FREE • THURSDAY, FEBRUARY16, 2023
VOLUME 6, NO. 240
INDUSTRIAL PARK REZONING APPROVED DESPITE OPPOSITION BY RESIDENTS INDUSTRIAL PROPERTY WILL SPAN THE LENGTH OF EIGHT FOOTBALL FIELDS.
MICHELLE CACERES STAFF WRITER
When Oscar and Donnet Ferguson built their dream home in Mystic Oaks subdivision, nestled between orange groves, in unincorporated Hillsborough County in 2008, they were looking forward to the
peace and quiet of country living. That peace and quiet has been interrupted in the last 15 years thanks in part to disease that’s plagued citrus trees and created opportunities for developers to scoop up agricultural land for residential, commercial and industrial projects. At Monday night’s City of Plant City commission meeting, commissioners adopted PC/CPA 22-09 Future Land Use Map
Amendment to the Plant City Comprehensive Plan and, after a quasi-judicial public hearing, approved the rezoning of 67 acres from Hillsborough County Residential-1 (59.89 acres) and Plant City Commercial (7.25 acres) to Plant City Industrial. The property, owned by Griffin vestment Properties LTD., is located north of North Frontage Road, west of North Maryland Avenue, east of Procchi Street and south
of East Sam Allen Road. The future land use will allow for up to 1.46 million squarefeet of industrial use with the only access point on North Frontage Road.
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FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH OF PLANT CITY HOSTS PLANT CITY PARKS & RECREATION TO HOLD
NIGHT TO SHINE
SEVERAL EVENTS THROUGHOUT COMING MONTH
FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES
TAYLOR JENKINS STAFF WRITER
EVERY GUEST WAS CROWNED AS PROM CONTINUED ON PAGE 3 KING OR QUEEN.
The Plant City Parks & Recreation Department has announced several upcoming events that they will be hosting throughout February, March and April. The fi st event will be Kids Bike Day, in partnership with the Plant City Police Department. The event will take place from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Sadye Gibbs Martin Community Center, 302 S. Maryland Ave, on Saturday, Feb. 25. The free event encourages kids to get outside and moving, with participants encouraged to bring their bike, scooter and helmets as they have fun while learning rider safety. The event will feature a bike obstacle course, bike inspection, outdoor games and more. And while the event is free to attend, pre-registration is required. Registration is also now open for Parks & Rec’s annual Youth Fishing Derby, taking place on March 11 from 8:30 to 10:30 a.m. The event is open for all kids from the ages of fi e to 15, with pre-registration open from now until March 10 and registration on the day of the event available from 7:30 to 8:15 a.m. The event will take place
at the back parking lot at Plant City Stadium and all anglers are encouraged to bring their own pole, the bait of their choice and a fi e-gallon bucket to transport their fish o the weight station. Prizes will be awarded for the top catfish and ass overall, along with awards for the largest weight and most fish aught by each age group. For more information, email recinfo@ plantcitygov.com or call 813-659-4255. Then on Saturday, April 8, Parks & Rec will host their 34th Annual Easter Egg Hunt at the Otis M. Andrews Sports Complex, 2602 E. Cherry St., from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. The event will feature free hot dogs and drinks for all kids, with an easter egg hunt for all kids from age three to 11. The event will include over 10,000 eggs — along with hidden golden eggs. The egg hunt event is free for all to attend, with bunny photos, infla ables, train rides and more all additionally available with the purchase of a $5 Bunny Band. For more information, contact special events coordinator Ivanna Ibarra at iyibarra@plantcitygov.com or call 813659-4255.