Many New Tampa residents are aware that District 2 Hillsborough County Commissioner Ken Hagan (photo below) used to live in Cross Creek. Fewer people probably know, however, that Hagan grew up in Carrollwood โ and he says both experiences helped him decide to fight for an indoor/ outdoor recreation facility in New Tampa โ all of which is located in his district.ย
โWhen I was in college,โ Hagan says, โI spent my summers working in the same county park in Carrollwood I grew up playing in. Then, when I was raising my family in Cross Creek, I realized that we didnโt have any county park facilities. So, when I first became the County Commissioner for the New Tampa area (way back in 2002), I decided to try to get a large county park built here.โ
Hagan says the county had purchased land in K-Bar Ranch, โand my original plan was to partner with the City of Tampa on a big park there, but the city killed that. (Note- K-Bar is now getting a city park of its own.) So, I was able to take that money and use half of it to redo Branchton Park (on Morris Bridge Rd. south of Cross Creek Blvd.) and the other half to build this facility here.โ
Hagan and other county officials cut the ribbon on the $8.6-million Cross Creek Recreation Center at 19019 Bassett Creek Dr. (next to Pride Elementary) on June 29.
In addition to completely revamping the 15-acre parkโs outdoor playground and adding shade shelters, new basketball courts, a walking trail and benches, the projectโs crown jewel is the 16,000-sq.-ft. rec center, which has a full-sized basketball gym, fitness (not yet stocked) and multipurpose rooms, classrooms and a public meeting space โ and recreation supervisor Kim Gilchrist and assistant rec supervisor Alex Spacone (photo, left) say the summer camp program was full for this summer, but there will be programming for children and adults throughout the year for those with a โWellness Access Pass-Cross Creek.โย
โThere are a lot more programs still to come,โ Hagan says. โI wish we had something like this when my kids were growing up here.โ Me, too, Ken!
For more info about the Cross Creek Rec Center, call (813) 744-5978 or visit FLHillsboroughweb.myvscloud.com. โ GN; all photos by Charmaine Georgeย
โI Feel Very Strongly That This Board Let This Neighborhood Down.โ โ Hillsborough Commissioner Ken Haganย
On June 9, chief assistant Hillsborough County attorney Cameron Clark explains the need for the โconstrained remandโ by the Board of County Commissioners, as โSave Pebble Creekโ supporters hold up โRemandโ signs. (Photo is a screenshot from the BOCCโs June 9 Land Development Hearing on YouTube)ย
The group calling itself โSave Pebble Creekโ has very few opportunities left to try to, as they see it, save their neighborhood. The Hillsborough County Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) voted 5-1 on June 9 to โremandโ the proposed GL Homes project โ the home builder has been trying for year to purchase the 149 acres of the Pebble Creek Golf Clubโs golf course (which closed in July 2021) and build 250 single-family homes on the property โ back to the Zoning Hearing Master (ZHM) on Monday, July 20, 6 p.m., but for a very limited, constrained purpose.ย
Just for clarification, a โremandโ in a land development or zoning context โoccurs when a higher authority (like a court or appellate board, in this case, the 2nd District Court of Appeals) sends a project application or dispute back to a lower authority (like a local planning commission or, in this case, the BOCC) for further review, additional findings, or reconsideration.โ
Chief assistant county attorney Cameron Clark (photo) told the Board that the only part of the case that could be remanded was to add an โex parteโ communication (Note – An โex parteโ communication in land development is any โone-sidedโ communication between a project applicant, supporter or opponent and a decision-making board member outside of a public hearing) by Ace Golf and still-Pebble Creek Golf Clubย owner Bill Place to District 5 County Commissioner Donna Cameron Cepeda.ย
In his email to Comm. Cepeda dated Apr. 7, Place wrote, โI believe the GL [Homes] project offers the best possible solution for residents and we have worked with them every step of the way,โ which will need to be included in the official record of the project.
And, while the remand will not include the last line of Placeโs email (but it is a matter of public record), it said, โI did not want to make the offer before your position was taken on this (not that it would have influenced), but I would be quite happy to support your re-election.โ
After Clark explained to the commissioners exactly what the BOCC could and couldnโt remand, Dist. 7 Comm. Joshua Wostal moved to remand Placeโs ex-parte communication issue to the Zoning Hearing Master at the BOCCโs zoning hearing on July 20.
After the motion was seconded by Dist. 1 Comm. Harry Cohen, Board Chair & Dist. 2 Comm. Ken Hagan explained to the Save Pebble Creek supporters (who held up โRemandโ signs behind Clark as he spoke) in attendance that no public comments could be made at that meeting.
Prior to the vote, Comm. Hagan asked Clark, โDo you see any avenue or opportunity to broaden that remand at this time?โ
Clark responded, โI would say thatโs very difficult. Itโs not impossible but all the issues that have already been discussed in this case…the evidence thatโs been submitted…that the Board discussed in its denial and that were discussed by the court…essentially, those are closed issues at this point. So, new evidence on, say, the desirability of maintaining open space, things of that nature, would not be helpful at this point because, essentially, itโs already been determined that those issues were resolved by the court.โ
Hagan then said, โIโm just going to say, having represented Pebble Creek for 24 years…I feel very strongly that this Board let this neighborhood down. Unfortunately, that ship has sailed and the county attorney has made it very clear what our options are [now].โ
Dist. 6 Comm. Chris Boles then asked Clark, โWhen this comes back before us, after the July 20 [ZHM] hearing, will there be an opportunity for public comment at that time, and will it be limited only to what happened at that hearing? Would you expound upon that?โ
Clark responded, โSo, just as the ability to comment at the July 20 ZHM hearing is going to be limited โ and I believe this comes back to [the BOCC] Land Use in September โ there will be a new oral argument opportunity but it would be limited to that issue only because everything else thatโs [already] in the record is going to be the same as it was in July 2023, and thereโs already been oral arguments on all of those issues.โ
The commissioners then voted 5-1 (Dist. 4 Comm. Christine Miller was absent) in favor of the remand, with Comm. Hagan casting the lone dissenting vote.
Save Pebble Creek founder Leslie Green released this statement after the BOCCโs vote:
โIt is unfortunate that after the BOCC voted against the rezoning application, its decision-making authority was ultimately limited by a court ruling that prevented the Board from relying on its original reasons for denial, including consistency with the Comprehensive Plan.
โI believe that if the County had pursued one additional appeal, the BOCCโs denial would have been upheld, and this matter could have been resolved much sooner. We were hoping for a much broader remand that would have allowed consideration of the soil contamination issues and an update to the 2022 traffic study. I fear living here during the soil cleanup.โ
The History Of The Caseย
As Clark explained prior to the vote, the BOCC first denied the GL Homes rezoning application in July of 2023: โThe developer appealed that denial to circuit court, where the applicant prevailed,โ Clark said. โThe county then appealed that ruling to the appellate court, where the county prevailed. It was sent back to the circuit court, where the circuit judge essentially โfixedโ his order and once again quashed the Boardโs denial from July of โ23, which effectively rewinds this application back to [that date]. The effect of the court order is to place significant restraint on the Boardโs action.โ We will update this story after the July 20 ZHM hearing.
Hillsborough County commissioner Ken Hagan and his long-time aide Rich Reidy. Rich passed away on Nov. 11 after a short battle with cancer. He was 68. (Photos provided by Ken Hagan)
Even if youโve been faithfully reading every issue of the Neighborhood News for years, you may not know who Rich Reidy is. But, rest assured, Rich was one of the most important people working in the Hillsborough County government, someone who played a role behind the scenes in most every decision that has affected New Tampa for more than the past two decades.
Rich, who passed away suddenly at age 68 on Nov. 11, first became Dist. 2 County Commissioner Ken Haganโs legislative aide when Ken was first elected back in 2002. (Note-Rich left to become the top aide for then-State Sen. John Legg in 2013, but he returned as Haganโs top aide in 2018, after Legg was replaced by Sen. Jack Latvala, who was forced to resign at the end of 2017). โRich did love the legislature,โ Ken says. โI was so glad he came back.โ
Hereโs how I found out Rich had passed:
I wanted to get an update on the planned safety improvements to Morris Bridge Rd. south of Cross Creek Blvd. So, instead of calling Comm. Hagan directly on his cell phone, I did what I usually did โ I called Kenโs office. Jannah asked me who I was calling and I said, โWhat I usually do when I have to ask Hagan something, Iโm calling Rich Reidy at Kenโs office.โ
I had my phone on speaker because I wanted Jannah to hear just how helpful the guy has always been to me โ from when I first started trying to find out when Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd. was going to be widened (what now seems like an eternity ago) through questions of county parks in New Tampa and the extension of Cross Creek Blvd., to the New Tampa Performing Arts Center, to Morris Bridge Rd. and many more.
Instead of Richโs usual happy-to-help attitude, Comm. Haganโs other aide, Glorivee โGloryโ Burgos, answered the phone. I had spoken with Glory a few times over the past few years, but I didnโt โknowโ her like I do Rich, so I asked her, โCan I speak with Rich, please?โ
โWhat is this regarding?,โ she asked politely. โIs there something I can help you with?โ
I said, โIโm just calling for an update on the Morris Bridge Rd. safety improvements and Rich is always who I ask things like this.โ
The silent few-second pause that followed was deafening, but Glory finally said, โI guess you didnโt hear, but…Rich…passed away last week.โ
Jannah and I both let out an audible gasp at the same time. โWhat happened,โ I asked, holding back tears. โWas it a heart attack?โ
โNo,โ Glory responded. โHe had a short battle with cancer.โ
And, even though I think Glory mentioned that some of the safety improvements planned for Morris Bridge, the ones we reported back in our Apr. 1 issue, had either already begun or were getting ready to begin, I honestly believe I wasnโt really listening anymore. All I could think of was talking to Ken about Rich.
โHe was having trouble catching his breath and keeping his balance, but like most guys, he just tried to ignore it,โ Ken told me. โHe went to his doctor, who sent him to Moffitt (Cancer Center). Apparently, the cancer had started in his brain and it spread quickly throughout his body. He never got to go home.โ
He added, โThe whole thing took maybe six or seven weeks, In hindsight, I guess it was a blessing that he didnโt suffer long, at least, but his only thoughts, right up until the end, were for his wife Donna.โ
Ken admitted that when he first took office, his friends would call to ask him for his help with something, but over time, the answer always seemed to be, โJust call Rich, which is what I said at his Celebration of Life.โ Ken says. โAfter a while, my friends would just call him directly and I wouldnโt even know. Heโd resolve the issue and then, when Iโd see them again theyโd say, โThanks for taking care of that for me,โ and Iโd be like, โSure. Anything for you, buddy.โโ
He also said Rich championed a county statute that became a statewide internet safety bill to protect kids from sexual predators. โI got the credit for it, but Rich actually did all of the work,โ Ken says. He also noted that Rich also was, โa โscabโ umpire during the strike-shortened 1995 Major League Baseball season, a former small business owner, an animal lover…and a true friend.โ
And, the government staffer I trusted the most. R.I.P., Rich.
Although the Pebble Creek Golf Club has been closed for several years, members of the group called Save Pebble Creek, organized by long-time Pebble Creek resident Leslie Green, have been doing everything they could to have the golf club reopen, rather than become single-family homes.
Yesterday, the group and the Hillsborough County Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) won a significant victory in their efforts to prevent golf course owner Bill Place and his Ace Golf from rezoning the 149-acre property and selling it to GL Homes, which was planning to build 250 single-family homes on the golf course site.
In July of 2023, the attempt to rezone the golf course property was denied 5-2 by the Hillsborough County Board of County Commissioners (BOCC), after Comm. Hagan said he had received 1,800 letters from residents of the community, the vast majority of which were in opposition to the rezoning.
But, in October of last year, the home builder appealed the county commissionโs denial of the rezoning request to Hillsborough County Circuit Judge Paul Huey and, on June 24, 2024, Judge Huey “quashed” the BOCC’s denial of the rezoning petition which means, in legal terms, โto set aside or void.โ Judge Hueyโs ruling on the developerโs appeal was that, โThe court cannot find that the Board of County Commissioners relied on competent, substantial evidence when it denied GL Homesโ proposal.โ
The county appealed Judge Huey’s decision to the Second District of the District Court of Appeal of Florida, which overturned that decision and quashed the lower court’s order that would have allowed the rezoning.
Commissioner Hagan said of yesterday’s ruling, “I am very pleased to report that the Second District Court of Appeal agreed with the Countyโs rezoning denial and overturned the Circuit Courtโs decision. I would like to thank you for your support and vigilance throughout this difficult ordeal. We would not have won without you!” He also previously said that the county would consider buying the golf course “if the price were right.”
Green echoed Hagan’s sentiments regarding the latest decision: “Thanks to the rallying of the community and to our Commissioner Ken Haganโs efforts, we have accomplished our goal of no rezoning that will keep the golf course land around which our entire neighborhood is based protected from development. I hope that we can now work with the landowner to find a more mutually agreeable solution. Ultimately, we would wish to have another golf course operator step in. Commissioner Hagan had mentioned in a Townhall meeting that the county would consider buying it for a municipal golf course. This would meet another goal of ours, which is to avoid having the toxins that lie under the ground dug up for remediation. Now, the land can be used for its intended purpose. I personally look forward to the next step.”
Place said that he would have no comment on the most recent ruling “until GL Homes reviews its options early next week.”
We also had not yet received comment from either of the homeowners associations in Pebble Creek.
Congratulations to the Hillsborough County Parks & Recreation Department, which has now opened Phase 1A of a new $6.7-million multi-phase expansion of Branchton Park at 15508 Morris Bridge Rd., less than a half-mile south of Cross Creek Blvd.
On a frosty cold Jan.23, Hillsboroughโs director of Parks & Recreation Rick Valdez, District 2 County Commissioner Ken Hagan, park project manager Jason McKenzie, New Tampa resident and Dist. 4 Comm. Christine Millerโs legislative aide Rico Smith were among those who cut the ribbon on the new 43-acre park.
Valdez said the new park includes a splash pad (which wasnโt yet open, but it was too cold to try that day anyway), a large playground area (with a blue turf facsimile of the Hillsborough River running through it), plus several changing rooms, restrooms and a โCop Cabinโ where Hillsborough Sheriffโs Office (HCS) deputies can have a desk, a lounge (with a working fireplace) and a place to keep an eye on whatโs happening in the park.
Also under construction in Phase 1B are six pickleball courts, large- and small-breed dog parks and an additional restroom. Phase 1B is expected to open by no later than March of this year.
Phase 2, which is funded and includes renovations to the original 19-acre Branchton Park, also is expected to include a zipline (in partnership between the county and a private contractor, who has not yet been selected) and an event center. Valdez said Phase 2 will take about two years to build.
โI am thrilled to be here this morning as the commissioner who championed this project for over a decade,โ Comm. Hagan said prior to the ribbon cutting ceremony. โHow this occurred is that, for six years, I lived around the corner, off Cross Creek Blvd. And every day, I would drive on Morris Bridge Rd., because before we widened Bruce B. Downs (Blvd.), the traffic was terrible.
โSo, Iโd go down Morris Bridge, and Iโd always look over here and see this beautiful area and I would never see more than two or three people on the basketball courts or in the little picnic area. And I just remember thinking that we could really do something special and make a destination here. Well, many years later, weโve created it [and we] worked closely with the New Tampa community to get the amenities the residents wanted to see here.โ
Hagan added, โThis park will serve 45,000+ people within a ten-minute drive of this area.โ
