Oldsmar running out of building space

Massive growth the past two decades leaves Oldsmar with few residential parcels. And that's fine with residents.

By ED QUIOCO

© St. Petersburg Times,
published August 18, 2001

OLDSMAR -- With all the construction taking place throughout the city, it would seem as if the tiny burg at the top of Tampa Bay was leaving its small-town flavor behind.

Well, not exactly.

When it comes to vacant land for homes, the city is nearly tapped out. A residential boom saw thousands move into new homes in the 1980s and 1990s. That boom has filled Oldsmar to its borders: Hillsborough to the east, East Lake to the west, the Brooker Creek Preserve to the north and the bay to the south.

"We have our last subdivisions being worked on now," said Oldsmar Mayor Jerry Beverland. "We can't build to the south of us. We can't go to the west or east . . . and we can't go to the north."

The first surge of new residents came between 1980 and 1990, when the city's population jumped 218 percent from 2,626 residents to 8,361.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the city's 2000 population was 11,910, a 42 percent increase from 1990.

But that's probably the last surge the city will have, said community development director Nick Staszko. He's projecting that the city will grow by 4,000 residents over the next 20 years, a trickle compared to the previous numbers.

Oldsmar "is on the tail end of growth," Staszko said.

The handful of residential developments under way most likely are among the last that will come to the city as Oldsmar runs out of land designated for homes. That means the only ways the city can squeeze in more residents is to change zoning and land-use regulations or annex other communities.

Neither of those options are being discussed.

"To get more people, you would have to increase density and our plans don't have that," Staszko said.

When those projects are completed, redevelopment and "infill" development of vacant lots throughout the city will get going, Staszko said. City officials also are currently processing plans for a $22-million, 270-unit apartment complex on Forest Lakes Boulevard for residents with low and moderate incomes.

Longtime residents of the city recall when Oldsmar was so small its elementary school had two rooms, one was the library and the other was the classroom shared by all the grades.

"The teacher was also the principal," said Pat Wagner, 54, who moved to Oldsmar with her family in 1947. "There really wasn't much in town at all."

For years, Oldsmar was the brunt of jokes about being in the middle of nowhere. Grocery shopping meant a trip on dirt roads to Dunedin or Hillsborough County.

Now, the city has a Wal-Mart supercenter on the verge of opening, a 20-screen movie theater and a U.S. 19-like, six-lane road slicing through the middle of the city. Attracted by Oldsmar's small-town appeal, vacant land and convenient location, thousands flocked to new neighborhoods sprouting in the city.

Jeanne Knight and her family moved to the Preserve at Cypress Lakes subdivision two years ago because they wanted to build a house and Oldsmar seemed to be the only place in the county with vacant land. They also were attracted by the city's small-town feel.

"We noticed that right away," said Knight, 37.

But that becomes a balancing act for the city.

"The challenge is to maintain that (small-town feeling) while welcoming new residents," Staszko said. "A lot of new residents."

It comes as good news to some residents that the city is nearly tapped out, in terms of residential growth.

"That's fine," said Jean Jorgenson, 78, who has lived in the city for about 30 years. "We don't need (Oldsmar) to get any bigger."

The city's commercial growth can be mistaken for residential growth, Beverland said. When residents read about projects in Oldsmar like the Wal-Mart supercenter, the 20-screen movie theater and Nielsen Media's plans to consolidate offices in the city, people think Oldsmar is going keep getting bigger and bigger, he said.

"That's what is confusing people," Beverland said. Those projects "will bring people to work here, but it won't bring people to live here."

Much of the city's recent residential and commercial growth can be attributed to the Tampa Road widening project. When the road went from two to six lanes in 1999, it became more convenient for people to live in Oldsmar and work in Tampa.

"The road work probably was the single largest economic project in town," Staszko said.

Robert Van Valin and his family moved to Oldsmar three years ago, attracted by the city's convenient location. Van Valin, 51, works in Riverview in Hillsborough, about 45 minutes away.

Oldsmar "is centrally located," Van Valin said. "It's not far from Tampa or St. Petersburg."

Although the city has seen tremendous growth over the years, those attracted to Oldsmar for its small-town feel can rest easy, Beverland said. The city isn't getting much bigger.

"We can maintain the feeling of a small town," Beverland said.

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