DOVER, Fla. — Tuesday evening, a community in unincorporated Hillsborough County gathered to learn more about plans to develop a nearly 3,000-acre former dumping ground in Dover.
The plot is bordered by State Road 60, South Dover Road, Turkey Creek Road and Durant Road.
It was once a phosphate mine and waste dumping ground. Today, the plot sits vacant, filled with brush and trees.
In 2010, Hillsborough County Commissioners voted to approve the land be used for an 'Energy Industrial Park’ or ‘EIP.’ But now, two new proposals are before county commissioner. The first, to allow one developer to build commercial and retail space before it constructs the EIP. The second proposal would allow another developer to put housing there, up to 1,900 units.
A representative of the second developer said affordable housing is now more important than ever, as Hillsborough County has seen an influx of people coming to our region.
However, neighbors who oppose the project told 10 Tampa Bay that they’re concerned their neighborhood does not have the infrastructure to accommodate 1,900 more families.
“The entire community is overwhelmingly against it,” said George Niemann, a leader of the Fix Hillsborough Neighborhood Coalition. “It’ll impact negatively the local infrastructure, and by doing that will all suffer.”
Debbie Holiday, a concerned neighbor, echoed Neimann’s concerns.
“There is already a lot of traffic around here. It's just going to be backed up like crazy. I mean, this is 1,900 homes they're talking about building,” Holiday said.
Neighbors who oppose the project also expressed concern that creating clean energy would take a back seat to these other proposed ventures if it’s not approached first.
“Basically, they're there to make money. That’s what this is basically all about. I don't think there's any concern for the neighbors in this area at all,” Holiday said.
Neighbor Bruce Ponti moved into the neighborhood just a year ago because it was more secluded. He is frustrated to think about how significantly it could change.
“This, in my opinion, is about money,” Ponti said. “And it's not just about money for the developers, it’s a huge tax base for the county itself. You build 1900 homes… that's a lot of taxes.”
A representative for the developer told 10 Tampa Bay that this is expected to be a lengthy process, as it will require several hearings in its initial stage, then it must go through the rezoning and permitting process.
On Tuesday, a team representing the property developer held an informational session at Mulrennan Middle School in Valrico, where residents could learn more about their plans and the impact it could have on their community.
It was the second of two informational sessions hosted by the developers.