KCA Land-Use Update for Tue May 13, 2025
- 5 hours ago
- 8 min read
Every time a Variance, Minor Modification or Major Modification is approved in Keystone; it sets a precedent and chips away from our Keystone-Odessa Community Plan!
Resources on Hillsborough County permits, public hearings and other information can be found on Featured Links on https://hcfl.gov
Important Dates:
May 23 Building Board meeting for Cosme Wall
May 27 Land Use Hearing for Cosme Wall Variance
June 9 PC Briefing: BOCC for Van Dyke Farms
June 10 Hillsborough County BOCC Meeting PRS 25-0236 (Distinctive Stables Modification)
June 11 Workshop for Van Dyke Farms
July 10 BOCC Land Use Hearing
July 14 PC Hearing for Van Dyke Farms
August 14 BOCC Adoption for Van Dyke Farms
There is a difference between rezoning and comprehensive plan amendments when a developer wants to change the density of what is allowed on their property.
We currently have two Comprehensive Plan Amendments in Keystone.
Neither are consistent with the Keystone-Odessa Community Plan.
Stephen Dibbs initiated 2 private text amendments; HC/CPA 25-03 and HC/CPA 25-04. These are map amendments to the Hillsborough County Comprehensive Plan
HC/CPA25-03 is to rezone 308.89± acres from Agricultural Rural-1/5 (AR 1/5) 1 unit per 5 acres to Residential-4 (RES-4) 4 units per acre.
HC/CPA 25-04 is concurrently submitting for the purpose of requesting an expansion of the Urban Service Area (USA) to include the subject site. This urban expansion would bring county utilities to this site. This is a large scale map amendment.
Van Dyke Farms, Inc. initiated 2 private text amendments: HC/CPA 25-11 and HC/CPA 25-12. These are map amendments to the Hillsborough County Comprehensive Plan.
HC/CPA 25-12 is to rezone 12.97 acres at 6720 Van Dyke Rd from Residential-1 (“RES-1”) to Residential-12 (“RES-12”).
HC/CPA 25-11 is requesting an expansion of the Urban Service Area (USA) for 21.73 acres which includes the 12.97 acres at 6720 Van Dyke Rd and the 8.76 acres at 17635 Tobacco Rd. This is a small scale map amendment.
Comprehensive Plan amendments : There are two types of Comprehensive Plan amendments which include Text Amendments and Map Amendments. Text amendments can modify, add or delete the text of the local government’s Comprehensive Plan. A Map Amendment can change the land use category on the Future Land Use Map within a specific jurisdiction.
Small Scale Map Amendment refers to a Map Amendment 50 acres or less in size and may include Text Amendments if specifically associated with a Small Scale Map Amendment.
Plan Amendment (Large scale) refers to a Text Amendment or a Map Amendment larger than 50 acres in size
Privately initiated text amendments to the Comprehensive Plan are permitted twice per year (i.e., January, cycle 1; July, cycle 2).
All Plan Amendments, regardless of type, require a Public Hearing before the Planning Commission.
Small-Scale Comprehensive Plan Amendment Adoption After receipt of the Planning Commission recommendation, the BOCC shall hold at least one advertised Public Hearing to consider adoption, adoption with changes, or determine that it will not adopt a proposed small scale Comprehensive Plan Amendment. A small-scale Comprehensive Plan Amendment shall be adopted by ordinance and will become effective pursuant to Chapter 163, Florida Statutes.
For amendments that are not subject to the small-scale amendment adoption process; there are two advertised Public Hearings. One hearing is for transmittal and the second hearing is for adoption.
Within one hundred and eighty (180) days after receipt of state reviewing agencies’ written comments regarding Comprehensive Plan Amendment(s), the BOCC shall adopt, adopt with changes or determine that it will not adopt the Comprehensive Plan Amendment. During the course of the second public hearing, the BOCC shall review the written comments received from the state planning agency and any other person, agency or government.
Dibbs Text Amendments Update:
On Monday, April 14th the Planning Commission found both amendments , inconsistent with the Hillsborough County Comprehensive Plan.
On Thursday, May 8th Hillsborough County BOCC, commissioners voted to transmit both amendments to the state for review. HC/CPA 25-04 was approved 6-1, and HC/CPA 25-03 was approved 5-2.
The planner in charge of these two amendments explained that commissioners almost always vote to transmit large scale amendments to the state for review. (The state does not approve or disapprove but reviews, sometimes with comments before sending back to BOCC for the approval hearing)
Unlike a land use hearing, each speaker is limited to 3 minutes per amendment but there is no 15 minute time restraint in total for opposition like there is in a land use hearing.
At this Thursdays hearing, those who signed up to speak had to sign up for each amendment separately. So each speaker was allotted 3 minutes to speak per amendment. However, county commissioners made the decision to combine these two amendments which left each speaker in opposition 3 minutes total to speak on both amendments.
If you want to watch the May 8th hearing, here is the link. We are at the end of the meeting.
Those of us in attendance at this hearing were disappointed with last minute decision to combine the two amendments limiting our opposition speeches to 3 minutes. We were also disappointed by commissioner comments.
THIS FIGHT IS NOT OVER!!!!!! The adoption hearing is the decision.
The planner in charge of these two amendments has informed me that Dibbs is going to apply for a rezoning (concurrent) to these amendments. This rezoning application will show us what he wishes to do with the property.
July 10th is the next Land Use Public Hearing. We do not know if this will be the adoption hearing for Dibbs or if the rezoning he applies for pushes back the adoption to later this year.
Van Dyke Text Amendments:
This plan is for up to 155 townhouses by DR Horton. This hayfield is located next to Van Dyke Farms on Van Dyke Rd and the Suncoast.
This property is already vested for county utilities.
This property was the site of the Live Local application last year. Here is the link to the Fox news story last year https://www.fox13news.com/news/keystone-live-local-affordable-housing-project-shot-down-hillsborough-county-leaders
We will be sending more information, including a suggested letter of opposition to membership.
If you have friends who live at Van Dyke Farm, please send me their contact information to kcavicepresident@keystonecivic.org.
Capitol Improvement Project:
CIP Project Number: 69679053- traffic light at Patterson Rd/Racetrack Rd.
Back in 2022, a CIP for a three way stop sign at this location was defeated based on antiquated traffic study from March 2019 (The study covered the period of 2014 thru 2018) and community outrage.
The county is now back with a new CIP for a traffic signal at this location.
Per the county, the County typically initiates a traffic study in response to resident concerns—in this case, a multi-way stop or traffic signal was requested at this intersection. Once the location meets the established warrants, the study findings are reviewed and approved by senior management.
Due to funding limitations, eligible projects are placed on our unfunded list until funding becomes available. For this project, the traffic study was completed in 2019/2020, and it was placed on the unfunded list at that time. Funding for project development was secured in the current fiscal year (FY25).
The project is now entering the development phase, during which we will conduct updated traffic counts, analyze recent crash data, assess feasibility and environmental impacts, and engage the public as part of our review process. Residents will have the opportunity to express their views and concerns during public engagement sessions. Specific dates and locations for these meetings will be announced as the project progresses.
Additionally, at the direction of our Engineering & Operations Director, Traffic Engineering collected updated traffic counts in November 2024 to ensure we are working with the most current data (please see attached file).
Since funding has been allocated for the development of a traffic signal at this location, the previously proposed multi-way stop project has been cancelled.
We know of NO ONE who wants a traffic signal at Patterson Rd/Racetrack Rd. This would be a nightmare with traffic and essentially cut off access for those who live off of Innfields and McGlamery Road.
State Senate Bills: SB1118 and HB 1209- CS/SB 1080
SB 1118 was stopped in committee, but McClain added a revised agricultural enclave proposal to SB 1080, which was another bill he had sponsored. The new language would have allowed a public hearing and commission vote, but only to determine if the land fit the definition of an agricultural enclave. If it did, the land was cleared for development.
SB 1118 died.
SB1080 was adopted: Requiring counties to specify minimum information necessary for certain applications; revising timeframes for processing applications for approval of development permits or development orders; prohibiting a school district from collecting, charging, or imposing certain fees unless they meet certain requirements; specifying certain purposes for which local governments may use certain fees to carry out activities relating to obtaining or finalizing a building permit; requiring municipalities to specify minimum information necessary for certain applications, etc
Variance Request: (12011 Gunn Hwy/Cosme) Unpermitted wall
The owner has put in a variance request for the wall that currently encompasses the property.
25-0598. The LUHO date has been set for May 27th
A yellow sign is not up at this property yet. Must be posted 30 days before the hearing
Violations on this property:
12011 Gunn Hwy/Cosme (zoned ASC-1 Agricultural Single Family Conventional)
HC-CMP-24-0000499 (wall)
HC-CE-25-00045
HC-BLD-24-0065566
During the site visit on April 2nd, county confirmed that construction on the cited structure has ceased and the structure has been removed. A low wall, approximately 2 feet in height, had been built around the existing tennis courts; this would not require a permit. Additionally, some electrical work, irrigation, and a drinking fountain have been installed.
The Code Compliance case will be extended until after the LUHO hearing scheduled for May 27, with a decision expected within 30 days of the hearing. The Notice of Violation will be amended to include the newly identified violations.
Code Enforcement will also be extending their case to allow for the variance decision to be finalized.
Violations:
HC-CMP-24-0000218 (12425 Tarpon Springs Rd). Owner has changed zoning to R-3 with no permits.Unpermitted wall, steel structure and house- Record Status: Awaiting Compliance
PID 6506
Keystone Crossing - Project 6506
11206 & 10208 Tarpons Springs Rd, Odessa, FL 33556
Folios 1342.0040, 1342.0150
Developer wants to include a smoke shop in this oversized shopping plaza
• Dental Office @ 2,002 SQUARE FEET
• Medical Office @ 2,625 SQUARE FEET
• Smoke Shop @ 1,500 SQUARE FEET
• Sit-Down Restaurant @ 2,010 SQUARE FEET
• Coffee/Donut Shop with Drive-Through Window @ 1,872 SQUARE FEET
The site is located at the southwest corner of Tarpon Springs Road and Jorene Road
The entrance is off of Tarpon Springs Rd (2 lane) and Jorene Rd (local).
The corner of Jorene and Tarpon Springs Rd is an established bus stop for Hammon Elementary school!
PRS 25-0236
This application is out of order and is to be continued to the June 10th, 2025, BOCC Meeting
Distinctive Stables
16601 Boy Scout Rd
Currently zoned PD
The property is zoned Planned Development (PD 21-1338), permitting a 29-stall public horse stable (boarding, riding lessons, and sales), a single-family home, and an accessory dwelling.
This is a minor modification to the PD request to change the approved location of an accessory dwelling unit (mobile home).
Applicant wants to add 15.5x58’ mobile home to property.
This would go against our KOCP with the addition of another dwelling. Our KOCP states 1 unit per 5 acres and this property is 9.7 acres.
Greystone at Pretty Lake PI 7001 Administrative Variance: April 21, 2025 LUHO
Decision: The January 10, 2025 Administrative Decision that denying the Administrative Variance request to waive the requirements of the TS-7 typical section of the Hillsborough County Transportation Technical Manual is AFFIRMED.
This means the developer at Greystone at Lake Pretty LLC either builds 10 houses instead of 13 or they pay to widen Cosme Rd.