Commission pauses Eastern Oaks project after residents warn of traffic and safety on narrow 70 Eighth Street

Hillsborough County commissioners on July 22 continued a proposed modification to the Eastern Oaks planned development — a project now proposed at 89 units — after residents who live on North 70 Eighth Street and Elm Street said the neighborhood’s narrow, dead-end streets cannot safely absorb the added traffic.

The board voted 7-0 to continue the project to the Aug. 12 land use hearing so staff and the applicant can address resident concerns about access, traffic and public safety.

The applicant, represented by Tim Healy of Frontier Engineering, told commissioners that the project team reduced the original entitlement from 95 units to 89 to avoid requiring a southbound left-turn lane from Sly Avenue onto 70 Eighth Street. He said a transportation distribution study prepared by Michael Yates and reviewed by county Transportation Planning supports the change. “If we could eliminate 2 attached units then we could get by [without] the warrant for a left turn lane on Sly,” Healy said.

Neighbors said the reduction does not solve a larger…