It’s a classic case of “not in my backyard” – or for the matter, my entire neighborhood.
Some folks living in eastern Hillsborough County are urging commissioners not to allow a used car business to set up shop along Interstate 4.
Residents say it will disrupt their quiet, rural lifestyle, but that might not be the only factor the county is considering. Just as it seemed they were about to sign off on the project, commissioners decided to postpone the vote Tuesday, citing an environmental concern.
Jay Bolnick lives on an 80-acre ranch just 15 minutes from downtown Tampa. There are cows, alpacas -- and lots of peace and quiet.
He and his neighbors say it feels like a world away.
“It’s disappearing everywhere,” said Bolnick. “I could have sold the land years ago, and I chose not to.”
The Hillsborough County Land Use Board was about to get an earful from Bolnick and other residents of the Muck Pond area of Seffner on Tuesday. Many of the neighbors are against a proposed 19-acre used car lot.
“You know, this thing changes the whole quality of life,” said Bolnick, concerned about speeding cars on test drives.
The dealership, Off Lease Only, has a presence in other parts of Florida and is looking to expand into the Tampa Bay region.
The proposed location, right along I-4, arguably fits in with other dealerships popping up in the same area near Macintosh Road.
“Not yet this far, but it’s coming,” said Joe Jacobson, who works at a nearby RV dealership. “You can look down I-4. It’s coming this direction.”
County staffers had recommended approving the car lot during Tuesday’s meeting. But late last week, an environmental wetlands issue on the property came up.
So, instead, commissioners voted to postpone any action until April, giving Off Lease Only’s attorney a chance to look into the matter.
The whole thing was a bit puzzling for neighbors like Nan Skolnik, who lives across the street from the proposed development. Skolnik says the wetlands issue is nothing new.
“You know, it’s been like that for years, and other people have tried to buy and put things up and it hasn’t worked out because of the drainage issues,” she said.
Homeowners hope if the traffic troubles weren’t enough to convince county staffers, maybe the wetlands issue will get commissioners to reconsider. After the November election, the Hillsborough County Commission became a more liberal-leaning panel.
“I think there are some very thoughtful new Democrats on our county commission,” said neighbor Natalie King, “And I’m hopeful that they will take a serious look at the concerns that we have.”
An attorney for Off Lease Only says he hopes to use the postponement to convince the county to remove the new wetland condition or convince the car dealership to live with it. But if it means changing their site plan to a new layout, that could trigger a whole new set of hearings which could delay the project, and while they’re willing to wait a few months, beyond that it could start to impact the dealership’s business plan.
►Make it easy to keep up-to-date with more stories like this. Download the 10 News app now.
Have a news tip? Email tips@wtsp.com, visit our Facebook page or Twitter feed.
