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3-1 vote benefits commissioner
By SAUNDRA AMRHEIN, Times Staff Writer
NEW PORT RICHEY -- The thousands of homes coming into one of the hottest spots of Pasco County soon could have a host of new neighbors. After a bit of hand-wringing, the County Commission on Tuesday night voted in favor of a development plan that benefits fellow Commissioner Ted Schrader. The commission approved a change in its future land use map that involves 1,034 acres of pasture owned by Schrader and his family between Curley and Handcart roads north of State Road 54 in central Pasco. The change in the map would allow builders to place three homes per acre instead of one per acre on the land. Schrader abstained from the vote during the meeting at the West Pasco Government Center. Commissioner Pat Mulieri opposed the change, putting her at the losing end of a 3-1 vote. Mulieri wanted to send the issue to a citizens committee overseeing the update of the county's comprehensive plan on future land use. "Sending it to the (Citizens Advisory Committee) as part of the comp plan would be sensible," she said. Instead, after a long debate trying to debunk any rumors of favoritism, the other three commissioners said the plan satisfied their concerns. First, the land sits in one of the fastest growing corridors of the county. Allowing three homes per acre instead of one prevents further urban sprawl, they said. Also, utilities such as water and sewer and road improvements already exist in the area to serve the homes. The plans still need to come back to county planners and the commission for zoning changes. "Part of me says you can't hit him worse than a stranger because he is who he is," Simon said about considering an issue involving Schrader. "Would I do it with less difficulty if it were (someone else)?" Simon added. "The answer is, probably." But he said all the same questions he would have asked of an out-of-town landowner were answered by Schrader's representatives. The majority of commissioners made their decision, despite concerns voiced by several state agencies. The state Department of Community Affairs said in a Dec. 27 report that the plans did not "adequately" show that they discourage urban sprawl. Likewise, the Southwest Florida Water Management District and the state Department of Transportation had similar concerns. So did members of the community, who appeared at Tuesday night's meeting to oppose the land use change. Some accused the commission of catering to developers. "You're selling our future down the road," slow-growth activist Clay Colson said. But the majority of the commission agreed with staff members who argued that major population growth in the area had changed the character from rural development to suburban development. The approval of the giant New River development will bring thousands of homes east of Curley Road and north of SR 54. Three homes per acre vs. one better handles the population growth in that area, staff members said. It prevents families from moving out over a larger area, exacerbating urban sprawl, they said. In other business Tuesday night, commissioners unanimously agreed to rezone property in coastal Holiday between the Beacon Square and Gulf Trace neighborhoods. But because of the environmentally sensitive character of the area, the developer will be restricted to less than three homes an acre, down from the proposed four, and will be capped at 85 homes instead of the proposed 105.
 © 2006 • All Rights Reserved • St. Petersburg Times
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