Board directs county attorney to pursue legal action over alleged code violations at 3428 Ehrlich Road

Commissioners took up a time-certain report and public complaints about property activity at 3428 Ehrlich Road and directed legal follow-up.

Residents from Brentwood, including Dr. Linda Denison, told the board they observed multiple small structures, freestanding bathrooms and utility work adjacent to homes and a drainage canal and said construction may violate county codes governing inhabited dwellings, setbacks and accessory structures. Denison described increased traffic and safety concerns tied to a newly acquired access parcel and asked the board to move beyond warnings to immediate code enforcement.

Commissioner Ken Hagan introduced the staff report, which noted code enforcement has been monitoring and investigating complaints but that authority is limited in some respects. He moved to "direct the County Attorney's Office to take any and all appropriate legal action regarding any potential violations of Hillsborough County ordinances and applicable state law at 3428 Ehrlich Road as outlined in the staff report." Commissioner Joshua Wostal seconded; the motion carried 6-0.

Adam Gormly of Development Services and code-enforcement staff said the issue appears in multiple neighborhoods and that enforcement and code changes may be necessary to address accessory dwelling enforcement challenges. The board directed county counsel and staff to proceed with legal remedies outlined in the staff backup.

The motion was recorded as a formal directive to the county attorney; the board asked staff to monitor enforcement and to return with necessary legal actions.