Commissioners adopt future‑land‑use change in Greater Palm River to allow higher‑density housing

Hillsborough County commissioners on Thursday adopted a future‑land‑use map amendment to change a 2.29‑acre site at 2212 South 70 Eighth Street from Residential 9 to Residential 16.

The change was adopted by a 7–0 vote on item HCCPA 02/1942 after Planning Commission staff presented the application and the applicant described community outreach. The amendment will allow considerations of higher residential density on the parcel; follow‑on zoning and development approvals would be required before construction.

Planning commission staff Alexis Myers told the board the privately initiated map amendment is a small‑scale change inside the urban service area and within the Greater Palm River community plan. ‘‘This is HCCPA 02/1942 located at 2212 South 70 Eighth Street. This is a privately initiated map amendment that is small in scale and approximately 2.29 acres,’’ Myers said.

Applicant Todd Pressman said the site is appropriate for multifamily housing and that the planning commission had previously found the amendment consistent. ‘‘We are in the Greater Palm River, Clermell area. 2 separate parcels, 2.24 acres, R9 seeking R16,’’ Pressman said, adding the site abuts commercial and institutional uses and that he was not aware of opposition at the community meeting.

A nearby resident, Dennis Chaney, spoke during public comment and urged that the location remain commercial. ‘‘I say no. No to apartment complexes or property houses,’’ Chaney said. He raised traffic and noise concerns and said the site is about 208 feet from his home.

Commissioner Meyers moved to adopt the amendment; a second was offered by Commissioner Whistell. Commissioner Whistell said the change represented, in his view, ‘‘a down zoning’’ relative to existing commercial entitlements and that the site’s arterial location made it a reasonable candidate for denser residential. The motion carried 7–0.

What this means next: adoption of the comprehensive plan amendment allows county staff to transmit the change to state and regional reviewing agencies and, ultimately, enables the applicant to pursue rezoning and site‑plan review. The adopted future‑land‑use category does not itself authorize building; separate zoning procedures and permits would be required.

Clarifying details drawn from staff presentation: under the current Residential 9 category the staff presentation said the site could consider up to 9 dwelling units per gross acre; under the requested Residential 16 it would allow consideration of up to 16 dwelling units per gross acre. Staff presented site capacity figures during the hearing: under the existing designation the site could consider 20 dwelling units or certain nonresidential square‑footage figures; under the proposed designation the presentation listed an increased residential capacity and a larger nonresidential floor‑area potential. Planning staff noted agency review comments and neighborhood context in their consistency analysis.

The board moved on to other land‑use items following the vote.