Osprey Observer » Bell

Rock N Pineapple Gets Big Votes In Shop Local

Marie Gilmore — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 20:40:12 +0000

Since the day it opened, Rock N Pineapple in Plaza Bella on the corner of Bloomingdale and Bell Shoals, has embraced the Shop Local campaign. Servers make sure to give every diner at the new restaurant a Shop Local postcard and to ask them to go online and vote for them as the best restaurant. And, the effort has paid off as Rock N Pineapple joins Bella Garden and Peterbrooke Chocolatier as Shop Local Businesses of the Month.
Rock N Pineapple received a certificate, flowers and a video on www.ospreyobserver.com recognizing them as the Shop Local Business of the Month for March.
“We come from up north where everything was about shopping locally,” said Rock N Pineapple owner Sergio Arce who owns the new concept along with wife Maribeth Hernandez. Rock N Pineapple Restaurant and Bar is located at 1022 Bloomingdale Ave. Phone 321-4900.
Hundreds of local residents are reaping the rewards of the campaign as well and receiving $10 gift cards to local retailers just for entering online. Participating businesses can be identified with a Shop Local banner and window cling in their business.
To see a full lising of current Shop Local participants, go online to www.ospreyobserver.com and click on Shop Local. See the listing of local retailers, restaurants and service businesses who are currently signed up to be recognised as a Shop Local business. Entrys are accepted for any local business but Shopping Local is encourage.
Chick-fil-A Lake Brandon Village owner and Honorary Mayor of Brandon Tammy Holmberg is a big supporter of the Shop Local campaign and identifies it at all her events. “It’s all about Shopping Local and keeping our local businesses open,” she said. To get involved, call 657-2418, or shannon@ospreyobserver.com.

Lithia Pinecrest Road Widening Public Meeting Draws Crowds

Tamas Mondovics — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 01:17:29 +0000

Hundreds attended a recent public meeting concerning the proposed widening of approximately an 11 mile section of Lithia Pinecrest Rd. from its current two travel lane roadway to a six travel lane roadway, affecting the Brandon, Bloomingdale and Lithia communities from S.R. 60 in Brandon to C.R. 39. Local residents who showed up at the Palmetto Club at FishHawk Ranch to hear more extensively about the project had the opportunity to view maps, elevations, a video presentation of the proposed change, as well as talk to county officials on-hand to address questions and concerns. Hillsborough County, in cooperation with the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT), has been working on preparing a Project Development and Environment (PDE) Study to consider the proposed widening of Lithia Pinecrest Rd., which according to county officials and many local residents, at this point, is simply not sufficient to handle the traffic. “Portions of this roadway currently operate below the county’s adopted minimum acceptable level-of-service standard,” said Hillsborough County Engineering Division Public Works Center Project Manager William Alford. Alford explained that the meeting was strictly about gathering information and that the improvements are intended to accommodate both existing and future traffic volumes as well as enhance motorist safety and reduce emergency response times. But while area residents in general agree that something needs to be done, just as many were unsatisfied due to the lack of information offered by the county. For starters, county officials were faced with complaints that the video presentation of the project seemed to be short on facts. The hot topic that seemed to concern most included the lack of traffic lights planned for the Valrico portion of the project. “I don’t see how they can talk about safety. It is difficult to turn onto Lithia Pinecrest going north now. How is that going to be better trying to cross three lanes and then merge in to three lanes of traffic without a traffic light,” said Gene Will of Valrico, who has lived on Hummingbird Ln. for the past 40 years and is very concerned about being able to turn northbound onto Lithia Pinecrest once the six lane road project is completed. For many residents the small but problematic as well as infamous, Bell Shoals Road and Lithia Pinecrest intersection just a few yards south of Lumsden was the worry of the day-although not on the agenda for the meeting-the proposed road widening plan will include the turning Bell Shoals Road, into a cul-de-sac, cutting traffic flow from it to merge onto Lithia Pinecrest. That is a big problem for Sue Curd with Curd and Associates who feels that the change would choke or at least alter the volume that her business generates. “I will lose business,” she said. Jim Barfield, also a Valrico resident for the past four decades whose wife Jean became Honorary Mayor of Brandon in1996, was disturbed by the fact that the County took this long to decide on thinking about the roads. “The County has been passing out building permits to developers for years. Now they have a problem on their hands and rightly; nobody is happy,” Barfield said. Good, bad or ugly, the meeting seemed to have accomplished its purpose and as expected could and would not please everyone while provided an opportunity to hear or to be heard. One thing is sure. This project will be done and Lithia Pinecrest Road will be a six lane major artery for commuters even if its success remains to be seen. For ore information about the project or for project updates, public comments and concerns please visit www.lpcstudy.com.

County to Initiate Third Phase of Boyette

Carisa Biesecker — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 19:57:52 +0000

With daily traffic coming to a gridlock along the Boyette Rd. construction corridor, residents are looking for a silver lining in it all, something that may take a little while in finding as Steve Valdez, Hillsborough County spokesman, confirms that the second phase will not be completed until February of 2009.
Consisting of roadway from Balm Riverview Rd. to Donneymoore Dr., Boyette Rd. is being made into a four lane road, capable of accommodating the 24,000 vehicles that travel its cement contours each day. The problem is the need for turn lanes. So far, the county has incorporated a left turn lane on Boyette Rd. for those traveling westbound. But to its detriment as gridlock is still occurring in the area.
“This time around, we have tightened up on our contracts for bid,” states Valdez. “The contracts do not allow for turn lanes to be taken out. We are hoping for a much smoother commute for everybody during the phase three construction.”
The county has plans to begin the third phase of Boyette Rd. construction, from Donneymoore Dr. to Bell Shoals Rd., in March of 2009. Still keeping with the existing alterations, four lanes, bike lanes, curbs and gutters, the county seeks to complete the project within an 18-month timeframe. The only difference will be the overhaul of the connecting bridge along Boyette Rd., which Valdez says will be totally reconstructed, leading to a total cost of $30 million for the third phase. In total, the combined phases are expected to cost over $50 million.
Once completed, Valdez mentions that the roadway should be able to have capacity for not only the 24,000 vehicles currently traveling the road but should also be able to provide enough capacity for 6,000 more cars, totaling a traveling vehicle volume of 30,000 daily.
To those who are amidst the orange cones and exhaust fumes, Valdez says, “Construction is never a pleasant thing, especially when you live amongst it. Everyone’s patience has been appreciated. When it is said and done, their [residents] lives are going to be much easier on a daily basis.”
For more information, please call 272-5275.