Dade City commission rezones 142-acre River Road parcel to RS-1 amid resident objections about flooding, infrastructure

The Dade City Commission on Tuesday approved Ordinance 2024-07, rezoning a 142-acre property near River Road to RS-1, after a lengthy public hearing in which residents warned the change could increase flooding, strain roads and public services and harm wildlife. The measure passed 4-1, with Mayor Pro Tem Woodard voting no.

The vote assigned the RS-1 zoning district to the property and added language noting that “available infrastructure is not currently consistent with the maximum development potential for the property,” a provision commissioners agreed should be addressed during later subdivision and engineering reviews.

Neighbors and affected parties urged the commission to delay action or apply a different tool. Brenda White, a River Road resident who identified herself as an affected party, questioned the change in environmental findings since the last review and said the neighborhood would bear the long-term consequences: “If it ain't right, it's not right and now we're all gonna have to sit here and take that medicine,” she said. Mark Wilson, who lives on River Road, said the change from one-house-per-acre to an RS-1 designation could…