LAND USE UPDATE: DIBBS

Stephen Dibbs has initiated 2 private text amendments; HC/CPA 25-03 and HC/CPA 25-04. These amendments can be found at the following link Planning Commission Plan Amendment Site - Hillsborough County

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

(HC/CPA 25-03 and HC/CPA 25-04) were introduced at the Planning Commission meeting on Monday (3-10) and the BOCC Land Use Workshop yesterday (3-12)

All Plan Amendments, regardless of type, require a Public Hearing before the Planning Commission. The Planning Commission Public Hearing process is the same for all types of Comprehensive Plan Amendments. Subsequent to the Planning Commission Briefing, a Public Hearing will be scheduled with due public notice for the Planning Commission to consider the Comprehensive Plan Amendment and staff recommendation, receive public input, and take action.

At the Public Hearing, Planning Commission staff will make a recommendation on a finding of Consistency or Inconsistency of the Plan Amendment with the Comprehensive Plan. The Planning Commission may agree with the staff recommendation, amend the staff recommendation, or reverse the staff recommendation. The Planning Commission will make a recommendation based upon a finding that the Comprehensive Plan Amendment is either consistent or inconsistent with the Comprehensive Plan and adopt a resolution by a simple majority vote.

Once the Planning Commission has completed the Public Hearing for a Comprehensive Plan Amendment(s), the recommendations are transmitted to the Board of County Commissioners.

The first of two public hearings has been scheduled.

The first public hearing has been scheduled for Monday, April 14th at 5:30pm at 601 E Kennedy Blvd. This is the Plan Hillsborough public meeting.

We ask that you send an email denying both amendments. Even though these two amendments are intertwined, they are each assigned a planner.

You can use the below letter or write your own.

Emails should be sent to: kellyk@plancom.org; hemingway@plancom.org

Subject line: 4-14-25 Public meeting re: HC/CPA 25-03 and HC/CPA 25-04

Deny HC/CPA 25-03 and HC/CPA 25-04

This location is in Keystone-Odessa and falls under the Keystone-Odessa Community Plan. And while Keystone-Odessa abuts both Pasco and Pinellas Counties; we are located in Hillsborough County.

The Keystone-Odessa Community Plan was established in 2001and reaffirmed in 2011.

 Folios 12940,0000, 12944.0000, 12939.0000, 12933.0000, 12934.0000, 12937.0150, and 12937.0000 were purchased in 2004. Folio 12935.0000 was purchased in 2014.

Urban Area Expansion would allow the extension of utilities into Keystone. Our community plan addresses no utilities in the rural service area. Last year, we as a community fought to be exempt from the (HC CPA 23-18 HC) County Water and Wastewater Policy) Amendment. We held a public meeting with Plan Hillsborough representatives on February 15, 2024 at the Keystone Park and Recreation Center, presented to Plan Hillsborough BOCC at a public meeting on April 8, 2024 and in a unanimous vote from Hillsborough County BOCC at a public meeting on August 8, 2024; were exempted from this policy. 

Deny HC/CPA 25-04

Throughout the years, this applicant has attempted to change the zoning of this property, the use of the property, attempted to widen surrounding roads – all in direct violation of our Keystone-Odessa Community Plan.

At the Land Use public meeting on February 13, 2023, the Board of County Commissioners approved SU-LE23-0498 for continued land excavation of the borrow pit on this property.

The borrow pit on this property showed a total surface area of excavation of 63.43+/-acres with significant wildlife habitat.

Per Michelle Heinrich , Executive Planner at Development Services “If the site is rezoned, the new zoning would address if the Land Excavation is still permitted or not.  In some cases, the new zoning may need to recognize land excavation operations that are occurring.  In most cases, the site is rezoned once the land excavation stops/expires.

HC/CPA 25-03 does not address this.

Prior to this application, this applicant applied for rezoning was 2022 - RZ-PD 22-1330. And while this application was eventually withdrawn, the reports from county staff still apply.

This property is also located in the 100 year floodplan.

This site is located within the Wellhead Resource Protection Area.

In 2022 County staff calculated the wetlands consist of 58% of the site. Land credit for wetlands is not permitted in the Keystone-Odessa Community Plan Area. This leaves the upland acreage only available for density purposes. Upland acreage noted at this time as 128.26.

An evaluation of the property in 2022 identified the potential existence of significant wildlife habitat as delineated on the Hillsborough County Significant Wildlife Habitat Map. A portion of the mapped upland significant wildlife habitat appears to have been destroyed during the land excavation activity on this site. The remaining area must be preserved and the impact of Res-4 zoning would be catastrophic.

Lutz Lake Fern Rd. is rural 2-lane roadway.

There is no current Residential-4 (Res-4) zoning in Keystone-Odessa as this density is counterproductive to the very heart of the KOCP to eliminate sprawl in our community.

This owner was unsuccessful when he sued Hillsborough County to be exempt from the Keystone-Odessa Community Plan. (ref 15-10152, 8:12-cv-02851-CEH-TGW)

In 2008 and 2009 Dibbs made applications to opt out of the Keystone Community Plan and join the Lutz Community Plan. Id. at 113:10–14. Under the Lutz plan, Dibbs would have had more freedom to densely develop his property. Id. at 113:10–14. Dibbs' requests were denied. Id. at 114:5–17. Dibbs did not seek judicial review of these denials. Id. at 115:13–23.

Dibbs also sought to be included in an urban service area and requested a clearing permit for a wildlife habitat. Id. at 115:24–116:20. These requests were denied and Dibbs did not seek judicial review.

It should be noted that Dibbs and/or his representative attended meetings regarding adoption of the Plan and the Plan update.

“Similarly, the county’s refusal to allow Dibbs to build a dense residential development on his Lutz Lake Fern Road property is rationally related to its goal of protecting the area from urban sprawl.“ (pg 5 of the lawsuit)

Our vision statement has not changed: 

The Keystone-Odessa community will continue to be a rural community, embracing its agricultural past. Its continuing desire is to be an open area that: values nature above commercialism; dark, star-filled skies at night above the glare of urban lights; and, the sound of crickets and frogs above traffic noise. Blessed with many lakes, wetlands and rivers; and dependent on water wells for survival, these will be supported to ensure their continued health. Protection of water resources will be paramount.

Rural roads that transect the Keystone-Odessa community will remain in their present form (two-lane local and collector roadway connections for movement without entering major arterial highways), freely used by community residents.  Urban design standards and/or traffic generated by surrounding high population centers are not to degrade the community’s country roads.

Deny HC/CPA 25-03 and HC/CPA 25-04

Beth White

Vice President

Keystone Civic Association