Hillsborough County commissioners are slated to decide on June 9 whether to rezone the long-closed Pebble Creek Golf Course in New Tampa for residential development. The proposal from GL Homes would turn the overgrown former fairways into a neighborhood of houses, reviving a years-long tug-of-war between developers and nearby residents.
According to Tampa Bay 28, commissioners voted in April to bring the rezoning application back and scheduled the revote for June 9. GL Homes representatives met with neighbors in mid May to preview updated plans, but residents say the meetings did little to ease concerns about traffic, sewer capacity and overall safety.
Neighbors Say Soil, Traffic and Community Character Are on the Line
Longtime residents and the local advocacy group Save Pebble Creek say they have rallied to keep the land as green space and to push for additional environmental testing and infrastructure studies before any zoning change, according to Save Pebble Creek. Organizers there frame the fight as a test of how much development New Tampa can absorb without losing the qualities that drew people to the area in the first place.
The Pebble Creek Village HOA has posted detailed updates and a timeline of litigation and community actions, highlighting what it describes as ongoing outreach efforts and resident worries about possible soil contamination and infrastructure capacity if hundreds of new homes are added.
Board Split Sends Case Back for More Review
A procedural split at the Board of County Commissioners in April kept the rezoning request alive. As reported by ZoneWire, commissioners voted 3 to 4 against appealing a circuit court ruling, which means the application is headed back to the land use docket for another round of public review.
Developer’s Take
GL Homes says it has continued to talk with residents and that recent court action has cleared the way for the company to move ahead. In a statement relayed by the developer’s attorney, Jacob Cremer, the company said the circuit court’s decision “was in our favor” and that its outreach has helped build more local support, according to Tampa Bay 28.
How to Follow the Vote
The Board of County Commissioners is scheduled to take up the Pebble Creek rezoning on June 9. The county posts agendas in advance and streams hearings on YouTube and HTV. For the latest agenda, meeting details and information on how to sign up to speak, visit the Hillsborough County BOCC page.
