Residents press Dade City over Summit View 2 preliminary plan; commission hears traffic, wetland and tree-removal concerns

City staff told the Dade City Commission that the Summit View 2 preliminary plan meets the city’s plant-development (PD) conditions and land-development regulations, but dozens of nearby residents urged the commission to delay or change the plan because of traffic safety, wetlands and flood risks and tree clearing.

Tara Salmery, a planner with Plan Active Studio, presented staff’s analysis and said she reviewed the preliminary plan against the city’s Land Development Regulations and Ordinance 2021-05 (the PD rezoning and PD agreement). Salmery summarized staff’s recommendation as approval of the preliminary plan with conditions including that the final plat approval include a traffic study examining all ingress and egress points and that the applicant demonstrate unified ownership of the property before final plat approval.

Jessica Iserman, attorney for the applicant, told the commission she had no substantive response to the staff report and thanked staff for a thorough analysis: “This is probably the most thorough staff report I’ve seen in a very long time,” she said, and made the development team available to answer questions.

Residents’ concerns: Dozens of neighbors spoke during the public comment period. Several common themes emerged:

- Traffic safety: Multiple residents, including former highway patrol and local homeowners, said the primary planned entrance sits on a curve on Saint Joe Road near Easterling Road and could create a four-way conflict that they described as a likely crash location. Rebecca Filman (also identified as Rebecca Filman Spallmaker) told commissioners, “I see a 4 way intersection in that curve that is going to be a traffic nightmare.” Several residents asked the applicant to relocate that entrance to eliminate the conflict or reconfigure road alignments.

- Wetlands and flooding: Commenters including Nancy Cabaniss Johnson and Jonathan McKeenchaff raised concerns about Suwannee Lake’s variable shoreline and how building lots drawn adjacent to the lake could increase flood risk and require fill. Residents said the lake has changed size historically and that FEMA flood-zone designations can be reissued after flood events, creating future insurance and safety implications for homeowners.

- Tree removal, excavation and erosion: Neighbors reported recent tree clearing and stockpiles of dirt on parcels of Summit View property and questioned whether the work complied with permits and with prior settlement conditions tied to earlier approvals. Peggy Woods and others said soil movement during heavy rains has deposited mud onto adjoining private property.

What staff and the applicant said in response: Staff reiterated that Summit View was annexed and rezoned under Ordinance 2021-05, which established a PD agreement allowing up to 496 residential units and set conditions the preliminary plan must meet. Staff told the commission the preliminary plan is a higher-resolution layout than the PD master plan and that final engineering and construction plans will address detailed infrastructure, drainage and lot-level grading. Applicant representatives said some implementation details are handled at construction-plan review and that they would work through final engineering and required traffic and drainage studies.

Prior actions and outstanding items: The planning board approved Summit View 2 on Dec. 4, 2024 with the condition that the final plat include a traffic study addressing all ingress and egress points during construction-plan review. Staff’s recommendation to the commission echoed that condition and added that the final plat must demonstrate unified ownership of the property.

What the commission did: The commission heard testimony and questions but did not take a final vote on the Summit View 2 preliminary plan during the Jan. 28 meeting. Earlier in the meeting staff continued a separate Summit View 1 item to the Feb. 11 meeting.

Next steps: Staff and the applicant will need to address the public comments in the record, complete required traffic and drainage studies for final plat and construction-plan review, and provide any documentation of ownership or settlement compliance required by the ordinance’s conditions before the matter returns for final plat approval.