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Land-Use Panel Reviews Zoning Change Requests

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By KEVIN WIATROWSKI, The Tampa Tribune

Published: November 3, 2007

NEW PORT RICHEY - Pasco County commissioners on Friday gave divided opinions on several landowners' requests to change the use of their property.

The rezonings will let development move forward on properties at U.S. 19 and Gulf Trace Boulevard in Holiday and at Starkey Boulevard and DeCubellis Road.

Commissioners approved the changes while sitting as the Local Planning Agency. They will take up the changes again later this month sitting as the board of county commissioners.

Commissioners turned down the requested land-use change for 3 acres at Little Road and Jasmine Boulevard.

The change at U.S. 19 and Gulf Trace shifts 6 acres just west of U.S. 19 from residential use to commercial. The land will become part of a new car dealership planned by the owners of Sun Toyota, which is a short distance north of U.S. 19, said Sun Toyota attorney Clarke Hobby.

Commissioners approved the Gulf Trace rezoning with little discussion.

The owners of land at Starkey and DeCubellis also won approval to shift their property from residential to commercial. The shift will allow construction of a storage facility.

The 7-acre site sits at the southwest corner of the intersection and wraps around the east and south sides of a water treatment plant owned by New Port Richey.

The developers of RaceTrac gas stations failed to convince commissioners to grant a switch to commercial. The company argued that its land use should change to reflect the decade-old rezoning that allowed a Walgreens drugstore at the northwest corner of Little and Jasmine.

Sam Steffey, the county's growth management director, disagreed. Pasco officials have repeatedly denied similar land-use changes on the east side of Little north of Fox Hollow in order to keep that section of Little Road as residential as possible, Steffey said.

Commissioners supported Steffey's ruling on the proposal.

Reporter Kevin Wiatrowski can be reached at (813) 948-4201 or kwiatrowski@tampatrib.com.

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