Citrus Ridge 358-home limit okayed

People objecting to the housing density show up at a hearing, but their arguments go nowhere.

By CHUIN-WEI YAP, Times Staff Writer
Published January 25, 2008

DADE CITY - For the second time in two months, tempers flared over Citrus Ridge, a 112-acre development proposed off St. Joe Road.

The development's attorney fought through a long hearing Nov. 29 and ended up with a compromise on the project's density: instead of 450 homes, it would get 358.

On Thursday, he faced more arguments from neighbors and city officials to further slash the density down to something in the area of 234 homes.

Attorney Joel Tew had had enough.

"I don't want another four-hour hearing," Tew said, as the clock inched past an hour on the issue. "I am tired of this."

As instructed by the Development Review Committee in November, Tew had brought the 358-home plan back Thursday to iron out loose ends, including a conceptual agreement on Bayshore's intent to design a traditional-style project with front porches and back alleys.

In the end, the folks of Dade City got nowhere - not even with sympathy points from a traffic accident involving City Attorney Karla Owens minutes before the proceedings began.

Owens had written a memo Tuesday urging the county to reconsider its decision and side with the residents. She arrived late at the hearing Thursday - straight from the accident scene - to plead the city's case.

"What we're asking is 3.2 homes per acre after you take out roads and infrastructure," she said. "You get 87 acres. We'd like a clarification on that."

The county's clarification: The project is capped at 358 homes per gross acre - meaning 112 acres, not 87.

Owens, backed by residents, also pointed out that 3.2 homes per acre didn't make Citrus Ridge much of a "rural transition area," as designated in Pasco's growth blueprint. They said projects to either side of Citrus Ridge had lower densities.

"I thought transitional meant going from higher density to medium density to lower density," said resident Carol Cruz.

Tew said other developments northeast of Citrus Ridge had densities that reached 10 homes per acre.

County Administrator John Gallagher seemed just as tired as Tew.

"The last time we were here, we heard numerous hours of discussions," he said. "Unless there's some new information, I don't know if we should spend more hours just rehashing."

The final vote kept the housing cap on Citrus Ridge at 358 homes.

In other matters, the Suncoast Professional Center, won approval for a 190,000-square-foot office project east of the Suncoast Parkway on State Road 54.

Chuin-Wei Yap can be reached at cyap@sptimes.com or (813) 909-4613.

[Last modified January 24, 2008, 21:59:37]