Redevelopment on the 162-acres of prime property where Georgetown Apartments once stood on South West Shore Boulevard in Tampa has been halted for now.

A spokesperson for DeBartolo Development says, "We live in this community and understand the importance to develop a project that fits in the neighborhood."

The Isles at Old Tampa Bay will be home to 350 residential units.

Some people who live nearby are concerned about conservation and more traffic congestion.

"It’s a shame that they took out all those trees," said Charles Anrecio, who lives nearby.

The City of Tampa says it was made aware of site clearing and issued a variety of violations, including:

• Working without permit
• Obstructing streets, sidewalks, alleys
• Permit for protected tree removal
• Permit for grand tree removal
• Wetlands protection and buffer

A stop work order is now in effect.

"That whole area was like the last green space in the city and there’s a lot of wildlife that was affected and I think that should have been taken into account,” said Teresa Parrino, who would like to see the property turned into a large conservation area.

A spokesperson for the developer says: "The ownership team has patiently developed a plan that will create value for the neighborhood and enhance marine life. We have City approved plans for our scope of work, but inadvertently did not secure the required permits to implement the approved plans. We are currently working with the City to acquire permits needed to continue work on the property."

For now, the only work here is watering the tree preserves.

The City says it is currently pursuing an investigation into the illegal tree removal.

The developer says it's building fewer units on the property and preserving more than the required 50% of the trees and those mistakenly cleared without permits were designated and approved for removal.

The City says a total amount for the fines will be determined when the situation is assessed.

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Response from the City of Tampa:

Property Location: 4515 S West Shore Boulevard

On October 12, 2020, the City of Tampa was made aware of site clearing activity at the former Georgetown Apartments property (also known as The Isles of Old Tampa Bay).mIn response, the City has issued numerous violations (noted below) and a ‘stop work’ order, meaning no further activity of any kind may occur on the site until the unpermitted work conditions are addressed. Additionally, the City is currently pursuing an investigation into this illegal tree removal, confirming the size and type of trees affected. This analysis will direct which additional enforcement actions and citations will be issued and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the Code.

The current penalty for the action taken on the property is a fee equal to three (3) times the cost of the site’s permit, plus mitigation for tree replacement. Additional fines, mitigation, and enforcement are expected. The City remains committed to ensuring strict code compliance and will enforce all permit requirements at this site moving forward, as well as fully impose all fines and penalties.

Additional review and investigation regarding illegal removal of trees will be pursued, and citations will be issued and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the Code.

The 152-acre property was formally cited for the following violations:

Response from DeBartolo Development spokesperson:

About The Isles at Old Tampa Bay

"We live in this community and understand the importance to develop a project that fits in the neighborhood. To that end, we discounted our entitlements to build 1,235 residential units and instead, plan to develop only approximately 350 residential units, including 67 single family waterfront estate homes and 130 luxury townhomes.

Construction for the first phase began in Oct. 2020 and is expected to be completed by mid-2021.The first phase of development includes clearing the site and off-site improvements to Westshore Blvd.

Stop Work Order:

The ownership team has patiently developed a plan that will create value for the neighborhood and enhance marine life. We have City approved plans for our scope of work, but inadvertently did not secure the required permits to implement the approved plans. We are currently working with the City to acquire permits needed to continue work on the property.

Rattlesnakes:

Our top priority on every job site is the safety of our employees and the surrounding community. We have been made aware of the potential presence of rattlesnakes on The Isles at Old Tampa Bay property. Unfortunately, encounters with rodents, including rattlesnakes, are not uncommon when working at outdoor construction sites near the waterfront. We are consulting with professionals experienced in handling rattlesnakes to determine the best course of action to remove them safely from the property. 

Environment:

The Isles at Old Tampa Bay site plan takes into consideration the bay and canals within and surrounding the property, and DeBartolo Development understands the importance of preserving the community's natural resources. The Isles at Old Tampa Bay will have a navigable canal system where water will flow naturally which stabilizes the shoreline, minimizes erosion, and protects and preserves natural habitats, including the Dolphin Cove.

Trees:

Our landscape architect and arborist met with the City to develop a plan to meet the City’s requirement to retain 50% of the existing trees on the property. The agreed upon plan was approved by the City in June 2015 and since that time, we have constructed tree beds, both onsite and offsite, where we are preserving more than the required 50% of onsite trees.  While we recently, and mistakenly, cleared the site before obtaining all the required permits, everything cleared was designated for removal on the approved plan.