Bloomingdale Residents Continue To Fight Big-Box Development

More than 550 Valrico residents have now signed a petition to stop a big-box retail store from being constructed on a 43.5-acre pasture on Bloomingdale Avenue next to the Bloomingdale Regional Library.

The property owner, Redstone Properties LLC, is now conducting a county-required traffic study that will allow it to begin development of the property, which is already zoned for a 158,800-square-foot big-box store, along with other commercial space and 260 apartments.

According to county planner Matt Lewis, the developer has not confirmed what big-box store it wants to build but has mentioned the possibility of a Super Target or Sam's Club. However, residents say they've seen plans designating it as a Super Wal-Mart.

Last week more than 100 residents showed up at the Hillsborough County Commission meeting to protest the big-box development, citing a number of concerns including a decrease in property values around the development, increased traffic on the already heavily-traveled Bloomingdale Avenue, noise and light from the development and the potential for flooding in the area.

Residents have been meeting weekly at the Bloomingdale Regional Library to discuss strategy to keep the big-box store out of the neighborhood. Last week's meeting attracted more than 300 residents.

Residents, including members of the Valrico-FishHawk Chamber of Commerce, the Bloomingdale Homeowners Association and several other area homeowners associations, also started a petition drive on www.change.org, an email campaign to county commissioners and a Facebook page.

Although the county has told the residents that the property is already zoned for a big-box store so there will not be a hearing, the residents are demanding to have their say in what is developed on the property.

Resident Fred Brown said the community was unaware the pasture on Bloomingdale Avenue was being rezoned in 2011 because advertisements about the land use change were vague and never mentioned the property in question.

Knowing that Redstone can return to the county any day with an acceptable transportation plan for the site, Brown told residents they need to act quickly.

"We're behind the eight ball and we don't have any time to waste," he said. "There is strength in numbers.

Valrico resident Jennifer Blessing said she can't envision anything good for the community in building a Super Wal-Mart or other big-box store on the property.

"The county keeps telling us this is a legal development given the rezoning they snuck into the area," she said. "However, legality doesn't equal intelligent planning. Several hundred apartments equals several hundred more kids (potentially) to squeeze into our crowded schools. Paving over 42 acres will create a water drainage nightmare for the area. Traffic is already horrific. And those low-paying Walmart jobs will not be boosting the local economy in any way that is helpful. Let's get the county to stop thinking about dollar signs for themselves and start thinking about what is good for our communities."