Permit request for bio-medical facility withdrawn
By SUZETTE PORTER
Article published on Tuesday, March 25, 2008  |
CLEARWATER – Largo residents can rest easy. Plans to build a bio-medical treatment facility near a residential area have been dropped.
Barr Brothers Properties LLC had planned to construct the facility at the end of 34th Way North in Largo within a half-mile of a residential zone.
Seventeen people in opposition to the facility appeared at a recent Planning and Zoning examiner’s hearing; three letters and petitions with 462 signatures opposing the facility also were received by the county.
After examining the application for a conditional use permit, county staff recommended denial due to the half mile separation “in order to protect property values, alleviate real and perceived health concerns” and other reasons.
Residents from Tall Pines subdivision and the Paradise Island Community, as well as residents throughout the area, had stood in firm opposition to a bio-medical facility in their neighborhood.
Most residents expressed concerns about possible health issues if Advanced Medical Disposal was allowed to construct a facility for its bio-waste and clean-up steel autoclave disposal system.
Lee Norins, who has lived on Whispering Drive South in the Tall Pines subdivision since 1994, wrote to county officials, the Largo mayor and commission and Gov. Charlie Crist on Dec. 30.
“This is a family neighborhood with adults and children that walk, run and play on its streets,” Norins wrote. “Many school buses carry children to and from school along Wild Acres Drive.”
He urged that the “matter be dropped immediately.”
Interim County Administrator Fred Marquis said Barr Brothers had withdrawn the application last week. However, the application was not withdrawn in time for it to be removed from the March 18 commission meeting agenda.
The board voted unanimously to deny the application. The applicant cannot bring the same application back before the board for six months, and commissioners’ discussion made it clear that the applicant “is encouraged not to come back.”
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Article published on Tuesday, March 25, 2008
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