HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, Fla. (WFLA) – 8 On Your Side is examining the growing pains in the Tampa Bay area, including the population explosion in the Brandon and Riverview areas.
In the past several years, neighborhoods have popped up from Apollo Beach to Riverview to points east.
Neighborhoods like Ventana.
“I think the county needs to think about some of this growth,” said Marilla Bottomley, who just moved into the neighborhood.
She is now part of the growth and deals with it every day.
“It’s a nightmare on [U.S. Highway] 301, especially in the mornings and in the evening. It’s a nightmare,” she said.
As the population explodes in South Hillsborough County, thanks to low prices and people preferring a more rural setting, so do the concerns.
8 On Your Side talked to Hillsborough County Commissioner Stacy White about ways to deal with it.
“A concept known as infill development is incredibly important. That’s encouraging more dense development close to our urban amenities, close to your urban core,” White said.
Plan Hillsborough put out a county projection through 2045. It shows that the county will have a population surge with 714,000 more people in the next 25 years with an addition of 400,000 more jobs.
“I think it’s going to get better in the coming years and decades. We have a county commission right now that’s laser-focused on growth management issues. I think we’re going to have meaningful policy changes that lead us in the right direction, moving forward,” White said.
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