Townhome Proposal Has Some Residents Ready to 'Fight'

What about traffic on Montague Street?

What would happen to the trees in the neighborhood?

And, how will school kids be affected?

These were just some of the questions residents asked at meeting on Wednesday night about a proposed townhouse development planned in The Bridges neighborhood off Sheldon Road.

The plan calls for 220 townhome units and a clubhouse to be constructed on a 80-acre parcel of land. Since news became public about the plan, residents - especially those who live in the nearby Bridges neighborhood - have voiced concerns about the development.

Developer Thomas Holdings LLC held the June 19 meeting to give residents a chance to ask questions. About 40 people attended the meeting, which was held at the Westchase Swim and Tennis Center.

Several new details about the project emerged at the meeting including:

• Each unit would be two-stories.
• Units would be built in groups of four and six.
• Units would be priced starting in the mid-$200,000 range. 
• The community would be gated.

While there is no set start date for the project, developers expect it to be constructed in two phases.

A 10-foot buffer and a fence would be built between Davidsen Middle School and the development, said Judy Jones, an attorney for M/I Homes, the company handling construction of the project.

Bridges resident Ray Kozloski had another issue regarding schools, precisely the traffic created on Montague Street and Linebaugh Avenue by pick-up and drop-off from surrounding schools like Davidsen and Westchase Elementary. The additional townhomes would create even more traffic, Kozloski said.

"Has anyone been on Montague Street at 7:30 or 9 in the morning trying to go to school or at 3 or 6 at night when the PTA is meeting," Kozloski said. "The traffic is backed up."

James said that Hillsborough County had signed off on a traffic study conducted by the townhome developers stating that the surrounding roads could handle the additional traffic created by the proposed project.

Another big point of contention at Wednesday's meeting was what will happen to the lake, which exisst on the property. And if existing trees would be removed.

"The trees in the area would be preserved as much as possible," said Tim Plate, Senior Vice President of HEIDT Design and a professional engineer on the Westchase project.

The lake in question sits behind the proposed townhome development. Residents worried that townhome residents could cause disruptions with their use of the lake.

"There will be a buffer of land between the townhomes and the lake," James said. "No improvements are planned for the lake."

However, that didn't alleviate Bridges resident Gary Glowiak's concerns.

"Can you assure us you aren't going to use that lake?" Glowiak asked James. Currently Bridges residents are not allowed to use the lake.

"There will not be a dock or boat ramp proposed for the lake," James said.

But what wasn't clear was whether or not townhome residents would be able to use non-motorized boats in the future. 

Residents also wanted to know where the proposed clubhouse would be located. Developers answered they did not have a set location for the clubhouse, but that it would need to be 50-feet away from the property.

The meeting, which lasted about an hour, left some residents still uneasy.

"I've learned some new stuff, but I'm still just concerned about how it's going to affect the neighborhood," said a 16-year Bridges resident who asked to remain anonymous.

What's next for the developers?

They must go before the Hillsborough County Commission for a rezoning hearing. The property must be changed from its current agricultural designation, which requires one single family unit per acre, to a residential classification allowing up to six units per acre. The hearing will take place at 6 p.m. on June 24 at the County Center, 601 E. Kennedy Blvd. in Tampa.

What's next for residents?

According to Glowiak, "We go down there Monday night and fight."

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