KCA Land Use Updates 9-29-2025
- Sep 29, 2025
- 5 min read
To our Keystone-Odessa community,
I cannot stress how important community involvement is when fighting against developments that go against our community plan. Those of us who live in this community understand the importance of our natural resources, our desire that development decisions fit in our rural community and the resolve needed to keep the Keystone we love.
We MUST show up at land use hearings, zoning hearings and most importantly, Board of County Commissioners’ hearings when it affects our community.
The BOCC looking out and seeing 50 to 100 Keystone residents in the audience at a county meeting is a powerful statement that we care and are willing to fight for our community.
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For those of you who saw the signs and were unable to attend the public meeting regarding the proposed Wellhead & Surface Water Protection Amendments, there is still time to make your voices heard. The updates will result in changes to the existing Wellhead Resource Protection Area and Surface Water Resource Protection Area maps. We ask everyone to speak AGAINST these proposed amendments. You have until Tuesday, September 30th to respond.
In a time when our fight to preserve our natural resources should be expanded, these proposed amendments do the opposite. And with the ill-conceived and badly written SB180 in place, it is reckless for Hillsborough County to dimmish these natural resources to allow more development rather that protect them. If you do not wish to take the survey online, please respond to:
Kim Cruz
Environmental Supervisor
Environmental Services Division
P: (813) 276-8370
Hillsborough County has been silent on addressing SB180. Other counties are looking to litigation and the Winter Garden City commission is being proactive by drafting an ordinance to combat Senate Bill 180. This ordinance would provide a new process where an applicant can apply to revert to an earlier version of the city’s land development code and/or comprehensive plan if the applicant provides a good-faith argument as to why a new city (county)-initiated amendment is “more restrictive or burdensome” to the proposed development application. The ordinance would allow an authorized applicant for a development order file an application with the city to have the version of land development regulations and/or the comprehensive plan existing as of Aug. 1, 2024, apply to and govern the development order application. Hillsborough County should do the same.
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Hayfield at Van Dyke Rd/Tobacco Rd
Final decision to accept or deny the major modification (MM25-0808) of development of up to 153 townhomes by D.R. Horton goes in front of Board of County Commissioners on Thursday, October 16, 2025 at 6pm. This zoning runs concurrently with the two urban expansion amendments: HC/CPA 25-11 and HC/CPA 25-12.
This proposed development of townhomes by D.R. Horton goes against the Keystone-Odessa Community Plan.
The Planning Commission voted to deny the urban expansion into Keystone as this proposed density, environmental destruction, reduced water conservation, increased traffic and overcapacity of our schools goes against the Comprehensive Plan and the Keystone-Odessa Community Plan.
Applicant claims the property is not appropriate for single family residential due to its proximity to the Suncoast Parkway and the office development across Tobacco Road. Van Dyke Farms, a community of single family residential houses have been in existence for 30 years with no issues.
A portion of this site contains wetlands and a portion of the site is in Flood Zone AE which indicates a 100 year floodplain. Per the Keystone-Odessa Plan: density calculations for clustered developments in the community will be based on upland areas and no density credits will be assigned to wetland areas for new development.
This application calls for approval of an interim wastewater treatment plant on the
property, as county utilities are at capacity. The location of this wastewater treatment plant is within the Wellhead Resource.
· A new interim wastewater treatment plant located within the Wellhead Resource Protection Area Zone 1, shall meet Advanced Wastewater Treatment (AWT) standards and other regulatory requirements for Community Wastewater Treatment Plants.
A wellhead protection area is defined as the surface and subsurface area surrounding a water well or wellfield, supplying a public water system.
Based on the traffic analysis and information provided by the applicant and the Planning
Commission, there is not adequate capacity to accommodate the additional generated trips.
The proposed changes to this land would have an impact on HCFR as additional dwellings would increase call volumes and response which could require the department to add an additional unit (Rescue/Ambulance) to the Van Dyke Road Fire Station 34.
The MOST important thing we can do at this point is show up to the BOCC hearing, even if you are not speaking. Having 50-100 from a community at these hearings is a very strong voice to commissioners when we fight a development that goes against the Keystone-Odessa Community plan.
We also ask that you contact your county commissioners to ask that they deny MM25-0808, HC/CPA 25-11 and HC/CPA 25-12.
October 16, 2025 at 6:00pm, Frederick B Carl County Center, Second Floor, 601 E Kennedy Blvd, Tampa FL 33602
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Commissioner Harry Cohen (District 1) CohenH@hillsboroughcounty.org
(813) 272-5470
Della Cury (Legislative Aide) CuryD@HillsboroughCounty.ORG
Lidia Manresa (Legislative Aide) ManresaL@hillsboroughcounty.org
Commissioner Ken Hagan (District 2) HaganK@HillsboroughCounty.ORG
(813) 272-5452
Rich Reidy (Legislative Aid) ReidyR@hillsboroughcounty.org
Glory Burgos (Legislative Aide) BurgosG@hillsboroughcounty.org
Commissioner Gwen Myers (District 3) MyersG@hillsboroughcounty.org
(813) 272-5720
Wanda West (Legislative Aide) westw@hillsboroughCounty.Org
Commissioner Christine Miller (District 4) MillerC@hillsboroughcounty.org
(813) 272-5740
Casaundra Marion (Legislative Aide) marionc@hillsboroughcounty.org
Commissioner Donna Cameron Cepeda (District 5) CameronD@hillsboroughcounty.org
(813) 272-5725
Melonie F. Hoyt (Legislative Aide ) HoytM@hillsboroughcounty.org
Isabella Rose Pike (Legislative Aide) PikeI@hillsboroughcounty.orgCommissioner Chris Boles (District 6) BolesC@hillsboroughcounty.org
(813) 272-5730
Kathleen Yates (Legislative Aide) YatesK@hillsboroughcounty.org
Alana Skidmore (Legislative Aide) SkidmoreA@hillsboroughCounty.ORGCommissioner Joshua Wostal (District 7) WostalJ@hillsboroughcounty.org
(813) 272-5735
Maria Castillo (Legislative Aide) CastilloM@hillsboroughcounty.org
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VAR 25-0972 for non-permitted enclosed pole bard at Keystone Groves denied
8312 Cosme Rd, Odessa FL 33556, HC-CMP-0000499 - the owner has continued to ignore permit violations in regards to the wall and property. A neighbor on Lake Pretty Dr is leading the charge on working with county officials on this issue.
Please contact BOCC if you see illegal activity. All pictures emailed to commissioners must be date stamped.
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Dibbs
RZ 25-0934 is the application for a concurrent rezoning that goes with amendments HC/CPA 25-03 and HC/CPA 25-04.
This proposed development of either an RV Park or Res-4 goes against the Keystone-Odessa Community Plan.
This application is for rezoning to either RV Park with commercial node or Res 4 with a commercial node.
HC/CPA 25-04 is an amendment to expand the urban service area in the rural service area of Keystone-Odessa. HC/CPA 25-03 is an amendment to change the density from Agricultural/Rural-1/5 (one home per 5 acres) to Residential-4 (RES-4). This land use categories allows for up to 4 dwelling units per gross acre and Neighborhood commercial, office or multi-purpose projects up to 175,000 sq. ft.
Currently we are looking at December time frame for RZ 25-0934 to go to the Zoning Hearing Master. However, this application continues to be changed and updated on an almost daily basis. There is a required two month time frame from the Zoning Hearing to the Hillsborough County Board of Commissioner Hearing where this application and urban expansion applications will be heard.
Ethel Hammer is leading the way on this project. We need to help her build an army to help defeat Dibbs. Please contact Ethel Hammer at edh@ehaplanners.com
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