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Stilt Home Plan Ill-Received By Nature Groups

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By YVETTE C. HAMMETT

yhammett@tampatrib.com

Published: February 25, 2009

TAMPA - A developer hoping to add stilt homes to a controversial proposed development on land jutting into the Little Manatee River promises to honor the fragile environment when planning the community.

But environmental activists adamantly opposed to the project told county officials at a meeting last week the plan is an affront to a river designated an Outstanding Florida Water and to the wildlife that lives there.

Little Manatee Reserve LLC wants to build a 30-home development on a spit of land jutting into the Little Manatee River next to Mill Bayou in Ruskin. The developer is asking to rezone 46 acres - mostly wetlands - so it can add eight home sites to the initial plan for 22. The request is scheduled to go before the Hillsborough County Commission on April 7.

The developers told county Zoning Hearing Master Steve Luce Feb. 17 they will respect the area's delicate environment when planning the community. Opponents said the proposal would do irreparable harm to the environment and should be scrapped. Luce has two weeks to render a recommendation for the county commission.

Adding to the controversy surrounding the proposed development is a new Planning Commission policy that allows land owners with at least 35 percent of their property within the urban service area to lay water and sewer lines. That is typically not allowed in the county's designated rural zone, and environmentalists often oppose it because such utilities could spur growth in rural areas.

Without the policy, because Little Manatee Reserve's land is so close to the river, it could not be developed as planned. The shoreline is designated a coastal high hazard area, where septic tanks are not allowed.

David Bell, an engineer for the developer, told Luce the owners plan to "keep the ground as natural as possible," put the houses on stilts and avoid cutting down trees where possible. "Nothing will be built near the river," he said.
County Planner Isabelle Albert said the developers will have to comply with all county policies protecting the natural resources there.

Ruskin environmental activist Mariella Smith, however, turned in a list of county policies she said will be violated if the land is developed as planned. The property, she said, "is an integral part of the Little Manatee River and the Cockroach Bay Aquatic Preserve."

She said it is not the "tangle of Brazilian peppers" depicted by a paid consultant.

Several of the county's rules meant to protect natural resources do a poor job, she said, such as a rule that would allow developers to cut down trees with a 30-inch girth and replace them with saplings, requiring no maintenance or replacement of saplings that die.

The developers also have not adequately addressed stormwater issues, which could send polluted water into the river, she said.

Bev Griffiths, chairwoman of the Tampa Bay Sierra Club, said her organization wants to see the Little Manatee's shoreline maintained. "We're concerned about mangroves being cut," which is illegal without special permits, she said.

"The only effective way to plan development of this unique spit is to put it into one PD Planned Development ... so they can more effectively cluster homes to preserve the area," Smith said.

The county commission approved the first rezoning in 2006 for 22 homes, requiring a 50-foot buffer along the riverbank, which is now in place.

The 46 acres would be added to that to create one gated community.

Reporter Yvette C. Hammett can be reached at (813) 865-1566.

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