By Shannan D. Powell | Tampa Bay Times
Three weeks after school began, Strawberry Crest High School principal David Brown sent a voice message to parents warning that being “stuck in traffic” would no longer be an acceptable excuse for morning tardiness.
Enough was enough.
Unfortunately for Brown and drivers heading for the high school and neighboring Bailey Elementary, traffic may only get worse with the opening of Independence Academy charter school in December on the northeast corner of McIntosh Road and U.S. 92, less than a half mile to the west.
Formerly known as Shiloh Charter School, Independence Academy is scheduled to move 650 students from its current location at Shiloh Baptist Church in Plant City to the much larger campus.
Since opening six years ago, Strawberry Crest and neighboring Bailey Elementary have dealt with traffic snarls, especially in the first several weeks of the school year. After seeking input from the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office and transportation departments for the school district and the county, Brown appealed to parents to find solutions to get their students in class by 7:33 a.m.
“It’s year six, and traffic is traffic. We only have one way in or out of our compound,” said Brown, who daily directs morning vehicle flow. “It always takes the first several weeks to train the ninth-grade people how to get in or out.”
Engineers from the Hillsborough County Public Works department are scheduled to take a look at Strawberry Crest’s traffic issues to see what options remain, according to county engineer Mike Williams. Brown is pushing for a left-turn lane on Gallagher Road opposite the school, while backups will remain the morning norm eastbound and westbound on U.S. 92 and northbound and southbound on McIntosh Road.
With the addition of another school in close proximity, any solutions Hillsborough engineers recommend for Strawberry Crest and Bailey may only be short-term fixes for what may become a significant problem.
County Commissioner Victor Crist, whose district includes the schools, said there is no one-size-fits-all process when sites are reviewed for potential issues.
“We try to do permitting so we don’t overtax our resources. If it begins to become an issue, my staff will look into it,” Crist said. “Sometimes, it just takes creating a release for the pressure valve. Charter schools have a greater flexibility in their scheduling and usually staggering start times helps.”
In anticipation of morning, and possibly afternoon congestion, the county and Charter School Associates, the parent company of Independence Academy, worked together to stagger school start times.
“We’ve worked extensively with the county on site plans for that location,” said Mike Strader, president of Charter School Associates.
According to Strader, the 13.5-acre school site will feature ample parking and car lines to accommodate the families at the school, while still providing large playground and athletic space. The main entrance will be from U.S. 92.
According to public records, Charter School Associates’ application for special-use zoning was present during a zoning hearing in October 2013, and after zoning was approved, the site plan was approved by the public works department.
