VALRICO, 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 to be used for an "Energy Industrial Park" or "EIP." But now, two new proposals are before county commissioner.
The first would 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.
“Go somewhere else and build, not in this area,” Yvette Niemann said. “It doesn't belong here.”
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 they could have on their community.
It was the second of two informational sessions hosted by the developers. Outside the meeting, Niemann and others gather signatures in opposition to the developers' plans.
“They don't have to build in little Dover, nice and calm,” she said.
Inside reps from the developer, University Energy Park, showed neighbors their proposal with a site plan they didn’t have at the last community meeting, which includes community and green spaces based off of feedback they heard the last time. They believe that adding housing stock will help the housing crunch in the county.
“We're trying to do it in a way that's responsible,” Jake Cremer, a land use attorney with Stearns Weaver Miller retained by the developer, said. “We want to build a resilient community that's different from something people have seen in Hillsborough County so far.”
In addition to more people and more cars coming to the Dover Road area, many we talked to tonight are concerned the property used to be a landfill and phosphate mine and is still an EPA Superfund site.
Renee Maddison is worried digging on the site could put pollution into the air and groundwater.
“What I really want is a pause for the proper ecological testing to be done right now,” she said.
Matt Taylor owns a farm nearby and thinks the site has already harmed the health of his family and livestock.
“Neighbor two houses down the road from me, a goat died,” he said. “You try to call the county health department to get them out, they won't come out to this site unless you're a half mile from it.”
Because the county land use plan doesn't currently allow residential housing on the land, developers are hoping the planning commission will endorse the change, even if the neighbors don't.
The planning commission required the developer to hold the additional meeting. It will do more work, including a traffic study, before giving a report to the county commissioners, who will vote to approve or deny the comprehensive plan amendment.