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Buckhorn Estates group to fight apartment plan
The would-be builder has met twice with neighbors to gather opinions.
By JAN WESNER, Times Staff Writer
Published August 24, 2007
VALRICO
About 100 Buckhorn Estates residents are resurrecting a group to oppose a proposed apartment complex on Bloom-ingdale Avenue. The apartments would go up on an 18.9-acre pasture just east of Lithia-Pinecrest Road behind the Albertsons shopping center. It's the same piece of property where two years ago a developer wanted to build a 175,000-square-foot "big box" store. That proposal was withdrawn after widespread community opposition led by the Valrico Organization Interested in Controlling Expansion, known as VOICE. Judy Becker's home on Arborwood Drive in Buckhorn Estates backs up to the vacant property. She would go from having no backyard neighbors to potentially looking out her window at 260 apartments. "I think it's wrong for this neighborhood," Becker said. "It's a single-family residential neighborhood." She fears that the apartment complex would bring down her property values. Phillip Smith, vice president of developer Crosland Inc., said the complex would feature upscale units with granite counters, hardwood floors and stainless steel appliances. The average monthly rent would be $1,300. There would also be a small shopping center with 10,000 square feet of stores and residential lofts above the shops. Crosland has a contract to buy the land pending rezoning. The company is seeking community feedback before it applies for the zoning change, he added. Crosland has met twice with residents, and agreed to change the layout of the apartments so that the nearest apartment building would be about 300 feet from homes. The pasture is owned by several members of the same family. The market value of the property is about $1.8-million, according to county property records. Jan Wesner can be reached at 661-2439 or jwesner@sptimes.com.
[Last modified August 24, 2007, 07:52:50]
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