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Land-Use Proposal Up For A Vote

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By D'ANN LAWRENCE WHITE, The Tampa Tribune

Published: February 6, 2008

TAMPA - They were able to convince Hillsborough County planning commissioners.

Now Lithia residents have to do the same with county commissioners if they want to stave off suburbia.

Planning commissioners on Jan. 14 rejected a proposal to amend the county's comprehensive land-use plan to allow an 87.5-acre tract on County Road 39 east of Lithia-Pinecrest Road to be rezoned from one home per 5 acres to one home per 2 1/2 acres. The decision followed major opposition to the rezoning by residents of that rural community.

The change would permit 35 homes to be constructed on the site, which is outside the county's urban service area and does not have county sewer and water services.

In presenting the property owner's proposal to the planning commission, land-use planner Ethel Hammer of Tampa said the area's development pattern already violates the county's land-use plan.

"Sixty-two percent of the total number of lots do not meet the 5-acre minimum, and 62 percent of the lots that have frontage on County Road 39 don't meet the 5-acre lot minimum, as well," she said.

She said the intersection of Lithia-Pinecrest and C.R. 39 has long been recognized as a "rural community node," with Pinecrest Elementary School on the northwest corner and long-standing community commercial uses across Lithia-Pinecrest. Those commercial uses, and the fact that other land nearby is residential, have created what planners call a "suburban enclave," which would permit a higher density of development, Hammer said.

Pam Prysner of Lithia, founder of R-Land, a coalition of more than 300 residents trying to maintain the area's rural lifestyle, argued that an elementary school and a longtime restaurant do not constitute a suburban enclave.

"I know the intersection well," she said. "It is not a node as it was described by Ms. Hammer. There is agriculture there. We have citrus there, agricultural-based businesses, a farrier shop, feed stores, tack shops. Those are all conducive to a rural community."

Planning commission staff member Heather Lamboy said the smaller lots Hammer referred to were developed in the 1970s. The land-use plan was adopted in 1989.

"There is no enclave, planned village or rural community like Wimauma at this location," she said. "It's just neighborhood-serving, and there's no need to transition in this rural area."

After studying the land-use plan, Commissioner Edward Giunta disagreed.

"I count 25 lots outside the subject property that are smaller than 2 1/2 acres," he said. "It's a transitioning phase from what is a node, where there are commercial and other activities with the school."

The planning commission voted against recommending the amendment to the county commission, with Giunta and Commissioner Hung Mai dissenting.

A summary of the amendment proposal was presented to county commissioners for review at a workshop Jan. 24. Commissioners made no comment at that time and are scheduled to vote on the proposed amendment at a public hearing Thursday.

Reporter D'Ann Lawrence White can be reached at (813) 657-4524 or dlwhite@tampatrib.com.

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