City commissioners unanimously voted to take the first step in potentially developing nearly 163 acres of land on West Johnson Road.
City commissioners unanimously voted Monday evening to send a plan amendment regarding nearly 163 acres of land on West Johnson Road to the Department of Economic Opportunity for review.
If the DEO positively reviews the amendment, the city commissioners will determine if they will hold a public forum before voting on whether to alter the land to include more development.
The land parcel is between Walden Lake and James L. Redman Parkway, where First Baptist Church of Plant City has recently undergone major construction for its new facilities. While it is too soon to tell what the specifics of the proposed plan would look like, approval could increase the land parcel from having approximately 160 homes to nearly 650 dwellings.
Currently, the area is mostly being used for agriculture purposes and has single farm homes. In the preliminary analysis, it was found local schools like Trapnell Elementary do not currently have enough room for the potential increase of students that could move into the developed area.
The DEO will present its comment in approximately 30 days and a decision is estimated to be made by the end of May or the beginning of June.
Schools are not the only things that will be affected by the development. A cursory traffic analysis provided by the Hillsborough County Planning Commission and Transportation staff found the increase in homes would cause an increase in traffic, which would impact a roadway that is at capacity, like Trapnell Road.
Two in attendance voiced their concerns regarding the project.
“My daughter attended Springhead and Trapnell and both are already at capacity,” Sheryll Broadnax said. “To bring another 600-plus homes into that small, tight-knit area, I really think the commission needs to address the educational process.”
While this vote does not determine the final fate of the property, commissioners said future steps would include working with local agencies, including the schools, to figure out how to accommodate the large increase in homes.
“It’s an extensive process,” Mayor Rick Lott said. “All deficiencies would have to be dealt with.”
