The Tampa Tribune from Tampa, Florida • 27

The Tampa Tribune, Friday, January 31, 1997 South Tampa-3 i -ii TT -fpy. Xf NJf Phosphate waste dump moving ahead SUMMARY: An opponent of a new phosphate waste dump claims protests are pointless because regulators' minds are made up. Store may move to larger quarters SUMMARY: Albertsons supermarket chain may soon move its store on the northwest corner of Hillsborough Avenue and Memorial Highway. By CLOE CABRERA of The Tampa Tribune GARY RINGSTribune photo Billy Dickens, left, and Elijah Clark paint over graffiti on the steep slope under the Barry Road overpass of the Veterans Expressway. The men work for RPMS, a contractor for the state.

Push for cleanup Kits stone wall CF Industries wants to build the gypsum stack on what was once land owned by Hillsborough County government. County commissioners agreed last year to swap 1,500 acres of the Cone Ranch wellfield property for 1,900 acres owned by CF Industries. The commissioners were assured the stackwouldn't pollute groundwater and was the only alternative to shutting down a fertilizer plant that employs 500 people. CF Industries' existing gypsum stack north of Plant City has been in use since the 1960s, but the state has ordered the company to find an alternative dump site due to environmental problems. The best possible location was the 1,500 acres formerly owned by the county, adjacent to the processing plant, the company maintained.

Only about a third of the 1,500 acres would be used for the gypsum stack. The remainder of the land, plus another 400 acres, would be maintained as a wildlife refuge. Doug Durbin, a environmental consultant for CF Industries, said the company plans to restore and preserve 1,900 acres of wetlands and uplands for the life of the new gypsum stack. "CF has the intent to be the steward of that land for the entire 30 years," he said. Opponents fear the gypsum will contaminate the environment.

The company maintains the gypsum, a byproduct of phosphate processing that emits low levels of radiation, will be stacked on a new kind of protective lining to prevent rainwater from leaching into the aquifer. The lining consists of gypsum material sandwiched between two layers of thick polyethylene plastic. Reese argues the land is in a flood plain and the environment can't be adequately protected. "It's just the wrong spot," Reese said. A neighboring land owner has filed a lawsuit challenging the By DAVE NICHOLSON of The Tampa Tribune PLANT CITY Opposition is waning as the permitting process for CF Industries new phosphate waste dump nears an end.

There was no opposition to the gypsum stack voiced Wednesday at the final scheduled public meeting at the state Department of Environmental Protection's office in Tampa. The deadline for written comments is Tuesday. The agency should announce Feb. 10 if it intends to issue a permit for the 250-foot stack of gypsum near the CF Industries phosphate processing plant off State Road 39, near the Pasco County line. Kathy Liles, the department's district environmental manager, said the agency worked hard to make sure everyone had their say.

"It looks like everything we've done in the past 20 months is worth it," Liles said. But an outspoken opponent said he didn't attend Wednesday's meeting because he felt it would do no good. "They had their minds made up years ago," said Tom Reese, a St. Petersburg attorney specializing in environmental law. "It's all just window dressing." Reese and a handful of other opponents regularly attended public meetings on the gypsum stack since the proposal first surfaced in the early 1990s.

But continuing opposition is pointless because the battle is lost, he said. "It's just business as usual," Reese said. State regulators, however, say they have taken the differing points of view seriously and their minds aren't made up. SUMMARY: A Twelve Oaks man finds only frustration when he tries to get some unsightly graffiti on an expressway overpass cleaned up. By PAULO LIMA of The Tampa Tribune TOWN 'N COUNTRY After placing calls all over the county, Ian Renton could read the writing on the wall.

Actually, the writing was on the overpass, where it's more commonly called graffiti. Disgusted by the spray-painted slogans and slang proliferating on the Veterans Expressway overpass at Barry Road, Renton called to report it. He called his county commissioner, who directed him to the sheriff's office, which directed him to the county maintenance unit, and on and on. Finally, three weeks later, the offending graffiti was painted over Tuesday. But not before the 60-year-old Twelve Oaks resident had lost patience.

"Nobody knows who's really responsible," he said. But that wasn't true. The proper authorities knew about the vandalism months before Renton picked up his telephone. A long contracting process delayed action, said state Department of Transportation spokes County maintenance workers told Renton to call authorities at the Veterans Expressway and gave him a telephone number. But the number had been disconnected.

Undeterred, Renton called the sheriff's office again and spoke with someone in the gang suppression unit. The gang unit has a program that forces young offenders to paint out graffiti, but Renton was told deputies didn't have the authority to work on the Expressway. Five days later, another deputy called to tell Renton the problem should be taken care of any day. But it wasn't. Late last week, Renton called Turanchik's office again.

The problem would be taken care of by Monday, he was told. Finally, a day later, the painters arrived. Poulton said one phone call to DOT would have gotten Renton the answers he so desperately sought. DOT actually heard about the graffiti back in September, when area residents reported it, Poulton said. That's where the long contracting process took over.

The original contract put out for bidding had to be redone. The department is switching to the metric system, so all measurements in future contracts must be metric, Poulton said. Tuesday morning, a three-man crew from the West Palm Beach company RPMS was hard at work painting over the graffiti. Billy Dickens, an RPMS employee, has worked for more than a year painting over vandals' graffiti throughout the state. He said the Barry Road job was the worst he's seen in Tampa.

The department is already taking steps to prevent a repeat of Renton's frustrating odyssey. The state is putting together a contract that allows for a company to paint over all graffiti on the Veterans Expressway every three months, Poulton said. "It gets very expensive to go out and cover it up every time someone sprays graffiti out there," she said. TOWN 'N COUNTRY A national grocery chain could provide the new blood Hillsborough Square Shopping Center needs to come back to life. Albertsons plans to move its store at Memorial Highway across the street to Hillsborough Square on the southwest corner of Memorial and Hillsborough Avenue, according to an engineering firm representing the landowner.

Merchants in the center weren't aware of the supermarket chain's plans, but were eager to see the store fill a vacant storefront. "I really want this to happen," said John Corn, who has managed the Sherwin-Williams paint store in the center for eight years. "This will bring the walk-in business and that's really what we need." Added Katie Balderramos, a stylist at Fantastic Sams: "We're really glad its coming. This place is pretty barren." Albertsons corporate office denied such a move was in the works. "Nothing is planned," said Jenny Enochson, media relations coordinator.

But Tampa Bay Engineering, which represents Orlando-based Concordia Realty, the landowner, said the move will happen if the store gets the necessary permits. The store plans to move into the space vacated by Kmart almost three years ago, said Bruce T. Kas-chyk, planning director for the engineering firm. "Easier access is part of the reason," Kaschyk said. "And they will have a lot more space" almost 59,000 square feet.

The Albertsons will reopen in Hillsborough Square as a "superstore," much like the chain's newest Tampa store which opened this month at Florida and Bearss avenues. The 24-hour Albertsons includes a pharmacy and a full service in-store bank. There also are plans to open a Albertsons at the intersection of Ehrlich and Hutchinson roads by the end of the year, Enochson said. Albertsons currently operates four stores in Tampa. Hillsborough Square is currently anchored by a Kash n' Karry supermarket and is about 90 percent vacant.

Only seven merchants occupy the center. John Priede, senior property manager for Concordia Realty, has said the center is undergoing major redevelopment to become more attractive to retailers and office developments. Property manager Richard Dippolito, with Concordia, would not comment about Albertsons planned move to the center. HAIR TRANSPLANTS Michael Markou, D.O. Board Certified 813.446-0176 Financing Available woman Kim Poulton.

Renton's odyssey began Jan. 2. He decided he was fed up with seeing what looked like gang graffiti on the pilings, overpass and concrete incline he passed each day. "It gets real old, and eventually, after seeing nothing done for months, it boils over and I just had to call somebody," he said. He started with county Commissioner Ed Turanchik's office.

Turanchik's office told him to call the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office. The sheriffs office directed him to the county maintenance Cleaners wfli tiHfirDvr LAUNDRY arrest 2nd suspect charged in Riverview man's slaying 253-0191 1 622 Kewhjy Bum, if M. Mel Hinson From Page 1 ter County, S.C., said Hillsborough sheriff's Lt. David Gee. fjL "The motive for The motive the robbery was to for the robbery steal marijuana and FREE Buy a oz.

D.O. Con and recefvt on frea. OR 500 OFF 16 oz. Blizzard cause of death. Detectives say the robbery probably occurred on Jan.

18, a week before Bryan's body was found. Detectives say he was found crammed between a bed and wall and could not move. He was not gagged, detectives say. Gee would not say if Bryan had been beaten, but did say "there were indications of a struggle." He said an autopsy concluded that Bryan died as a result of "having his hands and feet bound for a long period of time." Inside the house was a "medium to large" marijuana growing operation, Gee said. There were hundreds of marijuana plants and fairly sophisticated growing equipment.

The investigation is continuing, Gee said. Umi 2 par cuaonw. Qood TAMBAYCENTB. idau, ucc sdiu. i nc two suspects and Bryan were "known to each other," Gee said, but he would not elaborate.

A friend of Bryan paid him a visit Saturday and found him dead was to steal marijuana and cash. Lt. David Gee ortyttTimpiBiyCcnw. (Lower Level. Nor Elewtor) tvmvzim.

inside his house at 10111 Tarragon Drive. There was no visible Margarejo Hearts, mmm 8. Fun Temple Terrace hopes firm's move starts a trend Celebrity Fashion Show By Stein Mart To benefit MacDonald Training Center February 14, 1997 1 1 :30 a.m. Silent Auction 1 2:00 Noon Luncheon Fashion Show Hyatt Regency Tampa Two Tampa City Center "This kind of office use is ideal" in the old grocery store site, said city Community Development Director Michael Delk. "I'm not sure we could have asked for a better type of facility to move into this property." The spinoff could come from businesses which can serve IMC's estimated 150 workers.

SUMMARY: A national mortgage company's move to Temple Terrace provides an economic boost that officials want to make into a trend. By MICHAEL FECHTER of The Tampa Tribune TEMPLE TERRACE Industry Mortgage Co. officials say they've outgrown their current headquarters and will bring more than 150 jobs to a vacant grocery store here this spring. The national mortgage company has agreed to fill 88,000 vacant square feet of space in the Terrace Walk shopping center at 56th Street and Fowler Avenue. They'll move in to the old Albertson's grocery store property.

What Temple Terrace "offers is the availability of the college the University of South Florida and many of our folks live out there anyway," said President Tom Middle-ton. Its location, close to interstates 75 and 275, is another plus, he said. City officials say the move could help reverse the area's sluggish economic climate. Along with the vacant Albertson's, a Luria's store in Terrace Walk sits vacant, too. Fun 8w Fashions! Men Women! I Ci i THE TAMRV TRIBUNE Making difference in our community 0 it mm 5(arr(t Is enclosed.

Tickets 9 $35 each I would like to reserve I would like to sponsor "ENVIRONMENTAL SOLUTIONS FOR PEST MA NAOEMENT (813) 685-PEST (813) 685-7378 corporate table(s) for 8 guests at 1280.00 a table. corporate table(s) for 8 guests at $400.00 a table. Name Bel jo Id the "Fabulous Creature The Dragon reveals its mastery in sparkling full-cut Swarovski crystal. This 1997 Annual Edition is available only to SCS members As an authorised retailer, we invite you to visit us and discover the exciting benef its of membership in the Swarovski Collectors )9f Society dur-(Jr ine their 10th anniversary SCS year Address 6 month treatment against roaches ants. Conditional warranties on all programs with no initial clean out fees.

Safe Chemical treatment (lowest odor). Competitive pricing. (Call for a free quote.) I Hi; phone number. OLD HYDE PARK VILLAGE TAMPA 254-6168 Make checks payable to: MacDonald Training Center Foundation, Inc. 4304 Boy Scout Tampa, Florida 33607-5730 Reservations by February 1 1, 1997, For more Information please contact: Nancy King at 876-6835.

CALL NOW to reserve this special program and set up your next service appointment. Keith Vermin Year Pxpcrtcnc in $outh Tamp iJcenM-d A Itmirrd COUNTRYSIDE MALL a CLEARWATER 796-9115 1009 Sagamore Drive SelTncr. FX J5W4.