Residents praise upgraded sports fields and urge caution on new apartment plans amid drought

Several residents used the open forum at the April 7 Oldsmar council meeting to both thank the city for recent investments in recreation facilities and to urge caution about new development during ongoing drought conditions.

Dan Jabinsky, who identified himself as president of the city's soccer club, thanked the council for recent work at the sports complex and singled out the new lighting as an immediate improvement: “The new lights are fantastic, right? It makes a huge difference.” He described the club as community‑based and said the organization keeps registration costs low while fielding competitive and recreational teams; tryouts for competitive teams are scheduled May 1–4.

Damian Kondro, representing Oldsmar Little League, also applauded city investments and said the new lights improve safety and reliability for youth baseball and other sports.

By contrast, Don Richtor, a Palm Harbor resident, spoke against a proposed Alton apartment complex on the flea market property, linking his opposition to regional drought and current phase‑three water restrictions. Richtor warned of increased water demand and infrastructure strain and urged council members to “vote no on this project or at least... hit the pause button.” His remarks included a numeric claim about the project's household and vehicle impacts, which he attributed to reports circulating among opponents.

Longtime resident and former mayor Jerry Beaver recounted the city's history, offered the council historical volumes for the library and requested a street light at the end of Pine Avenue South by Oreos Park; he said he would pay for it.

The council closed the open forum after the speakers and moved on to the formal agenda items.