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Builder Wants Park, Shopping Center

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By LAURA KINSLER, The Tampa Tribune

Published: February 6, 2008

K-BAR RANCH - Mobley Homes might have to give up homesites in exchange for approval to build a shopping center and regional park at the former cattle ranch, Tampa officials say.

Vice President Marc Mobley said the company, which controls the majority of K-Bar's 1,599 homesites, wants to build a 200,000-square-foot shopping center and 70-acre park along Kinnan Street.

Hillsborough County Commission chairman Ken Hagan and the county's parks department have worked closely with the Mobleys to accelerate the park plan. The county would swap two parcels in adjoining Live Oak Preserve for one larger park in K-Bar.

City officials have been less enthusiastic. Thom Snelling, Tampa's deputy director for growth management and land development, said his department has "issues that need to be resolved."

The current development plan allows commercial uses, but the developer would be required to "trade off" residential entitlements to build it. A regional park and sports complex "of that magnitude was never envisioned in the original plan," Snelling said.

It would significantly alter the traffic patterns in that part of New Tampa.

"It would trigger a rezoning," Snelling said.

The only way to avoid rezoning, which would force lengthy and costly delays, would be to trade off residential entitlements. The Mobleys, however, have been trying to get the city to allow more entitlements.

For the time being, the company is dropping a request to add a 500-unit, neotraditional subdivision just north of the proposed shopping center.
Snelling said he hasn't calculated the number of lots that would be subject to the trade-off. "It would be based on the transportation impact and the square footage," he said. "We haven't done the math."

Mobley could not be reached for comment.

Reporter Laura Kinsler can be reached at (813) 865-4844 or lkinsler@tampatrib.com.

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