Neighborhood Improvement
LOVE WHERE YOU LIVE
The City works to help preserve and improve the health of all its neighborhoods, and residents can get involved in these efforts in a number of ways. For code compliance information and actions, visit the Codes Compliance page.
Neighborhood Team (N-Team)
The Neighborhood Team, or N-Team, is staffed by City employees who, along with volunteers, assist people in need and improve the community. While code enforcement is necessary to protect the values of aging properties, some homeowners cannot afford to repair their homes. N-Team workers help relieve that burden by providing the following services: exterior painting, carpentry, handicap access ramps, minor roof repairs and patching, roof tarps, minor plumbing, junk/trash and debris removal, overgrowth removal, and code violation repairs. Free home improvement services are available to St. Pete homeowners who are elderly, disabled, or low-income.
To apply for assistance from the N-Team, complete the application below either online or a paper application. Any questions, call 727-893-7373.
Neighborhood Team Assistance Online Application
Neighborhood Team Assistance Paper Application
Neighborhood Cleanups
Neighborhood cleanups are provided once a year for neighborhoods through an application and approval process. To organize an annual neighborhood cleanup call 727-892-5141.
Housing Assistance Programs
Residents who need help with repairs to their existing home or want more information on low-interest loans for a home purchase can contact the Housing Department at 727-893-7247.
Stray Animals & Injured Wildlife
Pinellas County provides resources and actions for residents with concerns about free-roaming community cats, illegally tethered or lost animals, injured wildlife, and other urban animal issues. Learn more at the Pinellas County Animal Services site.
Rodent Control Program
The City can assist in rat control on the outside of properties and in neighborhoods. Learn more about rodent control tips and the City's Rodent Control Program here. For help with rodent control inside a residence, contact a private exterminator.
Storm Drain Marking Kits
Storm drains are designed to drain excess rain and groundwater from streets and other paved surfaces during a storm. The City provides storm drain markers to let neighborhoods know that storm drains are only for rain and educate the public on the need to prevent stormwater pollution at the source. These signs raise awareness about the connection between storm drains and local waterways and can help to deter littering, excess fertilizer use, dumping, and other practices that contribute to stormwater pollution and localized flooding. Kits include the markers, maps, and the tools needed to attach the markers to the storm drain covers.
Storm Drain Marking Instructions
A storm drain marking kit contains enough safety vests for all on the team, plenty of adhesive tubes, a caulking gun, a wire brush, a pair of snips to open adhesive tubes, a piercing wire (to pierce inside seal on tube), a hammer and chisel (to remove old markers if needed), rags (to help keep things clean), and the storm drain signs.
Prepare: Marking the drains should be done in teams of at least two people so that one may watch for traffic. Adult supervision is necessary with children.
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Safety vests should be worn while marking the drains.
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Make sure the storm drain lid is flat, dry, and free of loose debris.
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The sign should be centered on the storm drain lid about 6” to 12” from the street edge. Use the brush provided to lightly scrub the surface where the marker will be placed and sweep the loose debris away from the storm drain lid.
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If old signs need to be removed, use the hammer and chisel to pry off the old signs and then follow these cleaning instructions.
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If the signs have a protective backing, peel it off.
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Prepare the caulk gun by cutting about ½ of an inch off the end of the adhesive tube and pierce the inside seal of the tube using the piercing wire. Pull back the handle of the glue gun, insert tube, and push the handle back in.
Attach: Use caution with the adhesive as it can be messy and can be difficult or impossible to remove from skin and clothing.
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On the back of the sign, place a line of adhesive around the edge about one inch from the edge. Draw an X in the middle from one corner to the opposite corner. The adhesive line should be about a quarter of an inch thick. After applying the glue, pull back on the handle to release pressure on the adhesive (or it may continue to come out).
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Position the sign over the storm drain lid so that the writing can be read from the street. It should be centered on the storm drain lid about 6” to 12” from the street edge.
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Press the sign firmly into place and use a rag to wipe away excess adhesive.
Neighborhood Traffic Calming
Neighborhoods can be negatively impacted by heavy traffic volumes and high vehicular speeds on residential streets. Traffic calming strategies can improve the quality of life in neighborhoods by reducing the speed of traffic and discouraging cut-through traffic. Speed humps are one of the most common traffic calming requests by residents concerned with excessive speeding in neighborhoods. Over 1,000 speed humps have been installed city-wide through the City’s Neighborhood Transportation Management program which has seen the adoption of neighborhood traffic plans for most neighborhoods in St. Petersburg and outlined a process by which the City can consider if additional speeds humps should be installed. The process is one that allows the City to remain responsive to resident requests while also ensuring appropriate community consensus is attained before traffic calming devices, including speed humps, are installed.
What is a Speed hump?
A speed hump is a traffic calming measure that consists of raised pavement that is placed across a roadway to reduce motorists’ speeds. Their primary purpose is to reduce speeds, but they can have a secondary effect of reducing traffic volumes. Speed humps are generally 3 to 3 ½ inches in height and 12 to 14 feet in length.
Where can speed humps be placed?
The Institute of Transportation Engineers recommends that speed humps be limited to streets with a posted speed limit of 30 mph or less, and the City’s Comprehensive Plan also has language that requires speed humps to be generally limited to residential streets and neighborhood collector streets. They are spaced at intervals to encourage motorists’ speeds of approximately 25mph between the speed humps, and at locations that won’t interfere with traffic safety at adjacent intersections.
How do I request a speed hump for my street?
If you would like your street to be considered for one or more speed humps, please contact the City’s Neighborhood Transportation Manager, Cheryl Stacks, at cheryl.stacks@stpete.org or at 727-893-5328. The process for a speed hump to be approved and constructed on your street involves four steps.
Step 1 – Traffic Study
City staff will conduct a study to measure motorists’ speeds and traffic volume to determine whether they meet the established threshold of being excessive. For speeding, that criterion is that the 85th-percentile speed (85% of drivers going this speed or below) is greater than 35 mph.
For streets that meet the criterion, staff will advance the project to the next step in the process. For streets that do not meet the criterion, staff could recommend alternative efforts to be undertaken, which could include a recommendation for enforcement or other educational efforts.
Step 2 – Petition
The next step in the process is the petition. To demonstrate community support for the speed hump(s), the City requires at least two-thirds (67%) of the residents who abut the street within the study area to sign a petition indicating that they want the proposed speed hump(s). The City will provide the petition for a neighborhood resident to circulate and return when completed.
Step 3 – Neighborhood Association Concurrence
After a completed petition is received, City staff will contact the neighborhood association where the street is located (if there is an active one for your area) and ask them to consider an amendment to their neighborhood traffic plan to approve the new speed hump(s). Please note that because neighborhood associations were instrumental in the development of the original neighborhood traffic plans, the City considers their approval of the speed hump(s) an important step in the overall process.
Step 4 – Inclusion in the Program List
Once the proposed speed humps are approved through the completed petition and neighborhood association, the City adds them to a running list of locations for design and construction. While funded by the City through an annual program supported by the Penny for Pinellas surtax, the City generally receives more requests for speed humps than can be accommodated within a single years' time. Speed humps will be designed and constructed in the order in which they are approved.
How long does the process take?
The time from the initial request to the City to when a speed hump is approved and constructed can vary considerably. The time to complete a traffic study is generally 2 to 3 weeks. The time to circulate a petition is determined by those who volunteer to do so. The time for consideration by the neighborhood association varies by association, with most approving within a week to 2 months, though a few associations generally do not support the installation of traffic calming devices. The time for design and construction varies dependent upon the number of locations currently on the Program List of approved locations and historically takes approximately 1 to 2 years.
For more information about neighborhood transportation and traffic calming, please contact:
Cheryl Stacks
Neighborhood Transportation Manager
727-893-5328
cheryl.stacks@stpete.org
Neighborhood Traffic Plans Under Review
The following Neighborhood Traffic Plans have been presented for review.