Public comment Watergrass roads and Starkey cell tower
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, May 9, 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, May 9, 2023
The published PDF, as served by the county. This item is one entry in it.
What was said
Machine transcription of 9m of recording, with speaker names inferred from voice matching. 42% of 36 lines carry a name. It shows what was said, not what was decided, and both the words and the names can be wrong.
Here. Okay. Now is the time for public comment. Citizens are given an opportunity to comment on any current or future agenda item coming before the board and on other businesses under the board's purview. Today's public comment will be handled as follows. First we will take public comment for those who are here in person. Then we will take public comment for those who pre-register a WebEx link and currently on the queue. We request when you address the board, comments are not directed personally at a commissioner or team member, but rather directed at the issues. This
provides mutual respect between board members and the public. After stating your name and address for the clerk, a three-minute timer will act be activated. After two minutes, a single beep will indicate you have one minute left. When your time is up, two beeps will sound and you should close your comments. WebEx participants will be disconnected automatically when their time is up. Mr. Clerk, do we have anyone signed up for public comment?
Yes, sir. We have one in person and two online. Calling now Tammy Cook.
Okay, in in person.
Good morning. Good morning to the board. Thank you. My name's Tammy Cook. I live at [address removed]. First, thank you to Vencat and Panos at Traffic Operations for everything they're doing to help Watergrass with the damages to Old Bridge Road. We're very grateful for the geotech study being done, the traffic studies, and the no trucks ordinance on the agenda to be presented to the board today. Speaking of the no trucks ordinance, once it's put in place, where can I find that ordinance number to provide to the Watergrass CDD board?
Will there be a flashing sign trailer put up until the permanent signage is in place? I'd also like to inform the board that it has come to the residents' attention that the residents of Watergrass and the CDB board has now paid $7,000 in repairs to the manhole cover on the corner of Overpass and Old Bridge Road because that road is too narrow for semis and oversized trucks to make that turn. It's been damaged or destroyed. Three times now, so again, thank you very much. Second, what is the interim plan for the I-75
traffic from exit 282, Overpass Road, that was supposed to be routed from the interstate exit to Highway 301 using the Overpass extension? Since the interstate exit opened five plus years before that project might begin, how will traffic traffic operations be working to route the exit? Of traffic using that exit exit. Wesley Chapel is now one of the fastest growing communities in the region with projections estimating a population of 93,700 people by 2024. May I
propose that this project be moved to the earliest possible start date? The population density growth has already warranted that. An additional concern with the overpass extension not being completed is noise pollution. Does Pasco County have a noise ordinance for decibel limits allowed for road noise caused by traffic in residential zones? If so, can we request a noise pollution study in the affected areas of Watergrass and Eberson as concerned citizens in this area? The additional thousands of homes will
produce thousands more cars on the road. Within these two communities. It's our understanding that Newport Ritchie has strengthened their noise ordinance in residential areas. The ordinance sets the limits at 55 decibels from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. It drops to 50 decibels from 10.01 PM to 6:59 a.m. Does this ordinance also apply to Wesley Chapel? The traffic noise in Watergrass and Eppers Epperson currently far exceeds these limits. Also, are there noise ordinances for mufflers, the use of jake brakes
in residential areas, etc.? Who enforces that when drivers are in violation, if so?
Okay. Thank you. Before you leave, if you would talk to Brantford. Brantford if you would.
Speak with her about the uh manhole cover and the and the issues with that and then the resident commissioner I'm sure will address your concerns with you. But thank you for bringing it forward. And anyone else in person? Want to address the board? Okay, and we have two on Q.
We have two in Q. Uh Serena Arnold.
Serena Arnold.
Good morning.
Yes, we're hearing you now.
My name is Tony Arnold. I live at [address removed].
And I would like to express my deep opposition to the proposed cell tower located at my children's school. I have read through section 1002 Wireless Communications Facilities of the Pasco County Land Development Code, and I would like to point out several areas of concern.
Communication facilities have defined development standards that the applicant must demonstrate before approving a conditional use permit.
Demonstrating that there are no co-location opportunities, performing a visual impact analysis. Finding RF information. Parking and access plan and screening and landscaping requirements. Also, the development standards encourage the compatibility of wireless communication facilities with the surrounding land uses and protect the community's attractiveness, health, safety, general welfare, and property values. Current agenda item that the Board of County
Commissioners will be considering The only land lease for Vertex development. Granting land rights via the approval of the ground lease, the developer without requiring the developer to demonstrate compliance with the current land county land use code is getting the cart before the horse. At a minimum. Vote on this ground lease should be held off until the complete land use application package has been submitted and deemed complete by county staff. Further,
the proposed location of the cell tower on Starkey K8 school grounds does not and cannot meet requirements outlined in the current Pasco County Land Codes, development land codes. Location standards for the placement of new towers require that adverse Visual impact on the surrounding area is minimized. Proposed location will have a high degree of negative visual factors, including one, a large amount. The wireless communication facility will be visible
from normal view. Two, wireless communication facility design, material, location, and size will readily catch and hold a viewer's eye when viewed from normal views. Three, wireless communication facility will be in normal view of a person in a moving vehicle for more than a short period of time. Four, the wireless communication facility will be readily identifiable as a wireless facility by an average viewer. Five wireless communication
facility when viewed from normal views will appear out of place in the area. For these reasons, I am requesting that the BOCC remove the Starkey Ranch K H cell tower vote until the county has fully vetted and approved this project. Thank you.
Next person.
And our last person uh in queue, Aaron Strom.
A uh Aaron's troop?
Hi, can you hear me?
Yes, I can now. Go ahead.
Great morning. My name is Erin Stroop and I live at [address removed]. I am also a resident of the Starkey Ranch community. As Serena mentioned, accompanying the adverse visual impacts of the proposed tower will be the reduction of surrounding property values. The National Association of Realtors noted a 2018 article, Wireless Towers and Home Values, an alternative valuation approach using a spatial econometric, published in the Journal of
Real Estate, Finance and Economics. That the negative impact on homeowners surrounding a cell tower is nearly a 10% reduction in value. To be clear, we support the responsible placement of wireless communication facilities to support our community's economy and quality of life. However, the proposed location does not meet current county land development codes and will have a negative impact on the brand new neighborhood, which is the number one master plan community in the community. and the surrounding
community members' life investments. There are many other options that can and should be considered that will provide a solution to all parties involved. We are happy to provide each of you with options and discussions with experts in this field to come up with the most responsible solution to solve any communication needs facing our community. I am requesting that the Board of County Commissioners remove the Starkey Ranch K through eight Salthower vote until the county has fully vetted and approved this project. Thank you very
much for your time.
Okay.
Let's for public comment.
Yes. That is the last.