Residents urge tougher enforcement on 'hobby' commercial shops, RVs and homeless encampments at Pasco County meeting

Several residents at the Pasco County Board of County Commissioners meeting on April 21 urged the county to increase enforcement of zoning and code rules and to step up responses to visible homelessness and RV encampments.

Alan Rose of Golden Acres said a neighbor built what was permitted as a hobby shop but operates a 3,000-square-foot diesel facility that supports a commercial trucking fleet. "They built within 40 ft of a neighbor's back door," Rose said, and he told commissioners he had provided copies of land covenants and the building permit and asked staff to investigate alleged violations. He asked that staff, including David Allen, be involved in follow-up.

Other speakers described public-health and nuisance incidents. William Sapp of Hudson recounted multiple episodes of a person defecating near Terrace Gardens and of people appearing to be unresponsive on public streets; he said deputies had spoken to individuals but that residents expect faster or different responses. Sapp also criticized a 24/7 food pantry run at New Hope Church for producing debris near homes and asked for time limits or controls on how that service is run.

Lori Marquee, a Hudson resident, asked the county to deploy code enforcement on nights and weekends instead of relying solely on complaint calls. "We need weekends, we need nights," she said, arguing that patrol-style sweeps would identify and address issues without residents repeatedly risking confrontation by filing complaints.

Commissioners and staff did not take immediate policy votes during public comment, but Chairman Mariano and staff directed residents to speak with relevant staff (JP Murphy, David Allen and others) for quicker follow-up. The board closed public comment and continued with the agenda; no formal enforcement action was announced on the record during the meeting.