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Community Plan Begins To Take Shape

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By ELIZABETH LEE BROWN, The Tampa Tribune

Published: December 12, 2007

CARROLLWOOD - The first building blocks for a community plan to reshape the Carrollwood area has begun.

About 40 people attended an open house Thursday to give residents an overview of the community planning process and to solicit ideas.

A community plan, a long-range planning document tailored for each geographical area, allows residents to set a vision on how they want the neighborhood to grow.

The county's community-based planning program began in 1998, and plans have been adopted in communities such as Town 'N Country and Lutz. The plans can restrict commercial development at certain locations or set architectural and design guidelines to retain the character of a community.

Developing the Carrollwood community plan will start in January when an advisory committee begins its monthly meetings.

The group will meet for about 12 to 18 months to draft the plan. Once completed, it will take an additional six to nine months for county and state planners to review and adopt the plan.

The plan's preliminary boundaries cover the larger Carrollwood area, including parts of Northdale, Lake Magdalene, Forest Hills and Egypt Lake. The 36-square-mile area has an estimated population of 109,690, based on census figures.

Most of the residents attending Thursday's open house were from the Carrollwood Village and Original Carrollwood area.
Jedd Pope, who has lived in the Carrollwood and Lake Magdalene area for 30 years, said her biggest hope is that the plan will uphold the community's high quality of life.

Pope said she wants to see deed restrictions enforced and the expansion of reclaimed water.

She said she appreciated the outreach from the county planners.

"I think it's a great idea that they're trying to get some input from the residents," she said.
Raymond Van Loon, a member of the Carrollwood North Taxing District board, said the community plan should set the bar and challenge Carrollwood "to be as good a place it can be."

"I think we need to be looking at roads, highways, the type of development, zoning, and something we can live with and be proud of and yet still plan for the future," he said.

Larry Schoenberger, a Carrollwood Village resident, sees the need for traffic calming and zoning as the two big issues.

Because the community is essentially built out, he said the strategy should be working to uphold the real estate values.

"I certainly would not want to see things zoned residential changed to commercial right now," he said.

Schoenberger, who was among a handful of people writing down their comments, vowed to stay on top of any changes, especially related to zoning.

"You don't want to fall asleep and think everything is going to stay the way it is," he said.

Reporter Elizabeth Lee Brown can be reached at (813) 865-1502 or ebrown@tampatrib.com.

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