North Plant City residents scored a victory Nov. 12, when Plant City commissioners denied a rezone request to build a Dollar General store near their neighborhood.
The residents cited numerous reasons the rezone request of a parcel west of Paul Buchman Highway just north of West Terrace Drive would impact the surrounding neighborhood.
Their words did not fall silent, as the commission denied proposed ordinances that would affect the parcel.
“I cannot say it would be in the best interest of the community,” Commissioner Mike Sparkman said. “At this time, with the current situation and traffic pattern, I would have to agree with the other commissioners.”
The rezone would require that a single driveway be placed on West Terrace Drive as an access point to a 9,100-square-foot Dollar General store. Although the parcel’s eastern border is on Paul Buchman Highway, the Florida Department of Transportation requires at least 650 feet between a driveway and the nearest intersection.
Resident Steve Jones fought to save his already-congested neighborhood with a comprehensive PowerPoint presentation.
“Myself and a lot of residents in this neighborhood feel like this going to be detrimental,” Jones said.
Jones brought commissioners down to what he called the ground level, showing the commission photographs of the neighborhood including an unpaved Hancock Street and a congested Franklin Street during Shiloh Charter School drop-off and pick-up times.
He also shared that drivers looking to avoid a four-way stop will speed through the neighborhood streets. On more than one occasion, drivers have ended up in his yard.
On behalf of the petitioner, attorney Judy James argued that the Dollar Store would not bring a substantial amount of new traffic to the neighborhood.
James said 60% of the Dollar General traffic would be existing recaptured traffic. The Dollar General isn’t a high-turnover store, she said.
Furthermore, she said the new retail facility actually would bring much-needed road improvements and that the company would work with residents on ways to handle traffic such as a medians or speed bumps. She also said the company would install in a right-turn lane on West Terrace Drive to handle traffic.
Steve Sloan, of Pickett Engineering, represented the applicant and agreed to work with residents on their concerns.
“I’m hearing lots of complaints about the access point,” Sloan said. “We don’t want to add to that. We want to help alleviate it.”
But, the residents weren’t convinced.
“People are already coming down there like ‘Dukes of Hazzard,’” resident Reid Sewell said. “You really just have to go out there and see the situation.”
That’s exactly what Commissioner Bill Dodson did. He visited the neighborhood three times. During rush hour, Dodson said he waited for a long time in a line of cars waiting to pull off West Terrace Drive onto Paul Buchman Highway.
“It’s a matter of quality versus quantity,” Dodson said. “It changed my view. Before that, I was leaning towards commercialization.”
Commissioner Billy Keel also visited the neighborhood.
“If this property had an available access point off Paul Buchman, I could see it,” Keel said.
In the end, commissioners sided with the residents. At the applicant’s request the adoption of a small scale map amendment was also dropped after the rezoning fell through.
“We’re pleased; I’m pleased,” Jones said. “The downside is there’s not an access point off State Road 39 for the property owner. If that was there, I don’t think you’d see the concern.”
Contact Amber Jurgensen at ajurgensen@plantcityobserver.com.
IN OTHER NEWS
• Commissioner Mike Sparkman was honored by the Florida League of Cities for 20 years of elective service.
“It’s hard to believe you’ve done everything you’ve done in just 20 years,” Vice Mayor Rick Lott said.
• November was declared as National Hospice and Palliative Care Month in Plant City.
• City Manager Greg Horwedel shared in what he called a “teaser” that there would be a major economic development to be announced within the next coming weeks. The move would bring in tens of millions of dollars of investment to Plant City. Horwedel did not release the name of the company or the project. Developments to come.
• The commission asked City Attorney Ken Buchman to devise a report on the regulation of donation boxes outside of area businesses. Buchman will bring the report to a January commission meeting.