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City gives initial approval to rezone 9 acres of housing
By JONATHAN ABEL
Published December 20, 2006
BROOKSVILLE - Against the recommendation of Brooksville's Planning and Zoning Commission, the City Council gave preliminary approval to rezoning a 9-acre plot off North Avenue that could accommodate up to 128 townhouses. The parcel is on the south side of North Avenue, between Stafford Avenue and Zoller Street, an area of Brooksville that has not seen a lot of development. The developer, Ty Underwood of Atlanta, offered the council renderings of the townhouses, which could be two and three stories and come with garages and outside parking. The starting prices would be about $200,000. Some residents showed up at the meeting to complain about the impact of the project on their neighborhood. "To bring such a big community is going to sap away the small-town feel," said Ruth DiRienzo, who lives across the street from the site. "We're worried about kids walking to school," said neighbor Alison Nazar. "What are you going to do? Build a sidewalk?" Council member Joe Bernardini, the only one to vote against the rezoning, said the developer had done nothing to alleviate the density and traffic concerns that worried Planning and Zoning Commission members. But those concerns don't matter right now, said council member Richard Lewis, because the specifics of the development haven't been worked out. Monday's vote was only about changing the zoning from its designation as commercial. When the project is formally proposed, Lewis said, developers will have to account for its impact on the neighborhood. Mayor David Pugh Jr. said he liked what he'd heard of the project, but wanted assurance that even if the developer resold the land to someone else, this chunk of property would not turn into subsidized housing. Joe Mason, the developer's attorney, and David LaCroix, the city's attorney, agreed to draw up provisions so that even if the land is resold, it will not allow low-income or mobile homes. The second and final vote on the rezoning will be at the council's meeting on Jan. 22. Jonathan Abel can be reached at jabel@sptimes.com or 352 754-6114.
[Last modified December 20, 2006, 02:25:06]
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