Developer's Third Bid For Project Strikes Out

By ANGELA DELGADO The Tampa Tribune

Published: May 10, 2007

CITRUS PARK - For County Commissioner Ken Hagan, developer Carolina Holdings is like the Energizer Bunny: It keeps going and going and going.

On Tuesday, during the county's land-use meeting, the developer went before the commission for the third time in hopes of winning approval for its mixed-use project.

For a third time, it was denied.

About three years ago, the developer first approached the commission with a proposal to build a 28,000-square-foot commercial development northwest of the intersection of Sheldon Road and Citrus Park Drive. Because the project would be adjacent to the 678-home Fawn Ridge neighborhood, several residents rallied to stop it.

Residents said they wanted single-family homes or apartments built on the 6.8-acre property, saying anything else wouldn't fit with their community.

Developers met with residents and came up with a compromise: 24 condominiums on top of the planned retail and office space. Still, the county repeatedly denied the project until February, when special master Richard Davis concluded that preserving the parcel's current zoning was "unreasonable and unduly burdensome in light of the development trends of the immediate area." Davis pointed out the nearby commercial corridor and regional mall.

That gave Carolina Holdings one last shot with the commission.

Hagan, though, was not wavering on his previous opposition.

"Special master [Davis] does not say it was unreasonable for the board to deny this project," he said. "He says the [single-family] zoning is unreasonable. That is a big difference."

A handful of Fawn Ridge residents attended the meeting. None that attended approved of the project, and said they represented hundreds of neighbors who felt as they did.

They opposed the development because it was in the middle of their residential neighborhood, and it would increase traffic and noise. Despite the developer's offer to build a buffer for those residents affected by the upcoming Citrus Park Drive extension, they wanted the project denied.

Regardless, Commissioner Kevin White spoke in favor of the development.

"I've gotten e-mails in support of this project," he said. "This would probably be a wonderful enhancement to a community. I can't conceptually see why a neighborhood would be against it."

Felix Fudge, the project's real estate broker with Bridgeport South, agreed.

"What this plan is is something that most cities throughout the county are working toward," he said. "This project fits the [community] plan, but the neighborhood sees vacant land and they want to see it vacant."

In the end, with Commissioner Rose Ferlita absent, the commission voted 5-1 against the project.

"I am relieved that people that were paid to look out for us are seeing our wishes through," said resident Helena Martensen, 44.

Still, Carolina Holdings' attorney Mark Bentley isn't giving up. He says he will continue with a lawsuit against the county and a proposal to build a solely commercial development on the property. Although judges can't rezone, Bentley said, they can give instruction to the commission to rethink their decision.

"Based on the facts and the law, we're pretty confident we'll be back here," he said.

Reporter Angela Delgado can be reached at (813) 865-1501 or adelgado@tampatrib.com.