On Wednesday, July 29, Visions Golf, the company that owns the two 18-hole golf courses in the Walden Lake community, requested a continuance regarding the rezoning meeting that was scheduled for Aug. 13 at the John R. Trinkle Center on Plant City’s Hillsborough Community College campus. Subsequently, the meeting has been cancelled and no new date has been set.
The previously scheduled meeting was set up for Plant City commissioners to make a recommendation regarding Visions Golf’s plans for rezoning. Visions had proposed to build 310 housing units, 154 of which were single-family detached units, and 156 of which were multi-family attached units, on the closed Hills golf course. An assisted living facility was also part of the proposed plans. In the past, the Walden Lake community has had difficulty supporting the two 18-hole golf courses. Supporters of the rezoning believe having one 18-hole course is more feasible.
The request for continuance came after a July 1 letter written by Jay Collins, senior planner for the Hillsborough County Planning Commission. The letter was sent to Julie Ham, senior planner for the City of Plant City. In the letter, Collins said that the Planning Commission found the development plans, specifically those for the 156 multi-family attached homes and the assisted living facility, were incompatible with the city’s comprehensive plan.
Earlier in July, the Environmental Protection Commission of Hillsborough County found that Visions Golf’s plans for rezoning could cause wetland impacts. The EPC recommended that Visions Golf adjust their development plans.
The Environmental Protection Commission and the Hillsborough County Planning Commission are just two of multiple reviewing boards that would make recommendations regarding the rezoning and development plans.
Steve Mercer, Visions Golf’s owner, plans to review the statements from the reviewing agencies.
“In response to reports from various agencies regarding the proposed rezoning plans, Visions Golf has requested and looks forward to meeting with the City and the Planning Commission to review their comments,” Mercer said in a statement. “Visions Golf’s continued diligence and cooperation to refine the plan based on this recent feedback will help ensure that the agencies will ultimately find the rezoning submittal acceptable.”
Bob Hunter, president of the Walden Lake Community Association, said that the Walden Lake Community Association board would review any adjustments that Visions Golf makes to their plans, but that the board still has concerns about adding development to Walden Lake, which is mostly composed of single-family detached homes.
“Walden Lake is an integral combination of homes, open space … to change that would be inappropriate and should not happen,” Hunter said.
The lawsuit between the WLCA, Visions Golf and the Walden Lake Community Preservation Inc. remains unchanged.
A date has not yet been set for another meeting regarding the rezoning recommendation, and Visions Golf has not yet released how they will adjust their development plans.
Contact Emily Topper at etopper@plantcityobserver.com.
