By: Dick Brown
The City of Tamarac has turned 82nd Street, a street that’s only four blocks long from University Drive to 80th Avenue/81st Street, into the most dangerous street in the city.
Tamarac removed two vehicle lanes and added two bicycle lanes, not considering that Renaissance Charter school is fed from this little one-lane street, making it a major thoroughfare during the couple of hours at the start and end of the school day. This street is a total disaster. An accident just waiting to happen, and this is why:
NW 82nd Ave and University Drive in Tamarac.
1. It’s fed from 80th Ave.
2. It’s fed from 81st street.
3. It’s fed from a golf cart path that crosses it.
4. It’s going to have an entrance into the proposed maintenance complex.
5. It’s fed from the neighborhood of Pines III
6. It’s going to be fed by the new community POD A
7. it’s fed from the neighborhood of Cassia Terrace
8. It’s fed from the neighborhood of Nutmeg
9. It’s fed from another golf cart path crossing it.
10. It’s fed from and too Renaissance charter school
11. It’s the entrance to and exit from the BB&T Bank
12. It’s the entrance and exit to Walgreen strip mall.
13. It’s fed from Southbound University Drive
14. It’s fed from Northbound University Drive
15. It’s fed from The Sun Flower Community.
And remember, the two bike lanes that must be crossed all fourteen times. Vehicles are forced to drive in the bike lanes, stop in the bike lanes and, even park in the bike lanes.
Now with this monster of a maintenance complex being erected, it makes it all the more dangerous. Children going to three different schools are using it. There is a school bus stop on 82nd street and Hibiscus Circle.
There will be an outlet onto 80th Avenue from this maintenance complex. It’s unconscionable and irresponsible building a maintenance complex in a well groomed quiet community, adding to an already very dangerous situation. Someone is going to get seriously hurt or worse, killed. Even without this complex, there is a very serious traffic problem on little four block long 82nd street.
This maintenance complex should be erected on the site that was originally shown, on University Drive between 81st Street and 78th Street. At the Commission meeting that voted to approve the site, testimony was given and sworn to that egress onto University Drive had been denied. There is no evidence showing that any application had ever been applied for. Nor an attempt being made to work out any other possible egress onto or off of the property from that location.
The University Drive location is a much better location, esthetically and more importantly, for safety.
Another location much better suited would be the strip of land by the bowling alley on Southgate and University, or even better the commercial plot of land that they own on Southgate and Pine Island. None of which have safety issues.
