I wouldn't consider this an "upgrade" by any means. Any Lutz resident will tell you this "amazing" growth is nothing short of horrendous- traffic is an absolute nightmare as more townhomes and strip malls pop up along already crowded highways, public schools can't afford to maintain A/C systems to keep air running, much less build new schools for all these new families, and we're coming across more wildlife dead in our roadways as their habitats are dissected by more and more developments. Lutz has a Comprehensive Plan in place to protect the town's "semi-rural" atmosphere, but it's now mostly ignored by Hillsborough County commissioners, who allow rampant development without upgrading roads, traffic lights or schools. County taxes are now 8.5% since residents just voted to increase them by 1.5% to fund our schools and transportation projects b/c the county can't pay for the burdens it's creating for us. I would give up the new Dunkin' Donuts on the corner (the 8th in a 6-mile radius), and the upscale townhomes and shopping plazas to see trees along the roadside again. I wish there were more deer and sandhill cranes in my backyard again, not lying lifeless in our streets. I moved to Lutz to raise my family in a beautiful area that offered plenty of convenience without being a crowded city. That beauty has been largely destroyed, and we now have to plan our driving around the times of day that roads start backing up so badly it's actually scary trying to get in or out of some places. Maybe all this is "amazing" if you enjoy living in a concrete jungle. To most of us who've called Lutz home for years, it's absolutely heart-breaking.
Cheryl | Cheval, FL | Report Abuse