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Rejected plan repitched, okayed
Letters to the Editor
Published December 29, 2006
I write regarding the Hillsborough County Commission's land-use meeting of Dec. 12. There the commissioners reconsidered the Mill Bayou proposal for developing an environmentally sensitive piece of land on the Little Manatee River. Paula Harvey, the county's planning and growth management director, introduced the agenda item: "This is affecting ... a rezoning that was denied by the Board of County Commissioners on April 25, 2006. The project proposed at that time was for 25 single-family conventional units. The principal reasons that the board stated for denial of this petition was that the project was too dense for it to be sited adjacent to an outstanding Florida waterway and was also too dense for a project in the Coastal High Hazard Area. The other concerns that were expressed by the opposition were principally about the environment on that side of the river and the quality of the river." She then explained why the project was back for reconsideration. "The applicant has reduced their application from 25 down to 22 units. They actually have one less lot that would front on the river itself. There are some additional conditions - for educational information to be provided to all new property owners at the time of sale regarding Florida-friendly yards and water conservation - and also, for the lots that actually front on the river, there will be deed restrictions that will require the use of certain listed Florida-friendly plants." Mariella Smith spoke on behalf of those of us opposed to the project. She cited: -The token replanting program pledged by the developers, which amounts to replacing big trees with tiny trees! -The negligible reduction in density from 25 to 22 houses. -The numbers of letters - 350 - written to protest the rezoning. Said Smith: "This is essentially the same proposal the board denied with a supermajority vote. You've been given no good reason to overturn that denial today. Please deny this again. It's still a bad plan." She was right. But, the commissioners' vote for approval was 6-0. Same old, same old. Claudia Davidsen, Ruskin
[Last modified December 28, 2006, 07:31:56]
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