Equestrian community gets go-ahead despite objections

THONOTOSASSA: The County Commission on Tuesday paved the way for a 644-acre equestrian community in Thonotosassa despite concerns from neighbors and environmentalists about the project's impact.

The commission approved a request to rezone the Hendry Ranch on McIntosh Road a quarter-mile north of Carlton Road from agricultural to planned development.

The developers will build 147 single-family homes, a commercial stable for up to 30 horses, riding trails and a boat ramp on Lake Thonotosassa.

Land use hearing officer Martin Smith recommended denial of the rezoning request on Feb. 25, saying that the proposed 1.5- to 2-acre lots are inconsistent with the rural character of the area. He also said that the horses, private wells and septic tanks would create an adverse effect on the surrounding waterways, which the Southwest Florida Water Management District already has spent $1-million restoring.

At the County Commission meeting Tuesday, the developer pointed out that the lot sizes would range from 1.5 to 8 acres, resulting in a density of one home per 4.3 acres, to maintain the rural nature of the area.

Three people from Thonotosassa spoke in favor of the project, including Martha Terrell of the Greater Thonotosassa Civic Association.

"Thonotosassa is changing from an agricultural community to one of rural residential," Terrell said. "We believe 147 homes on 644 acres is a reasonable and realistic request, represents the type of quality development that is desirable and would be an asset to the community."

Some neighbors and representatives of the Audubon Society and the Sierra Club spoke in opposition to the project.

"A horse trail is planned adjacent to the interior roads," said the Sierra Club's Lynn McGarvey. "This sounds very pleasant until you consider that all the houses will be on well and septic. Runoff from the lawns, roads and the horse trail will carry pollutants from fertilizer, pesticide and manure. When you have streams and a lake that are already impaired according to state standards, and especially since they spent $1-million already to try and clean it up, it goes against common sense to propose this type of site plan."

The developer responded with testimony from Mark Farrell of Water Resource Associates who said the current ranching activities were more detrimental to the environment than the proposed development would be. He said the 200 head of cattle on the site deposit about 3,500 tons of manure on the property each year.

"That's a lot of manure," Farrell said.

The commissioners voted 5 to 1 in favor of the project, with Jan Platt voting against it.

"The environmental issues have not been resolved," Platt said. "This is not good planning." (Petition RZ 03-0047)

RIVERVIEW: The County Commission on Tuesday approved a request to rezone 6.32 acres on the Alafia River to allow construction of one home per acre on the site. It previously was zoned for one home per 5 acres. Timothy and Judy Wilson own the property, which is at the end of Rancheria Lane, south of Moody Road. (Petition RZ 02-0279)

BRANDON: Biff Crane has filed a request to rezone 9.24 acres at 1015 and 1017 E Brandon Blvd. from residential to planned development. Famous Tate Electric Co. wants to build a showroom, warehouse and office building on the site across from the Wal-Mart Supercenter. A zoning hearing master will consider the request June 16. (Petition RZ 03-0645)

BALM: Sun Country Material Management has requested a special use permit to expand a construction and demolition debris disposal facility on County Road 672, one mile east of U.S. 301. The existing landfill occupies 36 acres on a 140-acre site. The special use permit application covers all 140 acres and an adjacent 138-acre parcel, which in the late 1990s was approved for land excavation that never occurred. A land use hearing officer will consider the request May 9. (Petition SU 03-0609)

When and where

Hearings of county zoning hearing masters and land use hearing officers, and land use meetings of the County Commission are held on the second floor of the County Center, 601 E Kennedy Blvd. All hearings before a zoning hearing master begin at 6 p.m. on Mondays or Tuesdays; commission meetings begin at 9 a.m. on the second and fourth Tuesdays of each month. Both are televised on government access channels. Land use hearing officer hearings, which are not televised, begin at 9 a.m. every third Friday. Basic information about each petition is available online at http://was.hillsboroughcounty.org/pgm_zoning/home.cfm by petition date. For information, call 276-2058.