Public comment on items not on agenda
What the county recorded
This item is not from the published agenda
It is a stretch of the recording that this archive identified as a separate matter — a call to order, a recess, or something taken up that the agenda does not list. There is no official title, no staff recommendation and no disposition, because the county never recorded one. Everything below is inferred.
The source document
The county’s agenda for Planning Commission, Sep 18, 2025
The published PDF, as served by the county. This item is one entry in it.
What was said
Machine transcription of 22m of recording, with speaker names inferred from voice matching. 82% of 136 lines carry a name. It shows what was said, not what was decided, and both the words and the names can be wrong.
So before we start the meeting, Uh we'd like to open the meeting for public comment on any items. That don't appear on the uh agenda today. Is there anybody here to speak on something that's not on today's agenda? It's not on today's agenda. Okay. Please give your n come up, give your name and a and your address, please.
Alan Rose, [address removed].
Okay, before you go any further. Uh anyone who plans to give testimony today or ask questions today, if you'll please stand and raise your right hand and be sworn.
If you plan to speak, we need you to be sworn.
You swear upon the testimony. Yeah, this is just all that we got.
I do.
Okay. Documents for the board.
Yes, uh we have a motion to receive and file. So moved. Second. Okay. Feel free to distribute uh give one to the clerk, please. And then you can distribute the rest.
I just you Wilshire armor. Yeah, it's no problem.
Thanks very much.
All right, so we'll need your name and address then. It's
Alan Rose, [address removed]. Okay. [address removed]. Just bringing this to your attention because I think you I don't know if you're aware of it or not, but things we've discussed in the past and have come before you in the past. I've won, we've won, the community has won. And a five to zero vote from you. Pushed forward, but when it goes to the county commissioners, it is not recommended. And if somebody overrode you, that's what this First email I copy of, that's what you
have there. Someone overrode you and said, no, we're gonna approve this, putting 23 townhomes in back of people's houses and 30,000 square foot of commercial property. Just wanted you to be aware.
We we're our we're.
I was never I didn't have n well not all that we went through to get come to you and to go the right way and to win. And then we lost. Oh we haven't lost yet. That that's as far as that goes. I just wanted to bring that to your attention in case.
Well let me just explain to you that this board is appointed. By the by the Board of County Commissioners. The county commissioners obviously are elected. They're the ones that are most responsible to you. What we do is we listen to what you have to say and then we make a recommendation. Um we we do we can approve certain things, variances and things like that, but when it comes to zoning items like that we can make a recommendation and it's up to the board. to decide if they want to listen to our recommendation
or if they got a better idea. No. Uh, that's how it works and that's why sometimes we get overridden and, you know, we just have to suck it up.
And then most recently I brought to the board um stormwater management and between
Little road. Bloon Lake Road, fifty-two, and ridge road. A basin, storm basin, is being created because of all this development, the continued hardening of the shoreline. Just recently I was back there and I watched Rockies sink, fill up faster than I've ever seen it fill up, and flood backwards into Bass Lake. Usually it's mid so we go from golden acre. Last Lake, Rocky Sink is the and then we have the spillway, and then we have uh Hidden Lake. Well, Hidden
Lake has been sold. Who knows what's gonna happen there? I'm sure it's gonna get rezoned and built on. Uh the uh spillway, the top part was not open, and we flooded out because Rocky Sink flooded back into us. And I mean it was going like a river. I went out and observed that. Instead of us going to Rocky Sink because of all the hardening between Lowe's and the new VA, that water doesn't flow like it used to flow. Now that all that water just went in and filled Rocky Sink and came right back into us. And put about 40
properties. Houses didn't go underwater, so you're not gonna have flooding reports. What properties? All the grazed lands, people have moved their their their their animals and whatnot because one to three acres of the property were underwater because of this. And I brought the Stormwater and Stormwater's working on it. I just wanted to bring that to your attention. Yeah. This is the right-of-way.
Okay.
If you have anything else, real quick, we'll listen.
Just real quick. Uh this is something I've been working on. It's by DEP. It's an impaired basin. It covers that area. So we have to be cautious when we do this construction. We need to do it all, I understand, that's progress. But just know we have impaired water basins that need to be considered. Thank you.
Thank you
very much. Can I ask you a question?
Sure.
Well do you understand what an impaired basin is?
Absolutely.
Okay, so what does that have to do with flooding? Because an impaired basin has to do with pollution in the base.
And why did that happen? Because of a lack of f flow. And the lack of flow through Uh The creek and uh and the Cody River both are impaired and they're listed as impaired by DEP. And it's because they're not flowing and I can
I'm having a hard time understanding in one sentence you're complaining about the flooding and that there's too much flow and now you're saying there's not no flow and that's causing impairments.
Exit. Yes.
If you can clarify what
Sure. A proper flow on the Cotee River will take our waters down the spillway and they go to the Cotee River and now. Cozy River does not flow right now, up on the in the northern sections. It was all the way up to uh Uh Cruise Lake. And that whole water basin. Is not floating. The same with Bear Creek. If you go from Little Road. On to up to five eighty nine on the West
side of five eighty nine where it goes up to. It doesn't flow. And that's what's caused, because it's now flowing, all the everything from all the farmlands and all the everyone flows down and holds, and now you have all the pollution and everything's held because it hasn't flowed properly. So you have a contaminated water basin. Thank you.
All right. Any other questions? No. No. Okay. Thank you very much.
Sorry. Mr. Chairman we have more individuals signed up for public comment. Mr. Rose here was the first. Okay. Next would be Ms. Bartneg. And I apologize if I mispronounce that.
Hi, I live at um my name is Julia Bartunik and I live at [address removed] in beautiful Pasco County. Um I would like to share one minute about maintaining the aesthetics of Pasco County. Later I will be sharing on P25. But I just want to say some of the newer developments in Pasco County and the lower socioeconomic housing developments, um I've heard some people,
some residents say that they look like eighth ward housing in Chicago. And a lot of the newer developments are just ugly to me. They look like socialist or communist block housing. We can do better than this aesthetically in beautiful Pasco County, especially in the northeast rural areas, central Pasco. Angeline is beautiful aesthetically because they save the trees and beautiful environments around it. They even have
community gardens and such. We need just because there's an area that's a lower socioeconomic housing development doesn't mean that it should not meet the standards of aesthetics for Pasco County. Thank you.
All right, thank you. Any questions?
Okay. Well we thank you very much. You didn't need to be so nervous. Mm-hmm. I said, don't be so nervous. Oh yeah. We're we're nice. We're nice guys here.
Okay, who's next?
Mr. Chair, the next item, the next individual signed up for public comment is a Lisa Bacarius.
Okay.
Good afternoon. And thank you for listening to us here. It seems like everyone has the same agenda about our trees and our beautiful Pasco County. And we're nervous because
before you get started,
I I don't
want to interrupt you, but we just for the record we need
your
name and address.
Oh that's
right.
I'm
I know you've been sworn. I thought you swear.
Lisa Bacaris, I live at [address removed]. [address removed].
Thank you.
I just have a comment about our trees and our beautiful um landscape here in Pasco County and all of Florida, that we're all experiencing this massive development and all this destruction of our woodlands. Our woodlands are not just land. They have risen from our soil like a living cathedral. Giving every creature the breath of life. To destroy the trees is to silence That sacred song. So just keep this in mind. We
all live here. We all enjoy this beauty of our land. Let's try to preserve it as much as we can before it's too late. Thank you.
Thank you. Anybody questions? Okay, well let me just say that we are also concerned about that, especially lately. And that's why we're in the process of developing uh Some new ordinance is relative to the trees. So we can have more ki tree canopy and they can only just go in and wipe trees out. So we're we're aware of that, we're working on it. Okay.
Anybody else have comments up here? About it? Okay, who's next?
Sir Chair, the next individual signed up for public comment is a Sheeran Naby. I apologize if I'm mispronounced.
We have your name and address, please.
Sharin Nayabi. Ugh, I'm really nervous. I don't do a lot of things.
Okay, take a couple of deep breaths and take your time. Speak slowly.
Okay. Sharin Nayabee [address removed]. Do you need my zip code?
No, not necessary.
I'm actually here um to make you aware of there's a parcel of land um that Uh Is on the corner of Camry and Gulf Trace. I live in Gulf Trace community and it's about 35 acres. That's for sale. And it's a thriving gopher tortoise habitat. And I didn't know if you guys were aware of that. Next door, they had built the Harbor Palms, which was also a gopher
tortoise habitat. And I know they're supposed to be relocated. I believe they're protected, but uh they were not. And so I kind of wanted to get ahead of this land. It's been for sale for probably I think at least four years. And it's also has a lot of electrical transmission towers on it. So I didn't know if you guys were aware of that. I don't have any pictures. I could get those because I mean the whole land is just covered with go for tortoises.
Right. Yeah. They I there is a relocation process. Okay. And the any developer would have to pay to have this re relocated. Okay. So and it If he you know, if if they go in there to develop it, they're gonna have to do that. That's a that's a requirement that they do those kind of uh studies to show how many
turtles are on the property. How do we find out if they actually did it and didn't just bulldoze it over?
When when a developer applies for a permit here at the county One of the things they're required to Submit is a listed species survey. To determine if there are any endangered or threatened species that occupy the property. and then as a condition of approval of the development when when it's finally approved. The county withholds their permit until
they produce copies of the permits from the appropriate state and federal agencies Demonstrating that they're going to relocate in the case of gopher tortoises, relocate the the gopher tortoises in accordance with state and federal law. And so all of our permitting records are public record. You can request them from the Planning, Development and Economic Growth Department. I think the natural resources department is the one who handles the Listed species surveys, but
copies of those are all available and I can assure you that it is a condition of approval of every development. They will not issue your your site placard that is your license to go r start running the bulldozers until you've proven That you've got the appropriate permits and done the appropriate relocation or mitigation.
Okay, so someone does check up on them that they've done it. Okay, great.
For the development,
I just
think that's
the guys were aware of it.
Permits in that case are issued by the FWC, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. And it needs to go through an authorized GoPro Tourist agent who's a license a permitted licensed uh professional.
Okay. I had called them and they had come out and so I just like they weren't sure about the land that had already been developed. So I just thought I would just bring it to your guys' attention in case Thank
you. Yeah if
it's been developed it has to go through that permit process. Now it's not to say that somebody before applying for a permit couldn't illegally go on there and move gopher tortoises uh on there, but if you see something like that happen that's reportable to the FWC and it's illegal. Yeah.
How long ago was that other
property developed?
Probably about three years ago. Okay.
And where's this property you're referring to?
Um I'm sorry it doesn't have an exact address. It seems to be on the corner of Cam Camry Drive and Gulf Trace Boulevard. Okay. It's thirty-five acres.
Okay.
And it's been for sale for a long time.
Doesn't have any legal access. It's been through my office a dozen times.
It's a crazy parcel of land.
So
Are we good? Thank you for your time. I really appreciate it.
Thank you. Appreciate that.
Next Mr Chair, we have one more individual who Who doesn't did not designate the item number? So if Melanie Lamberson is for public comment.
Yeah.
And Melanie, could we have your name and address?
My name is Melanie Lamberson. I live at [address removed]. I'm not in your county, obviously.
You've been sworn.
But I'm a very close neighbor.
You've you've been sworn? Did you swear? Okay. Over here, I'm over here.
Um
okay. I want to talk about land uh the tree mitigation. Um it apparently the process is that it goes from uh being trees that we can see and appreciate to some distant swamp that we aren't going to be able to see. And appreciate and uh that has a really big impact. On a
person who is just driving down the road and sees these developments one after the other without a single tree and also warehouses, they apparently are not required to have any kind of landscaping whatsoever. And they're there's just these great big concrete blocks, massive. And uh I just I just think that there should be more trees dispersed around the county
where people can enjoy them and appreciate them. Um
Uh I guess
Would anybody up here like to
see
that?
So also i how does it ha who monitors it, you know, like I was reading through it and it says, you know, if does if the developer cuts down ten massive oak trees, they have to uh buy ten massive oak trees in some distant other place.
But who who even monitors that?
Yeah, well there there is a tree ordinance in place now, but we're trying to improve the tree ordinance so that we do keep more trees and that's the we've we've recognized that's an issue. And we're trying to deal with it now. I'm sure. Some of the engineers that are on this board here might have comments about About how that works and the three ordinance is somebody like to comment on that. Mr. Engel was
Another suggestion that I think is really great.
Yeah, I I just
Hi, uh David Engel Planning Economic Development Director. Just uh overview I don't know if your mic's on. Yeah, I I'll get up here. Do you mind man? Oh, sure. Thank you.
David Engel, Planning and Economic Development Director. So we have a multi-prong approach dealing with our canopy trees. First step is um we've the board has passed a resolution increasing the fees to cut down trees in our county. And what that does is it incentivizes the developer to protect the existing canopy wherever possible. Number two, um we are working very aggressively. With a okay, I'm done. With a with a tree protection ordinance and by November
we're just refining uh our stakeholder engagement. We're gonna be back here with a draft to protect our trees. And uh number three Um we also send out we also provide on-site inspection. There's an Arborist report. and a tree a tree survey that on every project from now on going forward and we identify areas of mature canopy where we'd like to preserve, and we charge more money for cutting down those type of heritage trees. And
uh it stimulates and motivates preservation. And just to respond to the young lady regarding uh you know, warehouses and et cetera, every project in Pasco County, when it's constructed, has to meet our landscaping and tree standards. And um you may not be able to see 'em from the road, it depends on how far you are, but uh, you know, you just take let's say the Rooker project at Overpass Road in and um Old Pasco Road, there is extensive landscaping there and all of those
driveways will have trees on them. So and that's that's a requirement. Um I think there was one other question you had. No other question?
I don't know.
All right. Anyway, so um yes, it's oh on the use of funds. Um we um the board now has opened up the spigot to use these tree mitigation funds to get canopy coverage throughout the county. So uh we're we're actually providing shade trees and understory trees along our right-of-way and our corridors, public properties, parks, etcetera. So you're gonna see uh millions of dollars go out with new tree canopy plantings very shortly. Matter of mat you know, within the end of the year we'll into the
planting season we'll be going to begin. Thank you.
Thank you, David. Appreciate that. Good deal.
I j I was just going to say that possibly another way to uh have it so that we can see more trees other places would be to uh financial incentives to um landowners to preserve trees and uh to to plant. It seems like if they thought they were getting a tax break that people would get out there and plant some trees.
Thank you. Thank you very much.
Anybody else?
Mr. Chair, that was the end of our list of individuals signed up for public comment.
Okay. One more. Oh.
We missed one.
First signed up
at the
Yes, my name is Joyce DeFalco. I'm at [address removed] in [address removed]. I just want to ask that you please support and save our trees because it does support and save wildlife. And when you destroy our beautiful trees, you destroy their habitat and it kills our wildlife. And that's very cruel. So please keep all the trees intact. Thank you.
Okay. Welcome.
Okay, any comments from up here? If not, I guess we can go to the remain regular agenda.