The Briarwood Dilemma in Largo

As a Gulfcoast Legal Services attorney, my mission is to prevent homelessness and preserve and create affordable housing for low income individuals and families. GLS is a private, nonprofit law firm which provides free legal services to income eligible clients who would othewise not be able to afford an attorney. Our clients at GLS are the working poor, the disabled, seniors, veterans, the underemployed, and the unemployed.  Housing insecurity is an issue that weighs heavily on the individuals and families belonging to these groups; yet it costs taxpayers much less money to keep a low income family in its housing than to try to put them back into housing once they become homeless.  That is why my goal as a legal services attorney is always homelessness prevention.

Some of you have heard about the City of Largo and a private developer's plan to close Briarwood Travel Villa at the intersection of Seminole Boulevard and Ulmerton Road in order to build a 260 unit apartment complex that will charge market rent to its residents.  Some of you may even know that the neighboring homeowner's associations oppose the construction of the new apartments due to the increased traffic and congestion that redevelopment will bring, as well as obstruction of the sunlight and the view of tall trees that the neighbors are treated to now.

What I bet you don't know is that the Travel Villa, an RV park, is the permanent home (not a vacation spot) to numerous seniors, veterans, and the disabled whose household incomes are less than $1,000 per month. It is also home to woodlands and wetlands where many species of birds, fish, and mammals peacefully coexist with the low income residents who call the park home.  The park residents are regularly treated to sightings of owls, woodpeckers, a bald eagle, an otter, ducks, and a coyote.  The peaceful natural setting of the park, as well as the friendly feel of the community, helps to keep the residents' spirits up as they struggle with poverty, illness, lack of transportation, lack of employment,and lack of understanding from moneyed interests. 

Usually when an upscale development is planned and low income residents are forced to move from their homes, a responsible community and developer take steps to ensure the residents are able to relocate.  Sometimes this takes the form of a setaside of apartments in the new community that are made available to low income residents through reduced rents or acceptance of rental assistance.  Sometimes it takes the form of relocation benefits and rental assistance that enable the residents to move to comparable housing nearby.  Unfortunately, in this case neither the Developer nor the City seems prepared to deal with the problem of residents who will be unable to move the older, obsolete RVs that they call home (many affixed to the ground) to different RV parks.  This is because many parks will not accept RVs that are more than ten years old or are in poor condition.  It is also because some of the RVs are so old and in such poor condition that they would break apart if anyone attempted to move them. 

There are many compelling stories among the Briarwood residents.  I have sat and listened to stories of the first Iraq War and the Vietnam War from veterans of those wars who live in the park.  I have worried about the disabled residents of the park; including those on oxygen and those with missing or artificial limbs, bad eyesight, and chronic illnessesm and those confined to wheelchairs.  I have become friendly with a married couple in the park who lived homeless in the woods before they  saved money to purchase their RV seven years ago.  They fear they may soon be homeless again.

A couple of weeks ago, we extended a written invitation to the Largo City Commissioners to ask them to meet with us and tour the park in order that they would understand the plight of the residents and also see for themselves the hidden natural treasure hidden behind a hard-to-find entrance at Ulmerton and Seminole:  Only one of the City Commissioners, Jamie Robinson, responded to our invitation and indicated that even though he had lived in Largo his entire life, he had no idea that thirteen acres of greens space and wetlands exist at that location -- as well as numerous year-round residents.  We thank Commissioner Robinson for his graciousness in agreeing to spend a couple of hours with these vulnerable constituents.

We would like to introduce the Briarwood residents to the community this Tuesday, May 7, at 4pm at a press conference at Largo City Hall immediately preceding the City Commissions public hearing on whether to accept the development agreement at 6pm.  Please join us as we attempt to save this vintage piece of old Florida, as well as homes for low income people == and in the meantime, drive through the park.  Are we really sure we want to lose this landmark to just another set of apartments?