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Landowners Express Doubt About Preservation Plan

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By JULIA FERRANTE

The Tampa Tribune

Published: July 9, 2008

DADE CITY - DADE CITY - A plan to connect Pasco County's public lands and protect wildlife met with opposition Tuesday.

Some landowners within the proposed "critical linkage" corridors questioned how they would be compensated for giving up property to deer, tortoises and wood storks. Others wondered whether the fences and highway underpasses marking the network would be enough to corral wild animals.

"Last time I checked, white-tailed deer and gopher tortoises were not paying taxes," said Cody McBride of Coon Hide Road in Shady Hills.

He said the wildlife corridors would disrupt his cattle operations: "The only water source I have for my cattle is going to be claimed."

The corridors, denoted in Pasco's long-range comprehensive growth plan, are intended to protect environmentally sensitive land such as Starkey Wilderness Park and the Serenova Preserve and to promote animal migration. The plan is an outgrowth of a 2000 court settlement in which Pasco was ordered to better protect wildlife and wetlands and is based on input from residents, developers and biologists, said Michele Baker, Pasco's chief assistant county administrator.

County officials recently refined the plan and an accompanying ordinance based on input from potentially affected landowners, many of whom are concerned they are losing the right to develop their land. The plan is to be formally considered at public hearings in August and September.

Jamie Wood, who owns property along State Road 54 near the emerging Shops of Wiregrass mall, said one of the proposed corridors would limit the use of his property.

Landowners within the affected area may apply for a comprehensive plan change to have the preservation designation removed from their properties. They also could sell their lands to the county for conservation, receive mitigation credits in exchange for other development or some combination of the two, Baker said.

Pasco officials could buy land with proceeds from Penny for Pasco funds, generated from an extra cent of sales tax that helps fund a county preservation program.

Property owners would be eligible for a variety of other incentives, including density transfers, which would allow for more intense development on adjacent property in exchange for setting aside land for preservation, said Assistant County Attorney David Goldstein. Developers also could get breaks on requirements for parks and landscaping.

Some commissioners were skeptical of the plan to create the wildlife corridors.

"I am 100 percent in favor of conservation lands and environmental lands," said Commissioner Michael Cox. "I am not really convinced that these critical linkages will actually work."

Commissioner Pat Mulieri said the proposed ordinance seems to conflict with other rules.

"That looks like we're going backwards: less parks, less landscaping and less trees," she said.

The incentives would be discretionary and would have to be approved by the commission, Goldstein said.

Richard Riley of Trilby, a member of a grassroots group that has worked to protect rural areas in Northeast Pasco, said the plan seems to conflict with the comprehensive plan.

"I want to make sure the corridors don't get reduced and given back to developers, which would be the wrong thing," Riley said. "This is critical to this county and its quality of life."

Reporter Julia Ferrante can be reached at jferrante@tampatrib.com or (813) 948-4220.

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