KCA Land Use Update - February 23, 2026
- Feb 23
- 3 min read
Keystone,
This land use update is focused solely on the Dibbs rezoning which is currently scheduled to appear in front of the BOCC at a public CPA hearing on Thursday, March 26th at 6:00pm.
The original March 12th BOCC CPA Hearing has been cancelled and moved to March 26th.
This land use update will also be my last land use update from this source. I am no longer on the KCA board which frees up a lot of my time to focus on land use issues affecting our community.
If you would like to continue receiving updates on this application and future land use updates, please contact me at bwhite@precisemotion.com.
If you are on Facebook, please follow Protect Keystone.
The Keystone Civic Association voted unanimously to oppose this application.
As the current Land Use Chair and party of record for rezoning application RZ 25-0934 and the accompanying HC/CPA 25-03 and HC/CPA 25-04 urban expansion amendments, I will represent KCA on March 26th.
It is imperative that we as a community attend this March 26th hearing. This BOCC CPA Public Hearing is when commissioners will make their decision to approve or deny this rezoning application and accompanying urban expansion amendments.
This application violates the Livable Communities Element of the County’s comprehensive plan namely The KEYSTONE-ODESSA Community Plan - which was adopted to protect our area from suburban and urban sprawl.
On January 26th, approximately 30 members representing our community attended the Zoning Hearing for RZ 25-0934. There were 9 ppl, including our attorney representing KCA, who stood to speak in opposition.
We had almost 600 letters of opposition from the community that were entered into the record. I think this sets a record. For those of you who sent an email (or mailed a letter) of opposition, thank you!!
The zoning hearing master recommended APPROVAL of the Planned Development rezoning request.
While disappointing, this did not come as a surprise.
RZ 25-0934 was evaluated under the concurrent urban service area expansion and Residential 4 Comprehensive Plan Amendment Request as though those amendments have been approved.
I know this is confusing. This rezoning application is dependent upon the two Comprehensive Plan amendments (HC/CPA 25-03 and HC/CPA 25-04) being approved at the March 26th BOCC hearing.
What was surprising at the zoning hearing was a last minute addition of a proposed traffic signal at the intersection of Lutz Lake Fern Road and Barrie Acre Trail.
To summarize this application:
The applicant seeks to develop an approximately 316.66-acre unified development consisting of multiple parcels with the property boundary located west of the Suncoast Parkway off-ramp to Lutz Lake Fern Road intersection. The site currently has a borrow pit use on the property which will be terminated if the proposed PD is approved.
The applicant proposes two development options:
Option 1 comprises a 9.22-acre upland area in the southeastern quadrant fronting Lutz Lake Fern Road with up to 100,405-sf commercial and a maximum of 392 single-family residential homes;
Option 2 comprises a 9.22-acre upland area fronting Lutz Lake Fern Road with up to 100,405-sf commercial in the southeastern quadrant fronting Lutz Lake Fern Road with an RV Park.
There are two concurrent Comprehensive Plan Amendments, HC/CPA 25-03 and HC/CPA 25-04 to change the Future Land Use category to Residential-4 (RES-4) and expand the Urban Service Area (USA).
This application is by far the most intensive application Stephen Dibbs has filed to date. He is requesting 20 times the density currently permitted on the property. Specifically, he is asking for a 392 unit RV park and a 100,000 square foot shopping center (the size of a Publix shopping plaza). This development would add up to 10,000 vehicle trips to Lutz Lake Fern Road every day.
It is incompatible with the neighborhood uses and will have serious negative impacts on the infrastructure of our community. Our schools do not have the capacity to accommodate this many new students and our roads cannot accommodate all this additional traffic!
Please share this with friends and family in Keystone-Odessa, those who live off Lutz Lake Fern Rd including Villa Rosa, Cheval, Heritage Harbor and the Lutz community.
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