Neighbors seem pleased with fewer homes, 743, and land that would remain a park at Dupree Preserves.
By BRIDGET HALL GRUMET
Published July 30, 2003
DADE CITY - In a rare example of the art of compromise, the plans for Dupree Preserves won County Commission approval Tuesday after the developer revamped the 468-acre project to address neighbors' concerns.
Early on, developer Beazer Homes shrank the number of units from 1,151 to 743 and limited the Land O'Lakes project to single-family housing, as neighbors in Dupree Gardens Estates asked.
Ben Harrill, the developer's attorney, agreed to other conditions Tuesday evening, including neighbors' request that no chemicals be used when removing trees for construction, as many of the neighbors get water from private wells.
A sliver of land along Dupree Drive would remain a natural park with only a bike trail, Harrill added, although he stopped short of making it a conservation area, as neighbors had hoped he would.
Although the neighbors didn't get everything they wanted - another strip of land will be used for homes, not added to the park area - they were pleased with the compromise.
"What we're hoping for is Beazer (Homes) and the folks that move in will be good neighbors," said Dupree Gardens Estates resident Amye Cox, representing Concerned Citizens of Pasco County.
"I don't think the developer has to wear the black hat and the citizens wear the white hats," Commissioner Pat Mulieri told the St. Petersburg Times after the meeting. "This is an example of everyone working together."
A vote on another sizable Land O'Lakes development, the first village of Connerton, was postponed until the commission's Aug. 12 meeting in New Port Richey.
Those plans call for 353 single-family homes and townhomes on 611 acres east of U.S. 41 in Land O'Lakes. It would be the first piece of the "new town" of Connerton, where about 9,000 homes, two golf courses and a central shopping district are proposed.
In a separate matter, commissioners also agreed to revisit the idea of a stormwater fee to pay for drainage improvements.
County Administrator John Gallagher said he would compile a list of drainage projects needed in several basins, along with the costs and the proposed fees to pay for them. He will bring the list to commissioners for consideration.
Any proposed fee would have to go through several public hearings before the commission votes on it.
County officials discussed the idea of a stormwater fee in 1997, after consultant Camp Dresser & McKee identified $34.5-million in culverts, drainage ponds and other antiflooding improvements needed across the county.
At that time, the consultant suggested a fee starting at 0.3899 mills, or almost 39 cents per $1,000 of taxable property. But the proposal stalled for a number of reasons: Some residents questioned the fairness of paying for drainage improvements needed elsewhere, and others lost interest as the downpours gave way to drought, Commissioner Ann Hildebrand said.
"It gets complicated," said Bipin Parikh, assistant county administrator for development services. "I think that's one of the reasons it didn't go through. The tangible benefits to each individual homeowner were not very well shown."
Gallagher proposed to list the projects and fees by basin, so homeowners would pay only for the improvements in their area, he said.
Aside from building new drainage systems, Commissioner Peter Altman said the county should make sure existing ones are properly maintained. Some systems fall into disrepair after a developer leaves the neighborhood or a business closes, he said.
Commissioner Steve Simon said the county also should set higher stormwater drainage standards for development in flood-prone areas. The minimum rules from the Southwest Florida Water Management District, known as Swiftmud, are simply inadequate in certain areas, he said.
"We're going to have to make more restrictions," Simon said. "Otherwise we guarantee to perpetuate more problems, not to mention living with what we have."
In other news, commissioners picked a path for the proposed 2-mile extension of Collier Parkway from Parkway Boulevard to Ehren Cutoff. That leg would cost about $10.1-million to build and would destroy about 0.2 acres of wetlands.
Collier Parkway currently ends at Hale Road. Last year commissioners picked the route for the first leg of the extension, a 1-mile stretch from Hale Road to Parkway Boulevard that will cost about $6.9-million.
Officials say the extension will be needed to shuttle traffic from Connerton and other developments down to State Road 54 and onto Interstate 75.
- Bridget Hall Grumet covers Pasco County government. She can be reached in west Pasco at 869-6244 or toll-free at 1-800-333-7505 ext. 6244. Her e-mail address is bhall@sptimes.com
