Hundreds of people jammed into a stuffy Brandon Community Center on Monday night to give their representative on the Hillsborough County Commission, Al Higginbotham, a piece of their mind. More than 40 people spoke up saying they don't approve of the big-box development that's supposed to be built on Bloomingdale Avenue near Lithia-Pinecrest, and if the proposal is accepted they will hold Higginbotham responsible when he runs countywide next year.
Opposition has been building for months in the Bloomingdale area, and it didn't abate even after County Attorney Adam Gormley issued a legal opinion in April. Reiterating his initial statement at last night's meeting, Gormley said the BOCC lost jurisdiction on the matter after the preliminary site plan presented by Redstone Properties received approval.
Critics, who based on last night's meeting appear to make up the entire community, oppose the project for a variety of reasons, including: concerns about the environment, public safety and the quality of life, and the fact that they don't want a commercial big-box store — rumored to be a Walmart — in their neighborhood.
This article appears in Jun 6-12, 2013.