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Step Up Protection Of Cypress Creek

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The Tampa Tribune

Published: September 12, 2007

Environmentalists opposed to construction of a large mall along Cypress Creek in Wesley Chapel have every right to say 'we told you so.' Not a single building has gone up yet, yet the developer and work crews already have violated conditions of permits that authorize the project.

So far, regulators from the Southwest Florida Water Management District and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers have confirmed that workers clearing land for Cypress Creek Town Center along State Road 56 destroyed a three-quarter acre of wetland that was supposed to be preserved.

In addition, unauthorized discharges of sediments and turbid water have gone into the creek, a main tributary of the Hillsborough River, the source of most of Tampa's drinking water.

It's no consolation that the developer and its consultants reported the violations to regulators and are taking steps to restore the wetland. This shoddy workmanship doesn't bode well for the promise of a 'low-impact' development and a pledge to keep all stormwater and other discharges on site once the 1.3 million-square-foot mall opens for business.

The violations should make regulators skeptical and prompt sustained scrutiny, even if it means having an employee on site at all times.

At a minimum, a fine is in order. And if the developer and workers fail to improve their performance, their permits should be revoked. Cypress Creek is an Outstanding Florida Water and deserves to be treated as such.

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