News Archive
Parks and Recreation Survey
We are conducting a survey of residents to determine the types of park, recreation and open space facilities that
are or should be provided by the City of Tampa.
Your responses are confidential and will only be used in planning for future parks and recreation opportunities
in the city and on Davis Islands.
More...
The Most Important Happening on Davis Islands
By Lee Medart, Chair
It’s not installation of the water system; it’s not speeding; it’s not parking (or lack thereof);
it’s not new business openings…well, then, what is it?
The plan for the future of Davis Islands!!!
Authorized in 2002 by the Tampa City Council to create a neighborhood plan, the Task Force has been reaching out
for ideas from the inhabitants of Davis Islands in every way possible.
More...
Davis Islands is "A Wonderful World"
Music by George David Weiss
with lyrics created by Connie Gee of Daybreak Band
As I cross my favorite bridge at the end of the day, I’m greeted by the glorious wonders
of Davis Islands my wonderful world…
More...
Jan.
26 Meeting
First Steps Toward Published Plan
The Davis Islands Neighborhood Planning Task Force
will reach a major milestone at its January 26 meeting
when it begins to consolidate nearly two years of
input from Davis Island residents into the first draft
of the Plan.
The Task Force meeting will be 6:30 pm to 9 pm at the
Marjorie Park Tennis Courts Meeting Room, 59 Columbia
Drive. The public is invited, and all Davis Islands
residents are urged to attend.
"We're rev' ed up", said Task Force chairperson
Lee Medart. "We can't wait to start putting together
the Neighborhood Plan we've been working up to almost
two years."
After reviewing residents' comments gathered during
the Nov. 20 Vision meeting, the Task Force will decide
on the organization of the Plan, set a publication
schedule, and assign members to prepare drafts.
The Neighborhood Plan will be used by City of Tampa
planners and elected officials to direct development
and determine suitability of zoning changes and development
projects.
The Task Force began in 2002 its lengthy process of
sifting residents' opinions and suggestions it garnered
during a series of town hall meetings and smaller
"study circles". Task Force members have
been charged by the city to prepare a Plan that keeps
Davis Islands vital, yet preserves its unique history
and small town atmosphere.
Tampa Planning Commission staff
member Terry Cullen and Task Force Chairperson Lee
Medart look over the complex drawing resulting from
a recent "mind mapping" session at a Task Force working
meeting.
Davis Islands "Vision" Meeting Nov. 20
Davis Islands residents will get their first view of
the Neighborhood Planning Task Force "Vision"
plan at the next community Open House 6-9 pm Thursday,
Nov. 20, at the Davis Islands Baptist Church, 97 W.
Biscayne.
The “Vision” is a major milestone in the
Process of creating a future plan for Davis Islands.
The Vision might be categorized as a “pre-plan”
for in upcoming months physical commodities will be
created for the Islands from this vision to ensure
we do not lose in the future what we value about Davis
Islands today and in the past.
The theme of the Open House will be "Its a Wonderful
World", as a result of comments by a visitor
at a recent Task Force meeting.
The visitor spoke up part way through the meeting and
said, “What I’ve heard all of you saying
is a song that’s already been written, which
is “What a Wonderful World”, referring
to a song first played and sung by Louie Armstrong
back in 1932.
The visitor was Connie Gee and her husband Dan Abate
of the band “Daybreak” and the Chair had
asked them to be present at the meeting to see if
they could come up with some music for a “theme
song” for the open house presentation of the
Vision. The music is to express the “feelings”
we were getting as we said the words given us by the
stakeholders.
Stop in Keller Williams Office in the Village and review
what we have done so far and how we arrive at the
“Vision”. There will be a sign in the
window when we set it up. Just drop in and talk to
the Task Force representative there. We sincerely
thank the businesses and especially the Davis Islands
Baptist Church for supporting in many ways our community’s
outreach for the “good” on Davis Islands
that we each want to preserve.
To Educate and Engage
By Luke Rosa
Those were the goals the Davis Islands Task Force set
for the May 8th Open House Meeting at Davis Islands
Baptist Church. To educate the public on the conclusions
and values drawn from the June 2002 community-wide
meeting, the 20 study circle meetings held during
the fall and to engage in discussions that could burnish
these conclusions and values.
More...
Palace of Florence Wins Design Award
The Hillsborough County City-County Planning Commission
honored Hamilton Jones and the project team of Gaspar
Properties with a Community Design Award of Merit
in the category of Historic Preservation and Restoration
for the preservation and restoration of the Palace
of Florence, 45 Davis Blvd.
The award was presented by Planning Commissioner Christine
Malzone on April 24 at an awards dinner held at Raymond
James Stadium attended by 350 people.
The Palace originally welcomed residents in the Fall
of 1926 and featured custom chandeliers, electric
cooktops, a refrigerator, kitchen and a faux fireplace.
Just like the original construction, the renovation
was carefully planned and executed. At a cost of about
four times the original construction price, the Palace
has been accurately returned to its original appearance,
including the painstaking reconstruction of a missing
tower.
It now carries National Historic Landmark and Local
Historic Landmark labels that will help to protect
it for generations to come.
Gaspar Properties project team members include: Hamilton
H. Jones, president, Gaspar Properties, Inc. Michael
Bouchard, project manager, Wayne Blackburn, assistant
project manager, Shelby Boggs, property manager, and
Lorenzo Martinez, assistant project manager.
Revitalization in St. Petersburg
FOUR St. Pete is a citizen group supporting private
and public urban revitalization that follows the vision
of St. Petersburg developed during the Vision 20/20
process of 2001.
Continued...
St. Pete Beach Visioning Project
St. Pete Beach has published the results of its April
2002 visioning project on its website.
The visioning project addresses the future of commercial
areas along Corey Avenue, Blind Pass Road, and Gulf
Boulevard, and in neighborhoods such as Pass-a-Grille
Andres Duany – Expert on the Future
Andres Duany, an internationally renowned designer
and planner and member of Duany Plater-Zyberk &
Company, presented a planner’s perspective of
Temple Terrace August 22, 2002, to the Temple Terrace
CRA and a large group of citizens.
Continued...
First Meeting of Transportation Study Circle
By Lorraine Smith, DISCO Coordinator
A dozen civic-minded individuals ignored the rain and
spent several hours developing and initiating a force
on Davis Islands to consider the many aspects of transportation
problems that exist on the Islands.
Citizens please take notice because your input
is needed for acceptable resolutions.
Continued...
Residents' Comments Studied by Group
About a third of the 150 Davis Islands residents attending
the June 3 Kick-Off meeting left behind written comments
expressing their concerns, ideas, and belief in the
future of their Davis Islands neighborhoods.
Those questionnaires are now being studied by the Davis
Islands Neighborhood Planning Task Force as the first
step in gathering input for a neighborhood plan.
The comments will be published on this website and
elsewhere.
 continued...
A Meeting of Neighbors
The June 3rd Neighborhood Planning Kick Off meeting
was very well attended. There were about 153 people
who registered and more there as well.
Four of the seven City Council Members were there:
Charlie Miranda, Bob Buckhorn, Linda Saul-Sena and
Gwen Miller. We thank them very much for their show
of support.
Jill Buford, Chairperson for the City of Port Tampa
Neighborhood Planning Group was there to offer information
on Neighborhood Planning.
continued...
Kick-Off Meeting Attracts 150 Citizens
About 150 Davis Islands residents, Hillsborough County
Planning Commission staff, and other interested people
shared their ideas for the future of Davis Islands
neighborhoods at the June 3 Kick-Off meeting.
Participants marked their homes or businesses on large
aerial photographs of Davis Islands and viewed historical
photographs, transportation plans and land use plans
while volunteers took down their comments and suggestions.
Kick-Off Meeting Participants Win Prizes
Ten people who attended the June 3 Kick-Off meeting
won door prizes in appreciation of their participation.
The ten were selected at random from among 53 people
who completed and handed in questionnaires.
The winners and their prizes are: Chris Young
– Tate Brothers Pizza Gift Certificate, Lizabeth
Wolfe – Islands Tanning & Boutique
Gift Certificate, Ann & Ben Eason
- Tate Brothers Pizza Gift Certificate, Neil
Bernstein – DI Pin donated by the Davis
Islands Chamber of Commerce, Patt Fosnaught
– Islands Tanning & Boutique Gift Certificate,
Jeff Anthony – DI T-shirt Donated
by the Davis Islands Chamber of Commerce, Scott
Jorgensen – Body By Design Sweat Shirt
donated by “Body By Design”, Karen
Friedman – DI T-shirt Donated by the
Davis Islands Chamber of Commerce, Jennie
Harris – Potpourri Donated by Serendipity,
Rick & Kathy Bennett –
Gift Certificate Donated by Java & Cream.
New Task Force Members Selected
The Davis Islands' Neighborhood Planning Task Force
selected three new members and two alternates at its
meeting May 13.
The new members are Charner Reese,
Lisa DeVitto and Jeffery
Siewert. The alternate members are Kathryn
Walsh and Renae Tvedt.
The new members are to replace a former member who
resigned and to increase Task Force membership from
seven to nine people. They were selected from those
who had submitted applications in a new member box
located at Java & Cream.
(For a full list of Task Force members,
see the Officers and Members
page.)
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