 |
||||||||
 |
||||||||
|
||||||||
|
Office park may burgeon in size
By MICHAEL SANDLER © St. Petersburg Times, published April 6, 2001 CORY LAKE ISLES -- The developer of an office park wants to enlarge his project by more than six times its approved size. This is the latest change coming from Gene Thomason, the Cory Lake Isles founder who reached a compromise with neighbors to build a small office building on Cross Creek Boulevard near Brookton Drive. Residents complained about his initial plans to build a warehouse on the 7.9-acre plot. This month his attorney submitted to Hillsborough County a "major modification" request to increase the size from 14,500 square feet to 90,000 square feet. "Holy moly!" John Hoffman, who lives in nearby Kingshyre, said after hearing of the new plans. "If they attempt to put something that large in there, the residents will become quite vocal." Thomason said he did not plan to build one large building, but a collection of "pods," or smaller, unconnected blocks within the space. A zoning hearing is scheduled for June 4, followed by a hearing in front of the Hillsborough County Commission in July. When asked about the sudden change, Thomason said there is a demand for the extra space. "I've had all kinds of calls about renting office space," Thomason said. "They will be different sizes, little pods. It will be a nice little park. We are going to landscape it real well and it will be pretty." Last summer, Thomason infuriated residents with his plans to build a self-storage facility across from residential Arbor Greene. Keith Bricklemyer, Thomason's attorney, met with a small group of residents several times to negotiate a project they would support. They seemingly agreed on the 14,500-square-foot office building, and Arbor Greene residents subsequently passed around 500 surveys in Arbor Greene, Kingshyre, Cross Creek, Misty Creek and Hunter's Greene. Of the 135 surveys returned, 90 percent said they would accept the modified project, too. The others said they would prefer to see homes on the property. County commissioners approved the plans in August. But Bricklemyer said that Thomason planned to increase the size depending on the results of a traffic study, and that neighbors knew his intentions. "Everybody understood that was part of the game plan all along," Bricklemyer said. He said neighbors will receive notices in the coming weeks informing them of the proposed changes. "Gene talked to key players that we dealt with the last time we had an application in process," Bricklemyer said. "They indicated they did not have a concern." Perhaps so. But some residents want to be certain. Hoffman, president of the Kingshyre Homeowners Association, and John Pluchino were among the group of residents who met with Bricklemyer. Both said they plan to inquire about the changes. "The community agreed to the plans they had drawn up, and they were comfortable with the plans they put in," Pluchino said. "Now they are changing. We need to know what they are and we need to get them out to the community." -- Michael Sandler can be reached at (813) 226-3472 or sandler@sptimes.com.
 © 2006 • All Rights Reserved • St. Petersburg Times
490 First Avenue South • St. Petersburg, FL 33701 • 727-893-8111 
|
From the Times |
