June 2020 – Michele Ogilvie’s first day of work at the Planning Commission was December 17, 1986. The Tampa section was very busy completing the Zoning Conformance public hearings of South Tampa, East Tampa, and notices for the North Tampa hearings, to be distributed the first week of the New Year. The agency was also…
June 2020 – Affordable Housing and Transit Oriented Development (TOD) are increasingly being discussed as a paired challenge facing planners for good reason. Housing and transportation represent the first and second largest expenditures for a majority of U.S. households (Center for Transit Oriented Development, 2014). According to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development,…
Danny Collins | Community Planner II | Tenure: 1 year Danny Collins has been with the Planning Commission for one year. His primary responsibilities are reviewing rezonings and Comprehensive Plan Amendments that are within the City of Tampa jurisdiction. He is currently working on projects for the agency’s internal Accessibility Committee in an effort to…
Mark P. Hudson, AICP | Executive Planner | Tenure: 33 years Mark graduated from the University of South Florida (USF) in 1984. While at USF, Mark had an internship with the Planning Commission and worked on the original planning study for the Hillsborough River. After graduation, he began his professional career with the Tampa Port…
June 2020 – For approximately 40 years, the Planning Commission has been tracking permit activity in Hillsborough County. Alongside our annual population estimates program, the permit tracking program is one of the Planning Commission’s longest running statistical programs. With 40 years of analysis (including 20 years of spatially enabled data), the Planning Commission maintains a…
June 2020 – Developments built around food-production are increasing in popularity across the country. Known as agrihoods, they are a community centered around a working farm or community garden. As of May 2020, there are at least 90 established agrihoods in the United States and at least 27 more planned for development. The idea stems…
June 2020 – Since 2012, Hillsborough County lost nearly 1 in 5 acres of industrial lands[i]. In response, the Planning Commission researched various strategies to ensure adequate industrial lands are available for such development. Staff conducted an analysis of industrial lands and policy approaches from other communities focusing on industrial preservation. The final report analyzes…
June 2020 – The Planning Commission is proud to announce our 38th annual celebration of excellence in planning in Hillsborough County. If you have been a part of a project contributing to a better quality of life in our community, we encourage you to apply. Early bird entries are open! Visit the web page to…
June 2020 – The Hillsborough Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) will hold the annual Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) public hearing on Tuesday, June 30, 2020 at 6:00 p.m. to receive input from the community and to approve transportation projects for 2020/21 – 2024/25. This is an opportunity for citizens to express concerns about transportation projects in…
June 2020 – Plant City is one of the fastest growing areas in Hillsborough County with over 40,000 residents and is strategically located between Tampa and Lakeland. In the mid-2000s, HART and Plant City operated the Strawberry Connector service to provide circulator trips within Plant City, which ceased operation during 2008. Starting in 2012, HART…
June 2020 – On June 2, MPO Executive Director Beth Alden, AICP, was featured on the kick off webinar at the first-ever Lifesavers National Conference on Highway Safety Priorities. Alden was on the panel with ITE Director and CEO Jeff Paniati and NYC DOT Assistant Commissioner Kim Wiley-Schwartz discussing how to effectively implement Vision Zero…
June 2020 – We have made great strides over the years in improving the health and water quality of the Hillsborough River. There is more consistent flow of water down the lower river and water overall is cleaner and healthier for wildlife and recreational users. However, sewage spills continue to pose a threat to the…
