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Residents close in on Citrus Park Village compromise
By JOSH ZIMMER, Times Staff Writer
CITRUS PARK -- Two months ago, the county's Department of Planning and Growth Management saw a group of landowners bitterly divided over the proposed Citrus Park Village Community Plan. The staff proposed a delay. As a result, the Hillsborough County Commission put off an important vote so residents would have more time to work things out. Since then, landowners acting in a new spirit of cooperation have made major progress in forging a compromise plan. The speedy success has surprised many. "I thought we got a lot done in the last month or two," said Richard Wolfe, who supported the previous plan worked out during two years of talks. "I've been at probably 20 meetings in the last month." Since the rancorous debate that accompanied the board's discussion, Wolfe and others say county planners have stepped back, ceding control of the process to residents. Wolfe, who owns 10 acres north of the Publix supermarket, said more people had become involved while planners had assumed the role of technical consultants. "We've taken over the meetings," he said. If the pace continues, a final plan for the entire 800-acre community could be ready for the commission's consideration by late next year, said Matthew Campbell, a senior planner with the City-County Planning Commission. The debate is turning in favor of those who support lower densities, said Janet Hiltz, a member of the steering committee. At a recent meeting, residents approved several of the committee's proposals, including one to reduce the maximum density of an area north of the mall from 24 units per acre to 12, she said. "We're trying to downsize (the prior plan), definitely," Hiltz said. "There's always going to be some owners who want to get the maximum density and money out of their properties, and that's going to be something we have to deal with." The community also approved changing some boundary lines so that some properties, such as Wolfe's 10-acre tract, wouldn't be divided between different uses. Other proposals allow for multilevel development combining homes and businesses. All changes will become part of the county's comprehensive land-use plan. New land development codes for the area -- followed by an entire rezoning of Citrus Park -- would come later. People seem to agree that any community plan should be pedestrian friendly and provide a mix of residential and commercial development. The steering committee is planning frequent sit-downs before the next meeting in early December, said member Myra Snider, a real estate agent who represents about 15 landowners. There is a sense of urgency, she said. Without a community plan, people fear that Citrus Park will be run over by unwanted development. "We could have gone in there and added fast food, banks . . . whatever," she said of her clients. "However, the people that live in the area want something nice, and they have elected to work with the plan. I don't think everybody is happy at this point, but we're working to get there." -- Josh Zimmer covers Keystone, Citrus Park and the environment. He can be reached at 269-5314 or zimmer@sptimes.com.
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