Controversial lagoon-dredging proposal at Rocky Point

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People who live and work in Rocky Point enjoy the location because of its convenience, as well as quick access to the water.

"It's beautiful, people are kayaking all the time on the water, bike riding, rollerblading, we're close to the Courtney Campbell Causeway, so it’s a nice place to exercise and just walk around," said David Singer.

Right next to Scarborough Park is a nearly nine-acre basin. The owner wants to fill-in part of the water to create three acres of additional land, then plans to build 16 waterfront homes, complete with private docks.

Last Monday, the Hillsborough City-County Planning Commission found the project consistent with Tampa’s Comprehensive Land-Use Plan.

"I was shocked because I just couldn’t believe anybody would propose it in this day and age, I mean this was decades ago when this stopped, we shouldn’t be going backwards like this," environmental scientist Tom Ries said.

He says dredging and filling was stopped back in the 1970’s because the practice was destroying the environment.  In fact, the state spends millions of dollars restoring areas that were filled-in back to open water and wetlands.

"A lot of this dredge and fill material is done right over sea-grass beds, right over habitat for animals and fish," said Ries.

An environmental consultant found no evidence of sea grass in the Rocky Point man-made lagoon, and says a retention pond that is part of the proposed project would actually help clean polluted storm water before reaching the bay.

Still, the area sits in a high-hazard coastal zone, putting the proposed homes at risk for sea-level rise and storm surge.

"The main issue is it’s precedent setting,” Ries continued.  “We should not be filling the bay, we should actually be retreating from the bay to prepare ourselves for changes in the future."

Even though the Planning Commission approved this project, it is still very far from being a done deal.  The plans go before Tampa City Council next month, and it would still need permits as well as the OK to fill in the water from several government agencies.