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Substandard Safety Harbor Streets to Be Improved
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Published: September 22, 2007
SAFETY HARBOR, Fla. - SAFETY HARBOR, Fla. - Roadway improvements are on the way for several substandard residential streets throughout the city.
City Engineer William Baker recently told the City Commission there are about 20 narrow, unpaved streets scattered throughout the city that are classified as substandard.
These streets have no drainage, sidewalks or curb and gutters. Most were constructed prior to enactment of the city's Land Development Code or were annexed into the city, Baker said.
The average homeowner is unlikely to petition the city, asking their street be upgraded to modern standards, due to the cost involved, he said.
These residents live year after year on muddy and dusty streets often riddled with potholes.
Streets considered standard typically are 20 feet wide and include sidewalks and drainage enhancements.
The substandard street improvement program will create a smoother roadway and reduce dust, but not include amenities such as curb and gutters, sidewalks or drainage improvements.
In that way, the program will be fair to those who were assessed or paid to have their streets upgraded to modern standards, he said.
In a two-year project, the city will coat each substandard road with an asphalt base.
The village atmosphere created by these narrow streets will not be disrupted, since the width of the street will not be increased, Baker explained.
No additional impervious surface will be created, he added.
In the long-term, the city will save money because numerous patches required to keep the streets in acceptable condition no longer will be needed.
The program will apply only to streets with an adequate base, he added.
City commissioners unanimously approved the substandard-street paving program at a recent meeting.
The roads that will be improved during the city's 2008 fiscal year, which begins Oct. 1, are: Washington Avenue, Bay View Street, Marshall Street East, Irwin Street, Cohn Street, Elm Street, Woodell Drive, Belmont Street, Second Avenue North and Spruce Street.
The streets slated for fiscal 2009 improvements are: Harbor Hills Drive, Oak Avenue, Palm Avenue, Rajel Street, and the substandard-rated portions of Fourth Street South, Fifth Street and Second Street.
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