Pinellas County Public Works on Thursday presented the final design for roadway and pedestrian improvements on Nebraska Avenue in Palm Harbor, including a new drainage system, widened sidewalks and a proposed roundabout at 16th Street to calm traffic near Palm Harbor High School and the YMCA.

The design matters for schoolchildren, downtown businesses and nearby homeowners because it changes traffic control, parking and sidewalk geometry in a busy corridor and because staff said the project addresses chronic flooding complaints and crash patterns. Kelly Hammer Levy, public works director, and Tom Washburn, transportation division director, reviewed the design and public outreach: the project limits are Westlake Boulevard to Alt 19, work will add 6- to 8-foot sidewalks on the north side and 8-foot sidewalks with angled parking through the downtown Palm Harbor commercial district, and drainage will move from intermittent sheet-flow to a formally designed curb-and-gutter system with both above- and below-ground storage.

Washburn recommended a roundabout at 16th Street and Nebraska, citing three constraints on alternatives: the intersection does not meet volume warrants for signalization, always-stop control would create excessive delay on Nebraska (which carries about 12,000 vehicles per day), and the roundabout would reduce approach speeds and crash severity. Washburn said the sixteenth-street approach carries roughly 700 vehicles per day and that the intersection sees concentrated pedestrian and bicycle activity during school arrival and dismissal periods. He described the roundabout as the traffic-calming alternative that best meets the project's stated goals.

Staff recounted outreach: a February 2023 public meeting elicited concern about tree impacts and resistance to a wide off-road trail; after redesign and supplemental meetings staff reduced tree removals (staff said roughly nine trees remain planned for removal) and reduced the proposed trail to a widened sidewalk alignment that meanders around existing trees where feasible. Staff also said the design incorporates pedestrian treatments including Rectangular Rapid Flashing Beacons (RRFBs) at crossings and decorative intersection treatments consistent with the Downtown Palm Harbor master plan.

Commissioners raised questions about neighborhood buy-in and alternatives. Commissioner Nowakian said he had received petitions and continued opposition on Nebraska Avenue and urged more local engagement. Commissioner Reggers asked for clarification of tree impacts and asked staff to supply crash outcomes from other local roundabout installations when available; commissioners also requested a cost summary and sources. Staff said the project budget is approximately $11.5 million to $12 million, funded with traffic impact fees and the Penny for Pinellas program, and gave a preliminary schedule: finish design spring 2026, advertise for construction summer 2026, begin construction late 2026 and a two-year construction duration to late 2028.

Ending: Staff recommended proceeding with final design and continued coordination with property owners affected by the roundabout; the commission did not vote at the work session and asked staff to return with additional neighborhood outreach materials and comparative crash data for similar roundabout installations.