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Politics

City gets chance to preserve historic charm

By CATHERINE E. SHOICHET
Published March 15, 2007

FLORAL CITY - Next year new county rules could change the face of development in this historic, one-stoplight town.

County commissioners took the first step toward making that happen Tuesday, unanimously approving the Floral City Community Plan.

Next year they will consider adding new guidelines for the area, known as a special overlay district, to the county's land development code.

Approving the plan would "help preserve the character of Floral City," senior planner Margaret Beake told commissioners.

Guidelines include creating a town center and preserving natural resources.

The plan also alludes to the possibility of a bypass road to divert traffic away from Floral City's downtown.

"It's long overdue," Commissioner Vicki Phillips said.

Floral City resident Marcia Beasley said she had been waiting for more than a decade.

First came Floral City's listing on the National Register of Historic Places in 1993. At the time, according to Beasley, state officials made it clear that the county should do more to preserve the community.

Then came surveys, workshops, plans and numerous committee meetings.

"This is a special day for me because I've been working on this for a long time... Now it is 13 years later," she said, "and this amendment is the first step to that long-held goal of regulatory preservation."

Citrus County Historical Society president John Grannan praised residents of Floral City and members of the Floral City Heritage Council.

"They have definitely been a role model for the rest of the county in historic preservation," he said.

The version of the plan commissioners approved differed slightly from its original wording. References to county funding were changed to allow more flexibility for financing projects in the area, commissioners said, including private donations and grant funding.

"We need to leave all those options completely open," Commissioner Dennis Damato said.

Commissioner Joyce Valentino said the new plan would lead to more grant opportunities.

"Thirteen years has been a long time, and we want to proceed as quickly as possible to get your vision accomplished," she said.

After the vote, more than a dozen residents in the audience applauded.

Catherine E. Shoichet can be reached at cshoichet@sptimes.com or 860-7309.

[Last modified March 15, 2007, 06:26:22]