Hillsborough County commissioners approved a major modification Tuesday, allowing up to 1,200 homes within the Energy Innovation Park development south of State Road 60 near Dover, advancing plans for one of the largest undeveloped sites inside the county’s urban service boundary.
The board approved the rezoning request in a 5–1 vote. Commissioner Patricia “Pat” Cameron Cepeda voted against the proposal and Commissioner Christine Miller was absent.
The change allows residential development within “Pocket E” of the approximately 3,000-acre Energy Innovation Park property, which had previously been approved primarily for energy and industrial uses.
County staff said the modification also adds hotel uses in another portion of the project along State Road 60 and updates planning conditions tied to buffering, screening and access.
Environmental safeguards tied to mining history
The property’s past use as a phosphate mining site led the county to impose extensive environmental testing requirements before any residential construction can proceed.
Under the conditions approved by commissioners, the developer must establish baseline levels for gamma radiation emissions, conduct sitewide gamma surveys before residential construction and work with the Florida Department of Health to determine acceptable thresholds.
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If emissions exceed those thresholds, the developer must implement site-specific mitigation measures and conduct additional surveys.
Developers will also be required to install radon mitigation vapor barriers under every residential structure and verify radon levels meet federal standards before any certificate of occupancy is issued.
Additional restrictions address groundwater contamination associated with the nearby Sydney Mine sludge ponds Superfund site, including ongoing monitoring of the 1,4-dioxane plume and proof that contamination is stable before residential construction permits are issued.
Commissioners cite existing development rights
Commissioner Joshua Wostal, who supported the project, said the property already carries significant development entitlements that could allow millions of square feet of industrial uses without the additional environmental safeguards tied to the residential option.
“This property was approved long before this board,” Wostal said during the meeting. “Up to 7 million square feet of heavy industrial and commercial uses could occur there today without the additional environmental protections we added to the housing portion.”
Wostal said the residential option allowed the county to require environmental testing and mitigation that would otherwise not be triggered under the site’s existing approvals.
Residents raise health, traffic concerns
Several residents spoke against the proposal during the public hearing, citing concerns about environmental contamination, traffic and the pace of development in eastern Hillsborough County.
Opponents argued that much of the land has not been fully tested for contaminants associated with historic phosphate mining.
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“Just because you can doesn’t mean you should,” said Courtney Danielle Kimbro, a Plant City resident who spoke at the meeting, referencing concerns about traffic and growth pressures in the area.
Other residents raised concerns about potential radon exposure, groundwater contamination and the impact development could have on nearby wildlife habitat.
Board majority backs project
Despite the objections, most commissioners said the project’s environmental conditions and existing development rights justified approving the modification.
Commissioners noted that extensive environmental review and coordination with state and federal agencies will still be required before residential construction begins.
“This is only the beginning of the engagement process,” said project attorney Jake Kramer, who told commissioners multiple agencies would review environmental testing as the project moves forward.
Part of a broader growth corridor
Energy Innovation Park sits within the I-4 growth corridor between Tampa and Plant City, an area county planners have identified for future development inside the urban service boundary.
Developers have described the project as a long-term mixed-use community combining residential, commercial and energy-related uses.
Commissioners emphasized that additional approvals and environmental reviews will occur before any homes are built.
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