WebEx public comment on Meadow Oak Development
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 Board of County Commissioners, Feb 7, 2023
The published PDF, as served by the county. This item is one entry in it.
The county’s minutes for Board of County Commissioners, Feb 7, 2023
The published PDF, as served by the county. This item is one entry in it.
What was said
Machine transcription of 17m of recording, with speaker names inferred from voice matching. 75% of 91 lines carry a name. It shows what was said, not what was decided, and both the words and the names can be wrong.
So the next thing we have is an eleven fifteen times certain. Um any luck on the citizens?
Yes, they are um going to call them.
Correct. So we'll we'll go ahead and give the first person a call. I think we're gonna use this phone here. Eric, do I just put a microphone up?
Hey Patty. Yeah. Hi, it's Joanna Chash Hier from Pasco County, which is texted. Yeah, good morning. Good morning. Um you are good to go. I ask her to t state her name and address for the record. You actually Patty, can you state your name and address for the record please?
Yes, I can. So my name's Patty April, Patricia April formally. I live at [address removed] here in the Lakeside community in Cup. And I'm speaking today on behalf of the Meadow Oak Development Project that's going to start behind me. Okay, she
may proceed. You may proceed.
Thank you. So my house was built a year ago and when selecting a lot to build my home on, uh I knew I wanted one that had some privacy in the back with no houses behind me in the views of nature. So when looking at the lot, I selected what was called a premium lot by our builder, which cost me several thousand dollars more for the lot. Well I can't change what the builders did to us. They did sell us so called premium lots, stating they would never have homes directly behind us. My lot in particular has this one amazing tree, and I know I'm not on
camera now, but I was hoping you could see the view. It is the focal point from the center of the property. We have a lot of alligators, uh, one sunbase actually at the bottom of my property in the same in this grass. We have gopher turtles and birds and deer and whatnot. It's very peaceful. So getting to my point and why I'm speaking, like many of my neighbors, I was willing to pay the extra money for my lot to have this wonderful ambiance behind me. It's all going to be destroyed when the Meadow Oaks project starts. Well I realize I was what I was
told by my builder was a lot and it's of no concern to the Meadow Oaks development project. I want to offer up something to think about. So if my neighbors and I were all willing to pay the extra money for our lots because of this privacy, don't you think future homeowners of Meadow Oak would also be willing to pay more for the luxury of their privacy? A study by the Department of Art of Horticulture of Michigan State University, published in 2005 based on 16 different markets nationally, found that home values increased by 5 to 10% with
privacy trees and landscaping. List with Clever, which is a real estate listing firm, in August of 22 wrote that home values increased with privacy trees embedded in the landscaping by 7% for medium size and up to 11% for larger property. And if we consider the environment, it is a scientific fact that trees improve the air quality by filtering out harmful dust and pollutants such as carbon monoxide. Trees also provide shade that help reduce energy bills, which we know is high here in in
our hot summers. So tearing down all the trees reduces our home value, but it also can affect the future home values of those pro of the properties going in Meadow Oak. Additionally the cost to tear down and remove all the trees could be hugely reduced. So for all these reasons, I'm appealing to you today to retain at least a minimum of 20 feet depth of the trees from the property line between our communities. It isn't much, but we it will be something that both sides can appreciate. Please provide us some of the
privacy we pay dearly for, and in return those lots on your side get to be sold for more money for the very same reason that we pay for our lots. here and that's the pie that people. And that's all I wanted to say today. I should be about three minutes in. Yes,
it's probably.
Next one.
Yeah.
Hello?
Hi, this is Ellie.
Yes it is.
Hi Elliot's Joanna Cheshire from Pasco County. We're ready to take your public comment if you'd like to start by stating your name and address for the record.
Uh yes, good morning. Uh my name is Ellie Ardalani and my address is [address removed] And I reside in Lakeside community. Uh I'm sorry there's uh such an echo on the line, so I uh I hear myself.
I know it's distracting, but we can hear you fine.
Okay. Um the reason uh for my participation, me and my husband this morning is um we built this house two years ago. and um uh we chose the slot specifically because of uh the uh all the trees behind us. And shame on us to believe our um builder when we purchased the lot uh that that area behind
us was uh uh uh natural uh conservation and nobody would build back there ever. Um, we recently found out that that was not the case, that there is a development going up behind us called Meadow uh Oak Development. all the lots have already been designed and they're uh I I'm not sure exactly when, but they are going to build uh right behind
us. Uh and uh the way it's gonna be, it's gonna be our backyard to the backyard of um the lots on um in Meadows. I'm not here to uh shame again, shame on us for believing our builder, but my request is Uh if there was a way uh that the developer could leave uh a line of trees between us and the lots behind
us Um just uh for privacy purposes rather than all of us looking into each other's homes. And um a and I think it would make even their lots more attractive if they're a tree line uh rather than uh joining backyards. And um and I think it would cost the developer less if they leave some trees rather than having to um spend
money to take everything down. And not to mention some of these birds and, you know, uh nature would have some home rather than uh having all their homes destroyed. So um we had requested to meet with the developer and and the builder but um we were not granted that meeting so that's why me and all my neighbors that uh all alongside of NetBit and Newport
uh Drive, New Port Richey, w uh we are all gonna be facing um lots behind us. And so that's why we are here and and hoping that maybe uh you commissioners could hear this and somehow help us to achieve this. And that's all I have to say. Thank you. Thank you.
Are there anyone other else that was gonna be con in?
I know we just had the two that were active. There was the third one I thought saw listed, but I don't see you.
Field not completed.
Mr. Chairman
Mariano.
four more individuals that were supposed to be on WebEx.
If okay with you all can
be a little bit more.
We'll call it stuff. They were out of line up.
You've re
Hello. Hi, this is Tanya. Yeah, for sure.
Hi
Tanya, it's Joanna Cheshire calling from Pasco County. Um I'm calling for your public comment. We're having a little bit of technical difficulties.
Oh yeah, no problem. Thank you for calling.
You can go ahead and start by stating your name and address for the record, please.
Okay, it's Tanya Drumhiller and I live at [address removed].
You can proceed.
Okay. Um I would just like to submit uh to keep a twenty foot tree line between us in Lakeside and the Meadow Oak community. Um we bought this property because of the trees. Uh we were told it was preserved by the builder. We do love seeing all the animals and it's heartbreaking seeing the animals being displaced all over the area in general and I know that that comes with growth, um, but we do need to be conscious as possible. Um, I know what I'm asking for no one is able uh really to do for
some reason. it's to put people over profit. And unfortunately I know that that no one cares but those of us affected by this. So with that I would like the builder to try or the to ugh. Whoever is doing this to consider that we paid extra for this lot um for the property because we were told it was a preserve. So we just wanted to say that um I would assume that your buyers would for these houses would do the same and they m probably want some trees also. And
that is all I have to say.
Thank you.
Okay. Thank you. Do I just hang up or is there anything else I need to do?
Yes, we can hang up. Thank you so much. Okay, thank you. Bye bye.
Hey Denise, it's Joanna Cheshire from Pasco County. Hey, how are you? Good, how are you? Good. We're having some technical difficulties so I'm calling you for your public comment. Oh,
I don't have public comment. I'm just a you
know,
I work here so I I I h always listen to the board that way. I don't do a live stream 'cause there's always a delay. So Oh I apologize. County employee Denise County employee.
I thought I recognized that stuff
employees. a voice.
Thank you.
Okay, thanks.
Hello.
Hi, is this Rosemary? Yeah. Hi, this is Joanna Cheshire Khan from Pasco County. You had signed up for public comment? Yeah. Um we would love to hear from you now if you want to state your name and address for the record.
Okay, do I do it on my phone?
Uh yeah, no this is fine because we're having technical difficulties, so everyone in the boardroom can
hear
you.
All right, wonderful. Um, my name is Rosemary Robinson. And I live at [address removed].
You can proceed.
Okay, so um my backyard faces the trees that the builders are planning to uh cut down. And um I moved in last August And one of the selling factors was the view from my backyard. Um I was assured by my builder, Inland Homes, that the trees would always remain there and the um homes uh will never be built. So that was a great uh plus in my decision to buy
the home. Um I know that the building project is moving forward despite this, and I ask the new builders to please retain a line of trees. for us here at Lakeside. Um it'll also be um beneficial for the builders financially by not cutting down all the trees and their new homeowners will also have their privacy as well as the homeowners here at Lakeside. And that's
all I have.
Can I ask her a question?
Oh we have a question for you. Mr.
Starkey.
Do you have any trees that you have do you have did you save any trees in your backyard?
Did
you hear the question?
No I didn't.
The question is, did you save any trees in your backyard?
I have one tree in my backyard, but the view past the pond that is there are all trees. It's just gorgeous.
And did your neighborhood save any trees along the buffer between your property and the property next to you?
Did your neighborhood save any trees along the buffer between your property and the property next to you?
Yeah, they're all Uh, all the trees are there. Nothing's been cut down. Uh in your neighborhood.
What about in your neighborhood?
Um no, no trees have been cut down.
Yeah.
Will you ask him for the
Okay, I'll ask it again. What's the name what's the name of your neighborhood? Meadow? No.
It's called Lakeside Community.
Okay. Did your did Lakeside Communities leave a buffer of trees between your property and the next door property? That's what I'm asking.
Yes. What what's happening is our whole entire block has a pond And then past that are all trees. So that's the view that we're looking at and some some of the homeowners were even charged more for buying their home because of that view.
Thank you. I'm just gonna go to the property appraiser's website for my answer. Thanks.
Okay. Thank you. Thank you for your comment. Thank you. Terry if you're welcome. Hi. Terry if you if you would I'd like to get with you on this. We'll kinda look at the two neighborhoods back to back, get with the people. It's my district, so uh maybe I'll be meeting up with the people, but let's go take a look and do a little research first. Okay. Thank you. All right, that's the end of public comment. From those in line? Okay. All right, so now we're gonna go to committee reports. Commissioner Oakley. Yes, sir.