Commission's Concession To Developer Angers Residents

TAMPA - A request to extend water and sewer lines to a proposed development near Interstate 4 and McIntosh Road was denied Thursday after Hillsborough County commissioners said it would allow urban growth in a rural area.

But commissioners allowed a last-minute continuance of another bid to breach the county's growth boundary, a move that angered 50 or more citizen activists who traveled from far-flung areas of the county to oppose the development on Lutz-Lake Fern Road near the Suncoast Parkway.

Both developments require first changing the county's growth plan to extend water and sewer lines into areas normally reserved for rural development.

Developer Stephen Dibbs, who was not at the meeting, sent a letter this week to the commission asking for a delay on his proposal for a 36.6-acre development on Lutz-Lake Fern Road and Suncoast Parkway.

Dibbs wants to increase the density on his property tenfold, from one house per 5 acres to two houses per acre, and build a shopping center.

The continuance was the second granted by the commissioners this month after dozens of residents turned out to fight growth plan amendments that would push high-density development into rural areas.

"They're making a mockery of this process," said Kelly Cornelius, who then turned to the audience and asked, "Who else is tired of these continuations?" The crowd answered with a roar.

Dibbs also withdrew a proposed plan amendment that would have removed 305 acres from the Keystone-Odessa Community Planning area. The land includes the 36 acres he wants to develop. The community plan restricts development to one house per five acres.

Commissioner Rose Ferlita, who didn't arrive at the meeting until after the vote to give Dibbs the continuance, asked chairman Ken Hagan to hold the vote again so she could record her disapproval.

The vote was held again, with Ferlita and Mark Sharpe voting no.

"I think this has been done before, and it ... beats down our citizens," Ferlita said.

On Feb. 7, the commission continued another proposed amendment to extend the urban service area to allow a mixed-use development with 174 homes near Gunn Highway and Van Dyke road.

Commissioners voted unanimously against that I-4/McIntosh Road development, which would have changed the development pattern from low-density residential to mixed use, with up to 175,000 square feet of light industrial use.