Despite protests from residents, county commissioners back a plan that will give the fast-growing area a new elementary school.
By JOSH ZIMMER
Published March 26, 2004
KEYSTONE - The County Commission decided Tuesday that this fast-growing area couldn't wait any longer for a new elementary school.
Rejecting the advice of its own planners - and the wishes of many in the Keystone community - commissioners agreed to redraw a 55-acre tract to make room for Keystone's first modern-day school. It is set to become the school district's third northwest Hillsborough elementary complex since 2001.
At one point during the hearing, chief facilities officer MaryEllen Elia said the district had run out of options. That led to the following exchange with commission Chairman Tom Scott.
"If this is voted down today, where is this school going?" he asked.
"I don't know," she said.
After several minutes of discussion, commissioners approved the project 4-2.
All sides agreed that the area needs another school. But they remained divided over allowing one to go up at the busy intersection of Gunn Highway and N Mobley Road.
The district said the school would help residents create the vibrant town center envisioned in the Keystone/Odessa Community Plan. Residents disagreed, saying the traffic would hinder those efforts.
The school will ease overcrowding at McKittrick Elementary, which opened in 2001, and Bryant Elementary, which opened in 2002.
"We're pleased," Elia said. "We believe this will be a positive addition to the community."
Elia said the project will be fast-tracked.
"We will be moving immediately with our architect and construction manager to open that school in August 2005," she said.
The decision could end yet another testy land battle in Keystone, but it left residents feeling betrayed once again.
Commissioners Pat Frank and Ken Hagan voted against the proposal.
They said the new school's traffic would violate the interlocal agreement between the district and the commission. One provision says schools in rural areas cannot generate road improvements that aren't listed in the county's capital improvement plan. No changes are planned for Gunn.
"I can't say I'm surprised," said Hagan, whose district covers Keystone. "I think a school is warranted in the northwest. But the way I interpret the interlocal agreement, . . . this application has serious transportation concerns."
About two dozen residents left disheartened. Keystone Civic Association president Rich Dugger said the vote undermined the hard-won agreement residents reached more than five years ago with the property owners - Dhanna and Harsha Malhi of Yuba City, Calif.
To make room for the school the commission had to approve changes to the 1998 agreement.
"If it was done in any other fashion it would be called stealing," Dugger said.
Keystone residents have a long history of tension with landowners and developers. But both sides hammered out the agreement allowing the Malhis to develop up to 28 homes and 40,000 square feet of commercial space. In return, the Malhis agreed to preserve a northern patch of orange grove as a buffer for people on Donna Lu Drive.
The commission's decision eliminated any hope of a compromise on how the Malhis could utilize the land. While the decision cuts the number of homes the Malhis can develop by more than half, they still have the same 40,000 square feet of commercial space.
To win over residents, district officials added extra landscaping and buffering, as well as a longer driveway off N Mobley to divert school traffic from the intersection. Failing, the district forged on.
Residents got a boost from the county's Department of Planning and Growth Management, which came out against the project. Meanwhile, the City-County Planning Commission supported the school site.
In the last official move before Tuesday's hearing, county land use hearing officer James Scarola recommended approval. He emphasized the need to provide space for the growing number of students.
Dugger said he would meet soon with residents to discuss a response.
"I was just really surprised they would go against their own staff and the fact they ignored what that policy said," he said. "To me, that kind of voids the whole interlocal agreement."
- Josh Zimmer covers the University of South Florida area, Keystone, Odessa and Citrus Park. He can be reached at 269-5314 or zimmer@sptimes.com
