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Letter to the editor

Neighbors lose patience with church construction

The church is way past its completion deadline.

By JACKIE RIPLEY, Times Staff Writer
Published November 30, 2007

TOWN 'N COUNTRY 

A church going up on Hanley Road near Twelve Oaks Boulevard has never been on firm footing with neighbors. Nearby homeowners complained about the modular units the church brought in while building the permanent sanctuary.

They protested the noisy tent revivals. And now the church is six months past a self-imposed deadline for completion.

"We're really frustrated," said Rosemarie Middleton, president of the Twelve Oaks Civic Association.

"When the County Commission directs individuals to complete a project, there isn't a followup to see that they have done it."

Last year, Hillsborough County commissioners approved a proposal by Zion Pentecostal Church for All People to rezone nearly 4 acres at 8014 Hanley Road for a church.

They also allowed the church to keep its modular buildings on the site.

But they imposed restrictions to make the project more palatable to surrounding neighborhoods.

Those restrictions included an 8-foot fence around the property, and buffering on the west side.

The church also was told to move the trailers farther from Hanley and to face their air-condition compressors toward a retention pond instead of the adjacent neighborhood.

County officials told the church it could not use the modular buildings as live-in trailers once the permanent sanctuary was built.

And they told the church it needed to make sure the trailers had proper tie-downs to protect against high winds.

The Rev. Richard Guzman, who agreed to the restrictions, told commissioners the 365-seat church would be complete within nine months.

Neighbors now are telling the county: Do the math.

"County commissioners grilled them on when it would be completely, totally finished," Middleton said. "They're way past their deadline."

The county agrees. The church's building permit expired on Nov. 2, six months after its last county inspection, said Harry Heuman, the county's manager for permit processing.

In addition, the church changed general contractors, a move that automatically triggers the need for a new notice of commencement, Heuman said.

In such a case, a contractor typically asks for an extension, but approval is not automatic.

"I'm not saying it wouldn't be granted, but what added criteria have to be met?" Heuman said. "There are two new construction codes, so the concern for me is insuring compliance with Florida's building code."

Neighbors' concerns that the trailers were not property tied down also seemed to have gone unheeded. Heuman said there is no record that the tie-downs were ever put in place.

Guzman said he has talked to neighbors about the project and "they know it is going to take a long time."

He blamed the lack of progress on county inspectors and said he had no idea how much longer it would take to finish.

Neighbors, meanwhile, have lost what little patience they had.

"People have their own beliefs and should be able to go to any church they want," said Monika Faltermayer, who lives in Sandpiper, a subdivision of 100 homes next to the church property. "But a church should at least have some respect for the neighbors."

Jackie Ripley can be reached at ripley@sptimes.com or at 813 269-5308.

"People have their own beliefs and should be able to go to any church they want. But a church should at least have some respect for the neighbors."

Monika Faltermayer

[Last modified November 29, 2007, 07:59:16]