Commission approves Compass Point change to allow detached homes; neighbors raised flooding and rental concerns

The Hillsborough County Board of County Commissioners on July 22 approved a modification to the Mirror Bay/Compass Point planned development that allows single-family detached homes on 84 previously platted lots, a vote that commissioners said will reduce the visual massing compared with the townhome buildings originally approved.

The change was approved 7-0 after a day of testimony, presentations from the applicant team and extended public comment from residents who asked the board to protect neighborhoods at the community entry and to address drainage and potential rental ownership.

The applicant's attorney, Michael Brooks, said Stanley Martin Homes acquired the remaining platted lots and proposed modified development standards so a detached single-family product would fit on the existing lots without increasing the number of units or the project's density. “This PRS will not result in an increase in the number of units in Compass Point or in the Mirror Bay project above and beyond what's already approved,” Brooks told commissioners.

Residents told the board…