Lithia group, but they didn't. That was a major blunder, but I don't know if it was intentional," he said.

The report will be formally presented to county commissioners Wednesday.

Reporter Rich Shopes can be reached at (813) 259-7633 or at rshopes@tampatrib.com.

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