Cypress Creek mall foes file complaints

A mall spokeswoman says the gripes are groundless and managers will wait for an inspection.

By the Times staff
Published July 28, 2007

Opponents of Cypress Creek Town Center mall filed complaints Thursday with the state Department of Environmental Protection and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

Based on photographs taken by the mall's neighbor, Hank King, the opponents say the mall's builders are polluting the creek with run-off from construction work.

Dan Rametta and Clay Colson also say the buffer along the creek appears to be less than the required 25 feet, and they think the wrong type of silt screen was used for buffering.

Rametta said officials from Hillsborough's Environmental Protection Commission checked the creek Friday morning but found water clarity was okay at the Cypress Creek bridge as it crosses the county line.

The corps will inspect the site Tuesday to see if the builders are in compliance, said spokeswoman Amanda Ellison. The DEP will review the complaint to decide if it will transfer the case to the Southwest Florida Water Management District, since the mall project did not have any permit application with DEP, spokeswoman Pam Vazquez said.

The mall's spokeswoman, Deanne Roberts, said they'll await the Corps review. She said workers double-lined the project from the creek, and that it's unlikely that any haziness in the water resulted from the construction.

[Last modified July 27, 2007, 22:05:20]