Getting involved a way to solve community problems From traffic problems to annexations to decisions on development, citizens can make a difference when they work together on issues.

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Tampa Tribune - Tampa, Fla.

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B.C. Manion covers northwest Hillsborough communities and may be reached at 885-5437.

When residents of Twelve Oaks, a subdivision off Hanley Road and Waters Avenue, began trying to solve their traffic nightmares nearly three years ago, they ran into all sorts of problems.

Neighbors engaged in often acrimonious debate.

Plans were proposed and shot down.

It took more than two years to come up with something that the community and government officials could live with.

Ultimately, the subdivision's special taxing district and the county worked out a deal to share costs of 11 traffic measures aimed at reducing cut-through traffic and speeding.

Citizen involvement was crucial in arriving at a workable solution, said Rick Eldridge, president of the Twelve Oaks Special District.

Such involvement is essential to improving community life, he said. "Without residents' cooperation and participation you will gain nothing. You will remain stagnant," Eldridge said.

Eldridge will be sharing Twelve Oaks' story in Jacksonville as a presenter at the Florida Neighborhood Conference, which begins today and concludes Saturday.

Besides traffic control, the conference will offer workshops on code enforcement, growth management, animal control and affordable housing. Speakers also will offer pointers on getting organized, obtaining grants and establishing business partnerships.

Many of the lessons being taught at the conference already have been learned in the trenches in northwestern Hillsborough County.

Before Country Place residents Barbara Dowling and Tom Aderhold began jousting at cellular telephone towers, they knew little about the inner workings of Hillsborough County government.

But the married couple knew this: They didn't want one of the giant steel contraptions looming over their neighborhood.

So, they went to work.

Dowling began walking door to door, chatting with neighbors about the towers. Aderhold began digging into records.

They eventually persuaded county commissioners to change the way such towers are approved.

The couple won the battle, as well. The county's Board of Adjustment ruled against the tower on Hutchinson Road that started their fight. Now, two lawsuits over the tower are pending.

Meanwhile, the Country Place couple is pushing for another round of changes aimed at stricter regulation of cellular towers.

Other northwestern Hillsborough civic activists also have influenced decisions affecting their communities.

When Lowe's, a North Carolina-based home retail chain, wanted to build a 165,000-square-foot showroom at Ehrlich Road and Carrollwood Springs Boulevard, residents of the neighboring subdivision got busy.

Lowe's applied for a rezoning and for a change to the county's land-use plan to permit consideration of its project.

When the Hillsborough County City-County Planning Commission met to take up the land-use amendment, at least 60 Carrollwood Springs residents, wearing canary-yellow T-shirts, turned out in a show of opposition.

The planning commission, an advisory board to the county commission, recommended against Lowe's request. Lowe's withdrew its rezoning application. Its contract to purchase the land has since expired.

The tenacity of the Carrollwood Springs folks made a difference, said Tom Jones, president of the Carrollwood Area Association of Neighborhoods.

"I'm sure if the people from Carrollwood Springs had not done what they did that {Lowe's} would've been approved," Jones said.

Persistence also was essential in getting the city of Tampa to reverse its annexation of a chunk of Lutz, said Denise Layne, president of the Lutz Civic Association.

The city's action was brought to the county's attention after Layne stumbled across it when researching possible locations for a high school in Lutz.

"We did our research," Layne said. "We went before the city council. We went before the county commission. We worked with the county attorney's office. I met with the mayor."

It took a year, but finally, the city reversed its action and gave the county back a 190-acre chunk it had annexed from Lutz.

Doing research and staying abreast of developments are essential elements to effective community involvement, Layne said.

Hammering on the same point also helps, said Steve Morris, president of the Keystone Civic Association. When rezonings or land-use requests come in for that community, residents continually remind elected leaders of the community's rural nature.

This year, county commissioners made it easier for Keystone to preserve its lifestyle by changing the county's long-range plan to reduce potential growth.  Getting involved when citizens want to take on government, they need to do some homework, activists advise.

Be realistic that any efforts will require time, commitment and follow-through. Be willing to take the time to find out what kinds of information are available to the public. Talk to county staffers to glean information about proposals, county regulations, planning jargon and so on, but don't rely entirely upon them.

Maintain a healthy skepticism and be persistent to ensure the interests of your community are considered. When new development is being considered, be sure to hold elected officials accountable for the provision of adequate public services, such as roads, water, sewer, schools and parks.

 Find out which government board or agency has the power to take action on the issue in question. Make sure your involvement is documented by maintaining records throughout each step of the process. Be open to discussing concerns with the developer. Many problems can be ironed out even before the issue reaches a public hearing. Base opposition on issues that are legally defensible, not merely emotionally compelling. For instance, if an apartment building is being planned in the middle of a neighborhood of houses, issues such as additional traffic and incompatibility with adjacent development may be pertinent.

Do not accuse or attack officials. Bring issues or concerns to their attention with factual information. Learn the process. The best argument in the world won't hold up if it's introduced at the wrong time. In a zoning matter, for instance, all evidence (including residents' testimony) must be considered by the zoning hearing master. The county commission cannot legally base its ruling on testimony that was not part of the hearing master's record.

Demonstrate the strength of your opposition. Show up at public hearings in large numbers. Sit together and wear buttons or the same color clothing to give elected leaders a visual cue of the size and unity of your group. Designate members of your group to perform various tasks. For instance, one member may be in charge of keeping tabs on legal issues and legislative developments; another may write talking points for speakers; a third may put together graphics or other materials to help communicate your positions. Exercise your power at the ballot box. You have a voice in who will make decisions that affect you, your neighborhood and the overall county.

Credit: of The Tampa Tribune

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