Dade City holds second-reading hearing on rezoning of 142-acre Evans property amid flood, road and service concerns

The City of Dade City heard a quasi-judicial second-reading hearing on Ordinance 2024-07, which would rezone approximately 142 acres (the Evans property) from Pasco County agricultural (AC) to Dade City’s RS-1 single-family residential zoning. City staff recommended approval of RS-1 as the least intensive city zoning consistent with the property’s low-density residential future land use designation. The applicant’s representative said the applicant supports staff’s recommendation.

Deputy director Eves Bushey (community and economic development staff) told the commission the property lies between River Road and Sumner Lake Road and is currently assigned Pasco County AC zoning, which staff says is incompatible with the city’s Low Density Residential (LDR) future land use. Bushey told commissioners that the LDR designation allows a range of 0–6 units per acre and that RS-1 is the least intense of the city’s compatible zoning districts. She noted the property was discussed at first reading on Jan. 14, when the commission voted 3–2 (Mayor Pro Tem Woodard and Commissioner Church opposed).

The applicant’s planner, Ron Pianta of Coastal Engineering Associates, confirmed the applicant supports the RS-1 designation and asked the commission to approve the ordinance on second reading.

Multiple affected parties — residents who own property adjacent to the Evans parcel and those who said they would suffer an adverse effect — were sworn and given the first opportunity to speak. Their remarks focused on stormwater and flooding, road capacity and safety, impacts from building up lots in flood-prone areas, loss of rural character and the adequacy of school and hospital services.

Affected-party speakers included Paul Vasquez, who said stormwater runoff from development would flow onto his property and that culverts and canals in the vicinity are already undersized: "I can't see any way of doing it ... it's gonna flood everybody out in this area." Brenda White and other River Road residents described longstanding agricultural uses, livestock and farming operations adjacent to the site and cautioned that new residential neighbors could generate complaints about existing agricultural practices. Susan Shelton described local water-table concerns and poor road conditions on River Road. Mark Wilson, who said his family home is more than 100 years old and sits on a multi-acre parcel, asked that any density decision consider long-term residents and historic properties.

Other speakers raised infrastructure worries. Eddie Roberts (Summit Lake Road) highlighted the risk of flooding during construction and asked engineers to address stormwater impacts. Matthew Rocha and Gloria Elks noted that large portions of River Road lie within FEMA AE flood zones; Elks warned that when developers build up lots to make them marketable, existing properties in AE zones can be left lower and prone to flooding, which may require flood insurance for longstanding residents and affect drainage patterns.

Commissioners asked questions of staff and the applicant about the compatibility of existing Pasco County zoning with the city’s land use map; staff explained that the city had discussed adding a new "country" zoning district in a prior joint workshop but that the new district had not yet been adopted, and RS-1 is the staff-recommended option now.

The record in the provided transcript ends with affected-party testimony and does not include a final roll-call or ruling on the ordinance in the excerpt provided. The hearing was conducted as a quasi-judicial matter (staff and affected parties were sworn).