Waterfront Parks Protection is Critical To Downtown St Petersburg

Waterfront Parks Protection As Critical To Downtown St Petersburg.

St Petersburg has “curb appeal.” Realtors love to show properties with “curb appeal.” The City’s over 123 acres of Waterfront Parks that line Bay is what attracts attention. “The View and the Bay are what makes the Day.” The Parks are in reality the front yard of the City.

This beautiful green asset is in constant threat of encroachment by developers. Those wanting to invade the Parks with every conceivable and wonderous project, are continually bombarding city fathers with reasons to build on the dedicated land.

Without vigilance, invasion of the parks would grow as fiercely a crop of dandelions. The City’s green space would disappear and clutter the view of the waterfront. Buildings with residential, business, galleries, offices, restaurants, recreational facilities, public art, and special events that are drawn to the shoreline of the Bay.

The protection of the City’s waterfront parks is the first thing mentioned in the City Charter. Of concern is the push to develop the city’s Waterfront Parks. Phil Graham, the chairperson of the Waterfront Parks Foundation, noted recently in a meeting that “conflicted zoning” places the parks in jeopardy of being invaded by development.

Graham mentioned several alternatives as being a route to strengthening the parks position through a zoning change. It may be that a “Charter change is required; the Parks will never disappear, but there are some areas of the Codes that need to be revised to solidify their protection

Graham states in a recent letter to prospective donors, his concern that “The ongoing new development in our city’s Downtown has put extraordinary pressures on our Waterfront Parks. Buildings (residential, business, galleries, office), restaurants, recreational facilities, public art, and special events have been multiplying in our community; we are no longer ‘St. Sleepyburg!’’’

Downtown St Petersburg has become a vibrant urban center for all to enjoy with seemingly unlimited choices for food, entertainment, and cultural experiences. All of this activity has increased the population density in the Downtown area and brought many new visitors to our city as well, according to Graham.

These factors have put tremendous pressure on our waterfront park system with its precious green open space and views of Tampa Bay that have made St. Petersburg’s Downtown such a desirable place to live, work and visit!

It has become apparent that the current Land Use Designation, Codes, and Ordinances that govern our Waterfront Parks need review and revision, and in some cases rewritten, to provide lasting protection for the green open space and unobstructed views of Tampa Bay. The new Pier development will bring even more pressure on the waterfront with the addition of events, tourism, pedestrian, and vehicular traffic. The Waterfront Parks provide a welcome passive buffer to the burgeoning highly-active and the increasingly hectic urban lifestyle, it is critical that we “Save Our Waterfront Parks” from further encroachment and undesirable development!

The Waterfront Parks Foundation has taken up the mantle of protecting these treasured parks which were brilliantly envisioned, purchased and bequeathed to us by St.Petersburg’s Founding Fathers to exist and serve into perpetuity for all our citizens.

A generous donor has offered to provide matching donor funds to our Foundation to provide legal and other services necessary to accomplish the implementation of stronger protections against development and encroachment of green spaces and open views within our Downtown Waterfront Parks (see attached map of Waterfront Parks Foundation areas of concern). For every dollar we receive from our supporters within the next three months, this donor will match it--dollar for dollar--up to $15,000! The extraordinary generosity of this outstanding St. Pete citizen will provide us with the opportunity to put into place lasting protections for our amazing Waterfront Parks!

The Waterfront Parks Foundation (WFP) Board of Trustees is asking for your help to achieve this goal. They cannot accomplish this task without the financial assistance of local citizens and businesses. PLEASE SHOW YOUR SUPPORT WITH A DONATION THAT OUR DONOR WILL DOUBLE and we will move forward to protect our Waterfront Parks into the future!

You may donate through our website: www.waterfrontparksfoundation.... or mail a check to Waterfront Parks Foundation, 535 Central Avenue, Suite 316, St. Petersburg, FL, 33701. All dollars will be eligible for the matching funds. We are a 501c3 corporation, and your donation is tax deductible.

We are passionate about our waterfront parks and what they provide for our great city, and I hope you will join us in our effort to “SAVE OUR WATERFRONT PARKS”!