It won’t be long before what Plant City knows as Cone Farms becomes Varrea.
The former 1,008-acre cattle ranch, in the northeast quadrant of the city, is slated to be the newest residential community in the Winter Strawberry Capital of the World. The groundbreaking is set for 2016.
While landowner Walton International Group says it does not have a set timeframe for development, the City of Plant City confirmed it could come early in the year. According to Bob Sebesta, Walton’s general manager for Florida, the group is getting more permit approvals before it can officially start. Walton is currently working with homebuilders, the South Florida Water Management District and the Hillsborough County Environmental Protection Agency.
“Everything is coming together,” Sebesta says. “We’re trying to make sure we do it the right way.”
Sebesta has also says that Walton is hoping to make an announcement soon.
Generally, within the Plant City community, there have been two opinions of Varrea: one being that will destroy Plant City’s quaint and rural feel, the other that it will be a boon for the local economy.
NOISY NEIGHBORS
Varrea — a live-work-play community — will consist of nine interconnected, walkable neighborhoods that resembled developments such as FishHawk, in Lithia, and Lakewood Ranch, in Manatee County. There will be 2,640 single- and multi-family units and 345,000 square feet of commercial space in the form of two village centers.
Some residents near Varrea plots aren’t happy. Right now, the land is a green cow pasture with oak trees, a creek and a church on the hill. It’s peaceful — exactly what surrounding residents sought when they moved to the area to be away from the busier parts of town and even further from the traffic nightmares of Brandon and Tampa.
Putting a sprawling residential and commercial area in their backyards would be a step back into hectic city life.
Marsha Spivey lives on Frazier Lane. She voiced her opinions at a June 2015 City of Plant City Planning Board meeting.
“It’s beautiful out there where I live,” Spivey said. “That’s why I bought my home there, because I love the country. Now instead of opening my front door and seeing a beautiful pasture, I’m going to see a concrete city.”
By then, the Planning Board said it was too late to do anything to stop the development, as the land had already been sold and numerous permits had been approved.
Travis Emerson, who owns nearly 2 acres of land in the area, says that he was given the cold shoulder by both Walton and the City of Plant City during the process. He says that Walton did not notify him of Varrea plans.
According to Phillip Scearce with the city’s Planning and Zoning Division, residents within 250 feet of the future development were notified of Walton’s plans and public hearings. Scearce also says Walton held its own public meeting in fall 2014 at Midway Baptist Church, which borders the property.
Emerson is considering a move to Thonotosassa to replicate the peace and quiet of his current home.
“Nothing they’re building has the feel of Plant City,” he says.
ROOM TO GROW
The bucolic, open-country feel nearby residents know and love wasn’t the vision for Varrea. Instead, what Varrea will be complements Plant City’s plans for the future: economic and residential growth.
Hillsborough County has adopted a set of “Imagine 2040” plans that should improve economy, transportation and residential situations while accommodating population growth. According to PlanHillsborough.org, Plant City’s population is expected to grow from about 40,000 in the present to an estimated 71,523 by 2040.
Varrea fits into the Northeast Plant City Area Master Plan, which sees the area around Varrea becoming the most frequent target for annexation.
“The major focus is economic development,” City Manager Mike Herr says. “Creating new jobs and capital, expanding the tax base and creating a more sustainable community.”
Herr says that communities such as Varrea are going to be beneficial for Plant City going forward. These “thriving” communities can lead to the kind of economic development he and other city officials are hoping to achieve.
“I think that what’s important to understand is that Plant City is in a strategic location on the I-4 corridor,” Herr says.
In the near future, Herr expects Varrea to start creating growth. The construction process will open numerous short-term job for people to take advantage of — jobs that Herr considers important to the economy, even if they’re only temporary.
As for Varrea retaining Plant City’s charm, some of that will fall on the aesthetics: Walton plans to ensure that the nature in the surrounding area isn’t destroyed and to add touches of “old Florida” flair throughout the nine neighborhoods.
“I think it’s going to tie in very well with the 2040 plan,” Herr says. “As we grow, Plant City always wants to retain its great sense of community, its charm and personality.”
Contact Justin Kline at jkline@plantcityobserver.com.