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Board Delays Rezoning Decision

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By KEVIN WIATROWSKI

The Tampa Tribune

Published: April 11, 2008

DADE CITY - County officials Thursday delayed action on a controversial subdivision proposed for rural land off Blanton Road just west of the city boundary.

The Development Review Committee was set to approve a rezoning for Berry Hill Estates, but backed off at the last minute when staff members asked for a one-week delay. The rezoning will come back to the DRC on Thursday when it meets at 1:30 p.m. at the historic Pasco County Courthouse in Dade City.

The proposal to build 266 homes on 402 acres has provoked an outcry from residents of the area, which is dominated by large parcels of rolling land. The property sits across Blanton Road from the east campus of Pasco-Hernando Community College.

Noah Kaaa, who lives nearby on Platt Road, picketed last weekend to make his neighbors aware of the project. Kaaa moved his wife and son to a 5-acre homestead about 18 months ago to escape the creeping suburbs of eastern Hillsborough where he grew up.

"We watched the same stuff happen in Riverview," Kaaa said. "We still own 5 acres in Riverview. We'd have built on that if we wanted something like this next to us."

County officials said the proposal for the former Touchton family property had to be put off for a week because the DRC's school board representative wasn't present. The school district is on spring break this week.

The Berry Hill project is proposed for land the Touchton family sought to have annexed by Dade City in 2004. That annexation died after it ran into opposition from nearby residents.

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

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