A Publication of Hyde Park Preservation, Inc. Spring 2014

Old Hyde Park Gazette

2012-2013

Hyde Park

Preservation, Inc.

Board and Chairs

PRESIDENT

Cindy Ramm

IMMEDIATE

PAST PRESIDENT

Elizabeth

Christenberry

PRESIDENT ELECT

Carren Rieger Friess

TREASURER

Dada Glaser

SECRETARY

Clara Gough

MEMBERSHIP

Missy Schukraft

LEGAL

Jim Warner

SOCIAL EVENTS

Terry Knight

CULTURE/BEAUTIFICATION

Tish Thornberry

FUNDRAISING

Chandra Henthorne

Meg Fernandez

GOVERNMENT RELATIONS

Rudy Fernandez

HELP

Pat Cimino

MAJOR NEIGHBORHOODPROJECTS

Harvey Petty

Communications and

Gazette Editor

Tish Thornberry

Welcome New Neighbors

Kippy Nelson

Street Captains

June Albert

Yard of the Month

Michelle Wolfe

Webmaster

William LaMartin

Historians

Mary Esther Parker

Mary Britain

Events to fill your spring calendar

Wednesday, March 26 - Code Enforcement Board - 9:00 amhearing to reopen case against Wax home, 722 Fielding

Friday, April 4 - Centennial Celebration Ice Cream Social at

St. John’s Episcopal Church Social Hall - 6:30 pm - 8:30 pm

Saturday, April 5 - Centennial Stroll and Porch Tours

Sunday, April 6 - Old Fashioned Family Picnic and StreetParty - Dakota Cul-de-Sac 5:00 - 7:00 pm

Saturday, April 26 - 8am - noon - Annual Alley Sweep

Monday, May 5 - Architectural Review Commission Boardhearing of the demolition request of Wax home, 722 Fielding

Thursday, May 8 - Spring Fling Happy Hour - 5:30 - 7:30 pmScarritt’s Porch, 824 S. Orleans

Old Fashioned Family Picnic andNeighborhood Street Party

Sunday, April 65pm - 7 pm

Dakota Cul-de-Sac

Visit with your neighbors and family on

a casual late afternoon, relays and games

for the children, balloon fun from Didi En-

tertainment for the kids while music fills

the air. Enjoy yummy barbeque and sides

from Holy Hog, choice beverages (beer,

wine, water, lemonade) and tantalizing

desserts. You can’t beat this event to

round out your weekend. Free for all

neighbors of Old Hyde Park courtesy of

HPPI. Come out and join your neighbors.

Similar to last year, but later hours this year

Cindy Ramm, Hyde Park Preservation, Inc.P a g e 2

Dear Neighbors,

Spring has sprung in Hyde Park. As areas of the country experience recordlows and a spring snowfall, we are enjoying warm, sunny spring days. Now that is whywe all live here! I think Hyde Park looks its best in spring. To see the bright green ofthe lawns against the beautiful colors of the flowers and trees, that is a bit of heaven.

While it might indicate that slower times are ahead, it is not that way for HPPI.Our members continue to work with zoning, code enforcement and the ARC to maintain the historical integrityof the neighborhood. Since last writing you we had a very successful Home Tour. A big thank you goes toChandra Henthorne, her hardworking committee and those on South Dakota who graciously opened theirhomes to tour. We also had a very festive Christmas gathering with Santa delivering many bags of foodand toys from our generous neighbors to Metropolitan Ministries. In February we gathered at the Collier’sbeautiful home for the Patron’s Party, co-sponsored with HHPNA. The proceeds from this event will gotoward the beautification of Swann Pond.

The trees are coming, the trees are coming! Yes indeed this is true and no one is as excited about seeingthem planted as Missy Schucraft and Harold Walker. Thank you for the hundreds of hours that you have putinto this project. Hopefully soon the canopy of Hyde Park trees will be returning.

We are having a birthday party and you are all invited. Yes, Hyde Park is celebrating its Centennial. Ourhistorian, Mary Esther Parker and her very ambitious committee are taking us back to when our neighbor-hood began. Come experience being back in time first hand. This is something you will not want to miss. Somark your calendar and plan on attending. This will be fun and educational for the whole family.

Sincerely, Cindy Ramm, HPPI President

Excerpt from and for Hyde Park Living Magazine:

Hyde Park’s history began in 1886 when O. H. Platt of Hyde Park, Illinois purchased 20 acres of farm-land and named the area Hyde Park. Citrus groves covered much of this area. In 1882, James Watrousbuilt his home at 1307 Morrison Avenue and William Morrison soon followed with his home at 850 NewportAvenue. By 1910 all the large citrus groves had been subdivided and Tampa’s “first suburb” prevailed.

Hyde Park’s building boom flourished between 1913 and 1928 and abruptly ended in 1929 with thestock market crash. In 1941-1945, Hyde Park residents were encouraged to do their part for World War IIby renting rooms to servicemen and their families at MacDill Air Force Base. Many of our original one-familystately homes were renovated at this time to provide separate entrances for multifamily use. With the end ofthe war most of these service men moved to the suburbs leaving Hyde Park in a state of disrepair. Thedecline of Hyde Park continued through the 70’s. However, there were a few Hyde Park residents that weredetermined to restore Hyde Park to its original grandeur. Those restorative efforts were aided by thedevelopment of the Neighborhood Housing Services in 1976, which enabled loans for redevelopment in thearea. Hyde Park once again flourished.

In 1974, HPPI was formed when the Cross Town Expressway threatened many of our homes south ofSwann. It became apparent at that time if Hyde Park was to remain an historical neighborhood, we neededto become actively involved in zoning issues. In April of 1978, the Old Hyde Park Garden Club was formedwith its focus on beautification of the neighborhood and social events. In 2012, these two organizationswere combined to the current HPPI. HPPI’s purpose “is to promote involvement and participation among allneighbors; to ensure the preservation, architectural integrity and beautification of our historic neighborhood;to promote strong ties and a lasting friendship among neighbors through social events and other activities.

Cindy Ramm

P a g e 3

Old Hyde Park Centennial CelebrationApril 4-5, 2014

In preparation for our Celebration, each home will receive a

Centennial “circa banner” indicating the vintage of thehome’s build date. Color coded to a range of build years, thisdurable banner is meant to be mounted near the front door

of each home. In addition, look for a Centennial yo-yo, togive your children, big and small, plenty of practice time to

participate in the yo-yo contest at the Ice Cream Social. We are still accepting submissions for the CentennialTime Capsule (drop them off on Debra Koehler-Turner’s porch, 807 Newport. Kids 14 and under should getyour artistic talents in gear to enter the art contest - anything that the centennial brings to mind will do.Drop those works off by March 31 at Tish Thornberry’s place, 834 Willow (where the gnomes live). And if

your son or daughter 14 and under wants to volunteer as a “Newspaper Boy” for Saturday morning’sdelivery, call Mary Esther Parker at 610-1500.

The fun begins with a fantastic old fashioned Ice Cream Social on Friday evening, April 4, from6:30 - 8:30 pm in the social hall at St. John’s Episcopal Church. Everyone is encouraged to wear Edwardianperiod costume, though it isn’t a requirement. We’ll have ample ice cream and cake, courtesy of DoughBakery & Datz Deli. Special guest, Mayor Bob Buckhorn will present a proclamation. We’ll have a displayof the contents of our time capsule, a slide show of some of our “vintage” neighbors from the past and theirstories, art contest entries, and special entertainment from the Flexible Four Barbershop Quartet. Winners ofthe costume contest, art contest and the yo-yo competition will be announced with prizes awarded.

Then, Saturday morning, April 5, about 10 am. our“Newsboys” as spiffy as this young lad will deliver a 1914 Trib-une and the day’s program of events to each doorstep. It wouldbe fantastic to have neighbors be on the lookout for them or greetthem at the door.

The day’s Centennial Celebration Stroll and Porch Tourbegins at 12:30 am at 800 Willow (corner of Inman and Willow)where Councilman Harry Cohen will be our special guest. After abrief program and entertainment, the stroll begins to 18 porches inthe core of the neighborhood: Orleans, Willow, Newport, Dela-ware and Morrison.

From 1 - 4 pm, different presentations on each porch willoffer vintage clothing and old photos, tales of neighbors growingup in “the good old times”, vintage music and songs, children’sgames of the times, marionettes, quilting, cigar-rolling, treats andsweets and so much more. Look for a horse-drawn trolley totingdignitaries, elders and entertainers through the tour route, andvintage cars from Pin Mar Auto Club moving to different tourhomes for pictures and atmosphere. And, of course, we’ll haveplenty of neighbors in vintage clothing - and hope you will pullyour vintage duds out of the trunk to join us in going back 100years or more with us.

It’s fun for all ages, with no registration necessary and no

charge for this weekend celebrating our Hyde Park Centennial.

P a g e 4722 S. Fielding Ave Update

On January 22nd members of the Code Enforcement Board met to hear the case involving 722 S.Fielding owned by Herb and Jill Wax. This home began renovations and additions in 2006. What nowstands seven years later is a house in a state of neglect, caught in lawsuits and liens. Herb and Jill Waxhired a contractor, Andre Franklin to do the renovations and additions for this house. Over the past sevenyears the Waxes state they have paid Mr. Franklin 1.3 million for services rendered. Mr. Franklin stateshe is still owed money and has placed a lien on the property. Do to the condition of the house, theWaxes cannot get a loan to complete the renovations and with the lien, cannot sell it.

How did the house get this way? Due to the downturn of the economy, permits were extended andleniency was granted. Finally in 2013 Code Enforcement and the ARC filed two separate suits againstthe house. The case was heard on January 22nd. At that time the Waxes were found guilty in both cases.The outcome and penalties from this hearing were:

For violations of Code Enforcement; repairs to secure the house against the elements need to occurwithin 30 days or 2-21-14. Failure to comply within the time limitation are fines of $75 /day.

For violations of the Historic Preservation Code; repairs to secure the house consistent with the historiccode need to be completed within 90 days or 4-22-14. Failure to comply within the time

limitation set are fines of $150/day.The Code Enforcement Board will retain jurisdiction over this case for 180 days after the second

deadline or October 2014.Please note that this is addressing the exterior only.

On the 24th of January the Waxes met with Dennis Fernandez and the City Attorney to better un-derstand the requirements of what needed to be completed in order to bring the house into conformity.While it was made very clear at the January 22nd hearing, the Waxes now contend they did not under-stand the ramifications and have requested the Code Enforcement Board reopen and review the case aswell as revise the penalties.

On February 25th the Waxes submitted a request for demolition of 722 S. Fielding to the ARC.Requests for demolition of a structure must first be accepted by the ARC prior to review by the ARCBoard. Due to the late submittal by the Waxes, appropriate heads of departments within the city werenot able to meet to discuss the request prior to the hearing of the Code of Enforcement Board on Febru-ary 26th. The Code Enforcement Hearing was thereby postponed until March 26th. Should the request fordemolition of this house be accepted, it will come before the ARC Board on May 5th.

Confused??? You are not alone! What does this mean and where does HPPI stand?

This is a very difficult situation; one the board has not taken lightly. The neighborhood has en-dured this situation far too long. There is no question the house is dangerous for our children and that va-grants have been seen. For that reason HPPI is against the reopening the case against the Waxes. Wefeel the hearing was fair and support the current fines that have been assessed.

HPPI, however, does not support demolition of this structure. We feel this home still could berenovated and demolishing it would leave us with an empty lot still embroiled in liens and lawsuits. If thishouse is allowed to be demolished then it will set a precedent for demolition by neglect of other homes inour neighborhood. This would be very dangerous if we are to maintain our historic integrity.

It is imperative that neighbors attend the following meetings and voice their concern.March 26th: Code Enforcement Board, hearing of reopening the case against the Waxes.May 5th : ARC Board hearing of the demolition request.

Page 5Greenscape Update

The good news is that our trees have been ordered, coming from Miami,and will temporarily be hosted in the Lowry Park area until time to installthem. But it seems there is limited availability of laurel oaks statewide. Ourtrees have been tagged, but because of limited availability, we will be gettingnew trees of the same height as requested, but only a 3 1/2” diameter. Ourhope is still to have them in ground at the latest in spring to allow them timeto “settle in” before the summer rains. In the meantime, Missy and Haroldcontinue to shepherd this project and have identified 100 potential sitesthroughout the neighborhood that would do well to have a lovely new oak tocontinue our tree canopy.

Alley Clean Sweep Project - Saturday, April 26 - 8am - noonOnce again, neighbors and volunteers from Plant High, Wilson Middle School and Boy Scout Troop 22 will put

on gloves and clean up the alleys to make them visually wider (to the sides of the pavement), and tote junk and debris to

the ends of the alleys for pickup by the City garbage trucks. The plan is to take back the pavement, clear leaves, trim and

remove overgrowth and any debris other than trash barrels that prevent City trucks from moving easily through the alleys.

All volunteers will meet up at the Fiss’s back patio, 800 S. Willow, corner of Inman and Willow, at 8 am, for cof-

fee and donuts (courtesy of Dough next to Datz on MacDill) for equipment and team assignments. At noon, workers re-

turn to the Fiss’s patio for a pizza party as a reward for their effort. This year, adult volunteers will lead a team to clean up

their own alleys rather than addressing those alleys where none of the residents assist. So, if you’d like your alley cleaned,

show up and lead a team of volunteers. Work with us for your neighborhood.

Participating volunteers are asked to bring their own hats, gloves, rakes, yard implements and wheelbarrows or yard

carts. Call Tish Thornberry (251-2957) tampashort@earthlink.net to volunteer. Rudy Fernandez is organizing this project

which does qualify for community service hours for your teens.

Neighbors: the City of Tampa Solid Waste Department is providing aCHEMICAL COLLECTION Day

April 5, 2014 from 9:00 - 2:00 pmTampa Fire Rescue Training Center

116 South 34th StreetTampa, FL 33605

Safely dispose of old chemicals, paints and solvents, automotive products, house-hold cleaners, pool chemicals, mercury thermometers, fluorescent bulbs, lawn andgarden supplies and electronics, including computer equipment, televisions andVCRs.**This is one of the few times each year that we can drop off in Tampa versus driv-ing to the County Sites**

Call City of Tampa Solid Waste 813-348-1111 For Specific Details

Also: 2014 Solid Waste S.W.E.E.P. is coming to Hyde Park Preservationneighborhood the week of June 2 - 6 for household debris disposal. Items must beplaced curbside by Monday at 6pm on the week of SWEEP clean-up. More informa-tion will be coming in your city utility bill before June or get more details at tampa-gov.net/SolidWaste.

Rather than properly bundlingand bagging yard debris, orproperly removing construc-tion debris or household throwaway items, inconsiderateneighbors often pile them inthe alley spilling over thetarmac. Last year’s AlleySweep culled approximatelya half ton of debris.

Although the paved alleys through the neighborhoodare city property, it is the homeowner’s responsibilityto trim shrubs and trees protruding into the alley fromprivate property. This debris impedes movement ofgarbage trucks, scrapes cars using the alley and isdangerous to residents who walk through the alleys.

Welcome New Neighbors to Old Hyde Park…

Carolina & Jon Strosberg 709 S. EdisonJulie & Peter Harrington 833 S. DakotaLinda & Hunter Trice 720 S. DelawareSusan & Todd Heine 907 S. OregonCharlotte O’Leary & Michael Lynch 720 S. Boulevard

We want to properly welcome ournew neighbors to Hyde Park by givingthem a “Welcome Gift Bag” of good-ies from HPPI and to inform them ofall the area has to offer. We wanteveryone to have an opportunity tobe in the directory and be mentionedin the Gazette. Please contact KippyNelson atknelson13@hotmail.com or by phoneat 251-0409 when you know of anew neighbor moving in to theneighborhood.

YARD OF THE MONTHPage 6

HPPI recognizes these neighbors for their efforts to set andexample with the Yard of the Month sign in their yard. Smallyards, large yards, lawn service or personally planted andattended yards are all considered equally based mainly oneasy visual appeal to any and all passing by. Does a yardin your area deserve recognition? To nominate a yard forconsideration contact Tish Thornberry at 251-2957 or emailtampashort@earthlink.net. Neighbors appreciate notice oftheir efforts and the Yard Award Committee welcomes yoursuggestions for recognition.

December - 709 S. Boulevard - Kippy & Pete Nelson - (top)January - 1305 Bayshore - Sabina & Larry Anderson - (above)February - 800 S. Willow - Ellen & Herb Fiss (top left)March - 845 S. Delaware - Henderson & Ben Lee (left)Ben told us that the award was placed in his yard while theywere on vacation in Colorado. His mother had decided since thetree on the right-of-way had been taken down, the yard hadmore sunlight and definitely needed more color, so she did allthe gardening while they were gone. They hadn’t seen howgreat it looked when Mom got the yard award, and she doesn’teven live there! Thanks, Mom.

One Last Word

We can’t say enough about safety. Spring has arrived andwe are out and about in grand Florida weather. But we canstill reduce the risk of becoming a victim of crimes such asvehicle burglary, vehicle theft, residential burglary and van-dalism. Keep garage doors closed or locked unless you arein the immediate area. Don’t leave your cellphone, laptop,wallet, purse, extra keys in your vehicle or in easy view, anddefinitely lock your vehicle when you’re not in it. The in-crease in crimes in our neighborhood are a result of unse-cured vehicles or homes. Watch out for your neighbors.Let them know if they have left their car, garage, home orchildren’s bicycles unsecured, an easy opportunity forcrimes. Also let your neighbors know if there has been anycriminal activity in your area. HELP patrol is on duty nightly,but needs your help to be proactive during the daytime.Take away the opportunity for crimes and you’ll stay safe.