The Hillsborough County Commission has rejected a request from Mattamy Homes Tampa/Sarasota to rezone 18 acres along Boyette Road that would allow the Ace Golf driving range to become a mixed-use development consisting of 86 townhomes and up to 20,000 square feet of commercial buildings.

Commissioners had previously delayed ruling on the rezoning request and at a March hearing they had asked the developer to reduce the number of proposed homes. Mattamy Homes returned Tuesday with a plan that included the same 86 townhomes, but instead said they would not develop an assisted living facility for one of the commercial uses. Commissioner Harry Cohen said that “This could have been killed when it came up, but the board was attempting to work with the applicant”. The land is owned by Ace Golf, and has functioned as a driving range since 2003.

Owner of Ace Golf, Bill Place, also owns the Pebble Creek Golf Club near New Tampa which has since been shuttered and pegged for redevelopment as well. In an email to the Tampa Bay Times, Place stated “We purchased our golf range properties knowing that at some later date they would appreciate as commercial/residential properties. They are in high traffic locations...”

Commissioners say the development is just not compatible with existing surrounding development. The request sought to develop more homes than would typically be allowed on 18 acres, abuts a regional water facility, and is near a neighborhood of single-family homes.