Office Designation Sought

RIVERSIDE HEIGHTS - Chris Ireland says the cure for a stretch of North Boulevard is to replace his and other homes with offices for lawyers, accountants, real estate agents and dentists.

No one is interested in buying homes there because of the traffic and the homes' proximity to the street, Ireland said.

Professional office owners would improve the area's appearance, he said.

"My intent is to improve the corridor," said Ireland, who runs Fast Track Legal Services from his home, 702 W. Ohio Ave.

He wants land-use changes to allow for residential offices at his home and at another single-family property he owns at 3602 N. Boulevard. Two other property owners, Jean Duncombe, 702 W. Peninsular St., and Ronald Still, 701 W. Woodlawn Ave., are asking for a similar change.

The Peninsular, Woodlawn and Ohio properties are corner lots along Boulevard.

The city council is set to consider the request during its hearing at 5 p.m. Nov. 29 at city hall, 315 E. Kennedy Blvd. Last week, the Hillsborough Planning Commission recommended against changing the land use on the four single-family homes.

On both sides of the road, North Boulevard between Columbus Drive and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard is a mix of single-family and commercial property, including a day care and offices for doctors, dentists and lawyers. Woodlawn Cemetery, a private school and a Tampa Fire Rescue union office also are located there.

Ireland rents out the house at 3602 N. Boulevard but said he would run his business from there if land-use changes are approved.

Duncombe wants to convert her Peninsular Street home to her law office.

Still, of New Symrna Beach, said his daughter lives at his Woodlawn Avenue property. He said he doesn't have plans for his property but envisions the street becoming more commercial.

Opponents say the land-use change could erode the residential feel and add traffic. They also worry about how they would control the types of businesses that might open.

Bob Young, who has lived on Peninsular since 2005, said he worries the proposal would set the course for more changes, including converting the properties to apartments.

"You move into a neighborhood for a certain reason," Young said. "If we had known this, we might have not made that decision."

Ireland, 33, said he purchased his home on Ohio two years ago and has invested $100,000 in improvements. He said he isn't setting a precedent because there are professional offices along the stretch.

Ireland and the other petitioners said they would limit the properties to professional offices and build a 6-foot wall between them and their neighbors.

"It will increase the property value and improve the quality of life in this neighborhood," Ireland said.

The planning commission heard from a divided audience before voting unanimously that the land-use change is inconsistent with the city's growth plan. The commission's staff recommended denial.

Rose Petrucha, the commission's principal planner, said a basis for the staff recommendation was that professional offices are available along North Boulevard, but not in the area where Ireland and the other applicants own homes.

"In this particular area, it is a solid single-family area," Petrucha said.

Two years ago, the planning commission denied Ireland's request for a similar land-use change on his Ohio Avenue property, although the staff at that time supported the change. The city council also voted against the proposal.

Supporters of the current proposal, including the Riverside Heights Civic Association, said concerns about excessive traffic are exaggerated.

"It would be a heck of an improvement," said Jorge Miranda, who has lived in Riverside Heights for 36 years. "When you get a business, you know they are going to keep their properties up."