North Dale Mabry Plans Divide Residents

LUTZ - Residents made it plain there is no community-wide support to expand commercial development in the North Dale Mabry Overlay District, a county planner said Tuesday night.

Planners, however, also must consider changes to the area's characteristics - including roadway expansions - when they make their recommendations regarding the overlay district to the Hillsborough County Commission, said John Healey, an executive planner for the county's planning and growth management staff.

The district, adopted in 1989, guides development on both sides of North Dale Mabry Highway between Van Dyke and County Line roads. It identifies the intersections of Lutz-Lake Fern Road, Sunlake Boulevard and Van Dyke as commercial activity areas.

A committee has been meeting with county planning staff members since April to discuss what, if any, changes should be made to the district.

Changes they discussed - which would have boosted development potential at all three commercial activity areas - were unveiled at a community open house Nov. 13.

"It is our perception that, as a whole, folks at the open house were not supporters of expansion," Healey told the committee Tuesday night during its final session.

Many said they don't want to repeat the strip commercial development on South Dale Mabry Highway, Healey said.

The staff's report to the county commission, scheduled for Dec. 11, will include the community's comments - both for and against changes to the overlay district, Healey said. It also will include the staff's analysis and recommendations for the corridor.

"This was originally adopted in 1989," Healey said. "Things do change. Plans are living documents."

The three activity centers have unique characteristics, Healey said.

The major activity center at Van Dyke and North Dale Mabry doesn't need expansion, he said.

"It's completely vacant at this time. It can accommodate significant demand. We don't see a justification to expand the activity area," Healey said.

Staff members, however, anticipate changes in demand for the community activity center at Sunlake Boulevard, Healey said.

"Sunlake Boulevard is going to connect in some point in time to Pasco County," he said. "The nature of traffic will dramatically change on Sunlake. We have to look at the viability of that area for strictly residential."

The neighborhood activity center at Lutz-Lake Fern and North Dale Mabry is in a rural service area.

"Its condition is pretty much as it was when the district was established," he said.

Most of the population growth in this area is west of North Dale Mabry, Healey noted. Locations along the highway shouldn't be expected to serve all of the area's commercial needs, he added.

Although county planners don't see a need to expand commercial potential at the Lutz-Lake Fern or Van Dyke activity centers, some property owners in those areas feel otherwise.

"That is a commercial node at Lutz-Lake Fern Road and Dale Mabry," said Mary Margaret Young, of 19350 N. Dale Mabry Highway. "It's insane that the needs of the people who have been here since 1947, like Jack Young has been, are ignored."

Beverly Tyson, whose family owns 27 acres at Holly Lane and North Dale Mabry Highway, wants more potential for commercial use on Dale Mabry.

"No one wants to live in a house on Dale Mabry any more," she said.

Committee member Gaye Townsend said the community voiced opposition to expanding the commercial areas at the open house, and the county should listen.

If county planners disregard the community's feedback, a lot of people have wasted eight months in meetings, Townsend said.

"Is it just a show, and they county planners say they were involved" with the community? she asked. "And then they county planners go behind closed doors, and say, 'This is best.'

"I won't go for that."