Mark your calendars - Tampa City Council is scheduled to hold a public hearing Feb. 12 at 5:01 pm to consider this massive change in the city's land use comprehensive plan.

Developers are requesting to take 2-acres of our residential neighborhood in Hyde Park Spanishtown Creek and commercialize it - covering the entire block (minus a historic home) with a continuous building that reaches a maximum of 7 stories or 114 feet high.

The proposed commercial complex includes hotel rooms, restaurants, bars, townhomes, condos, a parking garage, event rental space(labeled amenities), spa, gym and at least one business.

This petition is to support keeping our Historic Hyde Park neighborhood residential and maintain the low density, 35 foot height restriction and scaled down intensity guaranteed by the Historic District designation. 

The Hillsborough County Planning Commission, its staff and the Tampa Architectural Review Commission staff found this project request INCONSISTENT with the city's comprehensive plan and denied the land use change.

All three found it also inconsistent for the developer's requested PD (Planned Development) rezoning IN ADDITION THE ARC BOARD also voted the rezoning INCONSISTENT.

But convincing Tampa City Council remains. So keep sharing the petition. Note this is not anti-development. It's about preventing a permanent change in the Comprehensive Plan that would give property owners expansive entitlements - property rights - than can never be withdrawn. 

And once a land use change is granted - zoning cannot control development changes because of a recent ruling that rezoning is a quasi-judicial act. Therefore developers can sue if they don't like zoning decisions.

So we must show the community's support. Thank you. Keep sharing the petition with others who believe in respecting neighborhoods and the city's comprehensive plan which gives a long-range consideration for development.