Tampa Civil Design is seeking a rezoning to clear the way for a 10,000-square-foot office on about 8.5 acres, on North Dale Mabry Highway, about 1,900 feet north of the Hillsborough County line.
Pasco County’s planning staff has recommended approval of the request and the Pasco County Planning Commission did the same during its Aug. 18 meeting.
The request now goes to the Pasco County Commission, which makes final decisions on land use and zoning issues.
Jeremy Couch is the applicant on the request.
He frequently appears before both the planning and county board in his professional capacity, but at the Aug. 18 planning board meeting, he was there to answer any questions the board had about his proposed office project.
Attorney Barbara Wilhite represented Couch during the hearing.
She told the planning board: “It’s an ROR (retail, office, residential) land use, it’s on Dale Mabry, it’s pretty straight-forward.”
During the public hearing, John Calamari, of 20719 Preston Lane, noted that there were errors in the application.
For one thing, he said, the site is on the west side of North Dale Mabry Highway, not on the east side as indicated in the application. Also, the application indicates that Preston Lane intersects with North Dale Mabry, but it does not.
Calamari, who has lived on Preston Lane since 1998 said he’s concerned about the use of Preston Lane, which is a 15-foot-wide road.
He said construction traffic or traffic from the project could cause damage to Preston Lane, which is substandard.
“Two vehicles cannot pass on Preston Lane,” Calamari said.
Couch said “it’s my full intention to access this property from Dale Mabry.
“The property does have a legal easement to Preston Lane,” Couch said, so there’s a chance it could be used during the construction phase.
However, once the project opens, the intention is to allow access only onto North Dale Mabry Highway, Couch said.
“I don’t want to encroach on these folks’ neighborhood. We’re going to be a very quiet low-impact use,” Couch said.
The application did not propose any kind of connection to Preston Lane. If Preston Lane is used in any capacity, the application would need to be amended.
A county staffer told Couch that if he uses Preston Lane at all, he must submit a videotape showing the road’s condition before using it. The road must be maintained during its use, and then it must be restored to the original condition when the use is finished. The applicant must then submit a videotape depicting the road after it has been restored.
Couch said he intends to block off access to Preston Lane, once the project is finished.
Goldstein said the application must be modified and conditions would be attached, if Couch wants to use Preston Lane.
Published August 24, 2022
