Commission approves 33-home Bloomingdale subdivision despite residents' warnings about flooding and school safety

Hillsborough County commissioners voted 6–1 on Nov. 12 to rezone a 10.97‑acre site east of Culbreth/Colbert Road in Bloomingdale for a 33‑lot single‑family subdivision, after public testimony raising flood, traffic and pedestrian‑safety concerns.

William Sullivan, representing the applicant Potomac Land Company, said the project proposes 6,900‑square‑foot lots and includes 22% retention, 25% open space and additional vertical screening next to the school. Sean Cashin, the applicant’s engineer, said the development would lower the 100‑year base flood elevation by an estimated 2 to 6 inches in preliminary modeling and that detailed drainage plans will be reviewed by the county and the Southwest Florida Water Management District.

Residents and the Bloomingdale Special Taxing District strongly opposed the rezoning. “This is an unsafe plan,” said Susie Watts, president of the Bloomingdale Neighborhood Association, citing a past fatal pedestrian incident on Colbert Road and urging the board to require a continuous sidewalk to the elementary school rather than two flashing beacons. Tom Leach, president of the Bloomingdale Special Taxing District, and the district’s counsel, Kathleen Rares, presented engineering and legal analyses arguing that the plan’s drainage sections and lot widths are inadequate, that the applicant’s clustering produces a field‑like density higher than surrounding areas, and that proposed driveway spacings would fall short of the 245‑foot spacing standard for that class of road.

Rares told the board that the district’s expert found the submitted plans would likely fail to handle runoff from surrounding neighborhoods because the proposal relies on a ten‑foot landscape strip that also serves as a drainage easement and that fences or landscaping could obstruct the intended flow.

The applicant said sidewalks could not be built in the existing right‑of‑way because there is insufficient width on the east side of Culbreth Road; instead the developer proposed two rapid‑flashing beacons at crossings and additional on‑site screening and setback increases. Sullivan also noted community outreach meetings and revisions to lot sizes after feedback.

Planning staff and the zoning hearing master recommended approval, finding the request consistent with the Brandon Community Plan and within allowable densities for the future land‑use category. After discussion, the motion to approve passed 6–1; Commissioner Cameron Sapata cast the lone no vote.

Next steps: the developer must finalize drainage and traffic engineering details and obtain county and water‑management district approvals before subdivision permits are issued. The Bloomingdale district asked the board to consider additional conditions or remand for further technical review; the record shows the commission relied on the county’s review process and the ZHM/Planning staff findings in approving the rezoning.