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Planners At Odds Over Priorities For Brandon

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By TOM BRENNAN

The Tampa Tribune

Published: June 28, 2008

BRANDON - Residents drafting a master growth plan for Brandon are stymied over what to do about roads and the environment.

The indecision arose at the monthly meeting of the steering committee for the Brandon Community Plan on June 24. The committee is charged with creating a blueprint for growth.

Members were considering prospective goals when they split on where environmental protection and transportation should be on the priority list.

In previous meetings, the committee drafted a tentative goal that said the plan should "enhance Brandon's natural environment by identifying, acquiring and preserving existing natural resources and environmentally sensitive areas."

Some of the six committee members at the meeting last week said that goal is unnecessary because Brandon has few remaining undeveloped tracts.

"There is not much of them left," said Jim Barfield, who lives on Durant Road.

Vivian Bacca agreed most of Brandon is built out but said some natural assets should be protected, including Delaney and Buckhorn creeks.

"What's here is here," she said, referring to the community's suburban development, "but let's not make it any worse."

Committee member George May said he worries making environmental protection a top priority could hinder community improvement projects such as Brandon Main Street, a neotraditional mix of homes and businesses approved for land south of Oakfield Drive between Lakewood and Pauls drives.

The group decided not to set permanent goals until county planners refine their concepts and offer specific suggestions for preserving natural resources and implementing plans for growth.

"We'll put strategies with them so you can see what the implications are," said Joe Incorvia, chief of community planning for Hillsborough County.

Committee members also were unsure how much detail they should put in the community plan's transportation goals and how much control they can wield in improving traffic on local roads.

"I don't think the community plan can address traffic," Bacca said. "I do think we could say how we want a street to look."

The next committee meeting will be July 28 at the Brandon Regional Service Center, 311 Pauls Drive. It is open to the public. For information. call (813) 276-8337.

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

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