Church growth forces relocation to Keystone

Cell Tower Pitched in Lake Magdalene

By EVE LEBERSON

© St. Petersburg Times, published August 13, 2000

KEYSTONE -- First Baptist Church of Citrus Park appears to be outgrowing its home in Citrus Park and is relocating to Keystone on property more than eight times larger.

Historically located on 5 acres at 7705 Gunn Highway near Sickles High School, the church plans to move to a 41.35-acre site at 18105 Gunn Highway, north of Van Dyke Road. The property, purchased by the church in 1996, is now used for church picnics and campouts.

"Between the church and the school, there is no room to grow" at the current site, said H. Duane Milford, representative for the church.

But before the church can relocate, it must wait for the county to grant a special use permit for the church's school, which educates about 600 children from kindergarten to Grade 12.

If the permit is approved, baseball fields for the school's athletic teams will be built first. Students now are using off-campus facilities at other area schools. (Petition 00-1203)

LAKE MAGDALENE: APT/VoiceStream Wireless wants a special use permit to build a 150-foot-tall communication tower on 39 acres at N Indian Mound Road, north of Teepee Drive, in the Avila community.

The proposed tower, which will be surrounded by thick vegetation and trees, would accommodate four carriers, including VoiceStream wireless. (Petition 00-1182)

CITRUS PARK: The property owners of two separate parcels at Gunn Highway and Olive Jones Road say noise, traffic and other side effects of Citrus Park Town Center are prompting them to move from their homes and rezone the land for the construction of office buildings.

According to the petition, the owners of the 2-acre property just east of the Veterans Expressway are "requesting only office uses to allow for a reasonable and effective transition from the more intensive uses to the east and limit the impact and influence of other parcels further west along Gunn Highway."

Because Olive Jones Road is a dead-end street, the owners are seeking a waiver for the consideration of non-residential uses on the property. (Petition 00-1190)

KEYSTONE: The Hillsborough County School District wants to build an elementary school on nearly 19 acres of vacant land north of Race Track Road, west of Nine Eagles Road. The site is now approved for 71 homes.

The proposed school would have a capacity of 990 students and would alleviate crowding at nearby Westchase Elementary. School officials have estimated previously Westchase's 2000-2001 enrollment at 120 percent capacity.

The district wants to start construction as soon as possible, so it's asking the county that the application be "fast-tracked" outside its normal scheduling process and heard at the Nov. 14 County Commission land use meeting. (Petition 00-1183)

WESTCHASE: Aston Gardens at Tampa Bay wants permission to add an angled wall sign to its entrance.

The 82-acre assisted living facility on Linebaugh Avenue, east of Race Track Road, wants the two signs flanking the entry to "provide the necessary visual identity for this site." (Petition 00-1200)

The following petitions were approved by county commissioners last week:

KEYSTONE: Large lot homes, horse trails and a country inn are slated for almost 882 acres on Boy Scout Road, 1.5 miles southeast of Tarpon Springs Road.

Eagle Scout Properties will develop the 135-home project with lot sizes ranging from 2.25 to 5 acres. The plan also calls for extensive xeriscaping, equestrian trails, a public stable and a bed-and-breakfast facility. In keeping with the community's rural character, there will be no street lighting and no walls surrounding the neighborhood.

County staffers, the Planning Commission and a zoning hearing master endorsed the petition. (Petition 00-0624)

COUNTRYWAY: Ryland Group Inc. was approved to build another access to a 10-acre parcel near Countryway Boulevard and the future Citrus Park Boulevard extension.

The property will be developed as an extension to an adjacent planned development to the east, which includes 62,800 square feet for commercial uses, 190 homes and a 278-unit apartment complex. (Petition 00-0882)

TOWN 'N COUNTRY: The owner of a half-acre at the southeast corner of N Dale Mabry Highway and Humphrey Street won approval to build a two-story, 12,188-square-foot office building. The property now contains a vacant restaurant. (Petition 00-0623)

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.

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