Road Construction Notice
On Monday, the city closed off East Park Road between James L. Redman Parkway to Jim Johnson Road.
Intersection improvement will be done, and the road closure is expected to end by Dec. 1, 2021.
Signage has been placed along East Alexander Street and East Alsobrook Street to detour traffic.
PARKSIDE PROJECT
On Monday, Oct. 25, a property developer requested approval in building a new townhome district, to the Plant City City Commissioners.
The proposal asks for a dead-end road of a certain length and installation of curbs at the site’s driveways.
Aerial-view renderings had shown a potential 85 single-family attached townhome development. It would be built on approximately 11.94 acres of land, located on the south end of West Grant Street, where it intersects just west of Hunter Street, in Plant City. There would be easy access to Tyler Street as it would be directly aligned with the site’s entrance on the other end of West Grant Street.
The new site would be located around the vicinity of other undeveloped property that also has the potential for future home growth.
If approved, the townhomes would be built near a school, assisted living facility and a daycare.
Also, the development would be adjacent to the west end of the Dr. Hal and Lynn Brewer Park.
If implemented, a paved trail could serve as another entryway from the neighborhood to the park. The trail would also go throughout the development and around one of three man-made ponds.
There also are plans for a playground and two recreation amenities to be situated on the property. As shown in the renderings, each two-story building would consist of either four, five or six single-family townhomes.
The buildings won’t exceed any more than 35 feet in height and there would be a 20-foot distance between each building and the roadway.
And a curb called a Miami Valley would be installed between driveways. Its intention is to alleviate water buildup.
“Those driveways are pretty close together, so it makes sense to do that Miami Valley type curb in those scenarios,” said Robyn Baker, senior planner for the Plant City Planning and Zoning Department.
Once turning onto the development from West Grant Street, the roadway will extend until meeting with Mendonsa Road. This corridor is south of West Grant Street, but both are parallel with one another.
Local residents have expressed concerns about additional traffic if Mendonsa Road and the new street intersected.
As a result, it had been proposed to make a dead-end within the development so there is no access to Mendonsa Road.
The particular dead-end design chosen, is a cul-de-sac. This is a circular roundabout that turns back onto the same street.
The Plant City Planning Board found the land use in accordance with the Imagine 2040: Plant City Comprehensive Plan, passing the resolution by 5-0.
The City Commission did not take any action but is allowing the developer to bring back any updates at the Nov. 22 City Commission meeting.
Fieldstone Project
Also on Oct. 25, the Plant City City Commission passed a proposal to move forward with building a new single-family residential area in Plant City. It calls for the development of 117 unattached homes at the southeast corner of East Sam Allen Road and North Wilder Road.Also requested were:
1. For 30% of the lots to be 50 feet wide
2. For homes to have a 5-foot setback
3. For landscaped area to be included in 4% of open space
At approximately 32 acres, the site was initially planned to erect 294 townhomes but was slimmed down to individual houses.
These homes will range from one to two stories high and will have amenities such as walking trails, a playground, a dog park and two recreation parks.
There will also be two man-made ponds centered within the premises.
The future four-lane extension of Sam Allen Road will pass its intersection with Wilder Road and provide the only entrance/exit of the residential area, which will be gated.
Along Wilder Road there will be a gateway to the development but will be used for emergency access only.
Its close proximity to the interstate, and the soon-to-be-built South Florida Baptist Hospital, shows the new neighborhood will have its advantages.
The City Commission’s approval of 5-0 will now push the project forward.