When developers approached Hillsborough County in 2006 about creating a gated community on a spit of land jutting into the Little Manatee River, environmentalists and community activists responded with e-mail blitzes, T-shirt campaigns and emotional speeches. ...more

January 21, 2009

Developers who want to turn a spit of land on the Little Manatee River into a gated community will test a new Hillsborough Planning Commission policy that some believe will allow more urban sprawl in the rural community. Little Manatee Reserve LLC wants to rezone 46 acres, mostly wetlands, from Agricultural Rural into Planned Development, then add 10 more houses on urban-sized lots to the 22 already approved on an adjacent tract. ...more

January 16, 2009

Those of you who have been reading my column for a while know that I've called the Land O' Lakes area home for quite some time. When we moved to central Pasco County, McDonald's was the only fast-food place going, we had one grocery store and schools weren't overcrowded. My parents selected this area because of its small-town appeal. While I wasn't necessarily in love with it at the time, it grew on me through the years and has truly become my home. ...more

January 7, 2009