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By MIKE SALINERO

msalinero@tampatrib.com

Published: January 14, 2009

TAMPA - Concerns about traffic, parking and noise sank a rezoning request Tuesday that would have allowed construction of a stadium for the Tampa Bay Rowdies professional soccer team.

Hillsborough County commissioners, while expressing support for the Rowdies' efforts to bring professional soccer back to the Bay area, spoke against the owners' proposal to build a stadium at Waters Avenue and Benjamin Road in Town 'N Country. The site is about a half-mile from 900 homes in the Twelve Oaks subdivision.

"There is no way, with the distances I'm looking at, that this is not going to be an inconvenience to the community," Commissioner Mark Sharpe said.

After listening to commissioners, the team withdrew its zoning request.

"Noise and traffic were the overriding issues," said Rosemarie Middleton, president of the Twelve Oaks Civic Association. "I think the commission agreed the location was the most important issue, and the location was not suitable for a stadium that size."

The residents were supported by testimony from Jerry Campbell of the county Environmental Protection Commission. Campbell warned commissioners that the agency would have to investigate complaints about noise from stadium concerts. The Rowdies' owners acknowledged they would need nonsports events to pay the bills.

When it became apparent that a majority of the commissioners opposed the stadium, the Rowdies owners said they would forgo a planned expansion of stadium seatingand would limit amplified music concerts to 20 a year.

That did not change commissioners' minds.

Despite the setback, Rowdies President Andrew Nestor said the team still plans to play its inaugural season in the United Soccer Leagues in April 2010. Nestor said the team will talk to the University of South Florida and the University of Tampa about renting their stadiums for the initial season.

The Rowdies ownership rejected four alternate sites suggested by the county parks department.

Commissioner Jim Norman urged the owners to consider 400 acres belonging to the Tampa Water Department near the McIntosh Road exit of Interstate 4.

Tampa Mayor Pam Iorio, responding to questions in an e-mail, said that property does not have water and sewer mains.

"We're still evaluating options for the land," Iorio said. "We are always open to ideas and talking to anyone."

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