PDE-26-7901

Published agenda

3 appearances between Jun 11, 2026 and Sep 22, 2026, at 2 boards, continued 1 time.

No final outcomeEvery appearance was continued or left without an outcome. Nothing in this archive shows it decided.

Official title

Zoning Amendment (Consent) – Mitras Family Extended LLC/Mitras Project – Change in Zoning from an A-R Agricultural-Residential District to an R-4 High Density Residential District – West Central Pasco County – West side of Kent Grove Drive, approximately one mile north of State Road 52 – Containing Approximately 40.96 Acres

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Jun 11, 2026 → Sep 22, 2026 · click a mark to jump to that appearance

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Each appearance carries the official title above. Where the county’s wording changed, the change is marked: added and ~~removed~~. Steps with no marks were worded identically.

TranscriptWhat was said at each appearance is below it. Machine transcription, with speaker names inferred from voice matching. 94% of 224 lines carry a name. It shows what was said, not what was decided, and both the words and the names can be wrong. 2 of the 3 appearances are not in any recording, so what was said at those is not here.

1Jun 11, 2026
Planning CommissionPC8Public hearingNo outcome in the minutes
Open this item →No recording
2Aug 25, 2026
Board of County CommissionersP51Public hearingContinued
Zoning Amendment (Consent) – … of Kent Grove Drive, ~~approximately one mile north~~ Approximately One Mile North of State Road 52 … Containing Approximately 40.96 Acres
Approved minutes
Approved to continue to the September 22, 2026 Board of County Commissioners meeting at 1:30 p.m. in New Port Richey by roll call vote.
Open this item →
1h 1m
Jack MarianoChair
Aye. Okay, so we'll go back to P51. Would staff like to present?
Amy Heiler
Good afternoon, Amy Toll with Planning Development and Economic Growth. Just for the record, item P51, there were expartes that were sent to the clerk's office this morning, and we did receive a letter of opposition that we submitted as well.
So, this item is a rezoning petition from a Euclidean rezoning from AR Agricultural Residential District to R4 High Density Residential District. The future land use is Res 3, residential 3 dwelling units per gross acre. And the applicant proposes to develop the property with a maximum of 77 single-family detached homes located on the west side of Kent Grove Drive, approximately one mile north of State Road 52. Two. Here's a general location of the county map. It is located within the Central Market Area.
Here's an aerial view of the subject site.
A context map showing proximity to various MPUDs being Talavera to the east, 52 Groves to the south, we've got green fields over along Shady Hills Road, and as you can see it is north of State Road 52, just west of 41.
Future land use is res three, residential three.
And the existing zoning is AR Agricultural Residential?
And the proposed zoning is R4 High Density Residential District.
Some of the findings of fact, the subject site does consist of approximately forty point nine six acres, developed with one single family mobile home. On approximately ten acres, there's a Category One wetland. The proposed access to the property is from Kent Grove Drive, a residential county maintained roadway with approximately 30 feet of ride-of-way. There's an additional 20 feet of ride of way that will be dedicated, and current access is via Hamlin Road, a 25 foot wide privately owned and maintained easement. The applicant volunteered
into a deed restriction that is in the packet, uh to uh cap the density at seventy seven dwelling units, um resulting in a gross density of under three dwelling units per gross acre, which is what the future land use would have permitted. The deed restriction also has a $375,000 contribution to Kent Grove Drive improvements, which was previously discussed and agreed upon between Public Works and the applicant to contribute that for the roadway improvement. There's
a railroad disclosure warning to potential noise, smell, and visual impacts to the owners of the properties when it's platted. And then monotony controls and additional landscaping and buffering requirements were also imposed. The subject site is not adjacent to any trails and there is a 10-foot wide multi-use path about one mile south of the subject site along State Road 52. And with that we work we recommend approval of the requested zoning amendment. And I'd be happy to answer any additional questions. you may
have.
Unidentified speakerVoice A
Amy, could you address um we've received an objection about the notice?
Amy Heiler
Correct. Yes. So we did receive an objection about the notice. The objection stated that Talavera request to have the entire Talavera to be noticed. We did confirm that the noticing that was submitted is in accordance with our code. They submitted within or they were required to notice within 500 feet. They noticed within 500 feet. Two of the Talavera properties fell within that 500 feet, which were owned by the CDD, and they were noticed.
Unidentified speakerVoice A
Okay, and were the signs that were posted in accordance with the code as well?
Amy Heiler
Correct. The signs were posted on their subject site um in accordance with the code. Along the frontage of the roadways.
Jack MarianoChair
Okay.
Any questions for staff? Okay. We'll have the app again. Thank you.
Clark Hobby
Mr. Chairman, before we get started, I don't believe we've had the reading of the zoning uh stuff or the swearing in.
Unidentified speakerVoice A
Well we don't read zoning procedures anymore, but we transfer people in then.
Madam Clerk
Alrighty. You would like to speak at any of the items in this afternoon, if you could please stand, raise your right hand.
Do you swear or affirm the testimony you are about to give is the truth, so help you God.
Clark Hobby
I do.
Madam Clerk
When you come to the podium to speak for the record, please indicate whether you have been sworn, state your name and address, and spell out your last name. Thank you.
Clark Hobby
Mr. Chairman, Clark Hobby, Hobby and Hobby, PA 109 North Brush Street, Tampa, Florida, I've been sworn. Here on behalf of the applicant. And as you heard from staff, the the subject property that we're dealing with is about uh 1.1 miles north of State Road 52. Uh it's off of Kent Grove Drive. The subject area. Is part of the central market area and it's part of a larger
area of res 3 that really covers the entire area. I suspect we didn't have a lot of opposition opposition at the Planning Commission, but I have a feeling that some of the neighbors are here today, and some of them may have lived here for a long time. But if I might just take a second to describe the area uh around the site. Maybe if we go back one slide to the closer in aerial that would help. The lots that are primarily south of and to the west of of our site.
uh were cut up and sold as part of an unrecorded subdivision that predates the comprehensive plan. The lots were sold mostly in the mid to late seventies and early eighties. They're larger uh right now than than we're proposing. They're but most of them are around one acre. Some of them are a little bit bigger, some of them are a little bit smaller. But at the time the the subdivision was done, the county didn't even have a comprehensive plan. And so the subdivision itself
is what the property appraiser refers to as a mobile home subdivision. It doesn't have mobile home zoning, but there are a lot of manufactured houses and legacy mobile homes in the area, and that's fine and and and so on and so on. so forth. But what my client's dealing with is a site that has res three on this whole area and has been res three for some time. And the reason why that's important is that's your guiding document and that's what
tells us that we have to follow for folks who are building new projects since the comprehensive plan was adopted in nineteen So on our site, it's about 40 acres gross, only about 32, 33 acres are upland. So when you do all the density calculations, it would allow 102 units. We have voluntarily agreed to cap our units at 77, and we've also agreed to go with a minimum 60-foot
lot size. In the res three area of this portion of the county, uh sixty foot lot sizes have been found by the board to be appropriate again and again. Uh that's true in Talavera and recently the Mosquito Control Project. Uh the Mitchell project on forty one uh is also in this same area of the county and has allows for even smaller lot sizes. So we feel like we're being really
responsible with what we're doing here. But I think it's important that the board know and and are reminded that the board adopted policies creating the central market area and adopting this specific language I'm about to read in 2011. Part of the Central Market Area establishment contains a policy says that Pasco County shall encourage development in the area between US 41 and the Sun Coast Parkway, north of 52, as
shown on map two-19, which includes that area. The reason why that was done is the county realized even as of 2011. that the county has significant infrastructure already built to serve development in this area. And we anticipated that the Suncoast Parkway would have a growth area that would emerge over time. And that's happened. And that's what you see on the MPUD plans there. We have done a number of things to
make this project compatible with our neighbors and following the criteria for doing so. They're in the comprehensive plan. We have limited the form of access. We have upsized the buffers on two of the four sides. Two of the sides are bounded by a wetland system that can't be built and will be a nice buffer to our neighbors to the west and to the north. And in addition to doing things like that, the we realized when we started this project that Kent Grove Drive
at the time was in a really bad spot. And we worked with your staff to create a mechanism where the staff could use its paving mechanism through public works to get the job done and get the road repaved. It's sorely needed at the time. That was done about a month ago. This um excuse me, the zoning lagged a little bit, but we are still going to pay the county $375,000 towards the cost of repaving the road, which is significant given that
we only have 77 lots. Just a reminder, we're in the central market area, so we're not in a county adopted rural area. The county has four adopted rural areas that have different criteria that have to follow. This has never been in one of those rural areas. The county has planned for this area to grow, and the county also has adopted policies that says when you're in res 3, you have to have public financial. facilities if you have more than twenty-five lots.
Even if we didn't rezone this property today, our existing zoning is AR and we would have more than 25 lots. So we're gonna have to have public water and facilities and we've been working with Pasco County Utilities on where the points of location are likely to be. But I it is unreasonable for someone to think that we would, for instance, have one acre lots here and then still have public facilities, which is what the comp plan would would require. Again, we're
only seeking our four 60-foot minimum lots, and we have capped it 25% beneath what the comp plan says we're entitled to. So we feel Like we're being good neighbors. We've tried to work with county staff and we did have a community meeting on it, but it is unreasonable to assume that someone's going to have public facilities on if someone is suggesting one acre lots or above. That is that's not reasonable, and that's rural sprawl, and it's not a good use of the county's infrastructure.
So I'm happy to listen to our neighbors, but we feel Like we've got a great small project here that will add the benefit of bringing water and sewer on this side of the railroad tracks at our expense. So that if people ever do want to redevelop in Kent Grove in that area, they can tap into County Sewer as an amenity if they if they want to. So happy to answer any questions you may have.
Jack MarianoChair
I'd like to say, Clark, uh when we met with the with the applicant, um it was a good meeting. We talked about the issues I had at Kent Grove. That road's terrible going in there, was terrible going in there. Right. And I I thought if it's gonna come in, let's make it to a benefit of the community. Now they didn't have to do all this, but they did it and they've guaranteed it providing they get the the rezoning. But I want to say working with you was was very good. Um the association we'll hear from them as well, I'm sure, but uh I wanna say well what you did for that uh helped it facilitate, I appreciate it.
Clark Hobby
Board members might not know this area. It's in Commissioner Mariano's district. But immediately south of the site, there's an unpaved road named Orange Drive. And it connects over to a county park that's further to the west. And part of the reason why I think Public Works was interested in working with us to get Kent Grove paved is ultimately if we can make sure that the county actually has right-of-way along Orange Drive. Drive, we'd like to get the road paved all the way over to the park. That's just a a reasonable thing for county
to have as an amenity and for neighbors to have as an amenity over time too. So we're hoping this is the first step, and there may be other steps to help uh provide amenities for the area.
Unidentified speakerVoice A
Okay,
Jack MarianoChair
any
Unidentified speakerVoice A
questions?
Okay.
Clark Hobby
There's railroad track in between. Thank you.
Jack MarianoChair
Alright, we'll go to public comment. People signed up.
Madam Clerk
Okay. I'm gonna call three names if you'd like to line up, please. Jim McBride. Cody McBride and Scott Craig are the first three for P fifty one.
Ron Oakley
That'll be bad.
Jim McBride
Good afternoon, Commissioner. Jim McBride, [address removed]. Appreciate the opportunity to be out here to talk to you all today. I my main function for being here is to let you all know I'm adamantly opposed to small developments scattered out through the county that have similar facts and situation that you have here. And that is there's l th no approved of access for utilities. They talk about the work
that they've done on Kent Grove Drive. State Road 52 is six lanes wide with a divided highway coming from Shady Hills Road to 41. It's like a racetrack. So something needs to be answered about that at traffic control there. But my main thing is, ladies and gentlemen, is to tell you that I'm a 60-year veteran of that area. In other words, I've been associated actually with more than 60 years of out there boots on the ground in this same area, all the way
out to 52 and up to County Land Riche. And I can tell you there's a lot of other things going on in that area that we need to be considering in your decision for the whether to grant this particular authority. And that is over the years, what's been known as Ryals Branch, it's on the map there. It's over there on the other side of the railroad tracks in 41. And that is a drainage area for Green Lake, which is there at 52 and 41,
and drives under 52, over to 41, and then west. all along the parallel side on the north side of the real estate and development. Mr. Hobby clarified that that is a wetlands area there. And there's more, it's more than a wetlands area. When Kent Grove, when Mr. Kent bought that property, he came in and was going to put a grove there. And he all the neighbors around there were really concerned. The neighbors being Jim Williams, who had three boys that runs the sawmills
out there on 52, been there for years and years and years. Bradshaw Campbell, who had the Midway Farm and Ranch forever. And the other the real hero is Joe Chapman. It's Chapman service station there at the Florida 41 and 52. Now it's important. Let me just explain to you. I've been up and down that that uh Green Lake and Ram my father ha lived there on Green Lake, and th we've can confirm for you, I can confirm for you that the
water that flows out of Green Lake down the canal over under 52 and under 41. That comes into from the east side of that subdivision is critical to the whole situation in central Pasco County. And that's from the standpoint that the water that goes through there, if we have hurricanes, I've seen the water pouring out of Conerton over there. After several hurricanes, it goes down through. The right-of-way needs to be kept open and clear. There needs
to be a much bigger offset than the lot size that they've suggested. In addition to that, In addition to that, I would just appreciate you considering this long-term resident of knowledge and the importance of the environment and this in this subdivision.
Jack MarianoChair
Thank you. And thank you for your service of all these years and the value investment board too.
Jim McBride
Thank you.
Madam Clerk
Cody McBride?
Unidentified speakerVoice B
Cody McBride, [address removed]. Uh Mr. Hobby talks about uh utilities. Uh they've been working on getting utilities to this property for at least since November. Uh Talavera, the CDD, voted back in February not to grant access despite the offer of $40,000 to their utilities. Um there are no There there's no utilities in place. Mr. Hobby indicates that he's talking to public works. I would like
to see something definitive in writing. We're talking about uh a high density neighborhood. that is going to require city water and city sewer. I'm sorry, county water and county sewer. It's not in place. It's at least a mile away. It sounds like the applicant's not willing to pay for that. If Mr. Hobby can come up here and say he's worked for public works, and yes, we're gonna have utilities in place prior to the initiation of this neighborhood being built. There's
not much we can do about Uh I understand he talks about the guiding documents. I agree with it. I I don't understand the d I understand the documents. I don't agree with the documents, but they are in place and I understand those policies. But uh we talk about uh Having infrastructure in place before we uh approve developments. It's a classic example. Um I've spent time with Commissioner Mariano and Commissioner Weightman's. Thank you very much for your time and attention. Um we've addressed a number of issues. Not only the utilities,
but the uh the condition the environmental condition and a number of other things. I'd just like to reiterate uh thank you, Mr. Hobby and the applicant, for agreeing to pay $375,000, although that's not really agreement. That's kind of a a given fact these days with development. But that's only if he gets the develop the approval for the rezoning. If the approval is not granted, the county doesn't get the $375,000. The road is improved. The road is in better condition. I've emailed
uh Commissioner Mariano about my concerns with the uh the the method that the road was improved and the rough spots in the road. Already, after only being in place for a short period of time, Um and I understand that he's working with public works on that. Mr. Hobby indicates that uh you'd like to get the road paved from Orange Drive back to the Upper Piflacootie Preserve. which is a wildlife corridor, not really a park, it's a preserve. It is a wildlife corridor.
The wildlife also traveled down the Ryals Branch. To get to the Pethle Cuti. So this is a a a huge environmental area. I understand that from living there as just as long as my dad, boots on the ground. I used to bale hay on this property. I'm very familiar with the property. This uh this just doesn't fit into the neighborhood. Mr. Hobby talks about the the adjoining areas. All the adjoining Kent Grove areas are lots of a an acre or more. They
have septic, they have well. These are the salt of the earth people. These are tradesmen. They work hard every day. I appreciate your attention. I uh I hope you take my comments into consideration. The infrastructure is not in place. This should not be approved at this point in time. Thank you for your time.
Madam Clerk
Next up is Scott Craig, and then please follow him Timothy Helwig, Jan Elsie Brown, Janet Pratt, and Chris Campbell.
Scott Craig
Uh good afternoon. I'm Scott Craig. I live at [address removed]. Um to basically parrot what Mr. McBride and his father said, speaking for the community, I think our biggest concern is flooding. I think that's what we're looking at. 77 homes on 40 acres is going to create a problem. in our opinion. Mr. McBride is very familiar with Ryals Branch, the flooding that's occurred on Aaron Cutoff from the recent hurricanes coming off of the County extension. And
I think for the community that's our biggest concern. I think we'd like you to consider if you're going to approve this project for the developer. is to consider reducing the size of the footprint. reducing the number of homes from seventy-seven to say half. I think that in itself will satisfy two people, the community of Kent Grove and the developer itself. It is a wildlife corridor, it is a wetland, there is a preserve already there, and uh we're just concerned really more about some of the environmental impacts.
And how it could affect potentially our neighbors around us. I don't really have a lot of knowledge about the community. I've only been living in Ken Grove for about 16 years. I love the community. It's a great community. It's very family-oriented. And we are. We're just hard-working people. And we're not denying anybody the opportunity to move there. There. Agreed with Mr. McBride, it is a community that will be out of place compared to what we are currently at. So just take into consideration some of our thoughts and and
um consider what I'm requesting uh for my own personal is reducing the footprint from the 77 individual homes. to maybe cutting that in half. I think that's maybe a fair compromise for everybody. Thank you for your time. Like it.
Madam Clerk
Timothy Helwig.
Timothy Hellwig
Uh he made a good point about flooding before my name is Timothy Hellwig, [address removed]. I have been sworn in. He made a good point about flooding. Um I um I'm situated on a lot that is in the same contiguous flood zone A as that lot. So any fill activity that goes on in that lot will uh increase the flooding where my house is located. So that is a big concern. But I come up here with uh three different concerns, um already slightly mentioned. First of all, is looking at that area, uh this is
completely unprecedented. So so they claim the the lawyer here claims that uh oh there's uh other high-density subdivisions in the area. I want you to notice that every single one of those has direct access to a major road and it does not impact an existing residential. neighborhood. This one is completely different. They're planning to put a residential high density neighborhood uh off of a existing residential road. All ingress and egress to this uh new subdivision is gonna go in front of existing houses. Uh One
of which is a dirt road. Kent Grove is paved, uh, Lucier Lane is not, it's a dirt road, that is the north entrance and exit to this neighborhood, and it cannot be ignored. Uh anyone coming uh into or out of this neighborhood from the south, uh usually east and west, is gonna come up Kent Grove. Anyone going in or out from the north is coming down Lucia Lane Lucia Lane.
If uh the reason why that's an issue is every time a car goes up and down this road, uh they create a big cloud of dust. And now depending on the wind, that cloud of dust drifts over people's houses. And that's fine in a low density setting. It's it's it's part of the experience. If you're gonna pack a high density neighborhood in here and start routing all the extra traffic down here, I think you owe it to every single resident along Lucier Lane to make sure that that road gets paved, uh, like a proper uh high density road should be. Uh finally, and the biggest issue
is already mentioned, is there there are no utilities there, right? The uh the the planning document, the narrative document that's submitted online as part of this agenda packet, says that they are uh planning on pulling utilities from Talvera. Talvera has h held a vote. They said they will not uh connect utilities because they already are are struggling with their utilities. Their water pressure is so low, they can't hardly get their water usable. Yeah. So d trying to pull uh that water from them is an issue. uh that they've refused.
Um unless the developer here is gonna uh commit to bringing water all the way up can't grow from fifty two, he has no way to get utilities to this lot. Uh it doesn't fit. Um, I'd like to ask you guys to take that seriously and not just rubber stamp. uh are a rezoning that uh has no uh has not taken into consideration uh these issues behind it. Thank you.
Planning and Development staff
Thank you.
Madam Clerk
Jan Elsie Brown is next.
Jack MarianoChair
Tom. You can pull that down if you like.
Jamie Leisha Brown
Jamie Leisha Brown. I live on [address removed].
Madam Clerk
Have you been sworn?
Jamie Leisha Brown
This I strongly oppose Have you been sworn? The seventy seven home subdivision on the forty acres. I've lived in Kent Grove. She
Jack MarianoChair
said
Jamie Leisha Brown
she
Jack MarianoChair
had,
Jamie Leisha Brown
but
Sue Bolton
have you been sworn? Pardon? Did you say you were sworn? Pardon? Have you were sworn in? Yes I am. Okay. Thank you.
Jamie Leisha Brown
Sorry. I oppose it. I've lived in the Kent Grove Subdivision since nineteen seventy one. To start off with, Mr Hobby, we have lived on those roads since nineteen seventy one. So Orange Drive, Miniola. We're okay driving with them. I can't. Um it's that forty acres is going to severely impact the environment, flooding and wildlife risk. replaced in
the forty acres, have natural land with rooftops and pavements. will exponentially increase stormwater runoff into Ryals Branch and it cannot handle that surge. an adequate mitigation relying on the two small retention ponds that are gonna set up next to the tributary.
which is a major tributary which flows into um Cody River right there at the preserve. Is a recipe for failure during the heavy rains that we get? and the tributary does have Um does overflow every summer over Camp Grove Drive. Thank you.
the pollutants, the fertilizer, and the vehicle oils from the seventy-seven homes that they wanna build. Will drain directly into Ryals Branch Tributary and go right into the Cody River. and the wildlife destruction. Clearing that forty acres will decimate it. from the wildlife to the gopher tortoises bureau s burrows. as a threatening species, burying them and disrupting
their critical habitat and economical devastation and legally restricting. This commission must protect our watershed and our native wildlife by denying this high density development. to prevent downstream flooding and economical disaster. And also in Kent Grove, not everybody lives in a trailer. I live in a home. It may be a stick frame home, but it is a
home. Mr Hobby, Thank you.
Madam Clerk
Next up is Janet Pratt.
Jack MarianoChair
Okay.
No, we can't do for it. No.
Barbara Wilhite
Yeah, stand that ball.
Janet Pratt
Well
Jamie Leisha Brown
yeah.
Janet Pratt
I can't stand very long.
Jack MarianoChair
We ma' man we can get you a chair and a microphone.
Janet Pratt
Well, I don't have that much to say. Alright.
Madam Clerk
Mike.
Janet Pratt
Oh, thank you.
Madam Clerk
Please state your name, your address, and if you were sworn.
Janet Pratt
Okay. Janet Pratt, 17830, Orange Drive. I was sworn in. Thank you. And uh so I've been in Kent Grove probably since 12. So fifteen, sixteen years and uh the property that or it's is up there won't get them on Orange Drive, but it's like say two lot. We call 'em lots. We don't call 'em acres or whatever. It's like two lots away from me. and
they're gonna build all this And I feel it's gonna the water and stuff is gonna affect, you know, around it. I mean, you know, common sense tells you it's what's always happened. And I just feel like it's the wrong place. to build something like that. I feel like they're building wanting to build this and then they're gonna come after the rest of it, you know, because it's a rural area and they need it with the hospital has been built
over on uh Ridge. And I just feel like they think that they need this whole area to be incorporated and we need everyday farmplace. We need everyday people to live, workers. We're not the high-end, maybe some of them have money, but we're not the high-end people. But we're everyday people. We're people with neighbors that we care about and I put food out for people that don't have it. We have homeless living
in the back. We're just not Ready. And I just don't feel like the the the the That you guys are listening not only to us but other people as I've watched. You're not listening to our needs. I just that's the way I feel. I I just think that you should I gotta step out. We vote you in and we vote for a certain thing, but we don't feel heard. We just don't.
We don't feel like we're heard. And I just would implore you to listen to the people and not just the dollar signs. Thank you. Thank
Jack MarianoChair
you.
Madam Clerk
Thank you. Chris Campbell is the last one signed up.
Jack MarianoChair
Is there anyone else in the audience to speak? Please line up behind Mr. Campbell.
Chris Campbell
I'm uh Chris Campbell, [address removed], I've been sworn in. Um Just want to address pretty much there's not many rural neighborhoods left in Pasco Rural County and putting a neighborhood in the middle of a neighborhood really doesn't make sense, obviously common sense kind of deal. Um Everybody's shooting guns over the weekends. We got animals. Everybody's got chickens and goats and cows. And so they're gonna be calling about that when they hear gunshots every 10 minutes. Um also Kent Grove
Drive, right where the entrance of this deal is, every time it rains pretty decent, where the Ryals Branch is, it kind of goes under it right next to the entrance. It'll get this deep on Kent Grove Drive for hours on end, just flowing across. And it's paid, but it's gonna be on top. Top of it. So it's just all it's just gonna make it worse and everybody's pretty much covered the main stuff but It's a small neighbor it's a neighborhood in a neighborhood. It's just That's it. Thank you. Thank you.
Jack MarianoChair
Is there anyone online?
Madam Clerk
No one's signed up online.
Jack MarianoChair
Okay. We have one more person. This will be the last person. I didn't swear
William Lamb
in.
Madam Clerk
Okay, let me s let me swear you in. That's fine. Go ahead and raise your right hand, please. Do you swear or affirm the testimony you're about to give is the truth? So help you God.
William Lamb
Yes.
Madam Clerk
Your name and address for the record, please.
William Lamb
My name is William Lamb and I live at [address removed]. So my home has Ryals Branch running through it, my kids swim in it. I'm adjacent to the park, which is also a preserve. It's really a preserve. They used the m the money that was used to buy the park was penny f for Pasco. And then that's why there's a whole if you look into it, there's a lot of stuff going on about the road going to it, regular people not having access to the public park, because it's called a park, but it's really a preserve. It
was just a way to spend money probably. I don't know because I didn't live in Pasco at the time. I'm from St. Petersburg. I just purchased this home in this area because the area is rural, because there's not 77 homes in 40 acres in the area. All I can say is it's putting that many homes in this area is just gonna destroy everything. They spoke upon the wildlife. The property is loaded with gopher tortoises. I when I say loaded, loaded. Over fifty gopher tortoises because they're mating gopher tortoises and they're having babies,
which also live throughout the entire Kent Grove area. So I I don't believe you guys should even approve anything other than maybe five acre lots at the most. Most of that property all along Ryals Branch is all protected wetlands. I can't build on my property because it's protected wetlands. You know. I also live in a block home, not a trailer. It's a concrete home and I have a concrete detached garage. It's a very beautiful home in a country rural setting. That's why we moved there. And
I'd hate for you guys to allow them to destroy that for all of us. So And all I can say to add to it is whoever moves into that when they build it is not gonna enjoy being our neighbors because I shoot my guns every day. Okay. And that's why we moved here and that's what we the way we want to keep it. So I won't get rid of my property. And that's all I can say, so thank you for your time.
Jack MarianoChair
Thank you. Okay, that'll close public comment. Uh bring the applicant back up.
Clark Hobby
Mr. Chairman Clark Hobby again. Um I'm I'm gonna let Jordan Schrader speak to the Ryals Ryals Branch issues and floodplain and so forth. But I I do wanna say, you know, I am from an old Pasco family and I'm from the rural area of the county and I value what our neighbors are saying here. I can tell you we took that into account as we planned this community. We are not trying to get every single lot we could have asked for. We didn't ask for the smallest
lot size. We could have done an MPUD and asked for smaller lot sizes. We did not do that. We're trying to fit in as best as we can into the community. by making an a a substantial improvement to the community with the utilities we're gonna bring. and with the uh the payment we're gonna make towards the road pavement that uh just occurred. I will speak quickly as to the utilities. We are still working with Pasco County Utilities. We had a meeting with them last week about
the utilities. Um there were service issues in Talavera that PCU worked on extensively about a year ago. Right now the pressures, we've done recent pressure Tests and Talavera and the pressures are back up and the system seems to be working fine. We may or may not make a connection through Talavera. There are other areas along 41 where we make bring the utilities through. One being we could make a connection from the Mosquito MPUD that you Mosquito
Control MPUD that you all recently approved. That isn't the only place, but that kind of uh level of detail is dealt with prior to develop.
That's happened on almost every major project in the county. We don't go out and figure out at the time of a Euclidean rezoning where the lines are gonna go that happens prior to development. And we will have to solve that problem. If we cannot solve the problem, we won't be building a a subdivision. So that's the the onus is on us. Uh with that, I was gonna ask Jordan to speak to some of the environmental factors and and primarily the engineering and flooding concerns.
Jack MarianoChair
Then before Jordan comes up, um if you would while he's talking, if you talk to the applicant, um see if there's a lower number he'd accept. Um we may want to take a look at doing a trade-off to get bigger lot sizes in in in lieu of the three seventy-five for the road.
Clark Hobby
I I don't think we can because it's not just the three seventy-five, it's the comp plans requiring public facilities on the site, Commissioner. And so we would won't be able to afford the utilities that the comp plan's requiring. Even with the existing zoning.
Jack MarianoChair
I mean we've got a history of lots being a hundred foot wide that still have utilities and not having a problem.
Clark Hobby
You can't do it in the Res 3 future land use. If you have twenty five or more units in the Res 3 future land use, public facilities element says that you have to have public facilities.
Jack MarianoChair
No, I'm I'm looking to get those, but I'm just trying to
Clark Hobby
quickly We we won't literally won't be able to do the project, Commissioner. I just we won't be able to afford it. But I I will go back and talk to him how Jordan Jordan speak.
Jordan Trader
Good afternoon, members of the board. Jordan Trader, thirty-then West Azile Street, suite one fifty, Tampa, Florida, three three six oh nine, and I have been sworn. Um I think Miss Pratt said it well. She just wants to be heard. I wrote down everybody's notes here. I want to start with Mr. McBride. And again, we've met with the neighbors in Neighborhood Meeting a little bit of off topic, but I think the world would be a better place if there were more Jim McBrides in it. He is a good person and he comes he's lived there for a long time. He brought up Ryals Branch and Mr. McBride is right. Ryals Branch begins in the southeast
quadrant of 52 and 41, northwest side of Connor Preserve. It goes through Talavera, it makes its way under Kent Grove and out to the west in the Cody River. One thing about Ryals Branch, and one thing particularly about this project is because this is a new rezoning today, this project is now subject to new statewide stormwater treatment rules that exist. existing MPUDs do not have to comply with. Those rules require additional treatment, reduction of nitrogen phosphorus to help improve water riverine systems like this one, Ryals
Branch. So just know that by approving this MPU today, it is now subject, or this new, this Euclidean zoning today, it is now subject to new statewide stormwater rules, which even further treat the water before it enters Ryals Branch. On the quantity side, the flooding, Mr. McBride, but also when we get down to Mr. Helwick, they talked a lot about flooding on the opposite side. This project will go through both Pasco County and Swift Blood Review. One resident made a had a concern that they would raise the flood elevation. There are laws
in place both in the county as well as with Swift Mud where this project will not raise the flood elevation to any of these neighbors. So please let that be known that this project will and is not allowed to raise any flood elevation on any neighbors. One thing about the north side of this project is as everybody mentioned, it is Ryals Branch. It flows from east to west. One of the neighbors brought up a concern that this would contribute to the flooding over Kent Grove Road. This project outfalls west of Kent Grove Road, does not contribute to any water that goes across Kent Grove Road. So there's no way for this project to alter any flooding conditions on
Kent Grove Road.
On the environmental side, there were some concerns about wildlife and corridor preservation for Ryals branch that straddles the north. By approving this zoning today, this project goes through Pasco's formal plat process, which places a perpetual conservation easement over the entire wetland system to the north. So please note that everything, all of the wetland systems, including the buffers, will be placed in a perpetual conservation easement that can never be altered, that is different than other counties, but something we do here in Pasco. Yeah.
Make sure I caught everybody. I believe I captured everybody into really the flooding and the environmental straights. But if the board has any other questions from any of the members, I wrote down notes. I'd be happy to answer them directly.
Jack MarianoChair
Yeah. Mr. Webman.
Seth WeightmanVice Chair
Ms. Trader, Mr. Holly. So there's forty acres left in this neighborhood.
Do you know off top or does staff know off top of their head, I mean this is an island and it's surrounded. Do we know how many lots? Surround this This is a piece of property.
Clark Hobby
I don't have a direct count on Kent Grove, uh, Commissioner, but when we started this one thing I should have pointed out. uh earlier when we started the MPUD I did count the area and the number of units that we're accessing Kent Grove and it's surprisingly large. There's over two hundred. There are over two hundred residences that are accessing Kent Grove Drive. So we're about a third of that.
Seth WeightmanVice Chair
In the pieces in the in the road that's being improved. Which comes from fifty two going north. I'm assuming at least for our county staff that's the predominant route that residents in that area use to go to and from home.
Jordan Trader
Primarily south from fifty two.
Seth WeightmanVice Chair
Right. To get to stores or schools, wherever. Okay. So with utilities, um obviously if if if you guys aren't able to bring utilities in, then this project never comes to fruition. Correct. It'll continue to be be what it what it is. Right. Um so
It's interesting to see, I mean there's seems to be a lot of septic to sewer opportunity conversion in here, which when you talk about the health of the environment and our in our uh uh water systems that that's anytime we can have septic to sewer conversions, that's incredible. you know, a healthy opportunity for a water supply in our county. Um well and
Clark Hobby
Commissioner it's also good for the environment because there are obviously a around the county there are instances where we have leaching old septic fields. So over time we can convert this area if people wanted to connect to to get on the central facilities and avoid them.
Jordan Trader
Let me add to that. I mean
Commissioner
Weightman's our job to have a longer vision, right? And I realize for some of the residents that are here today, it maybe they don't want to get off septic, and I can understand that. This project reminds me north of Lock Street in Dade City, there was a big block grant improvement to repave the roads, bring in utilities, and it has changed that area dramatically. But we know there was there was challenge at the time. But it's helped improve that area. And I could see the same situation for this area by helping to bring in public water and sewer and eventually in time take people off septic.
Seth WeightmanVice Chair
Did you see where I'm going with that thought process, Chairman Mariano?
Jack MarianoChair
I I do, but I I want you to think a little bit more think about Foxwood. We just had open the fire station that we just opened there. Um that there had a special, I think, C D or not it wasn't a C D D but an MSDU of some sort where they had to deal with their flooding and roads, right? They're spending a lot of money from the growth that's around it. That's seems pretty appropriate. Has now built up higher than what the what they are around him and causes a lot of improvements
need to be made for the for all the flooding issues they have out there. Right? Yeah. We we've got some agenda items come up later on with the C D G D R where I got a community sea pines. I was just up there during um the other the storm on Sunday. And I go up there, it's a community that's set up pretty well. You got the old Dixie Highway on one side, you've got US nineteen the other side. They're in the middle of that. Uh there's some good retention areas, but there's a lot of marshlands around. And literally just with the little bit of rain that we had, um,
I got like two feet of water on a road called Lafitte, which is one of our projects. And I wasn't aware of water rolling over, which are why I think these public hearing is so important, of water rolling over C Pines Drive in that area, but I I wasn't aware of water going over Kent Rove. And that that bothers me, because if the water is over the roadway, it's gotta be in the streets beside, it's gotta be in the yards, etc. And granted, these stormwater rules, they do treat water quality, but they don't
do anything as far as holding water back more than, like we would were led to believe as far as quantity goes. With Swift Mud's review, it's good, but it doesn't protect what's around it. It protects what's right there on the property itself. So as much as Mr. Homby, I've been working with you very intensely on this, I thought with Kent Grove the residents would be real happy, but I'm really getting some reservations about this. I don't want to make the flooding worse than what's there, and the concerns I'm hearing for the residents seem to be pretty l pretty legit.
Clark Hobby
Well, if if I might, Commissioner, I think there's a little bit of confusion there. The area there we're talking about the water going over the road is north of our project access. That's not where where people are driving from this community south. This is north. It's north of our project. So we won't have any effect on that one way or the other. But I I I let Jordan testify, but it it's very clear some the community you're talking about and the community that's next to this were built before the current Swift Mud rules requiring that all the drainage
be retained on site. So that may be the case in Sea Pines. That was built before pre eighty five, but that's not what we're gonna have to deal with. It's not about water quality, just just about water quality. We can't increase the pre development flow of water onto our neighbors under the County and Swift Month rules. We cannot do it.
Jack MarianoChair
Uh you say that you cannot do it, but you know, we we've had these basins of special concerns when I first got elected. Tim Brooks was one of 'em, Trinity was another one. We put these rules in place because even the rules that SWOT put in place weren't enough to hold the water back. But this isn't a basin of special concern for the biggest.
Clark Hobby
Okay.
Jack MarianoChair
Yeah. What I and I the reason I bring up Foxwood is because that was an area that was had some issues with flooding, right? So it wasn't like it was never before. Right. But even with the other development coming in caused them to have to go spend even more money and us to go out spend more money to go fix The extra ground that was brought in that pushes water out to the side when elevations change. Because if you're not going to build to the same ground level here, that changes as well. And you can say it holds in there, but you have storm events that as they get higher, it goes. And let's face it, when we see the water coming from the
north, I'm not sure exactly where this comes from, but you look at the enclave when it starts up north in the enclave. By the time it gets down to Elfers in Trinity, that thing's not only taken over out of its banks, but it's taken over, you know, hope names and hope uh homes and neighborhoods right beside it that f that flow down. So it builds and like I said, everything's in a everything's a factor, even with the best rules in place, if a big event comes up, it can be different from what the rules say they're protecting you on.
Jordan Trader
One thing that's that's unique and and really neat in the residence about this area is if you look at the old aerials, it's it is a beautiful orange grove in the sixties, seventies and before the freeze in the eighties. And it is that way because it is high and dry. The south side of this property is a localized high point that drains into the the slough there. And what we found is a lot of these lots were platted before platters, so everyone owns into the wetlands. And they wonder why is my lot wet? It's because they own into the wetlands. They own the wetlands versus
today we set those aside and we preserve them. But I want that the most important thing I want to take away is that this type of property, that all that flooding is contained to the wetland system and the slough, and these orange groves are as much as 15, 20 feet, and the houses are well up above it. It's not like an old relic Cypress system that was cleared long before ERP rules in the 80s. We built houses too low. We've seen that out where there's road and bridge districts and they have roadside swales that are full of water in East Pasco because they're too low. That's not the case. You look at aerials here, these are old orange groves.
You'll notice the the Kent Grove is sandy and dry. Um they have dust in the dry season because that is the topography in the natural part of this area. Yeah. So I just want you to know that this is very different than other pre-84 subdivisions that have existing flooding conditions. This is not that case.
Jack MarianoChair
And I appreciate that. Let me throw this back to you though. Think about now that you get white sandy soils are up there. Before orange grows, they'd soak up the water. Now the sand just goes down. It's probably better than what it would be post-development. Development. Post development, you're gonna have how many roads, how much impervious surface is gonna be out there, and what's that gonna do for the effect?
Jordan Trader
We're actually working with we're actually looking at some percolation and treatment on this because of the new stormwater rule. So we're actually talking to Deputy Truett, head of DEP, and some other folks and you and starting to look into that on this one. So um and again, we're doing geotech so that we can perk water. Um we are making sure that there's no rise in the floodplain around us, that there's no impact. And uh and the water water quality will be improved as well.
Jack MarianoChair
Uh let me ask let me ask this question of the applicant. Uh and I did have I you know I appreciate that you guys have worked with us. I know Ken Crow, that roadway going in, has just been a disaster for years and years. A couple phone calls I get are continual. So you'll work with me. Staff thought so much of it, they push the project forward, whether this gets approved or not. Right. Uh you still got to deal with the the utility issue as well. I would like to take the time to actually go out there with you, with you with the residents. Go look let's go look at this thing over a little bit and then let's bring it back next
month back to us.
Clark Hobby
I commissioner, I don't know that we're gonna solve an engineering issue with you know, first of all, we're both layman, so I don't know what that's gonna offer to the equation. I'm always happy to do that with you. Can I first uh you you made another recommendation that if we let the three seventy five go so that we didn't contribute that, could we do an even larger lot size. And I did talk to to my client, Mr. O'Brien. He said we could
go to a sixty five foot lot, but and that will reduce the number of lots probably to like seventy five, seventy-four. But well, I don't know, maybe might it might be slightly less than that. But I I I think we have a great project, Commissioner. I will make this commitment to you. If you want to meet with me, you want to meet with Jordan, if this project, if the zoning goes through, I will still meet with you. I will meet with the neighbors with you. We'll tour the site. We will do everything with the McBrides to work with them
to make sure that we engineer this in the most responsible way that we can so that we do not impact the system going through there. I will do that. You have our word, our clients here. He's just a very trustworthy guy. He's been around the Bay Area a long time. We will figure this out with you. We will do the responsible thing. You have my word and Jordan and I will be out there with you.
Jack MarianoChair
Mr Arby, it's not your word that I I question, but in something like this, just w what we're looking at, um, if you'd spend the time with me and I spend all twenty two years working on stormwater stuff, I've seen a lot of things and my staff actually listens to a lot of things I have and we've solved a lot of things. I don't want to make the situation worse. If you want to give them the time for continuance.
Clark Hobby
I'm with I'm with you, but but my com uh Mr. Chairman, my only point being you're talking about an engineering issue. I don't believe that that's relevant to this zoning.
Jack MarianoChair
The flooding is the issue that I'm worried about and if if I can take a closer look at the situation around it, maybe so, but from what I'm hearing from the residents, it's different from um what I thought was out there and their concerns. Uh they're resonating and I think I wish you'd r give this a little bit of thought here, and I'll give you a minute if you want to take it.
Seth WeightmanVice Chair
Chairman Mariano. Commissioner Weightman. Examples of projects like this are going to come are going to become more frequent as more folks move here. These infill projects in these kind of rural, semi-rural communities. And they're going to be challenging to the residents. residence uh because it's change uh and challenging to the board, whoever the board is, to strike the right balance and what's healthy
for the existing neighborhood and also the needs of road infrastructure, stormwater, et cetera. And so this is an example, I guess this comments to staff uh with the good neighbor policies that we're working on, uh planning and development staff that you know uh with uh really understanding the history of the site. 'Cause every piece of land that's like this that's last to come in when everything around it's built built out and it's been that way for a long
time. It's it's going to be a challenge. It doesn't matter for which community, it's it's going to be a challenge for the board and it's going to be a challenge for them. We have to find a way to strike, you know, the the rights of the landowner and and their and what they're entitled to. with with their property. It's not necessarily their fault that they've waited whatever their circumstance is for if or when they sell their property. And this is just an example of that. And I think our county and our
staff uh needs to be become uh much more proficient uh in in how we manage um projects like this that that come in and working with residents and and whatnot. I'm not saying that there hasn't been. I'm just saying this we're gonna s we're going to see Uh more and more infill style projects like this coming in and it's gonna be bumpy. So
Jack MarianoChair
and I'll tell you Commissioner Weightman respectfully appreciate that because it is a struggle and then it goes all over the county. Um but what concerns me a little bit as well is I did meet with Cody McBride before we talked about this thought he had objections. I asked him to go back, work with work with the applicant, etc. C none consent. I tell you, I thought we had the thing resolved. Um at last month's meeting, uh two weeks ago we had the meeting at in Dade City, Mr. McBride and and Cody were both in the audience asking if it was going to be continued. I
showed 'em that it was going to be continued and they were comfortable. So to see it come back under consent, um, you know, I know I know staff's got this program from before about get it through, get it through, find a way to yes, but you know, sometimes we've got to step back a little bit. I've got a project coming up here in Denton that we're gonna be hearing in in a little bit. that I I've got some issues with how we brought that thing forward. So had this not been on consent, um, I'd probably be more much more comfortable with it. If it was on regular I'd been more comfortable with it. But Clearly
staff thought everything was okay. And the only time we put someone on consent is if everything's good. When there are no objections, because one person can pull it off. Like just to Mr. Yeager, she's got the other one coming right behind this. She's she had to go pull it, and she's got different play reasons why. And consent should be something that's smooth with everything taken care of. And this just hasn't been done that way. So because of the consent, I thought we were done. I'd have had this discussion with before. I won't I don't like doing this here. I'd rather work things out with you, the residents ahead of time.
So I'll ask you one more time. Do you want to continue this to the next meeting in New Port
Clark Hobby
Richey?
What if we brought the site plan approval to the board for its review? approval that way you get the same say so these are engineering issues commissioner and we have to make sure we do the right job on the engineering. So I'm okay and the client's okay with bringing that back to the board for its approval. Yeah
Jack MarianoChair
but I like having the board's got a little more flexibility at this point than they do after the next point. So I'd I'd rather
Clark Hobby
these really engineering issues Commissioner
Jack MarianoChair
Weightman.
I
Clark Hobby
realize that,
Jack MarianoChair
but it's people don't just go from the south coming up here. You heard they go up to the north too. So if I get a dirt road that's flooded out with water that's gone over it, washed it out, and I can talk about uh plenty of projects like that, it's not just going north south. This is going South to North as well. So I'm gonna ask you one more time. Can you continue this thirty more days till we bring it back to the public? So if
Clark Hobby
we continue it, that means that it will be the applicant and the board discussing the matter. And the resolution. So the public's gonna get another crack at it after they've already spoken?
Jack MarianoChair
Hold on. Yes. There's not that many people. Then if you've addressed with everybody, we get everybody calm, then everything's okay.
Seth WeightmanVice Chair
Chairman M has has there been has anybody seen a potential layout for site plan? We we provided one to staff. But has the resident seen
Clark Hobby
it? Yes, we showed it to them at the the community meeting we had.
Seth WeightmanVice Chair
'Cause sometimes the site plane gives folks a better level of comfort but um the resident commissioner is not comfortable here so
Professional courtesy to him.
Clark Hobby
I I we will agree to to a continuance. My my only concern is I don't you know, we've had a public hearing today. People have had the right to speak. I don't know why we would have another full public hearing.
Jack MarianoChair
We may have new information.
Clark Hobby
If they want to testify as to the new information, that would be appropriate, but I don't think it's appropriate that they're able to speak again and comment when they already
Jack MarianoChair
did.
Think about that. That shouldn't have this should not have happened this way.
Clark Hobby
No, I I agree. I don't know why it was on consent, Commissioner, because Mr. McBride spoke it that he was the only one I I didn't put it on there.
Jack MarianoChair
I had no idea.
Clark Hobby
Again, well let let's agree to the continuance for one month. And uh we'll work with you and your staff and go out and meet in the field and see what we can't learn to if there's some way to improve the project, we'll do that.
Jack MarianoChair
Very good.
Seth WeightmanVice Chair
Do we have a motion? Move second for um roll
Clark Hobby
call. Hold on one second, Commissioner Oakley.
Jordan Trader
Commissioner Oriana, we will need to get Commissioner Millary I'm kidding, but she lives up here to the north.
Clark Hobby
It it's okay to continue it, but Commissioner O our client is saying it's imperative that when we have this meeting that the county's stormwater people are out at at the site 'cause we need people with a technical extra you wish
Jordan Trader
to have out there. Okay. I'd like to go on record one more thing up just about the immediate concern. If you look on do you have the map back up? If you look at the map, I'm going to walk over here to point and try to talk loudly too. So subject property.
Unidentified speakerVoice A
We need to give it to a mic.
Jordan Trader
Subject property.
Subject properties here in drains northwest. Primary access is to 52. Secondary only is Lucier, not Kent Grove. To go to 41, you take Lucier. Only the residents to the north that live off Coon High that simply pass by this project use Kent Grove Road where the drainage conveyance is right here. So I just want to make it known that this is a pass-by condition that is not mature this project. We'll look at
Jack MarianoChair
see what we'll get we're gonna look at everything. Okay, thank you. Commissioner Oakley second, roll call vote.
Madam Clerk
District one, Commissioner Oakley. Aye. District two, Commissioner Weightman. Aye. District three, Commissioner Starkey. Aye. District four, Commissioner Yeager. Aye. District five, Chairman Mariano.
3Sep 22, 2026
Board of County CommissionersR4Public hearingNo outcome in the minutes
~~Zoning Amendment (Consent) – Mitras Family Extended LLC/Mitras Project – Change in Zoning from an A-R Agricultural-Residential District to an R-4~~ High Density Residential District … of Kent Grove Drive, ~~approximately one mile north~~ Approximately One Mile North of State Road 52 … Containing Approximately 40.96 Acres
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