Oldsmar leaders get a look at plans for new cottage community

OLDSMAR

Here's the vision: 52 cottages, each one a little different. All of them will have front porches and rear garages that open onto back alleyways. The mostly modest-sized homes will be different colors. They'll be energy-efficient. They'll be spaced close together, but every home will border green space or another special feature of the neighborhood.

On Tuesday night, Oldsmar leaders got a first look at initial plans for Hayes Park Cottages, a 52-home development that would be built on vacant city-owned land near downtown.

They liked what they saw. After viewing a proposed neighborhood layout and artists' renderings of cottage designs, the Oldsmar City Council unanimously approved a site plan for the project.

"We still have a lot of work to do, but we're making great progress," said John Bews, an Oldsmar resident who has a home design company and is partnering with the city to develop the site. "We think we've got something special here in a built-out county."

The goal is to provide affordable workforce housing that is near businesses, schools and recreation, said Marie Dauphinais, Oldsmar's director of planning and redevelopment.

The 3.8-acre property south of Hayes Road and east of Pine Avenue is near Richard Rogers Park, Cypress Lakes Industrial Park, Brooker Creek Corporate Center and Forest Lakes Elementary School.

No one is ready to break ground yet. City Manager Bruce Haddock noted that the city and Bews haven't finalized a development agreement at this point. "We've got a long ways to go," added Vice Mayor Jerry Beverland.

Bews intends to start construction next year.

The size of the homes will range from 840-square-foot "micro houses" or "studio cottages" to 1,700-square-foot mid-sized homes. A few will be duplexes. Many will be clustered around a "village green" area.

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Oldsmar leaders get a look at plans for new cottage community