Dade City approves Summit View Phase 1B Part 2 final plat and subdivider agreement with added benches, trail lighting

The Dade City Commission voted 4–1 to approve the Summit View Phase 1B Part 2 final plat and a separate subdivider agreement that adds two benches on the west side of the pond amenity and requires lighting to continue along the new 8‑foot walking trail.

City staff recommended approval of the final plat, saying the submission complies with Florida Statute 177 (Part I), the city’s land development regulations and the subdivision standards in Article 7. "It is staff's recommendation of approval of Summit View 1 b part 2 final plat as presented," said Miss Ralston, community and economic development director.

The commission’s action records that the final plat creates 58 residential lots and documents the location of public improvements, including an approximately 8‑foot‑wide trail that staff and the applicant described as roughly 980 linear feet circling Pond 130, a proposed amenity center with shaded landscaping, picnic benches, a gazebo, a drinking fountain and courts. The developer said the amenity plan and landscaping were submitted as part of the subdivider agreement and that a third‑party reviewer found the final plat met the statutory and regulatory standards.

Why it matters: The final plat is the official, recordable map that lays out lot boundaries and public‑improvement obligations; the subdivider agreement memorializes deviations from an earlier 2018 settlement agreement (including how Pond 130 will be amenitized) and records specific construction and maintenance commitments that the city will rely on when permitting and accepting public improvements.

Discussion and developer commitments

Applicant representatives said the phase is near completion: roads and basic infrastructure (stormwater, water and sewer) have been installed and the amenity center is under construction. Simone Savino, attorney with Stearns Weaver Miller, and Jessica Iseman, who participated in developer discussions, reviewed the amenity site plan and the five items the commission conditioned when it approved the preliminary plan earlier this year.

The developer described the trail and amenities around Pond 130, noting there are five benches shown on the submitted plans (three facing the pickleball courts and two beneath a gazebo) and that TECO (Tampa Electric Company) will provide street lighting and is reviewing a photometric plan for the remainder of the pond area. Ed Mazerman, the engineer of record, said the yellow path shown in the plans identifies an 8‑foot hard‑surface trail "that ties into what is a 5 foot sidewalk existing along Ramapo Mountain Boulevard." The developer said it requested TECO approval for lighting and will follow the utility’s photometric standards.

Public comments and compliance questions

Several residents told the commission they remain concerned about grading, tree removal and ongoing dirt hauling. Mary McKnight, a resident, said she and neighbors counted trucks and described the volume as substantial: "We counted about 25 trucks. And if you average that out over an hour that's 150 trucks per hour. And if you did an 8 hour day that's 1,200 trucks today on the average," she told commissioners.

Other speakers described missing tree‑removal permits, changes in the hillside profile and construction activity they said exceeded expectations tied to the 2018 settlement agreement. Margaret Woods and Rose Figo also urged stronger city oversight and asked whether railings or alternative bench placements could address steep grades on the north side of the pond.

City attorney Mister Brackens and staff responded that the subdivision under consideration is an interior phase of Summit View and that some of the dirt activity residents described may be associated with a different phase (Summit View 2), which is not governed by the same 2018 settlement agreement. Brackens said the settlement agreement and the city’s implementing ordinance (Ordinance 2020‑23) were part of prior approvals and that separate enforcement questions about offsite hauling and past excavation remain distinct from final plat review. Staff also said they and county partners have been receiving and publishing haul‑reports and that city staff had visited nearby sites recently.

Commission action and conditions

The commission first voted on the subdivider agreement (Attachment I in the agenda packet). Commissioner Church moved to approve the subdivider agreement with the addition of two benches on the west side of the trail and language requiring lighting to continue throughout the trail; the motion was seconded (second not named in the record). The roll call vote on the subdivider agreement carried 4–1 (Mayor Pro Tem Woodard voted no).

After that vote, the commission approved the final plat for Summit View Phase 1B Part 2 by the same 4–1 margin. The roll call for the final plat was recorded as 4 ayes and 1 nay (Mayor Pro Tem Woodard voting no).

Implementation notes and outstanding items

- Benches: plans as submitted showed five benches around Pond 130; the commission added two benches on the west side of the trail as a condition of the subdivider agreement. - Lighting: TECO must approve the photometric plan for pond/trail lighting; the developer said it would submit the remaining lighting request and follow TECO standards. Staff indicated the plan should be submitted within 60 days of the applicable development order. - Surety and affidavits: staff confirmed an executed performance bond is in place; the city is awaiting execution of any remaining affidavit or signature items tied to the surety (the record notes an affidavit associated with Dr. Wylen and an executed bond document were in the packet). - Settlement agreement and hauling: residents requested clearer enforcement and more frequent reporting on dirt removal. Staff noted they have received county haul reports and committed to continued monitoring; the commission directed staff to continue oversight and to clarify which phase(s) hauling activity originates from.

The commission’s approvals allow the developer to record the final plat and proceed with the remaining amenity construction and home building under the conditions the commission imposed.