LUTZ, Fla. — A Hillsborough County land use hearing officer issued a special use permit Wednesday for a proposed K-8 private school for 1,000 students in Lutz.
The Naidip Foundation wants to bring Apex Academy to a 24.52-acre property at the intersection of Holly Lane and Dale Mabry Highway. The land was previously zoned for agriculture.
Watch report from Annette Gutierrez
The developer's proposal would keep parts of an existing tree farm, widen Holly Lane to 4 lanes, limit outbound traffic to left turns toward Dale Mabry Highway, stagger school bell schedules and create more than 7,100 feet of on-site queuing for pick-up and drop-off.
Lutz resident John Wajdowicz said he supports the revised site plan because the developers considered the concerns he raised.
"While I really rather not have a 1000 student school built in the neighborhood, I really appreciate their taking our concerns into account," Wajdowicz said.
"Developments are gonna happen, but you wanna manage it in a way that it doesn't destroy the neighborhood," Wajdowicz said.
Not everyone shares that view. Neighbors first raised concerns about the proposal several weeks ago, when they spoke with Tampa Bay 28 reporter Annette Gutierrez. Jennifer Miranda, a member of the nonprofit Preserve Rural Lutz, said she is disappointed by the decision.
"[I'm] disappointed that this decision did not take into account the impacts to the surrounding community," Miranda said.
Miranda said she still has concerns over traffic and delayed response times for first responders.
"Our First responders already cannot navigate this area well," Miranda said. "You're asking for gridlock that's incomprehensible."
Despite the setback, Miranda said the fight is not over.
"I am happy that our community is exploring next steps and opportunities," Miranda said.
The developer declined to comment. The next steps for the Naidip Foundation are to apply for a site plan permit and a building permit.
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