Neighbor-developer deals draw scrutiny

Tampa officials move to ban such side deals.

By JANET ZINK
Published June 23, 2007

TAMPA - It's a developer's worst nightmare: Dozens of neighborhood representatives lined up at a Tampa City Council rezoning hearing ready to speak against their project.

"You know you're going to have a long night and you're probably going to have to go back to the drawing board," said developer John Lum of the LIST Group.

So developers do all they can to win neighborhood support before going before the council.

Now, allegations have surfaced that a neighborhood association may have asked for money from the developers of a project proposed by Metropolitan Life Insurance on Boy Scout Boulevard in exchange for backing the project.

No charges have been filed. But Tampa police are investigating such land deals. And the City Council on Thursday agreed to change the city's ethics rules to ban side deals between developers and neighborhoods.

Council member Charlie Miranda specifically called into question a deal between developer MDG Acquisitions and the West Tampa Community Development Corporation that requires the developer to give more than $750,000 to the community organization for its affordable housing program.

Developer Ed Turanchik was among those interviewed by the police as a potential victim. Turanchik is building nearly 100 homes in West Tampa.

He said he also agreed to a financial arrangement with the West Tampa CDC.

Developers and neighborhood groups often negotiate details of projects. But case law limits how far developers have to go.

"It has to be related to the impacts of the development. Not to address harms in the neighborhood that the development has no impact on, " said senior assistant city attorney Julie Cole.

Nonetheless, developers sometimes feel compelled to go beyond what's required.

Two years ago, for example, Tampa General Hospital offered to pay $1-million for the city to make improvements on Davis Islands when the hospital sought to take over park land for an expansion.

Hospital spokesman John Dunn said the hospital felt no pressure from the residents, and even with the city getting the $1-million, many residents opposed the project.

Neighborhood leaders say they're shocked by the allegations and the investigation.

"If there's wrongdoing in this situation, it's an isolated incident. It's not anything close to a tip of an iceberg," said Bill Duvall, past president of Tampa Homeowners an Association of Neighborhoods.

Janet Zink can be reached at jzink@sptimes.com or 813 226-3401.

[Last modified June 23, 2007, 00:18:08]