Commissioner committee reports
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.
What was said
Machine transcription of 25m of recording, with speaker names inferred from voice matching. 87% of 116 lines carry a name. It shows what was said, not what was decided, and both the words and the names can be wrong.
Okay. Thank you. All right, two committee reports. Commissioner Oakley.
Well, I had a good week last week, celebrate my anniversary. Inversion. Yeah. I'm sure y'all had a good time back here while I was on cruise. Um I'm here today to tell you all that we've lost a good friend in Scott Grant. He passed away last Wednesday. Um Scotch. I lived in Pasco County for a long, long time. First started off in uh Zephyrhills Police Department, then moved
from there after after a few years with the Zephyrhills Police Department on to um um the Pasco County Sheriff's Office and then served there for till his end of his service for law enforcement for thirty four he served thirty-four years total. Um I had him in I think it was during my first term I had him come and meet with us in Dade City at the historic courthouse, he and his wife
Scott really was um he was a person that I mean if You You hadn't seen him in months. You'd see him one day and it was like you just saw him yesterday. I mean he's that type of person and Very good. Believed in um doing things for others and and really working hard for for the people of Pasco County. And I certainly appreciate his friendship and Oh and he and his wife after he retired from the police department or sheriff's department, he um decided
to I guess he had a face and a beard for being Santa Claus, so he became Santa Claus. He felt that every child needed to receive A Um
joy and laughter and fun through through seeing Santa Claus during the merry seasons. He he really um went out. This was he and his wife, his wife Jackie joined him as as Ms. Ms. Claus. And they I mean they were just very beautiful people in what they did around and brought a lot of joy to Pasco County citizens. Um they stay very, very busy in this role. But if you will let Joe mean just a um uh
a moment of silence for them and I will end it when it's time.
Amen. Okay, and uh there's a copy here and I'm gonna put it on my uh Facebook page also. His services will be held this weekend, I think on the twenty eighth. And um
If anyone was interested, but I'm gonna also put it on my uh Facebook page so people that'll see it that like me might have been out of town or something didn't realize and I didn't realize he had the issues he had, but He passed with uh the th the hard fight with cancer. So Okay, that's all I have.
Okay. Commissioner Weightman. Well, I'll start off with two happy anniversaries to the Oakley's and to the Starkey. Happy anniversary. Um last week we had a wanna thank school board and uh Superintendent John Legg and Megan Harding and um the principals and the teams at uh Lynn Angeline Academy, Mary J. Elementary and Shady Hills Elementary enjoyed No schools are meeting meeting the staff there and uh got a firsthand look of of just the needs in the
area from sidewalks and turning lanes, just very nice turning lanes uh going in off of shady hills to help relieve some of the traffic challenges that we're having there. So very much appreciate. the school district for inviting me to tag along for some tours for the day. And the balance of my time, I just think it's important to be a broken record again and and bring up three nine nine. Did you talk about three ninety nine while I was out a little bit? We briefly talked about brief briefly,
not much. Well, it's important. Um there's some some strong stipulations in there, any property under 100 acres, which is the vast majority of the properties I think that we'll see in our county. And um curious to see what we can do to uh make sure that projects that come in uh Are good projects for our county and how to protect the due process rights of the neighboring properties. Since the language infers that uh even
if the project's not compatible with the neighboring property, those neighbors don't have an opportunity to say anything. That's crazy. And so due process has seemingly been taken away from those neighboring residents. So Uh Mr. Golstein, if if there's any other details you'd like to to share on that or if you haven't gone through your review of the whole bill. Um Uh that's important because it's gonna shape how we make uh decisions on projects into the future, I believe.
Well, I mean it definitely requires more specific standards when it comes to compatibility. Um Yeah, arguably some of s some of these standards you've already started because for example, some of the stuff you've done with PM twenty six and forty foot lots would arguably comply with Um with this bill, but then there are some standards that you probably would need to add to your Complane and Land Development Code dealing with compatibility. And if you're gonna deny
a project based on compatibility, you certainly have to have more objective standards under this bill. Um one of the biggest preemptions is one that we discussed while you were out, Commissioner. Is that you now have to allow mobile homes in single-family zoning districts. Previously that preemption only applied to modular homes, and now it applies to mobile homes. So that's a new preemption. Um
but in terms of In terms of your normal review of MPUDs and rezoning, I would say probably the compatibility requirements are the biggest change in the law.
You wanna expound on so is it is it confirmed that um uh neighboring property owners they don't have the opportunity to speak against the project.
No, I w there's nothing in there that says that they don't have an opportunity to speak against the project. It's it's more that if you're going to deny the project based on compatibility, it has to be based on objective standards, objective compatibility standards. So you can't And presumably if the residents are going to object, they would have to be citing your objective compatibility standards. When they when they go to object
to the project. So it requires more objectivity when you deny a project based on compatibility.
This will be
tough. Yeah, the language that says references to community character or neighborhood feel are not sufficient in and of themselves to support the denial of an application on compatibility grounds. Gets after the
when the neighborhood comes in and says it's not consistent with our our neighborhood, I mean that's sorta where in the past you've been able to say that's what compatibility really means.
That's too far. Yeah. That's That's the ultimate overleach right there.
And it also requires that you have to offer the developer a chance to mitigate for the incompatibility.
A developer or a builder? Because that's not gonna be a developer.
The developer slash builder, whoever the applicant is, the app you have to offer the applicant an opportunity to mitigate for the in incompatibility.
Nothing more here. Mrs. Sterk.
Um so I handed you well, first I I attended the park workshop, which I thought was excellent, and I just wanna say how happy everyone is that we We did that. I don't know who's happier, me or Keith. Probably Keith, but I'm very happy too. This is uh what um What I talked about yesterday or last at the parks meeting and Commissioner Oakley,
when you get a chance, I'd love for you to read this. And I'd love for us to put on the schedule to talk about our neighborhood parks because that is another one that um really needs updating. And when our county attorney said, Oh, this is whatever Everyone else has been doing, you just don't do it here in Pasco, I was aghast. But again, I did have
I did have a sit down meeting with him before I went on my trip.
Well what what's going on here is somewhat of what I think we should be doing here and I I I won't go into it now because it's a long time but have someone read that to you because I know a small print.
Marie's here if you'll
just send it
to us.
So um I d I and we definitely just like we did the tree ordinance, we need to talk about our neighborhood parks. Um And then I um I wasn't gonna pull. Barbara's How many hundreds of townhomes project? Um because he's already at the finish line. But I just want to say it was
a hundred.
No it's Two hundred or three hundred? Two hundred?
No, it ultimately was a hundred. I was
a hundred wrong number and
Oh you gave me the wrong number? Okay, well I feel a little better.
Oh sorry to bring that up.
Um but Still it's uh I think when you see some of these townhome neighborhoods and which David Engels telling me we're saturated with townhomes and he thinks a bunch of them are gonna be built to rent townhomes now because there's no one to buy those townhomes. Um I just don't think we're doing a good job on these townhome neighborhoods, especially when they're a neighborhood of only townhomes.
Yeah.
Uh I don't think it's gonna be a pretty look for us, especially all front loaded. All it's gonna be is a Street of driveways endorsed with no neighborhood community field. I have already said, I'm gonna say here again, I will not vote for front loaded A t only front hole loaded town home project on fifty four. I'm done with it. Y'all wanna sacrifice fifty two and Wesley Chapel and V OPH and all that? I don't think you should. I think you guys should
Get in a car and drive through some of these neighborhoods and see if you like that look for our county. Because that's pretty much all we're approving right now. It's front loaded. Six to a unit townhomes. W we already said no more eights or or wha w what what is it that we said with eights and that Patrick that's kinda why and I asked Terry to come back but it I guess he didn't see it. What is what are we letting eight eight
to
uh
um that's PM twenty six uh included in some of the I think some of the negotiations for your MPUDs. Um I think we allow them. I think
My recollection is the band's on eight. You don't allow eight units.
Yeah, I I'm not a fan of eight. I'm barely a fan of six.
So I talked to um Who was I talking to? It's been such a long day. Was it uh Gene I sent you a picture? It was Terry, Pitos, and I asked him if he could make uh An interactive map where we rolled over it and see what it's entitled for. Because when I was recently looking at a project, it was like apartments, apartments, apartments, apartments. So but when we look at it, we have no idea what it is. So that would be in your case with the townhomes. We'd I asked him, he's like, okay, townhomes here, apartments,
apartments, single family. We
don't we just see
it so we see it in little snapshots. But that would help
me.
That's what I'm saying. So that would help by seeing the entire picture. But like that
project I just
I I think this neighborhood park, if we redid the neighborhood parks It could make a difference in the feel of those kind of neighborhoods. Um but I'm gonna tell ya It I I'm I'm embarrassed for what that's gonna look like when we're done. And I will also say this, that um I've been finding out as I've been traveling around. I d I don't know so much in Florida. But I know where my son lives in Connecticut, and where I'm just buying a place out in Utah. No fast food drive-throughs,
they don't allow them. They wanna have uh they they do at certain intersections of interstates, you know, where you're gonna pull off, you're gonna get some gas if you're traveling. But they don't line their roads with with fast food. They want you to there's mom and pop restaurants all over the place in these places. Um places with character, not Burger King, McDonald's and and all that stuff, so If you look at our we only have two roads and we're just lining them the whole way down. With drive through fast food.
I I I think I don't I just don't like our developer better.
Well let me ask you a question. What do you think about all these apartments?
I think there's a place for apartments when they're uh I think there's a place for density when they're near near a town center. um near near something that needs uh people to support the businesses. Um it's funny we we um went to lunch in Newport Ritchie, downtown Newport Ritchie today, and um my brother in law's got his second apartment Building going up the central, the the rest of it's going up. And I n I know those restaurants
in New Port Richey are struggling because they don't have density around there. And so I know they're very excited to see more people moving in downtown that will utilize those restaurants. They're having a hard time. Um and so I I go there a lot to try and support them. So I think apartments are okay if they're situated in the right place. But just to put apartments willy nilly all over the place now.
Well do
you think we have
enough in Trinity and Wesley Chapel?
It depends on where they are.
You don't think we have enough either place?
Well Are you s saying we shouldn't ever allow any?
Right now we're oversupplied.
Oh yeah.
For matter I mean townhomes were getting there now, but apartments were oversupplied.
Yeah, so you don't see any new ones going up. There's no financing. No, but I we have a site in Starkey Ranch. No, I'm not done with them. I think there's places where they may be appropriate. I'd love to see some on 19. I keep hoping for someone to come in on that, that they get property uh right on our county border. Um it'd be a great spot for for a park. It's already zoned, I just Dave David's coming up.
Yeah, I think he was gonna say we talk about the planning amendment.
I just be careful because the D R money the D R money is all the thirty million dollars that is just gonna be for sprawling multifamily, discounted subsidized multifamily. That's that's who's gonna want those funds and that's what is going to be built. That's why I'm concerned with the housing aspect of the DR funds. It's it has a real potential to have just as much generational harm as Probably more so than good. I'm
very
hesitant.
Kathy may know this a little bit and David, but Marcy was the one who really and you know, I sit on the A Hack that uh Advisory
Affordable housing.
Advisory
commitment. 'Cause every county has to have a commissioner that sits on that. One day I'm gonna hand that over to you. On the setup, I should put you on.
You have me use
your own. I think that's quite an all of it. Yeah. So um we are putting together a meeting with the TBVBA uh builders and developers to offer them the opportunity to sell. A lot. or house in their neighborhoods. to put into the affordable housing Who? And so uh what happens is is uh it so back in the DRI days, you're too
young, but maybe Commissioner Oakley will remember this and you remember
We used to exact them.
Yeah, ten percent of your property ten percent of your development had to be affordable housing. And then we we got rid of DRIs and A lot of counties put that back in to their their codes, but Pasco it's called inclusionary zoning, right? Inclusionary zoning. I've talked to a bunch of the builders and they're willing to they're willing to take a look at this program. So Let's say uh Lenar's building a hundred homes. They would offer up some of their homes. We'd buy down the cost and those homes
stay in a low income pool that um that is regulated by the title company and the property pracer. We don't have to have anything to do with it. When they go to sell there's restrictions on it. So you would it doesn't look any different than any ho other house in the community. Um And the builder and developer doesn't have to really do anything, just that we're pa we're using money like the C D P G D R money to help a low income
family get into a neighborhood that they otherwise couldn't, which is healthy for everybody. So I'm hoping that can really take off.
Hi, David Engel, Planning, Development and Economic Growth. I just wanted to let the board know that about two and a half weeks ago I sent out a Proposed um Bullet list of apartment performance standards and we were on your calendar to have one on ones. And it's our intention to bring it forward. Uh all of the criteria set forth is not arbitrary. It's uh objective criteria. And we have a map as to where these apartments could be situated in the county against just building
in Hel Helter Skelter. We also have a density bonus incentive built in. for affordable housing without ad valorem waivers. So uh stay tuned. I'll be in front of everybody by the by the end of April. Thank you.
So Mr. Starr, you want to talk about your parking a little bit more?
My what?
This
okay if you if you want to go into it. I
think I think it's
yeah, so before we go through
topic, yeah.
So this is the requirements in the town that I just uh got a town home in. But my town home is Two to a building. Wa only one other one. So it it's ki it's nice because they look like they're big houses rather than a whole row. You know, and you've got a lot more a lot more open space to Uh somewhere, yeah. Okay. Um So public s public sc space will be required in each subdivision based on the following formula, which has been prepared.
Providing three acres of public space per 100 residential lots or units and two acres per 100 commercial lots. Subdivisions with less than one hundred residential or commercial units shall provide dedicated public space on a pro rata basis. When the percentages from the above formula would create less than two acres, the Planning Commission may require that the public space be located at a suitable place on the edge of the subdivision so that additional
land may be added at such time as the adjacent land is subdivided. So you get a big enough piece if it's on the edge. That you add the other guy's edge and you get something, you know, very cool that the public can use. You'll see this in Bent, you're gonna see public space like this in Bentville. The Planning Commission may refer such proposed reservations um to the town to the town engineer or town planner for recommendation. Land reserved for recreation
purposes shall be of a character and location suitable for use as a playground play field or other recreation purposes, and shall be relatively level and dry. Unless the town council approves a variation to the following standards On a showing of good cause, subdivisions will include the following public space amenities or equivalent. A subdivision between two to twenty lots shall include amenities such as a small park with a community garden or a plaza
with a covered seating area. Subdivisions between twenty one and fifty lots provide Amenities such as a park with play equipment or a dog walking park or large community garden space with design designated plots for residents. Subdivisions between 51 and 75 provide amenities such as a park with the equivalent of two tennis courts and a gathering area. Subdivisions with greater than seventy-six lots shall provide amenities such as a
park area with seating, a ball field, soccer, baseball, softball, football, or similar, and parking spaces. For subdivisions with less than 20 lots or proposed in areas with steep slopes where construction of public spaces would be environmentally damaging, the applicant may request a payment in lieu of the on-site construction of public space amenities as required in this section. The fee shall be set at 105% of the cost estimated for the required
amenities. The application shall provide a detailed construction cost analysis that shall be reviewed by the town planner and town engineer. All land to be reserved for dedication to the town for park purposes shall have prior approval of the town council and shall be shown marked on the plat reserved for public park. This provi the provisions of the section are minimum standards and so you can do more, but Mm-hmm.
I think we should all take a look at it, make some comments and bring it back again.
I'd like to hear what other counties have been doing on neighborhood bars.
Yeah, we took that as an action item from the workshop. So we're working on that. All right.
Anything
else?
Uh that's it.
Commissioner?
All right, I'll be super quick.
Okay, so I went to the Capitol with the Early Learning Coalition for Children's Week. So we did readings throughout the Capitol. We read to the Senate kids and had really good conversations with our legislators of the importance of early learning and the services that these provide for our low-income families and our kids. So that was a great. Great job. And this was our um Papa Pantry in Hudson
and this was called Winter Paradise and we are going to be starting to go in there every month. So we fed around 145 families just in this RV park. So um We had a great turnout and they were very appreciative.
And that's all I have. Well wait com Commissioner Yeager and I are gonna work on a project. Oh if you don't mind me saying this, if you remember, you can hopefully don't change your mind. We're gonna work on um uh raised bed gardens at the the Pasco Hope. And so um we have to get with you and Catholic charities. But anyone else who wants to help too, I may my I may be volunteer tolding. How was that word? Volunteling volunteering my brother, who
just is building some in his backyard over over here off of Rowan, um, to come help build some for us. Ooh, nice. So I just think that'd be so good for the the homeless tenants there to have some gardening going on.