KEYSTONE, Fla. — Some Keystone residents are trying to stop the construction of a new subdivision with nearly 200 homes.
“Some nights you cry. Some days we high-five each other for small victories,” said Elizabeth White, who is among those who have been fighting for months.
White and her neighbors have created a group called Protect Keystone, and they say the development violates the community plan calling for only one home per five acres.
“We want our open fields. We want our wildlife. We can’t stop people from moving here and building. But our Keystone community plan absolutely addressed one house per five acres. That tries to limit the sprawl. That’s what we want,” said White.
Developer Taylor-Morrison has plans for 194 homes on 209 acres off Patterson Road. They are clearing land to put in infrastructure for utilities.
The county did zone the land for one home per acre in 1991. The Keystone-Odessa community plan was put in place ten years later.
“It’s quiet out here. It’s what we want out here,” said Missy Nordbeck.
The new project is steps away from where Nordbeck’s property is big enough to keep her two horses.
“They just came here one day. No advance notice. No public hearings. No letter to residents to let them know what’s going on,” said Nordbeck.
The Protect Keystone group hoped Hillsborough County commissioners would issue a stop work order on Wednesday, but they did not. Only agreeing to have staff review all the permits.
Taylor Morrison was fined and did have to stop construction in April after the county said they illegally removed trees, but they were able to restart the project in May.
A group of residents even filed a lawsuit against the county to stop the project.
“At the end of the day, there’s a passion in the community that’s bringing a lot of people together to fight. And we know we are going to win,” said White.
