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Firm Seeks Re-Do Before Zoning Czar

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By YVETTE C. HAMMETT

yhammett@tampatrib.com

Published: January 14, 2009

BALM - Developers want a second chance to persuade a county hearing officer that their plans for a suburban village off Balm Road are sound.

The controversial rezoning request includes plans to run an access road to the 537-acre development alongside Balm Scrub, an environmentally sensitive tract owned by Hillsborough County taxpayers.
Turfgrass America took its plan before Hillsborough County's zoning hearing master in November and received a less than enthusiastic response. The hearing officer recommended denial of the rezoning request.

Instead of going before the county commission Jan. 13 as scheduled, company officials will go back before another hearing officer to argue for their plan. The new hearing is set for 6 p.m. Feb. 17 at the County Center, 202 E. Kennedy Blvd. in Tampa.

"We feel that we've addressed some of the issues the zoning officer had," said Turfgrass Vice President Ron Mahan.
Turfgrass America purchased the 537-acre sod farm off Balm Road after the original owner sold 1,600 acres to the county's Environmental Lands Acquisition and Protection Program in 1999. The company retained a 50-foot right of way running between the farm and Balm Road and now wants to use the 50-foot road as one of two access points for its planned Westlake Reserve, a community that could potentially have 1,087 houses.

In her recommendation for denial, zoning hearing master Laura Belflower noted that the developer was asking for the highest possible density on the property and suggested the number of proposed houses be reduced.

She called planned access to the project inadequate, saying the developer hadn't shown it could provide at least two access points to the property. Belflower also said there was insufficient evidence that the wildlife on and integrity of the ELAPP property can be protected if a road runs next to it.

Environmentalists and Wimauma activists spoke out against the project, citing access, environmental impact and traffic issues.
Mahan said his company has addressed the access issue.

He said Turfgrass America has obtained enough land for a road in and out of the property off Westlake Road, which would be used as the project's western access. He said the company has had enough land all along at the northern end to provide road access, but Belflower misunderstood that.

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

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