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Hillsborough county commissioners back EPC rule for wetlands

By By Michael Van Sickler, Times Staff Writer
In print: Friday, July 18, 2008

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TAMPA — Perhaps it was the color of the newly painted walls of the Hillsborough County Commissioner's boardroom: green.

But commissioners embraced their green side on Thursday, aligning with the county's Environmental Protection Commission over a group of developers in a vote to revise the rule protecting wetlands.

They voted 7-0 — and were applauded loudly by more than two dozen residents and activists — to approve a new rule that EPC officials say makes it easier and more efficient to protect wetlands.

"It's not more or less stringent," said Rick Garrity, the EPC's executive director. "It has more clarity and transparency."

The new rule was written after nearly a year of meetings between the engineers, consultants and environmentalists that created guidelines. The EPC says it won't sacrifice wetlands, which are valued for flood prevention, wildlife habitat and improving water quality.

"A year ago, we stood here and I expressed doubt that the EPC could stand up to developers," said Marcella O'Steen, a Balm resident. "I was wrong."

This move to revise came after developers led a campaign last year to eliminate the EPC's wetlands staff. After an initial vote to do away with the division, commissioners agreed in August to a compromise that would keep the wetlands division, but change the rule and speed up the time to issue permits.

Commissioners Rose Ferlita and Mark Sharpe said the new rule met their expectations.

"The EPC did exactly what they were asked to do," Ferlita said.

"I was concerned that there would be an attempt to weaken the rule," Sharpe said. "We did not do that."

Commissioners withstood a last-minute push by developers to change the rule further, eliminating the EPC's reviews of wetland rezonings and adding a system of classifying wetlands, differentiating between high and low quality ones.

Developers like David Campo said the rewrite without those suggestions will not deliver the savings commissioners promised last year.

"Adopt the rules or not, there's not a lot of substance here," he said.

But the builders were outnumbered by residents, who discouraged commissioners from delaying or changing the rule.

"We're watching you," Joy Ingram told commissioners. "We're voting. We will remember."

Commissioner Brian Blair, who missed much of the meeting to attend a Port of Tampa Authority meeting, said he got a lot of heat last year for arguing that the EPC needed to be more efficient. He said the new rule was proof he had been right.

"It's a better product," he said. "We should never be satisfied with the status quo."

Even though they approved the new rule, Blair and Commissioner Jim Norman also seemed the least satisfied with it. They asked why the classification system of wetlands wasn't going to be added to the rule. Garrity and members of a review committee said classifying wetlands is difficult, leading to more bureaucracy. Environmentalists say it could make wetlands more vulnerable to destruction.

Commissioner Ken Hagan didn't say anything during the meeting. Kevin White spoke mostly about an unrelated case.

Al Higginbotham, as chairman of the EPC, didn't say much — but he didn't allow the meeting to get sidetracked, either.

Near the end, Blair began reading from a letter from a developer, asking if issues raised in the letter would be addressed by the new rule.

"In all due respect, we've already debated on this," Higginbotham said.

As he gaveled the meeting to a close, the yearlong battle over the county's wetlands was over.

Michael Van Sickler can be reached at (813) 226-3402 or mvansickler@sptimes.com.