Towering stands of pine trees and open fields characterize the plot of land at the northeast corner of Van Dyke Road and North Dale Mabry Highway, but that property soon could have an entirely new look.
(B.C. Manion/Staff Photo)
The parcel is part of a 251-acre plan that calls for upscale houses, multifamily units, offices, retail and a congregate care facility.
Lutz residents are notorious for battling proposals they believe will disrupt their way of life. But in this case, they turned out en masse to support the proposed project. That’s because of all the work the applicants and community did before the public hearing took place.
“They negotiated with our community members in good faith,” said Mike White, the president of the Lutz Citizens Coalition. “The system, this time, worked. And, it worked well.”
Attorney Joel Tew and Richard Davis represent Geraci Land Acquisition LLC and Standard Pacific Homes of Florida, who presented their rezoning applications as companion requests. The companies are seeking to change the land from its current agricultural zoning to planned developments (PDs).
Land Use Hearing Officer Steve Luce had two public hearings on April 21, to listen to the evidence that he will use to recommend whether the Hillsborough County Commission should approve or deny the two requests. Much of the testimony heard during the first hearing was carried over to the second hearing, as well, at the request of those testifying.
One request incorporates the Landings at Lake Pearl, a previously approved rezoning that includes 650 multifamily units and 70,000 square feet of office.
“We agreed, at the county’s request, to essentially roll that old PD into the new PD,” Tew said. “The county preferred to have one consolidated PD that would give easier site plan control, easier enforcement of conditions, easier platting and easier development approval, so we were happy to do that.”
Besides the existing entitlements, the application calls for 240 single-family houses. Standard Pacific is planning a gated, high-end residential community. Another parcel is planned for 177 multifamily units.
The new requests total 417 dwelling units, about 25 percent of what would be allowed under the county’s long-range land-use plan, Tew noted. The retail uses requested in the companion proposal represents about one-third of what would be allowed under the long-range plan designation.
In essence, the requests are substantially less than the major activity center that was designated on the county’s long-range plan, Tew said.
The applicants also worked hard with the community and the county’s staff to work out conditions that addressed concerns and will create a quality project, Tew said.
“We have had a total of eight meetings with the major community associations that are directly affected by this project,” he said. “We’ve had very valuable, constructive input from them. We’ve listened to their concerns and we’ve made significant changes to the plan.”
The applicant also met repeatedly with members of the county staff to work out the conditions for approval, Tew said.
Both requests received favorable recommendations from the Planning Commission and the county’s land development staff.
Ethel Hammer, a professional planning expert working for the applicants, noted that the proposed developments include conditions that exceed the county’s land development code.
“There are project enhancements, such as increased setbacks from surrounding properties,” Hammer said. “There are conditions that deal with building orientation, which is somewhat unusual. There’s enhanced landscaping and there are requirements for signage that are above and beyond the normal requirements in the code.”
This application takes the land development code and applies it in a way “that is new and creative,” Davis said.
Conditions also call for a number of transportation improvements that residents want. That includes a signalized intersection at Exciting Idlewild Boulevard and North Dale Mabry Highway.
The applicants agreed to a new alignment leading into the Veterans Expressway that essentially will square up that intersection. They also agreed to a single access point off of Van Dyke Road, instead of the three they initially requested.
The limited access on Van Dyke Road was essential to gain the support of area residents and the Lutz Citizens Coalition, who were concerned about traffic impacts both on Van Dyke and nearby neighborhoods.
Pamela Jo Hatley, an attorney representing the coalition as well as some individual Lutz residents, said “the broader community has expressed its support.”
“The applicants and their representatives met with my clients and with me, and they listened to my clients’ concerns and they were very responsive,” she said. “We appreciate that.”
About 40 people turned out and waited patiently nearly three hours before the rezoning requests were heard so they could show their support.
No one spoke in opposition.
The final decision rests with the Hillsborough County Commission, which is expected to consider the rezoning requests in June.
Published April 30, 2014
