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Church's move snarled by its school

First Baptist Church of Citrus Park is set to move to Odessa, but neighbors and the county don't want its K-12 school there.

By BILL COATS
Published May 14, 2006

That seemed to explain the bargain price for 41 acres fronting Gunn Highway. It also smoothed over the fact that the church's request to move its Citrus Park Christian School to the property had spent four years bouncing like a pinball around the county government.

"You've got to step by faith," says Dave Ferguson, the church's pastor for pastoral care. "You've got to step out."

So congregation members decided two years ago to begin the move to Odessa. They built a $2.45-million gymnasium, borrowing most of the money.

Before the paint was dry a year ago, a judge had ruled against them. In March, another judge backed him up.

So now, First Baptist stands at a crossroads. Should it file more appeals? Look for different property? Ask the county to approve a smaller school? Church and school families are invited to a "town hall meeting" next week.

"My gut feeling is that people are not going to give up on it," Ferguson said. "Every time I drive out here, I sense that we will have a ministry out here, school and church as a whole."

The church could easily move to the new property. Churches are largely exempt from Hillsborough County's zoning laws. And neighbors who opposed the school's move have welcomed a church on the property. But the church is relatively comfy at its current home in Citrus Park.

The school isn't. It needs science labs and ballfields.

The new gym, meanwhile, is called the Ministry Activities Center, or the "Mac." It hosts the church's youth on Wednesday nights, a men's basketball league on Monday nights and tae kwon do on Saturdays. It was home court for the Citrus Park Christian School Eagles basketball and volleyball teams last season.

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Even in 1997, the offer of the land had seemed too good to be true, Pastor Ron Beck told the Times three years ago. Thomas Earle was willing to sell his 41-acre pasture, all dry and buildable, for $600,000. Today, it's worth at least twice that, not counting the Mac.

So the church bought the property and applied in 2000 for a "special use," akin to a rezoning, to move the school there.

Since then, the application has climbed three times up and down the county's ladder of appeals.

Essentially, county planners said the school would be acceptable in the rural surroundings. Some neighbors, including the Keystone Civic Association and a major landowner to the northeast, disagreed. Tampa Bay Water voiced concerns that nearby well fields could be threatened by the septic system of a 900-student school.

Twice, a county land use hearing officer ruled the school would be too "intense" of a land use for the area. Twice, an appeals board reversed that, and twice, a circuit judge ruled the appeals board overstepped its authority. Taking up the case for the third time last November, the appeals board complied with the judge. It upheld the hearing officer, blocking the school's move. The church went to court, but a second judge in March upheld the actions.

Geoffrey Smith was on the building committee that forged ahead as the case slogged through government.

"We really thought we would get a favorable decision last time," he said.

Enrollment at the K-12 school was 625 three years ago. Now it has dropped by more than 100. School leaders don't have an explanation. The smaller enrollment could play into discussions about seeking the county's approval for a downsized version of the 900-seat school that was rejected.

The Keystone Civic Association would oppose a school at any size, said board member Steve Morris.

"They'll get it for 650 or 600, and immediately, in the next year, they'll go down and ask for a major modification and get it up to 900," he said.

If support for the plan is waning at First Baptist, it's barely waning, said Ferguson, the pastor. Every vote to send the attorneys back into battle was unanimous until the last one, he said. It came out 140-10 for pressing ahead.

Although that was a losing effort, "We haven't really given up hope," Smith said. "At least I haven't."

Staff writer Bill Coats can be reached at 813 269-5309 or coats@sptimes.com.

[Last modified May 14, 2006, 10:38:17]