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Survey Stirs Planning Panel

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By TOM BRENNAN

The Tampa Tribune

Published: August 6, 2008

BRANDON - When it comes to putting front porches on new homes to foster community, or branding Brandon as family-friendly, Candace Knapp isn't sure.

"What is family-friendly?" she asked at last week's Brandon Community Plan steering committee. The group is working to create guidelines for growth in Brandon.

Whether to encourage construction of front porches was one of 44 questions on a six-page survey the 27 people at the meeting July 28 were asked to fill out. Knapp was leaning against it.

"I don't want to be told what to do," she said.

Answers to the questionnaire designed by planners will be a jumping off point for setting goals and strategies.

Planners will present the results at the committee's next meeting Aug. 25.

Other questions ranged from whether to reduce the distance commercial properties must be from intersections to whether to create a linked park system around and through Brandon.

George May, a financial planner active in the Greater Brandon Chamber of Commerce, pushed for extending the distance businesses can be from intersections.

"If you start restricting business, you'll be driving forever to buy anything," he said.

Mildred Hicks and others disagreed, pointing out that existing plazas have a large number of vacancies.

Though they disagreed on individual questions, committee members agreed the questionnaire will be beneficial.

"It made us pin down what we thought," Knapp said.

The large turnout at the meeting reversed months of dwindling attendance. After only eight people attended last month, planners mailed and e-mailed several notices to everyone who had signed in at any of the 11 previous monthly meetings. They also tweaked the e-mail delivery system because previous notices were ending up in recipients' junk mail folders.

It was Frank Smith's first meeting. He learned about the attendance problems and decided to take part.

"I thought the committee was already appointed," he said. "Then I found out they were asking for opinions. I've got opinions."

William Lamboy, the planner overseeing the effort, was pleased with the turnout.

"We are glad you are all here today. It really made a difference," he said.

Joe Incorvia, the county's community planning chief, said county commissioners gave the tacit go-ahead for the Bloomingdale community to join in creating the Brandon plan at a September meeting. Bloomingdale representatives had been lobbying for inclusion since the effort began in August. Bloomingdale isn't scheduled to start drafting its community plan until 2011.

TAKE THE SURVEY

To view the questionnaire given to the steering committee, go to http://hccommunity planning.com/brandoncom munity/documents.asp?area =&ExpandGroupID=15980, then click on the link to the Goals and Strategies Presentation 7-28-02. To fill out a questionnaire, copy the form, answer the questions and e-mail your answers to William Lamboy at lamboyw @hillsboroughcounty.org. Call Lamboy at (813) -276-8337 for information.

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

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