Treasure Island residents to get a look at beach trail design on Tuesday

TREASURE ISLAND — The newest design for the beach trail will be unveiled at 6 p.m. Tuesday to residents and business owners.

Phil Graham of Graham-Booth Landscape Architecture will present a slide show of design elements for the trail followed by a discussion and question-and-answer session.

Topics expected to be discussed include:

• Construction plans, permitting and the construction timetable.

• How public and lodging access to the beach will be accommodated during construction phases.

• Proposed trail amenities, such as turtle-friendly lighting and landscaping.

• Sand wall design and possible private improvements to public beach area.

• The environmental impact on the dune communities.

The current trail is almost a mile long on the city's beachfront and parallels Gulf Boulevard's motels between 104th and 119th avenues.

Originally built in 1966, the trail was widened in 1998 and cited in last year's visioning survey as a top priority project.

The city plans to spend $1.6 million to refurbish and redesign the 15-block-long pedestrian and bicycle path in the coming year.

As originally proposed several years ago, the current flat-topped concrete sand wall will be replaced with a decorative barrier with turtle-safe lighting and a tilted top to discourage visitors from leaving drinks and debris on the wall.

When complete, the new trail could include a winding walkway with colored pavers and benches, as well as activity areas for grilling, exercising and shuffleboard.

The existing trail consists of a severely deteriorating sidewalk and sand wall with cracked concrete wall panels that in places reveal rusting reinforcing rebar. Portions of the wall are missing.

In addition to designing the trail, Graham-Booth Landscape Architecture will also manage the project's construction.

The firm also designed the city's Sunset Vista Park, as well as recreation areas at Carillon Office Park Preserve, Booker Creek Park, St. Petersburg Honor Walk, St. Petersburg's downtown waterfront parks, Brandon Parkway, MacDill Air Force Base, Tampa's Ribbon of Green and the Hillsborough River Greenway.

The final design will be determined over the next few months, during which the plan concepts will be presented periodically to the commission and public for review.