NEW PORT RICHEY, Fla. — Homeowners in Pasco County are speaking up about protecting natural resources.

What You Need To Know

  • Talks have been ongoing for years about a 42-acre piece of property sitting inside the Riverside Village Estates. Now, it seems like the land's future may be a little clearer

  • County Commissioners struck down a vote to sell the property to developers after dozens of homeowners spoke out against selling the land

  • An advisory committee will be planned next, with homeowners and commissioners coming together to discuss the land's future

The current subject revolves around the future of a 42-acre piece of land within the Riverside Village Estates. It is a topic Pasco County’s Director of Parks and Recreation Keith Wiley is all too familiar with as the property has been in county talks for almost a decade.

The most recent was in September, with county commissioners striking down a vote to sell the property — an outcome dozens of homeowners helped sway before the initial vote.

“I think, right now, they want the assessment to happen," said Wiley. "They don’t want there to be any fear of redevelopment at this point. That’s really step one, and that’s what I told the folks who were at the board meeting.”

After the vote to not sell the land, there have been talks among residents about what should happen, with some hoping it stays in its natural state.

Miriam Butler, President of the Riverside Village Estates Homeowners Association, says the space fits perfectly.

“There’s so many large, huge communities that go in all around us," said Butler. "This is a nice, quiet enclave and just adds to it.”

The issue of selling the land or keeping it in its natural state has fueled a back-and-forth between county commissioners and residents but the end could be near.

“We thought that we had preserved it for a park and then it would seem to go up for sale again," said Butler. "So we had to fight again so, finally, we hope we’re at the end of that road and that the property will be preserved.”

In 2008, plans were in place to have the property developed but those plans included the construction of a multi-family development that was something some neighbors in the surrounding area didn’t agree on. That is when Butler started advocating for land preservation.

And she is not alone. Marlieta Lassiter, a resident at Riverside Village, joined the fight to keep the land preserved.

“I’m just a concerned citizen who went out and said, ‘I don’t want this to happen and ruin such a beautiful place,’” said Lassiter.

Riverside Village is one of the neighboring communities. Lassiter says having nature so close to her backyard is why she got involved.

“It’s kind of natural Florida even though there’s a lot of trails and things out here," she said. "You still see the original trees and birds. You see every kind of animal out here you can imagine.”

Wiley says the board of county commissioners will discuss creating an advisory committee. The committee would have representatives from each homeowners association and would decide what will happen with the land.

Although, according to Wiley, it could take up to a year before the committee is created.