A Spanish-speaking guide through zoning tangles
Land use rules can confound even native English speakers. County ombudsman Maricela Medrano is there to help.
By JOSH ZIMMER
Published September 18, 2005
TAMPA - Liset Salo had a problem.
The back porch of her Town 'N County home is a hub for friends and family. When it needed a new roof, she made the repairs.
But what seemed simple wasn't. A Hillsborough County code enforcement officer told her she should have obtained a permit. Then, facing a $500 fine, she learned the porch was too close to the neighboring property.
Confused, the Kash 'n Karry cakemaker applied for a variance from the setback requirement. Her case went before land use hearing officer Harold Youmans three months ago.
"My name is Liset Salo," the Cuban immigrant said in broken English. "And I need help."
She left the rest to Maricela Medrano, the Spanish-speaking ombudsman for the county's Department of Planning and Growth Management.
Land use rules can confound even native English speakers, and the challenge escalates for people with limited English who come from countries where zoning rules tend to be less restrictive and may go unenforced.
Medrano explained Salo's situation to the hearing officer.
"She said she will appreciate if you approve the patio because that is the place where she and her family sit ... to relax in the afternoons," Medrano told Youmans.
"Her dog, too."
In Medrano, local Spanish speakers have found a friend and adviser. Some can't afford the services of professional planners, engineers and land use lawyers. She assists them with applications and fee waivers.
"I came to this country as an immigrant," said Medrano, a native of Aguascalientes, Mexico.
"I know how it feels. God made this job for me."
Under her watch, the department translated basic documents into Spanish.
She makes the rounds at local Spanish-language radio stations, telling listeners how to get building permits, recognize violations before buying and avoid unlicensed contractors.
"She knows all about what's going on and she tells us what we're supposed to do," said Gregorio Chinchilla, whose girlfriend, Clara Hipolita Candelario, was at the hearing on another variance request.
A native of the Dominican Republic, Candelario wants to subdivide her Palm River property so she can build a new house and rent out the existing one. However, doing so would put an existing side porch in violation of the rules.
Medrano stepped in after a planner suggested she hire a land use lawyer.
"She's a big help to everybody," Chinchilla said.
Department director Bruce McClendon called Medrano a "terrific asset."
"She's very good at dealing with citizens who just don't understand the process," he said.
According to 2003 census figures, Hispanics number 214,000, or 20.3 percent of the county's population. Tony Morejon, the county's Hispanic liaison, said local government cannot ignore a taxpaying group that size.
Despite progress, the county needs more people who can speak Spanish, he said. "It's good government."
Medrano, 43, comes from a close family of 11 children. Her parents were not wealthy. Her father was a former government print shop worker and newspaper printing press supervisor; her mother, a lifelong homemaker. But they encouraged education and careers.
Growing up in one of Mexico's most progressive cities sparked her interest in planning and urban design. She entered a university program in her home city.
After graduating with honors, she quickly found a planner's job in Guadalajara but set her sights on living in the United States to learn English and explore new career opportunities.
Like many immigrants, she started at the bottom. She didn't stay there long.
At El Pollo Loco - the Crazy Chicken - restaurant in Culver City, Calif., she quickly rose to assistant manager. From there, she tried her hand as a paralegal and bank teller.
In the early 1990s, she returned to Mexico with her two young children, spending part of the time teaching at her alma mater. Then Tampa beckoned for good in 1995. She worked for the United States-Mexico Chamber of Commerce and the city of Tampa's Ybor City Development Corp., her last job before becoming a county ombudsman.
Medrano belittles her own English but has worked hard to achieve fluency. Even at El Pollo Loco, "I would come home, take a shower very quickly and run to the class," she said. "I knew if I wouldn't learn the language I wouldn't achieve my goal."
Medrano, who became a U.S. citizen six years ago, prides herself on answering every call, even reaching people by cell phone on her way home from work.
The key, she says, is helping people overcome obstacles.
She did that with Salo and Candelario.
Medrano helped Salo get the variance she needed.
Candelario, 47, mistakenly thought her property already was subdivided. Medrano, who follows up on past cases, met with Candelario last month to explain a small step she had to take before applying for a building permit.
Renting out her current house would be a big income boost for Candelario, who works at the Loomco Fabrics factory in Ybor City. She speaks glowingly of Medrano, who also gave her the name of an affordable engineer.
"Maricela was the only one who could help me," she said.
Josh Zimmer can be reached at 813 269-5314 or zimmer@sptimes.com