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Niemann Rallies Neighbors To Fend Off Suburban Village

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The Tampa Tribune

Published: November 17, 2007

DOVER - George Niemann, Florida-born and New York-bred, moved here with his wife to a home on less than an acre of land in 2003.

His neighborhood, Dover Woods, serves as a tiny transition area between heavily suburban Valrico and rural Dover, where county rules call for no more than one house per acre and, in some cases, one house on 5 acres.

When plans surfaced to convert the former Sydney Mine phosphate operation into a 2,500-home suburban village near his home, Niemann rallied his neighbors.

"I didn't even know what the comprehensive plan was," he said, referring to the county's blueprint for growth. Someone suggested he contact Terry Flott, head of the Seffner Alliance and a known expert in zoning and land-use issues.

"I was so impressed with her level of commitment. Fighting that case, I learned so much," Niemann said. "All it takes is five county meetings to turn someone into an activist, once they see how this county is being run."

County commissioners, with a recommendation by the planning commission on their side, rejected the proposal. Niemann relished the victory, but he said he knows other attempts to develop the property are on the horizon and plans to fight those, too.
Neiman became a charter member of U-CAN in January.

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