Zoning change sought for townhouses along Little Manatee
Residents say that project and another, for homes on Mill Bayou, are a threat to wildlife and wetlands.
By ANDREW MEACHAM
Published November 3, 2006
Residents hoping to limit development along the Little Manatee River will face a pair of challenges next month.
A total of 78 townhouses would rise on the southwest corner of Shell Point Road and NW 15th Street if developer Pittway Plaza Associates gets the zoning change it needs to change the site from residential to planned development.
And SWW Inc., a company that activists thought they had defeated in May, will try to persuade county commissioners that the Mill Bayou riverfront subdivision should be rezoned for 25 homes.
The proposals come after residents lost a recent battle over the Riverton subdivision south of Shell Point Road.
Some townhouses in The Shores' 9-acre property would front the Little Manatee River, one of the state's designated canoe trails that's known for its otters, alligators and turtles. Townhouse residents would cross a narrow bridge to reach more than 20 boat slips included in the design.
The area is also home to native scrub pines and Florida willows, prompting the county's Natural Resources department to object to the proposal. A county ordinance prohibits development within 100 feet of the Little Manatee River and requires developers to justify any removal of native trees.
The request is scheduled to go before a zoning hearing master at 6 p.m. Dec. 18. at the county center, 601 E Kennedy Blvd., Tampa.
The 16-acre SWW property is southwest of SW Seventh Street and 24th Avenue. Part of the proposed development extends in a sliver into Mill Bayou.
SWW originally sought to build 67 houses, but dropped that number to 25 before presenting the request to a zoning hearing master in March.
Nine residents objected, saying the project would displace wetlands and wildlife, including an estimated 15 to 20 gopher tortoises on the property.
SWW promised to relocate the tortoises and build around most of the trees. The zoning hearing master recommended approval.
County commissioners in April said that even 25 homes was too many for the area and denied the request, with Kathy Castor calling the Little Manatee "our most pristine river." Commissioners Ken Hagan and Mark Sharpe voted to approve the zoning.
SWW countered by requesting a relief hearing, an appeal process for developers if the county decides to hear the case.
Attorney Richard Davis noted that the proposal calls for less than four units per acre, the maximum density allowed by the county's comprehensive plan.
A return to the County Commission could occur as early as December. That turn of events stings some neighbors, who successfully opposed a 327-home subdivision only to see the County Commission reverse its denial in August after a relief hearing.
"Riverton was a huge disappointment," said Bev Griffiths, who chairs the Tampa Bay chapter of the Sierra Club and opposes Mill Bayou.
"It would spoil people's enjoyment of that part of the river a bit," Griffiths said. "It's going to take part of an experience away."
Andrew Meacham can be reached at 661-2431 or ameacham@sptimes.com.