Hillsborough County Planning Commission Regular Meeting and Public Hearing - March 9, 2026

The Hillsborough County City-County Planning Commission met on March 9, 2026, at 3:00 PM for its Regular Meeting, followed by a Public Hearing at 5:30 PM. The meeting included action items on a land development code amendment and the FY27 budget, briefings on numerous comprehensive plan map amendments and code updates, and discussions on the urban service area boundary and public comment procedures.

Consent Calendar

• No consent calendar was designated; all action items were considered individually.

Public Comments & Testimony

• No members of the public signed up to speak on items not scheduled for action on the agenda. No public comment was offered during the Regular Meeting portion.

Discussion Items

• Citizens Advisory Committee Report: Will Atkins reported on the TPO Board’s 13–2 vote to approve the I‑4 widening project (Express Lanes from I‑75 to the county line), noting the CAC had voted against it due to induced demand concerns. He highlighted alignment between the Planning Commission and CAC on transit-oriented development, specifically regarding the MOSI redevelopment on Fowler Avenue, and cautioned that required road improvements may not be added to the TIP before construction begins.
• Temple Terrace Land Development Code Text Amendment (Off-Street Parking and Driveways): Staff presented changes to Section 12‑921 to address stormwater runoff, improve driveway slope requirements, and reduce on‑street parking. The amendment was found consistent with the Temple Terrace Comprehensive Plan.
• FY27 Budget Adoption: Executive Director Melissa Zornita presented a $38,650 operating budget increase (primarily for Microsoft Office 365 G5 licensing) and a $16,000 capital request for two servers. Commissioners praised staff’s fiscal management.
• Briefings (No Action Taken):
  • Plant City Comprehensive Plan Vision Update: Staff presented draft vision themes on housing, transportation, infrastructure, parks, economic development, and schools, based on over 1,700 survey responses. Next steps include policy language revisions and continued outreach.
  • Temple Terrace Drainage Code Amendment: Staff introduced proposed updates to Section 12‑834 incorporating dynamic modeling and stormwater design standards from water management district and county manuals.
  • HC/CPA 26‑01 (Westlake Drive): Publicly initiated map amendment to remove the last WVR2 category parcels and reclassify to Residential 4.
  • HC/CPA 26‑02 & 26‑03 (Williams Road): Privately initiated urban service area expansion (81.9 acres) and land use change from Residential 1 to Residential 2.
  • HC/CPA 26‑04 (Bird Island and Sunken Island): Privately initiated change from “Not Classified” to Natural Preservation for two islands in Tampa Bay, previously used as dredge spoil disposal areas.
  • HC/CPA 26‑05 & 26‑06 (Dorman Road): Privately initiated urban service area expansion (190 acres) and land use change from Agricultural Rural 1‑5 to Residential 2.
  • HC/CPA 26‑07 (Hillsborough Avenue & George Road): Privately initiated change from Residential 6 and Office Commercial 20 to Light Industrial Planned.
  • HC/CPA 26‑08 (Fowler Avenue & Harney Road): Privately initiated change from Residential 4 to Light Industrial Planned.
  • HC/CPA 26‑09 (SR 60 & Turkey Creek Road): Privately initiated change from Energy Innovation Park to Light Industrial Planned.
  • HC/CPA 26‑10 (Kingsway Road & Tenota Sassa Road): Privately initiated change from Agricultural Rural 1‑5 and Residential 1 to Residential 2.
  • HC/CPA 26‑11 (Quarter Preservation Plan Map Update): Publicly initiated text amendment adding the proposed Fort Hamner Interchange to the map, aligning with the long‑range transportation plan.
  • City of Tampa LDC Text Amendments (5 items): Staff presented updates to height limits in the Channel District, subdivision regulations, elimination of special street setbacks, removal of EV‑capable requirements (preempted by state), and addition of certified recovery residences.
  • Temple Terrace Commercial Vehicle Code Amendment: Proposed revisions to definitions and restrictions to allow certain commercial vehicles in residential districts based on weight classifications.
• Executive Director’s Report: Melissa Zornita reported on the transmission of Tampa’s comprehensive plan to the state, staff transitions at the City of Tampa, the kickoff of Temple Terrace’s comprehensive plan update, and ongoing urban expansion area studies. She noted a retreat scheduled for March 24.
• Old Business – Urban Service Area Boundary: Chair Kona proposed sending a letter to the Board of County Commissioners requesting discussion on the urban service area boundary’s origins, empirical criteria, and impacts. After debate, a motion to send the letter passed 7–2. A subsequent motion to hold an educational workshop (without hiring a consultant) on the urban service area passed unanimously.
• New Business – Public Comment Time Limits: Commissioner Kona raised concerns about unlimited public comment on certain agenda items, suggesting a 60‑minute cap per item. Commissioners discussed pros and cons; staff will research other jurisdictions’ practices and bring recommendations to a future meeting.
• Other Business – Comprehensive Plan Errors and Procedure Manual: Chair Kona noted pagination and numbering errors in the county comprehensive plan (e.g., duplicated pages, misnumbered objectives). Staff will correct them. He also questioned the need for staff’s “recommendation” in reports, suggesting an unbiased presentation of both sides. Staff and counsel explained the legal and procedural rationale. No formal action was taken.
• Committee Reports: Commissioner Kona reported on the February TPO Board meeting, including a TIP amendment for HART (32 million for CNG buses) and a traffic signal prioritization study. He noted possible sunshine law violations at the CAC board, with full details expected at the March 12 TPO meeting.

Key Outcomes

• Temple Terrace LDC Amendment (Off‑Street Parking): Motion to find the amendment consistent with the Temple Terrace Comprehensive Plan passed unanimously (9‑0).
• FY27 Budget Adoption: Motion to adopt the proposed FY27 operating and capital budget and submit it to the Board of County Commissioners passed unanimously (9‑0).
• Letter to BOCC on Urban Service Area: Motion to send a letter urging the BOCC to discuss and consider the origination, empirical evaluation, and quantitative impacts of the urban service area boundary policies passed 7–2 (Commissioners Lincoln and Sink dissenting).
• Educational Workshop on Urban Service Area: Motion to hold an in‑house educational workshop on the urban service area, without hiring a consultant, passed unanimously (9‑0).
• Public Comment Limits: No vote taken; staff will research options and report back.
• Comp Plan Errors: Staff to correct identified pagination and numbering errors in the comprehensive plan.