Zoning: Apollo Beach residents sign up to stop high-rise condo
By LETITIA STEIN
Published September 3, 2004
APOLLO BEACH - Barbara Compton is on a mission. She wants to stop a developer's proposal to build a high-rise condominium at the end of Apollo Beach Boulevard.
In two days, Compton gathered 108 signatures of residents opposed to the proposed height of 90 feet. They were presented at a recent zoning hearing.
"I'm not opposed to single family houses going up, but this thing is huge," said Compton, who lives nearby. "It's going to look out of place there."
Developers with Kendar Corp. want to build 53 upscale condominiums on a waterfront property on Apollo Beach Boulevard, currently home to a Ramada Inn. At the county's request, developers adjusted plans to allow views of the water from the street.
"I think this is a slam dunk in terms of providing a very, very attractive structure to be the focal point at the end of Apollo Beach Boulevard," said Keith Bricklemyer, attorney for the developer. The county staff has recommended approving the proposal, which requires rezoning 2.7 acres from commercial use to planned development.
Three residents spoke in favor of the plan, but twice as many were opposed, noting that a high-rise would set a precedent for the area. Some would rather see another hotel to maintain the public access.
"If we start building high-rises and doing away with the public access and the view, we're selling ourselves down the river," said Donna Sauret of Apollo Beach.
The hearing officer will make his recommendation on Sept. 15. County commissioners are scheduled to vote on the request at a land use hearing on Oct. 12. (PETITION 04-0979)
VALRICO: Windward Homes wants to build 39 single-family homes on 10 acres at the intersection of Lithia Pinecrest Road and Valrico Road. The proposed subdivision would feature minimum 5,000-square-foot properties, with larger lots along north and east property lines.
The subdivision would feature a pond and several common areas. Developers propose substantial landscaping on the triangular parcel to offset direct views from abutting homes. They are seeking to rezone the property from agricultural to planned development. A zoning hearing is scheduled for Nov. 15. (PETITION 04-1680)
APOLLO BEACH: Southern Heritage Neighborhoods envisions a marina with a boat dock and a mix of single-family residences on 102 acres on the west side of U.S. 41, north of Elsberry Road. The developer has proposed 400 single-family residences and 200 attached villas. The marina would feature boat docks, storage and access to canals that lead to Tampa Bay.
The request is to rezone the property from agricultural and multifamily residential use to mixed use. A zoning hearing is scheduled for Nov. 15. (PETITION 04-1686)
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://www.hillsboroughcounty.org/pgm/zoning/hearings.html For information, call 276-2058.
