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Environmental Groups Suing Over Cypress Creek Permits

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By KEVIN WIATROWSKI, The Tampa Tribune

Published: October 2, 2007

WESLEY CHAPEL - Following up on a threat from July, three environmental groups on Monday sued two federal regulatory agencies in an effort to overturn the development permits issued this year to the builders of the Cypress Creek Town Center.

The lawsuit was filed in federal court in Washington on behalf of the Sierra Club, Clean Water Action and the Gulf Restoration Network. It challenges permits issued by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service that allowed the Richard E. Jacobs Group to go forward with developing its regional mall.

The environmentalists want the court to put a hold on the permit so a full Environmental Impact Statement can be done of the 510-acre site straddling State Road 56 just west of Interstate 75.

The lawsuit alleged Army Corps regulators didn't do enough to reduce the mall's overall effect, such as requiring developers to build a parking garage instead of parking lots.

'We have no faith in this permit protecting this exquisite piece of property as required by federal laws,' Denise Layne, conservation chairwoman of the Sierra Club's Tampa Bay chapter, said in a written statement. Layne lives in Lutz.

The Army Corps issued Jacobs a permit earlier this year allowing the developer to fill more than 50 acres of wetlands on its property ahead of development.

Jacobs faces a fine or revocation of its permit after regulators discovered earthmoving crews had damaged a wetland outside the bounds of the permit. The potential penalty remains under review.

Jacobs officials said Monday that they had no plans to stop work at the mall site.

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