EVANS PROPERTY, INC. Rezoning Request Is Denied
BY JOE POTTER
The Dade City Commissioners deny rezoning request.
Mayor Pre-TemNormita “Angel” Woodard and Commissioners Jim Shive and Kristen Church voted in favor of denying the request for the rezoning of the 142 acres located in the eastern most part of Dade City. Mayor Scott Black and Commissioner Ann Cosentino voted against denying Evans’ request.
Commissioners then unanimously approved Evans being able to file an application for another rezoning for the property that would be more consistent with the city’s Land Development Code.
They also approved the city’s staff being able to expedite the new request when it is made.
The property still has a Pasco County AC (Agricultural) zoning although it was annexed into Dade City in 2006.
Evans was seeking to have
the zoning changed to
Dade City’s RS-1 (Residential Single Family 1).
If Evans’ request had been approved on May 13 up to 280 single-family homes could be built on 100 acres of the site located south of River Road and north of Summer Lake Road.
The remaining 42 acres of the property couldn’t be developed because wetlands are on part of it. Also, space would be needed for infrastructure improvements including roadways and water/sewer connections among other things.
Evans would have been able to develop up to 340 single-family homes under a rezoning of the property to RS-2, which it had requested last year.
Several area residents told Commissioners that they were opposed to the rezoning request before Commissioners made their decision.
Some of them said they thought that their properties might be flooded by water running off of Evans’ property if it were developed.
Others were concerned about the increased amount of traffic that would occur on River Road and Summer Lake Road, both of which would provide access to the property.
City staff had also said that only two conditions were met that would make the proposed rezoning compatible with that of adjacent areas.
Those conditions were:
That the proposed rezoning would not result in any conflicts with other areas of the city’s Future Land Use that were designated as Low Density Residential.
That there would not be an adverse effect on the environment because the onsite wetlands would not be disturbed. There was mixed consideration on the compatibility of a third condition.
According to City staff, the project wouldn’t be developed where there were no plans by the City to provide public facilities – including potable water – because the City is in the process of designing a new water treatment plant located south of the Evans’ property. However, the timeline of the new plan for the water treatment plant has yet to be established.
Meanwhile, the project wouldn’t be compatible because the City has no plans to pave Summer Lake Road as in some areas of it are privately owned and other areas are under Pasco County Jurisdiction. Also, several areas of the proposed zoning change were found to be incompatible.
They included it not being consistent with the City’s Comprehensive Plan; being a more dense development than in the adjacent areas; and being premature because it is surrounded with rural and undeveloped areas.
And the character of the general area would be adversely affected because of creating excessive traffic on Summer Lake Rd, which is
currently a dirt road; as well as on River Rd, a two
lane road, one lane each way, with no designated shoulder area. ©
