Neighbors wary of church's big move

Times staff writer

© St. Petersburg Times, published February 20, 2000

LUTZ -- Walter Furr doesn't oppose St. Timothy Catholic Church's plan to build a new parish and private school near quiet Lakeside Drive.

But he cringes at the potential traffic on the two-lane road, which currently is used nearly as much by joggers and children as by cars.

Furr and his wife appeared at a Hillsborough County land use hearing last month to raise concerns about St. Timothy's planned move.

Currently located just behind Gaither High School in Northdale, the church plans to relocate to a 56-acre parcel on the northwest corner of Lakeside Drive and Lake Shore Road.

The Diocese of St. Petersburg has asked the county for a special use permit and a variance to build a 1,300-seat church, a parish hall and a school for grades kindergarten through eight.

Furr and his wife told hearing officer Harold Youmans they would welcome the church and the school if plans didn't call for an entrance and exit on Lakeside Drive.

"We're going to be inundated with cars," Furr said. "This is fundamentally going to change the nature of our neighborhood."

County planners told Youmans the main entrance to the church and school actually would be on Lake Shore Road, and Lakeside Drive would serve as a secondary access.

But even church officials conceded some traffic would spill into the smaller roads in the community. They said car-pooling and a schedule of numerous Sunday services would dilute the traffic.

St. Timothy's departure from Northdale is important to the Hillsborough County School Board, which wants to build an academy behind Gaither High to alleviate crowding.

Youmans is expected to make his decision on the special use permit this month. (Petition SU 00-0079).

CORY LAKE ISLES -- Another testament to our society's increasing dependence on cellular telephones may soon rise from the slash pines and palmettos off Morris Bridge Road.

PrimeCo Personal Communications has asked the county for a special use permit to build a 200-foot monopole communications tower off Morris Bridge Road, about a mile north of Apache Drive. The tower would rise just to the east of Cory Lake Isles.

PrimeCo told county staffers the new tower will serve as a collection site for wireless users, and is needed to increase the company's wireless capabilities.

Communications towers have become a hotly contested issue in Hillsborough County, but county staff appear to be satisfied with this one. They found the tower is consistent with the Land Development Code. A land use hearing officer is expected to make a decision on the permit request in the next few weeks. (Petition SU 00-0286).

TOWN 'N COUNTRY -- County staff has recommended against a variance that would allow cars leaving a Buddhist temple to back onto a paved right-of-way along Town 'N Country Boulevard.

The International Sanghu Shiksu Buddhist Association asked the county for permission to continue the practice, arguing that traffic is rarely a big problem at the temple, and that visitors to the temple need to back into the right-of-way when leaving. As practiced here, temple members said, the religion would only have four major gatherings a year: New Year's Day, generally in February, Buddha's birthday in late May, Mother's and Father's Day in mid August and Vietnam Memorial Day in late November.

But county staff said even though the problem is sporadic, it creates a public health and safety issue, particularly because Town 'N Country Boulevard is a four-lane, divided collector roadway.

A land use hearing officer was scheduled to hear the variance request last Friday, and will make a decision in the next few weeks. (Petition VAR 00-0211).

KEYSTONE -- Your home can be your castle in Hillsborough County -- as long as the walls aren't too high.

Worried about vandalism and security, a Keystone resident wants to build a fence around her house that would be 6 feet high on the sides, and 8 feet high in the front. County rules only allow a fence with a height of 4 feet.

Renee Solum told county staffers that vandals have broken a window and cut Christmas lights at her home on Twin Branch Acres Road in the past few years. Solum said neighboring homes have fences exceeding 4 feet.

Solum asked a land use hearing officer for a variance to build the fence last week. The case should be decided later this month. (Petitioner VAR 00-0293).

Where and when

Hearings of county zoning hearing masters and land use hearing officers and land use meetings of the County Commission are held on the second floor of the County Center, 601 E Kennedy Blvd. The zoning hearings begin at 6 p.m., and the commission meetings begin at 9 a.m. Both are televised on government access channels. The land use hearing officer hearings, which are not televised, begin at 9 a.m. For information, call 272-5920.

© St. Petersburg Times. All rights reserved.