CONA says no to Buena Vista neighborhood split

ST. PETERSBURG -- The Council of Neighborhood Associations voted overwhelmingly not to divide the Bartlett Park neighborhood, following nearly a year of infighting that left older residents insulted and newer residents frustrated.

The fledgling Buena Vista Neighborhood Association will not be recognized by CONA after the 32-2 vote, buoying members of the Bartlett Park Neighborhood Association who were worried about competing interests.

Buena Vista members had requested recognition to gain access to CONA support and resources after decrying a lack of initiative in cleaning up crime on the streets.

Bartlett Park residents said the request showed disrespect to long-standing members who had worked for decades to improve conditions, and said separate associations would be counterproductive.

“Hopefully they’ll be able to work together,” said Tom Killian, who moderated Wednesday’s meeting.

About 150 residents attended the meeting, which also included a crowd of politicians running for Pinellas County offices. A sizeable contingent wore “Don’t take the heart out of Bartlett Park” stickers and factions bickered in the hallways of the Sunshine Center.

The 900-home Bartlett Park neighborhood stretches from Fourth Street South to Martin Luther King Street and from 11th Avenue S to 22nd Avenue S.

The area Buena Vista requested would leave just a few blocks north and south remaining in Bartlett Park.

One of the oldest neighborhoods in St. Petersburg, the neighborhood has struggled with violence and drugs. But in recent years, property values have increased as efforts to self-police have been successful.

Julie Richey, 27, presented on behalf of Buena Vista. She said her group had been more effective since it split ideologically from Bartlett Park, starting neighborhood cleanups and youth activities.

She also said the Bartlett Park association had not shown enough initiative in combating crime. She listed drug dealing, frequent gunfire, prostitution, vacant homes and dog fighting as some of its problems.

“If you’re not appalled by the issues that remain here, there is something seriously wrong,” Richey said.

This statement angered many in Bartlett Park, who said they have been working for decades to address those issues, and that the neighborhood has come a long way in recent years. Many called the statement a slap in the face.

“When I moved here in 2006, it was a scarier place than it is today,” said Andrea Hildebran, who presented on behalf of Bartlett Park. “Kids would not have been biking by enjoying a Saturday two years ago....We need to give enormous respect and appreciation to the people who have lived in Bartlett Park when the bullets were flying.”

The rift between the two groups is rife with he said, she said allegations, with the truth hard to divine.
Buena Vista, whose president Scott Swift ran an unsuccessful bid for Bartlett Park president, claims some of its members were prevented from voting and that Bartlett Park members refused to incorporate their ideas.

Bartlett Park supporters said Buena Vista members did not attend meetings and they insisted the elections were fair.

Traditionally, potential splits are taken care of by the neighborhood associations involved. Never before has this sort of dispute come before the CONA board, said Barbara Heck, president of the Council of Neighborhood Associations.

But since CONA bylaws do not address what to do in this type of situation, the issue came to a vote.
Heck said the bylaws will be amended to keep another association split from coming to the CONA board.
And Swift said Buena Vista will continue to work in the community.

“Nobody lost tonight,” he said. “The whole neighborhood is benefiting.”

-- Andrew Dunn, Times Staff Writer