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Rules being written for new townhomes

Zephyrhills officials are preparing for an influx of townhomes by crafting standards for their construction.

By MOLLY MOORHEAD
Published June 29, 2005

ZEPHYRHILLS - City officials are fashioning a set of standards governing the design and construction of townhomes, an increasingly popular offering in the real estate market.

When plans arrived this spring at City Hall for a 250-unit townhome complex on Massey Road at Eiland Boulevard, officials discovered there were no guidelines specific to townhouses.

Now, the standards being proposed address landscaping, lot width, open-space requirements and architectural features, among other things. If approved, they will become part of the land development code.

City Council members got a first glance at the standards in a meeting Monday. The rules still must be approved as an ordinance.

Hundreds of townhomes are slated to be built in the coming months, according to documents filed at City Hall. Among them:

Chasey Lane Townhomes, a 250-unit development on Massey Road.

20 townhouses on Dairy Road, by Ryman Construction.

18 units nearby, also on Dairy Road.

122 units called the Links of Silver Oaks, adjacent to the Silver Oaks neighborhood.

108 units as part of the multiuse development on the Rucks dairy at State Road 39 and Chancey Road.

An unspecified number of townhouses are planned for 66 acres on U.S. 301, north of Gore's Dairy, which also is being developed.

Another 26-acre property on Fort King Road south of Daughtery Road will be developed into townhomes. Plans are preliminary.

City planner Todd Vande Berg told council members Monday that soaring home prices are the driving force.

"Housing prices have gone so high for a single-family home that (townhomes) are becoming a viable alternative for folks looking to get into the housing market," he said.

Stuart Rogers, an engineer with Kimley-Horn and Associates in Zephyrhills, works on many new developments in the city. Reached Tuesday, he said prospective buyers who secured home loans of $150,000 last year now can't find houses for that price.

"A whole section of the market is now not able to afford a regular, freestanding single-family home," said Rogers, who is working on the Chasey Lane project. "It's better to buy one of these than to rent."

Molly Moorhead covers news about Zephyrhills. She can be reached at 352 521-6521 or toll-free 1-800-333-7505, ext. 6521. Her e-mail address is moorhead@sptimes.com

[Last modified June 29, 2005, 01:19:17]