Hillsborough County planning staff on Jan. 22 presented four publicly initiated comprehensive-plan amendments that would expand parts of the county's urban service area in southeast Hillsborough County, and commissioners used the workshop to press staff for clearer public information and outreach. No formal votes or actions were taken at the meeting.

Planning commission staffer Sofia Guarantiva said the two text amendments, HCCPA 2444 and HCCPA 2446, would increase the urban service area by about 12,253 acres (roughly 4,000 acres in 2444 and 8,000 acres in 2446). The companion map amendments, HCCPA 2445 and HCCPA 2447, cover about 15,812 acres in total, with a little more than 5,000 acres in 2445 and just over 10,000 acres in 2447. The amendments cover lands south of Lithia Pinecrest, west of County Road 39 and east of U.S. Highway 301 in the Baum, Riverview and South Shore planning areas.

"These text amendments are proposing an expansion of the urban service area by a total of approximately 12,253 Acres," Guarantiva said during the presentation. She said the proposed changes would generally convert rural and agricultural future land uses to a mix that includes higher-density residential categories; about 75% of the acreage affected by the map amendments is proposed to be Residential 4, roughly 20% is proposed for natural preservation, and the remainder would be placed in other residential or agricultural categories. Staff also said the amendments would reduce the area’s nonresidential development potential compared with current classifications.

Staff described prior outreach — two in-person meetings in November at Sumner High School plus mailed notices, signs, local news and social media — and noted an online survey remains open. Staff said another in-person meeting is scheduled for the evening of Jan. 30 at Sumner High School and that the amendments are set for a formal public hearing and transmittal on March 13.

Commissioners pressed staff on public education and how information about impact fees, mobility fees, school concurrency and stormwater planning is being communicated. "Do we do any type of education saying that we've increased those impact fees, that we have ongoing rate studies every 2 to 3 years, that we are planning for stormwater management?" Commissioner Wilson asked, urging staff to clearly explain funding sources so residents do not assume they will subsidize new development.

Planning staff said they direct residents to the project website and noted that technical questions are routed to the agencies that provide the relevant expertise. Melissa Linehart said agency comments on plan impacts are collected during the agency review process and made available to the public as they are received.

Multiple commissioners supported producing a concise, single-page Q&A or FAQ. "If we can take that same information and, hopefully, communication will put it up," said a commissioner who asked that offices share consistent materials so constituents receive uniform answers. Communications staff — identified in the meeting as Miss Leinhardt — and planning staff agreed an FAQ section on the project page would be helpful and said they would coordinate to produce concise materials that commissioners' offices could share.

Jay Collins, who is working on the study, said county departments have been invited to the Jan. 30 meeting so residents can ask infrastructure-specific questions and view a capital improvements program map with a QR code showing planned South County investments. "On January 30th, we've invited a variety of different county departments to that meeting ... to have this very conversation with members of the public who may attend that meeting," Collins said.

Staff reiterated that no formal action would be taken at the workshop and that the public hearing on the amendments is scheduled for March 13. The chair thanked staff and commissioners for the discussion and adjourned the workshop.

What’s next: planning staff will prepare FAQ and outreach materials, county departments will attend the Jan. 30 Sumner High School meeting to discuss infrastructure and the amendments will return for a March 13 public hearing and transmittal.