HB 4061 is a Death Knell for Rural Lands on the Little Manatee River
The "Planning Effort" by Neal Communities, LDS Church, and local politicians, bypasses public input and could leave citizens with the bill.
State Representative Michael Owen (R - District 70, Apollo Beach in Hillsborough County) recently filed House Bill 4061 on January 5, 2026. Simply titled “Hillsborough County” - the bill would create the “Land Reserve Stewardship District” covering thousands of rural acres between the Little Manatee River and the Manatee County line. This district would be a large-scale suburban development special taxing district that acts like a municipality without actually being one. It is supposed to allow developers to bond out money and tax residents to “pay for its own infrastructure.” The problem is, we all know that these developments have lasting financial impacts on the surrounding area and the County.
Public awareness of this effort remains low. The only news article written on this bill to date appeared in the online news blog Florida Politics by Jesse Mendoza in early February: “Michael Owen proposal to create a Stewardship District in southern Hillsborough clears House panel.” A lack of awareness and the backing of big-money interests have allowed this bill to move through every committee; it is now awaiting approval on the House floor.
The land within this district is primarily controlled by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church), which maintains a long-time partnership with developer and former state Senator Pat Neal of Neal Communities. Neal has built extensive developments across Manatee and Sarasota counties on LDS-owned land—projects that have required millions, if not billions, in public infrastructure. The LDS Church now controls approximately 3,000 acres in the area. It is safe to assume that Neal and the LDS Church are behind the effort as Neal Communities is the only entity recorded as lobbying for the bill. Although no map has been released showing the exact boundaries of the Land Reserve Stewardship District, as the bill contains only legal land boundary descriptions, the descriptions fit well with the boundaries and land in long-standing planning efforts for the area by the same actors.
Planning efforts for Little Manatee South have been going on since 2007. After a series of previous planning efforts faced community backlash and failed to jump start, the effort was revived in late 2023/2024 when Michael Owen was a County Commissioner for Hillsborough County District 4. He took office in 2022 when a Republican, developer friendly majority took over the Hillsborough County Commission, and most of state government.
Planning History:
2007–2010: The Little Manatee South Community Plan is established emphasizing the preservation of the area’s rural character.
2013–2016: The Uzita Shores Planning Group (private landowners) funds the Placemakers Planning study to explore long-term density goals.
2019: Little Manatee South Working Group. Proposed by Former County Commissioner Stacy White to restart planning efforts. White formally requests a halt on any new interchange plans until public planning concludes; the effort later stalls during the COVID-19 pandemic.
2023: Urban Expansion Area Study Effort. The Hillsborough Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) directs the Planning Commission to identify potential areas for Urban Service Area (USA) expansion, mostly in Eastern Hillsborough County. In 2024,Commissioner Myers requests that Little Manatee South be added as part of the USA expansion study. The study gets underway in mid-2025 and is still ongoing.
2026: HB 4061. This bill would formally establish a Land Reserve Stewardship District which is a state regulated planning district.
The Little Manatee South Area Facts:
The population was 7,326 in 2020. And the area is dominated by rural density housing areas, agriculture, and public environmental lands.
History stretches back to at least 1000 AD, when the Native American Uzita culture occupied the area from the mouth of the Little Manatee River up to what is now Little Manatee State Park. Occupation lasted until the Spanish arrived. In the early 1800s, agriculture took over, and oranges became dominant.
The plan area is between the Little Manatee River to the north, I-75 to the east, the Manatee-Hillsborough County line to the south, and US-41 to the west. The planning area was expanded to include acreage to the east of I-75 and west of US-41.
One owner controls 36 parcels (≈3,706 acres): the LDS Church as Land Reserve and Farmland Reserve. Other large landowners include TECO (solar farms and ROW) and Hillsborough County.
The full planning area is between 6,000 and 7,000 acres.
Concerns:
This overrides public input and public hearings.
A planning effort is already underway.
While the district is supposed to be self-funded, that is usually never the case. Current efforts to decrease property taxes and funnel Community Investment Tax (CIT) funds from capital projects to a future Rays stadium would put a squeeze on funds available for current capital improvements needed across the County. The state has already put up $7.5 million for an interchange study. Will the district reimburse the state for that effort?
The area is dotted by environmentally sensitive habitats.
Most of the area lies in the Coastal High Hazard Area, meaning that it is prone to flooding. In 2010 most of the area was in Evacuation Zone E (for areas that would be impacted by only the most severe storms) the most recent Evacuation Zone maps moved the entire area into Evacuation Zone B indicating high vulnerability and impacts to public safety.
Rising homeowners insurance rates, a declining real estate market, and overall economic uncertainty that could lead to similar issues we saw with the 2007 housing bust.
BOTTOM LINE: By establishing a state-level Stewardship District, this bill effectively silences the ongoing local planning process and puts Hillsborough County taxpayers at long-term financial and environmental risk.
Hopefully this effort gets more press scrutiny. You can contact the members of the Hillsborough County Legislative Delegation and other house members to voice your opinion.