Council backs controversial South Tampa flood project
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West Swann Avenue on Aug. 2. Photo: Courtesy of the City of Tampa
The Tampa City Council voted 4-3 to deliver a long-awaited fix for South Tampa's flooding.
Why it matters: The South Howard Flood Relief Project has drawn fierce opposition from local businesses, some of which warn they cannot survive the years of construction needed to complete it.
- Chair Alan Clendenin, who voted "yes" on the project's maximum construction cost, called the decision one of the most difficult he's made on the council. "This makes baseball look easy."
Between the lines: Undersize storm drains have left South Tampa vulnerable to flooding for decades.
- The city designed this project to relieve flooding along South Howard Avenue and West Swann Avenue and in surrounding neighborhoods, including Parkland Estates and Palma Ceia Pines.
- It involves building an underground drainage system to better move stormwater from the area toward Hillsborough Bay, with capacity for up to about 5 inches of rain over eight hours.
Friction point: Most opposition to the project has focused on how long the work would take and the disruption it could cause. The city has said that some driveways could be blocked for as long as seven weeks.
- The project also carries a nearly $93 million price tag, drawing from city stormwater, bond, grant and capital funds.
- Council member Bill Carlson, who voted no, argued that the project would consume nearly all of the city's flexible stormwater funding for years, leaving little for new projects elsewhere.
What they're saying: Lindsay Stewart, the owner of Italian restaurant AVA, said during public comment that the project puts more than 30 locally owned small businesses and their employees at "serious risk."
- "There is always another option besides tearing up Howard Avenue and forcing businesses to close," she added. "This project will hurt revenue and eliminate jobs."
The other side: David Adams, a Parkland Estates resident, called flooding in his neighborhood "unbearable," saying streets have seen 2 to 3 feet of water four times in the past 40 days alone.
- "This flooding problem must be fixed," he added. "Managing a stormwater system is a core government function, and this project provides a solution."