Four public hearings are sure to draw quite a crowd at the next city commission meeting, June 11, as commissioners discuss map amendments, ordinance rezoning and a conceptual modification.
During the meeting commissioners will hold a public hearing on a proposed map amendment for land on West Johnson Road, west of James L. Redman Parkway. If approved it would change the residential designation and allow up to 649 single-family homes to be built on the property.
In March, when commissioners voted to send a plan amendment regarding the land to the Department of Economic Opportunity for review, there was concern from local residents who were reluctant to add more homes to an area that is already at capacity with local schools like Trapnell Elementary. Commissioners explained the projections will have to be reevaluated and addressed before the homes are ever built.
The new homes would also lead to an increase in traffic on surrounding roads and a cursory traffic analysis provided by the Hillsborough County Planning Commission and Transportation staff found it could impact Trapnell Road, which is currently at capacity. An in-depth analysis might need to be done to determine the fate of the road.
Commissioners will also be discussing a map amendment for approximately 36 acres on South Frontage Road, west of North Park Road. The amendment would change the designation of the property from Residential-20 to Commercial.
The Plant City Vision Map shows plans for the land to have a Commercial Activity Center. The amendment would allow for either 114 units or 545,501 square feet of commercial or office units to be built on the area. With its current designation, the property could be developed with up to 715 townhomes or multi-family units.
The change would make a “significant reduction in the residential opportunities” for the area. A cursory traffic analysis shows that the potential development would not be expected to degrade the adopted level-of-service for South Frontage Road.
During the meeting, commissioners will also discuss the rezoning of nearly 36 acres on South Frontage Road from single family and multiple-family dwelling districts to the Wish Farms Corporate Headquarters Planned Development District.
The land is on South Frontage road between North Gordon Street and North Maryland Avenue and just south of I-4. The change in rezoning would allow for commercial uses, specifically a corporate campus. The plans include a mix of office, warehouse, residential and agricultural uses. The change, if approved, is still consistent with the Imagine 2040: Plant City Comprehensive Plan.
Another public hearing will be on the proposed modification to the North Park Isles Planned Development District. In 2006, the district was originally approved by city commission and modified in 2016. Currently, it could have up to 1,219 mixed-use residential units —a maximum 0f 620 single-family and 599 townhome lots — but no development has yet occurred on the 397 acres.
If approved, the district will increase its size to approximately 460 acres, which would increase the residential units from 1,219 to 1,350. The change still falls under the Imagine 2040: Plant City Comprehensive Plan.