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Vote on downtown proposals postponed
By MEGAN SCOTT OLDSMAR -- After years of discussion, Oldsmar's town center development code and a plan rezoning portions of the community development district were up for final approval last week. But City Council members postponed votes on both proposals until Tuesday. "I want to do this right," said Jim Ronecker, one of two new council members. "It's my second council meeting. I would ask this to be tabled." For years, council members have wanted to build a downtown Oldsmar with mom-and-pop stores, restaurants and small businesses ranging from ice cream parlors to doctors' offices. Everyone seems to agree on the need to require developers to build bungalows and other new buildings with an "Old Florida" look and to adhere to certain architectural standards. The disagreement is in how to draw customers to sustain those types of businesses. Nearby residents have worried that allowing too much development would ruin their neighborhoods. But business leaders say the code might not allow enough development to let downtown succeed. The proposed downtown area includes about 100 acres south of Tampa Road, north of St. Petersburg Drive and east of Bayview Boulevard. Chamber officials had proposed doubling the densities on and around State Street and Bayview and Park boulevards. The densities now range from 7.5 units per acre on the smaller residential streets near downtown to 15 units per acre for the commercial area on State Street. But residents who live in that area have opposed extending that kind of development into their neighborhoods. They persuaded the city's Planning Board to recommend to the council that the densities on Park and Bayview boulevards remain at 7.5 units per acre. Last month, council members gave preliminary approval to the scaled down plan. But several residents criticized the plan, voicing concerns about parking lots in their back yards and an increase in traffic. "I want to be able to see my neighbors," said Kathy Coleman. "I want to see us keep our nice little atmosphere that we have here." Despite support from downtown residents, developers and chamber officials expressed concern over the changes. Kevin Gartland, president of the Oldsmar/Upper Tampa Bay Regional Chamber of Commerce, is concerned that the plan won't be effective unless the densities are increased throughout the entire area. "They've fooled with this plan so much," he said. "They've really taken most of what was worthwhile out of it. There's not much left there that we recommended to them." Gartland said increasing density and requiring uniform architectural standards go together. "The architectural standards make it more expensive for developers to build," he said. "The density was to enable the developers to recoup the extra expenses. When you decrease the density, you're decreasing the number of people who live in the area who would be frequenting downtown businesses."
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