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Managing growth and development
By JOSH ZIMMER, Times Staff Writer As county planners put the finishing touches on a draft of new development regulations for northwest Hillsborough County, activists closely involved in the process are voicing grudged approval for the proposals. "We're not there yet," said Denise Layne, president of the Lutz Civic Association. "I'm not afraid to say yes to this as long as people understand it's the first step." County planners with the Department of Planning and Growth Management have spent the last 18 months trying to develop a list of rules that will implement the broad ideas expressed in the Keystone-Odessa and Lutz community plans. The community plans, approved in late 2000, lay out ambitious visions for restricting high-density subdivisions and commercial development in those largely rural areas. The proposed rule changes would affect every element of development, from commercial building size and design to lighting intensity, buffers, roof pitches, signs and fence types. For example, pole signs and solid construction fences would be prohibited. Despite the criticism, planners are determined to present a list of amendments to the county's land development code. The County Commission is scheduled to review a draft for the first time on April 10. The Planning Commission should vote on the amendments in May. That vote will be followed by two public hearings before the county commission on May 30 and June 20. County zoning director Paula Harvey said it is important to pass some changes during this round of rulemaking. However, she is resisting some last-minute requests from the activists. The commission considers changes to the land development code twice a year. "At some point I have to stop making changes so that people (developers, property owners, citizens and members of various boards) know what's really in review," she said. "I have not been dragging my feet. What they don't like is, they don't agree with every single recommendation we're making." The proposed amendment changes for both communities are similar. But there are some differences. Unlike the proposals for Lutz, the Keystone amendments provide for conservation subdivisions, which Harvey calls a new concept for Hillsborough. These guarantee preservations of large tracts of land. Harvey also recently agreed hold the maximum size of commercial buildings in Keystone to 7,500-square-feet. Joe Narkiewicz, executive vice president of the Builders Association of Greater Tampa, said these amendments will unfairly restrict property rights by making development much more expensive. "It is snob zoning at its worst," he said. "It is designed to keep out anyone who can't afford a half-million dollar home." A future battle is brewing over the size of private schools and churches, which Layne and Swain said need to be regulated. Harvey refuses to impose new rules on them. "There's a lot of communities that regulate their design standards on them (churches)," Swain said. "We can't keep having these 5,000-member churches out here. They have schools attached to them." According to Harvey, the effort dragged because planners with hands-on experience reviewing zoning proposals -- people from her division -- were not involved when the process began. As the first community plans in Hillsborough, Keystone-Odessa and Lutz also presented a new challenge, she said. "We have learned as we have gone through it," she said. -Josh Zimmer covers Keystone, Citrus Park and the environment. He can be reached at 269-5314 or at zimmer@sptimes.com.
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From the Times |
