* Signatures only; no donations please.  Multiple residents from same household can sign as long as they are 18+ years of age.*

The undersigned residents living around the MacDill Air Force Base appreciate, respect and hold with high regard the sacrifices all base personnel make. As an integral pillar of the Tampa Bay community, the MacDill Air Force Base, has the responsibility and duty to collaborate with the City of Tampa to instill and maintain a safe environment for the communities on both sides of the gates. Many would say it is an honor to be a resident residing by the MacDill Air Force Base and hearing the ‘sounds of freedom’ fly overhead. However, the base’s impact on neighboring communities and residents is out of balance. There are unnecessary and substantial negative effects on the residents’ health and well-being through related issues of safety, excessive noise, and the impediment to legally enjoy one's properties. Both communities have the right to co-exist yet the infrastructures and environments are vastly different on the residential side versus the military side.

By means of this petition, the undersigned request for the MacDill Air Force Base to close the Bayshore gate with the exception of emergencies. 

Closure of the Bayshore Gate and restructuring of the MacDill, Dale Mabry and Tanker gates is requested due to the ongoing issues:

• Constant safety issues posing serious risk of injury or loss of life for pedestrians, cyclists, children, drivers and animals
• Extreme noise and air pollution affecting local residents and wildlife
• Traffic congestion negatively impacting and infringing upon residents’ daily work and school commutes

The infrastructure on Bayshore Blvd. between south of Gandy Blvd. and the MacDill Air Force base is not intended to nor can it safely and effectively accommodate the high volume of traffic that results from this gate’s usage. This portion of the road narrows significantly into a two-lane residential road with very little separation between speeding cars and pedestrian pathways. 

The lack of infrastructure, congestion and the associated aggressive, illicit, and unsafe driving (including speeding, cutting through side roads, passing on double lines, riding bumpers, etc...) is not acceptable nor should it have to be endured by the residents living in the area.

These issues bring multi-faceted detriment to the residents’ lives through: 

• Near-continuous assault on their health and well-being
• Negatively impacting their quality of life
• Bringing undue stress to all
  Limiting the freedoms and usage of the pathway and roads
• Driving out wildlife including endangered species
• Creating a safety risk for base personnel
• Driving down property values
• Taking away residents’ legal rights to enjoy their properties

The undersigned request the following modifications to be made to the Bayshore   gate. *Following our meeting on 11/30/23, MacDill Air Force Base posted an update on their Facebook page. See screen shot below.*

• Immediately close the gate on nights and weekends
• Immediately bring the weekday hours commensurate to the city’s quiet hours by not opening until 7 a.m.
• Reroute and divide gate usage and labor to the other three available gates 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Please do not wait until another fatality occurs on Bayshore Boulevard to take appropriate action. We urge the MacDill Air Force Base and the City of Tampa leadership to collaborate and swiftly enact preventative measures out of concern and respect for South Tampa residents, base personnel and the wildlife/environment.