A portion of residents who live in St. Petersburg's Roser Park fear the neighborhood's wildlife is in jeopardy.
Roser Park is a neighborhood in Midtown that is filled with nature, greenery and historic homes.
“This area is unlike any other area in St. Pete that I have noticed,” said Milynn Luong, who came to the neighborhood to take pictures.
Local resident Jeff Strickrott says he is used to people documenting his neighborhood.
“It’s peaceful, tranquil and it does not feel like you're in St. Pete,” said Strickrott.
Strickrott wants it to stay green and beautiful but he fears big changes are to come. Currently the St. Pete City Council is working to build an ADA approved bike trail through the community. It will connect the area near the University of South Florida St. Petersburg to downtown St. Petersburg.
Strickrott's wife, Sharon Ewe, is a biologist. Ewe says the project's plans, which include putting in a concrete wall, widening the present foot path from 5 feet to about 16 feet and cutting down oak trees,will damage the local ecosystem.
“The fish are going to be impacted," said Ewe. "The turtles will probably not be here as well. With the additional runoff, you will have more animals getting washed out closer to the bay.”
The neighborhood of about 130 homes is torn over the issue. Resident Kai Warren believes the bike trail is a good fit for the area.
“It's going to connect us more directly to downtown in a safer way," said Warren. "To ride on a trail instead of going out on the roads, it has lots of benefits.”
The council is taking information from both sides and working to revise its current plan. On August 16 at 9 a.m., residents along with transportation staff will do a walking tour of Roser Park to better determine the steps to come.