Hillsborough County Commissioner Pat Kemp, District 6 Countywide, hosted a Community Conversation on Tuesday, February 6, at the Bloomingdale Regional Public Library to discuss Brandon’s mobility and safety with a focus on the congested east-west corridors.
The two-hour event was part of a series of conversations the commissioner is holding throughout the county to discuss topics of interest to residents.
After opening remarks by Kemp, Senior Planner Jay Collins, AICP, and Principal Planner Sarah McKinley, MPO, shared about a study recently completed by the Planning Commission and the Metropolitan Planning Organization to refine Hillsborough County’s Vision Map and identify transportation improvements by measuring growth.
The findings of the study, called the ‘Brandon Corridors and Mixed-Use Center Pilot Project,’ were accepted by the Planning Commission. Recommended next steps are:
*Develop policies to incentivize Mixed-Use Centers development, promoting connectivity and accessibility;
*Continue to look into transit, specifically along the Brandon Boulevard (SR 60) and Oakfield corridors, connecting the mall and hospital districts;
*Move forward on Project Development & Environmental (PD&E) for Lumsden Road widening and revisit the Lithia Pinecrest PD&E;
*Evaluate Bloomingdale Avenue for intersection improvements, including enhanced pedestrian crossings and dedicated turn lanes.
For more information about the project, visit its website at www.planhillsborough.org/brandon-corridor-mixed-use-centers.
Other panelists who made presentations were John Lyons, Director, Hillsborough County Public Works; Ed McKinney, Planning and Environmental Administrator, FDOT; and Steve Feigenbaum, Director of Service Development, HART.
There was a question-and-answer session after the panel presentations, during which several residents shared their questions, comments and concerns.
Kemp said, “It was a great community conversation. The residents are asking the right questions. They understand the connection between how we grow as a county, the traffic they experience and the quality of life in our community.”
Commissioner Kemp also alerted the audience to an ‘important’ upcoming meeting. On Thursday, March 1, at 6 p.m. at County Center in Tampa, there will be a public hearing for the Comprehensive Plan Amendments (CPA) for adoption. Included on the agenda is HC/CPA 17-04 – Future Land Use Map change (Lithia Pinecrest Road, and
Browning Road), which would change 164 acres from Agricultural Rural-1/5 to
Residential-1. Kemp encouraged residents to contact the County Commissioners ahead of the meeting to let them know their thoughts on the issue and to attend the meeting to make their voices heard.
To contact Commissioner Kemp, call 272-5730 or email kempp@hillsboroughcounty.org.
