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Neighbors bristle at plan for historic home
By TIM GRANT, Times Staff Writer
CARROLLWOOD -- Mark Weiss says he is preserving history. His neighbors say he is making history -- the kind they don't want, bringing commerce to a street where families should live. At issue is a cracker house built by the Stall family, for whom Stall Road is named. Mark Weiss, owner of Mark-It-Realty Group, plans to convert the house on Orange Grove Drive to a professional office building for his real estate business and other tenants. Neighbors on Orange Grove Drive, and elsewhere in Original Carrollwood, are trying to block the rezoning petition, fearing it may invite more nonresidential development. "The houses across the street are worth a half-million dollars each," said Betsey Hapner, president of the Carrollwood Civic Association and the attorney for two Orange Grove Drive homeowners whose property would be affected. A zoning hearing master has recommended that Weiss be allowed to change the zoning from residential to planned development. County Commissioners will make a final decision on Feb. 25. "No one wants a rezoning in their neighborhood," Weiss said. "I sympathize with people in certain situations, but this property is perfectly situated for the use I intend for it. I'm giving the people the least of the evils they could end up with." He said he wants to preserve the now-vacant 1,000-square-foot home at 12614 Orange Grove Drive because of its historic significance. The Stall family built the house from lumber that was milled from trees cut on the 0.68-acre lot, Weiss said. Weiss, who paid $120,000 for the property that is appraised at $34,516 by the county, said he will renovate the white tin-roof house and build a 2,500-square-foot addition. Among other things, the hearing master recommended that the property be screened with a berm that meanders in front of the property to preserve the trees. Hapner said residents who oppose the project are mainly concerned about the effects of increased traffic the office park would have on Orange Grove Drive, as well as home values. She takes issue with the hearing master's assessment that the property is no longer suitable for a homesite. "It's always been residential," she said. "A finding that it isn't suitable for residential is ridiculous when you've had a residential house there for 60 or 70 years." Orange Grove Drive already is home to the Countrywood apartment complex, Independent Day School and Carrollwood Elementary School. Weiss said he doubts the traffic created by his office park would have that much effect on what's already there. He also said his building will look like a house, and parking would be in the rear. "They're going to love the house when I'm done with it," Weiss said. "I will place a very visually attractive house there." -- Tim Grant can be reached at 269-5311 or at rant@sptimes.com
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