This was the original Seminole Heights blog with commentary about life in and around the urban neighborhood of Seminole Heights in Tampa, Florida. Musings about other topics as my mood permits. The blog is essentially inactive since I moved to Lutz. Go to The Official Unofficial Seminole Heights Blog - www.seminoleheightsblog.com for active content.
Friday, July 14, 2006
Front Porches and City Council
Dingfelder likes front porches. (Quick someone invite him to porch party).
Good for John Dingfelder for recognizing the importance of front porches to the stability of a community. His proposal is a good one and any concerns about the porches being enclosed at a later date could be avoided by a provision in the zoning language that would requre them to remain open. Tampa City Council needs to work together to ensure that our community remains authentic to it architectural heritage as new development occurs. I recently heard Mayor Iorio (on the Mayor's Hour) singing the praises of the new "brick" crosswalks being installed in downtown Tampa and also along portions of Westshore Blvd. The new crosswalks are actually made of a red-colored stamped asphalt and while they create a distinctive appearance, Tampa's "authentic" historic character is at risk. Mayor Iorio's inability to understand how important the use of "real" building materials speaks to the heart of the problem in Tampa---we are becoming a community that compromises integrity for the sake of percieved progress.
Did you ever think that maybe she is saving your taxpayer dollars by using that material instead of the real thing that will just have to be replaced eventually anyways? She could always go for something that costs more but then she would have to cut back in other things that the association in Old Seminole Heights would want. That would be ok.
Good for John Dingfelder for recognizing the importance of front porches to the stability of a community. His proposal is a good one and any concerns about the porches being enclosed at a later date could be avoided by a provision in the zoning language that would requre them to remain open.
ReplyDeleteTampa City Council needs to work together to ensure that our community remains authentic to it architectural heritage as new development occurs. I recently heard Mayor Iorio (on the Mayor's Hour) singing the praises of the new "brick" crosswalks being installed in downtown Tampa and also along portions of Westshore Blvd. The new crosswalks are actually made of a red-colored stamped asphalt and while they create a distinctive appearance, Tampa's "authentic" historic character is at risk. Mayor Iorio's inability to understand how important the use of "real" building materials speaks to the heart of the problem in Tampa---we are becoming a community that compromises integrity for the sake of percieved progress.
Did you ever think that maybe she is saving your taxpayer dollars by using that material instead of the real thing that will just have to be replaced eventually anyways?
ReplyDeleteShe could always go for something that costs more but then she would have to cut back in other things that the association in Old Seminole Heights would want.
That would be ok.