TAMPA, Fla. — The South Howard Flood Relief Project in Tampa is still being finalized, but homeowners have raised concerns regarding the proposed routes.
The project would create a stormwater conveyance system through Parkland Estates to reach South Howard. The project has mapped three possible routes for this purpose.
Yvonne Ferrelli has lived in the Parkland Estates community for over thirty years. She is also a member of the Historic Parkland Estates Preservation Society, a group of homeowners who will be impacted.
While Ferrelli understands the need for flood mitigation, she argues that nearby homeowners aren’t experiencing severe flooding. She hopes the city will avoid routes through Lakeview Road, Bristol Avenue and Morrison Avenue.
“We have a significant, reasonable method of keeping the water out of Parkland," said Ferrelli.
She says that around 75 trees that are at least a century old will have permanent damage from digging.
”We are in the process of doing a survey to determine how much water those trees absorb. It is significant. It is a natural way of mitigating rainwater and flooding,” said Ferrelli.
She thinks that the drilling and vibrations that come with construction will also impact the historic homes in the area.
“When you have a 20-foot dig, it’s a two-story house, and they are also going to have to pump out the groundwater,” said Ferrelli.
Victor DiMaio describes the project as disruptive to older buildings and bad for business.
“This is about doing it the right way or the wrong way. And there are many options that have not been explored,” said DiMaio.
Ferrelli has given tours to the council members to show the negative impact. City leaders have held several meetings with neighbors concerning the project and are still considering their feedback.
“This is a classic public works project that impacts the commons," said City of Tampa Director of Mobility Vik Bidhe during a February city council meeting. "What part of the commons will be impacted is initially going to be an engineering decision, and we’re committed to being very transparent.”
Ferrelli says she hopes they can meet in the middle to preserve everything she says makes this community beautiful.
City of Tampa spokesperson Adam Smith shared the following statement to Spectrum News which says:
“We are very early in the process. We have been talking to and briefing neighborhood groups and businesses even before a contract has been approved or route set through the Parkland Estates area (Bristol, Morrison, Swann) because we know these necessary flood improvements will be disruptive and inconvenient wherever the route winds up. We want to get community input early.
The City did review potential alternatives and chose South Howard for multiple reasons. First, it’s the most practical because there are already two box culverts (huge stormwater pipes) underneath the CSX railroad and under Bayshore. Those existing culverts help reduce overall construction impacts and save a lot of money. This route also establishes a "spine" for future flood relief in the surrounding neighborhoods, which flood easily. MacDill is not an option because it would do nothing to solve the main problem – serious, chronic flooding in parts of Parkland Estates. Aside from flood relief, South Howard will wind up looking much nicer, with streetscape improvements like power lines moved underground, wider sidewalks, and more street parking.
In late May or June, City Council members will consider a “Guaranteed Maximum Price” contract with Kimmins.
Planned Start Date: Summer '25
Completion: Winter '28
Estimated cost: $65m
The big picture here is that the City of Tampa is doing a ton of long-deferred infrastructure maintenance and upgrade work citywide – water, sewer, stormwater, you name it. In some cases that means residents will experience short-term inconvenience or disruption to protect the safety of their neighbors and to ensure the City can continue to thrive for generations to come.”