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Lutz Residents: Leave Stretch Alone

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By B.C. MANION

The Tampa Tribune

Published: July 9, 2008

LUTZ - LUTZ - A proposal that would boost commercial potential at two spots along a northern stretch of North Dale Mabry Highway has residents fuming.

Planners from Hillsborough County's Planning & Growth Management department met with residents on June 24 to discuss proposed changes to the North Dale Mabry Highway Overlay District.

The district was adopted in 1989 to guide development along a four-mile stretch of the highway between Van Dyke and County Line roads. The idea was to avoid stripping out the highway with gas stations, restaurants, stores and other commercial enterprises.

The Hillsborough County Commission last year directed county planners to take another look at the district, to see if an update was warranted.

Planners met eight times with a working committee of residents, property owners, planning consultants and others to discuss potential changes. They also held two community open houses before taking a proposal to the County Commission on Dec. 11.

At that meeting, planners recommended only one change: They told commissioners it made sense to increase the commercial potential near Sunlake Boulevard because the widening of Lutz-Lake Fern Road and development in nearby Pasco County will increase traffic.

Commissioners gave planners the go-ahead to recommend changes at Sunlake, but they were more interested in boosting commercial potential at the southeast corner of Lutz-Lake Fern Road and North Dale Mabry Highway.

At the urging of Commissioner Brian Blair, commissioners directed planners to restore the commercial potential at the intersection that had been approved as part of the original overlay district - before the state Department of Transportation took a portion of the property through eminent domain.

That proposed change would boost the potential to 110,000 square feet, up from its current limit of 68,000 square feet.

While acknowledging the state had paid for the property, Commissioner Jim Norman said additional commercial at Lutz-Lake Fern Road makes sense because it reduces the distance people must travel for shopping.

Most residents at the community meeting didn't buy Blair or Norman's arguments.

"The county commission needs to get the message that there is not a compelling community reason to do this," said Steve Polzin, president of the Lutz Civic Association.

The property owner at Lutz-Lake Fern Road was compensated when the state took his land, Polzin said. Additional commercial should not be allowed until there's a documented deficiency, he said.

"Show us the numbers," Polzin said.

Residents also objected to the proposal to allow commercial consideration on 2 acres near Sunlake Boulevard and North Dale Mabry Highway.

Catherine Sweatman said her property looks onto the parcel that could turn commercial.

She said there is already plenty of commercial potential in the area.

"You've got Publix at Lutz-Lake Fern and Van Dyke," she said. "The restaurants don't make it." There is also plenty of vacant office space, she noted.

Nancy Kirk, who lives near Lake Wilson, also objected.

"Drainage from that area drains into our lake," she said. The unfiltered water is degrading the quality of the lake, and additional development would make it worse, she said.

Gaye Townsend, who sat on the overlay district committee, said residents have been clear from the beginning that they don't want more commercial.

The current proposal shows "a total disregard for the community," Townsend said.

Any changes to the overlay district would be made as an amendment to the county's Land Development Code.

The Hillsborough County City-County Planning Commission is scheduled to consider the proposed amendment in a public hearing at 5:30 p.m. Sept. 8. The advisory board will make a recommendation to the county commission on the proposed changes.

The county commission has scheduled public hearings on the issue for Oct. 16 and 30.

Reporter B.C. Manion can be reached at (813) 865-1507 or bmanion@tampatrib.com.

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