The controversy continues regarding procedures used to consider a request for a borrow pit on the north side of Lutz-Lake Fern Road , one-fourth mile west of the Suncoast Parkway. Stephen J. Dibbs wants to remove 2.5 million cubic yards of dirt from about 50 acres within a tract of more than 300 acres. The pit would operate for 10 years and would be reclaimed with a manmade lake, either within a residential development or a passive use. Testimony for and against the proposal was presented during a four-hour public hearing Nov. 16. Attorney Vin Marchetti and a team of experts explained the merits of the request; opponents raised assorted objections. After the meeting, some opponents e-mailed county officials complaining about the conduct of Land Use Hearing Officer Harold Youmans and Senior Assistant County Attorney Louis Whitehead III and questioning the fairness of the hearing. Instead of ruling on the request on Dec. 11, Youmans remanded it to county staff, requesting another hearing. He said participants did not have an adequate opportunity to respond to last-minute changes to conditions made by county staff. A hearing on the request before Youmans has been set for 9 a.m. Jan. 25 on the second floor of the Frederick B. Karl County Center, 601 E. Kennedy Blvd. ...more

January 17, 2008

A request by Stephen J. Dibbs to remove 305 acres from the Keystone-Odessa community plan should be denied, planners for the Hillsborough County City-County Planning Commission say. ...more

January 12, 2008

A request by Stephen J. Dibbs to remove 305 acres from the Keystone-Odessa community plan should be denied, planners for the Hillsborough County City-County Planning Commission say. ...more

January 12, 2008

KEYSTONE About 80 people attended an impromptu meeting of the Keystone Civic Association on Thursday night to discuss upcoming amendments to its community plan. ...more

January 11, 2008

It's understandable why many Lutz and Keystone-area residents are wiping their eyes these days. They've had dirt kicked at them, left and right. ...more

January 2, 2008

Hillsborough County is trying to learn how to quickly spend a half-billion dollars. ...more

December 24, 2007

Going out for a bite to eat or to do a little shopping may get a bit easier for people living north of Van Dyke Road, near North Dale Mabry Highway. ...more

December 19, 2007

Another hearing will have to be held before a ruling can be made on a proposed borrow pit on the north side of Lutz-Lake Fern Road, just west of the Suncoast Parkway. ...more

December 19, 2007

A landowner's wish to carve a chunk of land out of the Keystone-Odessa Community Plan is meeting resistance from county planners. ...more

December 15, 2007

Another hearing will have to be held before a ruling can be made on a proposed borrow pit on the north side of Lutz-Lake Fern Road west of the Suncoast Parkway. ...more

December 15, 2007