Hillsborough County BCC Comprehensive Plan & LDC Hearing - January 15, 2026
Hillsborough County Board of County Commissioners Comprehensive Plan and Land Development Code Public Hearing - January 15, 2026
The Hillsborough County Board of County Commissioners convened on January 15, 2026, to hold public hearings on amendments to the Comprehensive Plan and the Land Development Code. All items on the agenda were approved unanimously by a 6-0 vote.
Consent Calendar
- Procedural Motion: Commissioner Cohen moved, seconded by Commissioner Bowles, to continue the public hearing in the absence of a scheduled member. The motion carried 6-0.
- HCCPA 25-16 (Surface Water & Wellhead Protection Maps): Publicly initiated large-scale map amendment updating the surface water resource protection and wellhead resource protection maps. Approved 6-0.
- HCCPA 25-17 (Fort Hamer Road Corridor Preservation): Privately initiated text and map amendment to add Fort Hamer Road to the Corridor Preservation Plan and add a policy to the mobility section. Approved 6-0.
- HCCPA 25-19 (Urban Service Area Expansion): Small-scale map amendment expanding the Urban Service Area for 10.01 acres at 4950 Saffold Road. Approved 6-0.
- HCCPA 25-20 (Future Land Use Change): Small-scale map amendment changing the future land use of 10.01 acres at 4950 Saffold Road from Agricultural Rural (1-5) to Residential-4. Approved 6-0.
- LDC 25-126 (Wellhead & Surface Water Protection Code Updates): Land Development Code amendment updating regulations to align with the adopted map changes and provide review flexibility. Approved 6-0.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Pat Neal (Applicant, Neal Communities): Spoke in support of HCCPA 25-17. He stated his company builds about 27,000 homes mostly in Manatee and Sarasota Counties and hopes to plan a community around the proposed Fort Hamer Road extension, emphasizing its importance for connecting to Ruskin.
- Greg Horwidell (Deputy County Administrator): Spoke in support of HCCPA 25-17. He noted that the county will initiate a separate amendment for a Fort Hamer/I-75 interchange in an upcoming cycle, praising the applicant's proactive planning and collaboration.
- Cammy Corbett (Hill Ward and Henderson, representing the applicant): Spoke in support of HCCPA 25-19 and HCCPA 25-20. She stated the requests are straightforward add-ons to previously approved council zoning and do not increase the total dwelling unit count beyond what was already approved for the Planned Development.
Discussion Items
- Staff Reports and Deliberation: Planning Commission and Development Services staff presented each agenda item, detailing consistency with the Comprehensive Plan's goals, objectives, and policies. Key points included:
- HCCPA 25-16: Staff (Diego Guerra) explained the updates to the surface water and wellhead protection maps reflect the latest available data and remove outdated zone designations.
- HCCPA 25-17: Staff (Katrina Corcoran) described the proposed Fort Hamer Road alignment, agency comments regarding wildlife and wetlands, and the addition of a policy to enable concurrent infrastructure planning with urban expansion areas.
- HCCPA 25-19 & HCCPA 25-20: Staff (Lillian Linahan and Alexis Myers) highlighted the 10.01-acre site's adjacency to the Urban Service Area, its consistency with the Wimauma Village Community Plan, and agency comments on utility capacity and school capacity. The residential density would increase from a maximum of 2 units under the current designation to 40 units under the proposed Residential-4 designation, though the applicant stated no additional units are sought.
- LDC 25-126: Staff (Israel Monsanto) outlined the code updates that consolidate, clarify, and align wellhead and surface water protection regulations with the adopted map amendments.
- Commissioner Wistel's Comments: During the discussion of HCCPA 25-17, Commissioner Wistel expressed strong support, citing the proposal as a rare example of advance road planning in the county. He contrasted it with decades-long backlogs of unimproved roads (e.g., Lithia-Pinecrest) and stated that this proactive model should be the standard moving forward.
Key Outcomes
- All six actions (1 procedural motion and 5 agenda items) were approved unanimously by a 6-0 vote.
- Procedural Action: The board adjourned the Comprehensive Plan Amendment Public Hearing and opened the Land Development Code Amendment Public Hearing.
- Upcoming Items: The Deputy County Administrator announced a publicly initiated county amendment for a Fort Hamer/I-75 interchange will be brought forward for consideration. The applicant for items HCCPA 25-19 and 25-20 stated a rezoning application is forthcoming.
- Vote Recording: Items B1, B2, C1, C2, and LDC were all passed with individual motions, seconds, and 6-0 votes.
Meeting Transcript
Welcome to the Board of County Commissioners Comprehensive Plan Amendment Public Hearing. The Board of County Commissioners will consider the adoption of text and map amendments to the Hillsburg County Comprehensive Plan. Following the comprehensive plan amendment public hearing, the board will hold a hearing for consideration of the adoption of a proposed amendment to the land development code. It says, please be advised that I am unable to attend today's public hearing due to a scheduling conflict. Do I have a motion to continue? No. I think it just happened. It says we have to have a motion. Does require um motion in order to motion notice I have a motion by Commissioner Cohen and a second by Commissioner Bowles. Uh please record your vote. Good evening. Commissioner Cameron Cepeda. Motion carried six to zero. I will now request that the planning commission staff introduce the first item on this evening's agenda. Uh good evening for the record. This is Gillian Massey with Planning Commission staff. Um first on the agenda would be the consideration of the adoption of large-scale uh comprehensive map amendments. Um item B1 is HCCPA 25-16 and will be presented by Diego Guerra. Can you turn on your microphone, please? No, yeah, there we go. Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. The Regina Planning Commission staff. Again, this item is CPA 2516. Uh updates to the surface water resource protection areas and wellhead um wellhead resource protection areas uh update. Uh again, this item was transmitted uh by you to the state for further review back at October's hearing. Uh to recap, this is a publicly initiated amendment specific to two maps within the future land use map series. The request was to update the surface water resource protection map with the latest data uh and remove zone one and redefined zone two on the well head resource protection areas map. Ums or wellheads be connected to the public to the public portable water system uh in the future. Those maps would be updated accordingly. Uh that concludes my presentation. Myself and county staff are available for any questions you may have. Thank you. This is a public hearing. Anyone wishing to speak to CPA 2516, please come forward. What's the pleasure of the board? Move approval. Second. I have a motion by Commissioner Cohen, a second by Commissioner Wolstow. Please record your votes. Motion carried six to zero. Next item, please. Uh next up is item B2, which is HC CPA 25-17, presented by Miss Katrina Corcoran. Good evening, Katrina Corcoran Planning Commission staff. I'm here tonight to present uh the text amendment to the quarter preservation plan map and text of the mobility section. As a reminder, this is a privately initiated text amendment that would be adding a quarter, Fort Hamer Road, to the adopted quarter preservation plan map. There is also a staff recommended policy addition to the mobility section. This slide shows the uh mobility sections map series, including map one, which is the adopted quarter preservation plan map. Uh this map is utilized to protect future right-of-way from encroachment, provide connectivity, and ensure transportation quarters are adequate to serve plan growth and development patterns as defined in the future land use section. This slide shows the proposed change with the uh Fort Hamer Road proposed alignment. Uh this is in southern Hillsborough County.
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