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Plan For Massive Borrow Pit Near Lutz Stirring Debate

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By B.C. MANION, The Tampa Tribune

Published: November 25, 2007

LUTZ - A proposed dirt mine that would operate for 10 years on a parcel on Lutz Lake Fern Road is sparking intense debate.

Stephen J. Dibbs wants a special-use permit to remove up to 2.5 million cubic yards of dirt from roughly 50 acres on a 312-acre site he owns on the north side of Lutz-Lake Fern Road, just west of the Suncoast Parkway.

Under the current request, Dibbs could dig four holes, ranging from 20 to 35 feet deep, to excavate dirt that he would sell for roadway and construction projects.

An estimated 56 trucks would enter and leave the site each day, based on county transportation figures.

The merits of the special-use permit were debated during a four-hour hearing Nov. 16 before Harold Youmans, Hillsborough County land-use hearing officer.

Dibbs, of North Dale Development, has been seeking the special use permit since March 2006. His attorney, Vin Marchetti, and a team of experts told Youmans the borrow pit will have minimal impact on surrounding uses and will not pose traffic hazards.

Members of the team also noted the borrow pit will be reclaimed as a manmade lake, which will benefit the environment.

Reviewers Want Conditions Set

Hillsborough County reviewers, who initially opposed the request, have recommended approval contingent upon 38 conditions.

Under those conditions, Dibbs wouldn't begin digging until the Lutz-Lake Fern Road and Suncoast Parkway interchange opens, or until dirt is needed for construction of the interchange, the high school, or widening of Lutz-Lake Fern Road.

Trucks would be allowed to use Lutz-Lake Fern Road only to carry dirt to one of those three projects, or to get on the Suncoast Parkway.

Operation hours for the borrow pit would be limited to 7 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Saturday.

There also would be limits on when trucks could roll past McKitrick Elementary, Martinez Middle and the new high school - but the applicant and school district officials couldn't agree on what those limits should be at the Nov. 16 hearing. Youmans said he will set those limits, if he decides to grant the permit.

Tom Hiznay, a senior county planner, said Dibbs' current request is substantially scaled down from his original proposal.

"Well over a year ago, the depth of the pit was 50 feet throughout," Hiznay said. "The plan evolved to four cells, of varying depths."

The haul route also is substantially smaller, Hiznay said. Dibbs originally wanted to haul dirt down Lutz-Lake Fern Road in both directions, heading west to Gunn Highway and east to North Dale Mabry Highway.

Steve Allison, a professional planner representing Dibbs, noted the four borrow pit cells will become a lake, which either will be part of a residential development or a passive use.

Opponents told Youmans the borrow pit doesn't fit.

"Why should we change the complexion of a community to accommodate a borrow pit?" asked Denise Layne, land-use liaison for the Lutz Civic Association. "It's all neighborhoods in that area."

She contends the borrow pit is simply too big.

"There's three cells too many," Layne said. "If they want to meet the needs of the immediate area, three years is all they need. Ten years is way too much."

Coalition Joins Opposition

The Lutz-Lake Fern Communities Coalition also objects to the proposed dirt-mining operation, said Jerry Rosen, a spokesman for the group.

The proposal "turns a primarily residential, educational community area into a central dirt-hauling resource for the county, for 10 years and beyond," Rosen said, noting his organization represents about 4,000 homes from Villa Rosa, Cheval East and Cheval West, Heritage Harbor, Montreux and Stillwater.

James G. Barrie, of 19506 Barrie Acres Trail, has lived next to the proposed borrow pit site for 25 years. "I have 650 feet that border the Dibbs' property," he said. "I'm worried about my well. I'm worried about my kids. I'm worried about the foundation cracking on my house."

Ethel Hammer, of 19825 Angel Lane, also lives next to the proposed borrow pit.

Hammer, a planner, raised personal and professional objections. She is concerned about noise from the borrow pit operation and about damage that could be done to her private well.

She questioned the planning wisdom of locating a borrow pit so close to homes.

Hammer examined the county's 13 active borrow pits and discovered that none of them have as many homes within a 1,000-foot radius as the proposed pit.

There are 92 homes within 1,000 yards of this pit. The next highest among active land excavations has 56, according to Hammer's report.

Allison said most of the homes within the 1,000-foot radius are in the Ivy Lake Estates subdivision in Pasco County. That subdivision initially opposed Dibbs' request but dropped its objections after the applicant agreed to a number of concessions, including a 250-foot buffer between the borrow pit and the subdivision and to build an 8-foot masonry wall and plant a double row of evergreen shade trees.

Tom Aderhold, president of the Keystone Civic Association: said if the borrow pit is approved the applicant should be required to post bonds to pay for any damage it does to the environment, roads and nearby private properties.
Youmans has until Dec. 11 to render his decision, which can be appealed to the county's Land-Use Appeals Board.

Reporter B.C. Manion can be reached at (813) 865-1507 or bmanion@tampatrib.com

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