School's risque neighbors stir concern

A county commissioner asks the school district to rethink plans to build a school near several adult businesses.

By MELANIE AVE
Published December 18, 2004

TAMPA - Hillsborough Commissioner Kathy Castor asked school officials Friday to reconsider plans to build a school in a West Tampa neighborhood that includes several adult businesses, saying it would violate county restrictions on adult businesses.

"Hillsborough County has established a clear public policy that prohibits adult uses near schools," wrote Castor in a letter to superintendent Earl Lennard. "The county's prohibition and common sense dictate that you revisit this decision."

The school district has broken ground on a new Carver Exceptional Center school in the Drew Park neighborhood off Lois and Hillsborough avenues. School officials must relocate the existing school, now on Laurel Street, because the Department of Transportation has purchased the site for its widening of Interstate 275. Their lease expires this summer and the new school, for 150 emotionally disturbed middle and high school students, is scheduled to open in August.

But at the new site, three adult businesses - two bookstores and a nude dance club - are across the street. Others are scattered throughout the industrial neighborhood, which is zoned for adult uses.

Lennard could not be reached for comment late Friday. But one school board member said school officials should consider what Castor has to say, and hold off on the decision to build at that location.

"I think we would be open to holding off on construction to find a better spot to accommodate these children," said School Board member Susan Valdes. "Given the opportunity to talk with commissioner Castor, I'm sure we could work something out."

The school site is in Castor's commission district. She said both state law and county land-use regulations prohibit adult businesses from being built near schools. She cited a state statute that forbids the businesses from within 2,500 of a school.

"I'm a bit distressed," she said. "The action runs contrary to state policy and county policy. You don't locate adult uses next to schools."

She said the county's public policy says the two uses are not compatible, regardless of which one comes first.

"The concerns about the safety and welfare of our children are not lessened simply because it is a decision on the part of the School Board to locate proximate to an adult use, instead of the other way around," she wrote.

In response to Castor's letter, school spokesman Mark Hart said district administrators will check to make sure that the Carver center's location does not violate the law. But he said there is no immediate plan to find another location for the school based on Castor's request.

"Her concern is appreciated," Hart said. "She rightfully raised the issue. We'll try to reassure her that we have a good plan."

Valdes, a newly elected School Board member who represents the Drew Park neighborhood, said she was willing to discuss the situation with Castor.

School administrators worked to find other property and when they could not, made provisions to face the school away from adult businesses and surround it with a fence, Valdes said.

Educators said they had to relocate the Carver school to Drew Park because they couldn't find any other available property in the school's attendance zone.

They are building the school on district property where several maintenance and repair offices are located.

But Castor said she's not ready to give up on finding land away from adult businesses with names like XTC Supercenter and Lipstixx Nude Cabaret. She pledged her support, as well that of Hillsborough County Administrator Pat Bean, to help school officials find more suitable property. Castor said perhaps the county or even the city might swap some land with the school district.

"It's never too late," Castor said. "Sometimes it just takes a little bit of attention to a problem to turn it around and come up with a solution."

Melanie Ave can be reached at 813 226-3400 or melanie@sptimes.com

[Last modified December 18, 2004, 00:08:20]