Plan Hillsborough Planning Commission Meeting - September 14, 2026

The Planning Commission, the official local planning agency (LPA) for Tampa, Temple Terrace, Plant City, and unincorporated Hillsborough County, met on September 14, 2026. The board reviewed a proposed bylaws change affecting public-comment and applicant time limits, the City of Temple Terrace Capital Improvement Program, the Hillsborough County Public Schools tentative five-year facilities work plan, an East Tampa community redevelopment plan amendment, and a comprehensive plan map amendment at 12711 East U.S. Highway 92, followed by broader discussions of community plans, public outreach timing, and affordable housing. No agenda or minutes were provided; this summary is drawn from the raw transcript, which does not always record vote tallies.

Public Comments & Testimony

• One individual signed up to speak on items not scheduled on the agenda for action; the transcript does not capture the content of those remarks.
• During the bylaws discussion, a public commenter called the proposed change “an absolute egregious act” because it would cut public comment time per speaker in half while more than tripling the time allowed to applicants.
• Two virtual attendees registered their opposition to the school district educational facilities item but declined to speak.

Discussion Items

Bylaws Change: Public Comment and Applicant Time

• The item was on the agenda for the second time, and the chair noted commissioners could vote to change the bylaws at that meeting.
• Discussion referenced a tiered structure: three minutes for items with 10 or fewer public speakers, five minutes for items with more than 10 but not exceeding 15 speakers, and ten minutes for items with 16 or more speakers for rebuttal/applicant time.
• A commissioner observed that under the three-minute tier, speakers can no longer reserve their time; another commissioner argued that requiring applicants to respond in three minutes is “fundamentally unfair,” while the public commenter countered that tripling applicant time while halving public comment time was egregious.
• The board discussed the ability to act immediately to reduce public comment to two minutes per person when large groups attend. The transcript does not clearly record the final vote or tally.

City of Temple Terrace Capital Improvement Program (CIP) Review

• Staff presented the Planning Commission’s review of Temple Terrace’s CIP and noted that additional projects are sometimes added after the review.
• A slide provided a visual representation of the five-year funding across all nine CIP project areas.
• Staff and Temple Terrace staff were available for questions. The board voted following discussion; the tally is not recorded in the transcript.

2026-2027 Tentative District Educational Facilities Consistency Review

• Staff (Mariella Overdorf) presented the consistency review of the Hillsborough County Public Schools 2026-2027 tentative five-year facilities work plan, an annual review required by Florida Statutes and interlocal agreements.
• Staff recommended the Planning Commission find the plan consistent with the unincorporated Hillsborough County, Plant City, Tampa, and Temple Terrace comprehensive plans and forward that recommendation to the school board.
• Two virtual attendees registered opposition without speaking.
• Board discussion addressed the school board’s calendar, which is not set until November after the election, and the difficulty of scheduling a presentation before the Board of County Commissioners within the required timeframe. A vote followed; the tally is not recorded.

East Tampa Community Redevelopment Area (CRA) Plan Amendment

• Staff presented a publicly initiated proposed amendment to the East Tampa community redevelopment plan; review by the Planning Commission is required under Florida Statutes. No public comments were offered.
• Board members asked for additional clarification on what the Planning Commission’s role would be, including whether it would provide recommendations or study the matter further.

Comprehensive Plan Map Amendment HCCPA 26-23 (12711 East U.S. Highway 92)

• Staff (Mariella Overdorf) presented the map amendment. The subject site is in the rural area, is not within a community plan, but is within the Plant City vision boundary.
• Surrounding future land use categories include residential-1 to the north; public/semi-public to the northwest within unincorporated Hillsborough County; commercial, industrial, and transitional area to the north; public/semi-public in Temple Terrace to the north and west; suburban mixed-use-6 to the north; residential-9 and community mixed-use-12 to the east and west; urban mixed-use-20 to the west; and residential-2 to the east across U.S. Highway 92.
• Staff noted that in the July cycle of plan amendments there will be three separate applications requesting this new category, two of which would be heard later in the same agenda. The board voted; the tally is not recorded.

Community Plans, Outreach Timing, and Affordable Housing

• Staff described ongoing work on the Riverview Community Plan update, requested by the Board of County Commissioners in conjunction with the Tampa Hillsborough Expressway Authority regarding a possible extension. Despite staff’s recommendation that it not be pursued, Tampa City Council asked staff to move forward on developing a process and possible fees.
• The Board of County Commissioners also requested a Lithia community plan; staff explained the time frame and process to community members.
• Public outreach for a related effort has completed rounds one through three; a fourth round and a final virtual meeting in November or December were proposed so the public could review staff and board feedback before a final deliverable is produced. One commissioner questioned whether the goal is more public input or meeting the county commission’s timeline, and suggested the report could be written and held if timing is the concern.
• A commissioner voiced concern about a “significant increase” without accountability, calling inaction a “dereliction of duty” by the board, and said if a vendor returns seeking more than a 10% overrun for 45 days or three months, they would stand by that criticism. Another commissioner responded that FDOT’s use of its money is not the board’s responsibility, while acknowledging that members of the public attend TPO meetings expecting to influence FDOT decisions.
• On affordable housing, a commissioner questioned why the county would help only one family instead of two “just because our systems don’t work right,” and asked whether calculations could be done at 100% rather than 160% of area median income. Commissioners discussed a possible pilot project in a neighborhood such as Tampa Heights or East Tampa, including a reasonable timeline, geography, and whether it would require a public meeting or an informal gathering with nothing on the docket.
• Staff noted a planned post-adoption amendment to the neighborhood mixed-use-16 land use category, which would be available citywide once the new comprehensive plan is in place. The chair suggested staff bring back more information on what they are scouting and how they feel about it before any formal direction is given.

Key Outcomes

• Bylaws/public comment time item: debated; the transcript does not record a clear result or vote tally.
• Temple Terrace CIP: the board voted following discussion; the tally is not recorded in the transcript.
• Educational facilities consistency review: the board voted following discussion; the tally is not recorded.
• East Tampa CRA plan amendment: the board voted following discussion; the tally is not recorded.
• Map amendment HCCPA 26-23: the board voted following discussion; the tally is not recorded.
• The chair suggested staff return with more information on the affordable housing pilot concept and community planning outreach options rather than take immediate formal action.