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.