Seffner neighbors oppose planned 19-acre car lot
SEFFNER (FOX 13) - People who live in east Hillsborough County are trying to put the brakes on a used car dealership’s plans to move into their neighborhood.
Off Lease Only -- with existing locations in Miami, North Lauderdale, Palm Beach, and Orlando -- wants to build a dealership close to the MacIntosh Road exit off Interstate 4. The 19-acre property, which was purchased for $3 million, sits on Muck Pond Road.
The property is now open pasture with cattle and donkeys grazing on it.
“A used car lot belongs on Dale Mabry or North Florida in a business zone, not an agricultural zone,” said Teresa Pemberton, whose ancestors settled the area.
On Friday, Pemberton knocked on doors to garner support to block Off Lease Only from coming in. Residents plan to go to a meeting with Hillsborough County zoning officials Monday night to voice their concerns.
It did not take much convincing to get Linda Deininger to the meeting.
“We don’t want property [values] to go down because of this massive car lot,” Deininger said.
Natalie King and her husband just moved to the area six months ago from South Tampa to enjoy the peace and quiet. She is afraid if the car lot moves in, that will all be gone.
“There will be hundreds of customers with more than 4,000 test drives in any given month,” she said.
FOX 13 News unsuccessfully called Off Lease Only several times Friday for a comment for this story.