TBO.com - TBO is Tampa Bay Online

Seffner Balks At Boundaries

ADVERTISEMENT

By TOM BRENNAN, The Tampa Tribune

Published: November 24, 2007

SEFFNER - You can't have the Seffner Elementary School in Brandon.

That was one of the arguments from residents last week to try to persuade county officials to move the southern boundary of the Seffner Community Plan to Windhorst Road.

The sentiment of the 31 people who showed up for the steering committee's first meeting was that planners must adjust the proposed southern border, which runs along the railroad tracks south of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard.

"It has to be changed to keep historical Seffner intact," said Dennis Schrand, president of the Greater Seffner Area Chamber of Commerce.
Joe Prokop is also championing such a move.

"There are certain landmarks south of that boundary," he said.

Community plans are meant to give residents a chance to map out growth. The premise is no two communities are the same, and locals know best how they want their neighborhoods to evolve.

The Hillsborough County Planning & Growth Management Department recently started plans for Seffner and Brandon.

Joe Incorvia, the county's head of community planning, said it is up to the members of both steering committees to resolve the boundary issue.

"If both agree, it would be a done deal," he said.

Residents creating the Brandon community plan have said they want to expand north.

The Seffner committee nominated a five-person group to negotiate with their Brandon counterparts. The next meeting of the Brandon steering committee will be Monday.

John Healey, a county planner overseeing the Seffner plan, said he understands the residents' boundary fervor. He stressed the borders are arbitrary lines drawn for planning purposes.

"We are not moving anyone in or out of Seffner," he said.

Healey said the first meeting of the negotiating groups should be before the Seffner steering committee meets again Jan. 17. Healey said the idea was to get consensus, not unanimity.

"We want what the greatest number of people can live with, not everyone," he said. "Without that, you won't have a community plan but a free-for-all.

"We want to recognize your history, your desires and what you see for your community."

Steering committee members also were told they can't reverse rezoning decisions. Most accepted the limitation.

"This is about the future. This stuff isn't going to happen in the next four years," said Kelly Turley, a resident of the Winston Manor subdivision. "If you think you can change something tomorrow, you are mistaken."

Reporter Tom Brennan can be reached at (813) 657-4528 or tbrennan@tampatrib.com.

Share this:

Loading Comments...

Email Print

ADVERTISEMENT