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Village master plan put on fast track
By JOSH ZIMMER, Times Staff Writer CITRUS PARK -- With limited time to study the Citrus Park Village Master Plan, the Hillsborough County Commission decided last week not to delay an important vote in hopes of approving a version of the proposal later this year. Over the opposition of Commissioner Jan Platt, members scheduled an Aug. 20 public hearing on the plan, which has divided residents in this crossroads community. Platt, backed at times by Commissioner Ronda Storms, favored slowing down the process to give residents more opportunity to air their views, and members more time to review the proposal. "In my opinion, this one is a bumpy road," Platt said after Wednesday's vote. "Land use planning is controversial. The key is for the board to listen and sift through. But there's got to be the time." Setting a time frame for discussions is critical. By state law, commissioners can consider changes to the comprehensive land use plan only twice a year. If the board does not vote on the amendments by Aug. 20, it would have to wait until next year, said Lorraine Duffy, a senior planning manager with the City-County Planning Commission. Discussions originally set for last month were delayed by a deluge of special issues, including the threat of fines against Tampa Bay Water for anticipated overpumping in south-central Hillsborough. That left members with much less time to consider the proposal, which must be sent to the state Department of Community Affairs for approval. The proposal would rezone large sections of neighborhoods around Gunn Highway and Ehrlich Road. Some think the plan would encourage an inviting mix of upscale housing and commercial development. Others say it would result in overdevelopment. Board members first became aware of the controversy Tuesday. Residents weren't supposed to speak at the meeting, which was planned as a brief overview from county planners. But the atmosphere quickly changed when Chairwoman Pat Frank opened up the floor to comments, which highlighted the deep divisions within Citrus Park. Rick Wolfe, a longtime resident who owns 10 acres off Ehrlich Road, said the plan would give Citrus Park development that "makes sense." But supporters, who dominated recent meetings in Citrus Park, were vastly outnumbered by opponents this time. Leslie Horton, one of 10 Beaty Grove Drive homeowners who successfully petitioned to be left out of the plan, voiced the frequent complaint that county planners had ignored the true community sentiment. She cited an example: replacing the two-story maximum for buildings along Ehrlich Road with a 45-foot height maximum. "This has strictly been forced on us, (that) there needs to be large-scale development," she said. Commissioners were unprepared for the controversy, and complained to county planners that they had not even seen copies of the proposal. The Aug. 20 hearing will now go ahead as planned, little more than a week after the Planning Commission votes on the proposal. The board will get a staff overview of the plan on Aug. 14. Changes to the comprehensive land use plan could be approved as early as Nov. 7. In the coming months, board members will also vote on related issues, such as new land development codes and specific zoning areas. -- Josh Zimmer covers Keystone, Citrus Park and the environment. He can be reached at 269-5314 or zimmer@sptimes.com.
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