Oldsmar Report on the Annexation of East Lake Area

If you live in the affected area I would read this document as it contains some interesting provisions to watch out for.  This is the 1st one and it could amount to a substantial bill for East lake Woodland residents. The key statement is brought into compliance. I would ask “who brings it and who pays for it?” If you live in a neighborhood that has 40 homes and the bill is $100,000; do the math.

On the other hand if I was living in the current boundaries of Oldsmar I  would ask my Mayor why are you wasting our tax dollars for another attempt to annex an area that does not want to be called Oldsmar. I would go to the next City Council meeting and ask if there were better ways to spend tax dollars.

On to roads.

STREETS AND ROADS

Currently the County controls four main roadways in the ELA area: East Lake Woodlands Parkway,
Woodlands Parkway, Woodlands Boulevard and Sunflower Drive. These County roads are leased to
the Community Association and the Community Association maintains these roadways. Local streets
within individual neighborhoods are private and maintenance is currently the responsibility of the
individual HOA’s. Sidewalks are installed on both sides of the main thoroughfares: East Lake
Woodlands Parkway, Woodlands Parkway and Woodlands Boulevard and on both sides of the
private neighborhood streets. The roadways are paved to provide for two-way traffic and include
curbs and gutters and are adequately constructed to handle its low volume neighborhood usage. In
the event this area is annexed by the City, the four main roads currently owned by the County and
maintained by the Community Association would be maintained by the City. The City has the ability
to provide maintenance to these major roads to include the sidewalks and drainage structures on the
four main roads. All private roads that are currently the responsibility of the individual Homeowner
Associations would continue to be maintained by their respective HOA’s. Construction and upkeep of
the roads would then be funded through municipal taxes.
The City provides all traffic regulation devices such as signposts and street and stop signs. Street
and stop signs in ELA area were determined to be in acceptable quantities and condition at the time
of this study. Any area currently lacking sufficient traffic signs, traffic signals and street lighting, will
be brought into compliance with acceptable standards for all traffic regulatory devices and
streetlights. An adequate streetlight program currently exists in cooperation with Florida Power
Corporation and Tampa Electric. The regulatory signs would be handled through the City’s Public
Works Department.

Lockheed Martin is included if ELW goes

The property is accessed by Tampa Road and East Lake Road. The annexation area includes 74.0
acres owned by Lockheed Martin Tactical Defense Systems which shares its southern, eastern and
northern boundaries with the City and its western boundary with the East Lake Woodlands
development. The land use and parcel information was obtained from the Pinellas Countywide Future
Land Use Map and the Pinellas County Property Appraiser data and maps. The legal description
provided delineates the entire perimeter of the proposed annexation area in accordance with Chapter
171, F.S. The proposed annexation area is located just north and west of the previously designated
Oldsmar Planning Area.

Link to  the document can be found here

Download it here

Remember that if it goes to vote, a majority wins. If you are against this you must speak up and make your vote count.

Here is another city document that was to be discussed at the last council meeting.

Update – Nov 7, 2008

Read the latest report in the ELW Heron by Bryan Kutchins, Chairman of the ELWCA Annexation Committee

Read it here