The Townes At Cross Creek Townhomes Are Filling Up Quickly! 

The Townes at Cross Creek townhomes by Lennar Homes (on Cross Creek Blvd., across from the main entrance to Heritage Isles) offer a more affordable alternative then most single-family homes in the New Tampa area. (Photo by Joel Provenzano) 

A little over a year ago, in our Sept. 23 New Tampa issue, we told you about an upcoming townhome community that Lennar was getting ready to build, called the Townes at Cross Creek. 

The unique thing about this development is the fact that it is new residential construction, in the heart of what was otherwise an entirely built out and established Cross Creek Blvd. corridor, something that hadn’t been seen in years. 

For the past couple of years, townhomes have been extremely popular with buyers — especially with rising real estate prices —as a mostly less-expensive option to traditional single family-homes, while still offering the living space, garages and floorplan options buyers desire, just with less land. 

And, that’s been great for Lennar, as the construction giant has been actively building a large portion of the new townhome market around the Tampa Bay area, typically at the lowest price point compared with their competitors, with DR Horton being Lennar’s closest rival. 

Keeping Pace 

According to sales rep Carlos Torres and construction manager Fernando Ospina, the Townes have been going absolutely gangbusters since they began being built in June of this year. And, that’s without even having an onsite sales office open yet! 

The Townes at Cross Creek are divided into two phases. Although there is no “Phase A” or “Phase C” (and we have no idea why), “Phase B” consists of 60 units (located directly across the street from the entrance to the Heritage Isles community); and “Phase D,” consists of 35 units further to the east, being built almost simultaneously together, but oddly about a half mile from each other on two completely separate parcels of land. 

As of Nov 25, 27 of the 60 units in Phase B were already, according to Lennar’s website, and the Lennar team told us a few more were working towards closing, including the “model,” where the garage space was actively being built into the on-site sales office for the development (but it was not yet open as of our press time). 

We were told that the buyer for the model was itching to close because, when the model sells while still being used as a model, the builder will do a lease-back to the buyer, effectively paying the buyer rent until Lennar is done using it and will then convert the sales office back into a two-car garage. 

When Ospina, was asked why the on-site sales office wasn’t finished yet, he explained that, “It took longer than expected to get the needed permit, but it was received Nov. 16,” where they promptly started the build-out, and are now close to adding furniture. He chuckled and said the delay was due to, “The City of Tampa, you know, being the City of Tampa,” eluding to the always- arduous permitting process. 

Other than that, he said construction had been going really well, with the number of days for each townhome building completion (under his purview) being only about 129 days, a full month faster than the average for his company. 

“Even though we’ve been doing great, we could ideally use another construction manager to help keep pace,” Ospina said as he flipped through the multi-page checklist he had in his hands, detailing inspection item after inspection item, everything that needed to be perfect before a unit could be finished. 

Details & Pricing 

The day we showed up to look at the community, three other groups of people also pulled up (one of whom had an appointment), but Torres was able to effectively split up his time, making sure everyone’s questions were answered. 

Torres said that they’ve been so busy that they wondered if they would really even need to open the on-site sales office at all. He’s been driving out and meeting people with appointments on-site, and currently any customers who want to sit down and discuss numbers or go over paperwork have met him at Lennar’s Two Rivers office in Zephyrhills, about 10 minutes away, at: 35027 Brackett Bend Rd. 

Ospina said that most of the buildings will be done over the next five months, with occupancy for Phase D being ready in March, April, and May. The very last building on the project schedule is actually a 6-unit building across from the future on-site sales office in Phase B, to be ready for occupancy before the fall of next year. 

As construction progresses, units are only being released for sale in very small handfuls. Lennar’s online transparency makes seeing the inventory quick and straightforward. The website for the community actually shows which units have sold, which are currently for sale (with exact current prices) and which ones are upcoming on an interactive map, along with the floorplans. 

All three floorplans feature 3 bedrooms and 2.5 bathrooms with usable covered patios that can easily be screened. All units also have large kitchen islands (above), as well as a second-story loft, which even the in the small plan was still a usable size and layout. Here are the three units at the Townes: 

Allegiance – 1,597 sq. ft., with a 1-car garage; being offered at $319,990 

Constitution – 1,760 sq. ft., 1-car garage; being offered at $339,900 

Declaration- 1,807 sq. ft., 2 car garage; being offered at $364,900 (this is the model and the end units on each building) 

These were the advertised online prices at the time of writing the article and are subject to change), but Torres said that additional discounts may be offered at various times, and the prices for the Declaration plan may go all the way up to around $410,000, depending upon the lot. 

The prices seem very competitive to whats being offered in other Lennar communities, especially considering these are being built in the desirable and geographically well-positioned New Tampa. Prices are even similar to what was being sold by Lennar up in Connerton, a community on the north end of Land O’ Lakes, but these New Tampa units do come with some drawbacks. 

The $384 monthly homeowner association (HOA) fee is definitely on the high side, especially considering that this community has no amenities. Torres also says that no utilities are included in the HOA fee, but that it does cover outside maintenance and insurance. The units at the Townes also have tiny backyards — noticeably smaller than other recent townhome communities we’ve toured. 

Torres asked that anyone interested in seeing the community should make an appointment, and check to see if the on-site sales office has been opened yet. The phone number is (888) 211-6153. Carlo Torres also can be reached by email at carlo.torres@lennar.com.

Will Historic Flooding From Milton Impact Pasco’s Future Land Use Decisions? 

Pasco Officials Hear About Flooding Woes & Fears From Local Residents During Nov. 7 Planning Commission Meeting 

By JOEL PROVENZANO & GARY NAGER 

Now that Hurricane Milton has long since passed, is more of this type of major flooding in Pasco County’s future? Wesley Chapel residents are among those who fear the worst if county officials continue to allow additional unfettered major development. (Photo by Joel Provenzano)

In light of the historic flooding that took place this year, following multiple tropical systems that criss-crossed our area — but especially from Hurricane Milton last month — many Pasco County residents have taken to social media and even to governmental meetings to voice their concerns about how they believe the rapid growth of the county has led, whether in-part or in-whole, to these flooding problems. 

Most have voiced generalized concerns, like, “If the county keeps allowing the building of new homes and apartments, where will all the water go?,” while others pointed out that this year’s unprecedented and all-time-record-setting rainfall was bound to cause issues no matter how the land is or is not developed. 

The latter group’s point at least appears to be somewhat backed-up by the fact that large sections of rural counties in central Florida — far away from any recent major development — are STILL underwater, more than a month after Milton passed through. 

But, now that this flooding did occur, is there room for change in Pasco’s approach to new development? These are the questions being asked by local residents. 

Changes to policy and perception can be slow with government. Typically, a few good case examples will help to move the needle toward finding solutions and possible compromises. 

Pasco residents may have gotten their first real good crack at this process recently, with a proposed development called the Tall Timbers MPUD (Master-Planned Unit Development) positioned just south of Mirada, off of rural Tyndall Rd., on the “outskirts” of Wesley Chapel. 

The owner of this pristine 38-acre site (Xtreme Team 41, LLC), which is currently zoned Agricultural, is requesting to rezone the property, located within the “Connected City” MPUD area, to allow for 180,000 sq. ft. of commercial and 380 multi-family units (which the plan shows as townhomes). 

On Nov. 7, the Pasco County Planning Commission held a public hearing for this rezoning case, giving residents an opportunity to speak, and they definitely took advantage. Out of a handful of passionate speakers — both before and after the agenda item was presented — one person really stood out as the main objector, with some well-crafted and researched arguments — Michael Pultorak. 

Pultorak (photo) is a RealtorÂź who lives just down the street from the proposed development on Kenton Rd., in an area of rural residential lots. His main concern was flooding and he had plenty of visuals to back-up this concerns before Tall Timbers was even discussed. 

“I’m speaking here for all the residents of Pasco County,” he said. “The thousands of flooded-out residents on the east side of the county.” 

Pultorak added, ““The problem is that this area is the most sensitive piece of the Connected City. “Everything that has purple lines on it (graphic right) was flooded,” Pultorak said as he showed the commission a map with marks indicating how the subject property and the property immediately to the south were affected by the recent storms. 

“All of the commercial in this proposed development is supposed to be on the south side of that red line on this (below) photo. The red line is where the road is going to go. The 106,000 square feet of commercial is all in what flooded. This is an issue now like it never has been before because of the media and because of emotions. We don’t want to stop development, we don’t want to stop future neighbors from moving in. But, we need your help before any more developments are allowed to come in, increase density, change comprehensive views, or get elements of the current plans approved to make it cheaper or faster [for them] to build. Please meet us in the middle and protect us, your current residents, thank you,” to which the audience applauded. 

Professional engineer Jon Moody, one of the Planning Commission’s main speakers, said that the county already has stormwater regulations “up to the 100-year flood” in its Land Development code, and that, “Florida has some of the most stringent water regulations of any state in the country.” 

Pultorak responded that the King Lake drainage basin, next to his house and Kenton Rd., was a primary concern because the water has nowhere to go. 

“This is frustrating for us because the argument is always that the county is following state building codes,” Pultorak said. “But state building codes are a minimum. Pasco County is a higher risk flood area because this was all cattle pastures and now we’re putting high-density developments on these pastures. So, when we cover the surface with non-permeable roofs, foundations, driveways and roads and shed water into retention ponds, there’s a capacity limit and developers have refused to exceed that minimum to protect their neighbors from the 100-year storm during the wet season.” 

Moody answered, “We are all very concerned about the flooding that occurred because of back-to-back hurricanes, but what type of plan do you envision or would like to see? I practice stormwater for a living and we follow those regulations. What level is enough protection? The state may look at its regulations and say that maybe looking at a 24-hour event isn’t enough. In my own experience, one day isn’t usually the problem. It’s when you have three or four days of rain in a row. Unfortunately, what we saw with Milton were rainfall amounts that came in an extremely short time. Heavy rain is usually 12 inches in a 24-hour period, but with Milton we had 16-18 inches of rainfall in some areas in a 4-6-hour period. That’s an unprecedented event that no one could have contemplated. But, what level of protection is it that you think we need?” 

Pultorak thanked Moody for being reasonable and constructive, “In contrast to some of your predecessors who have asked me where I got my civil engineering degree. I don’t have one, but I do have three Master’s and a Ph.D. in common sense at this point. Common sense tells me that when the environment is changing, that however we’ve been looking at things, we should consider sliding that scale and make improvements if we have proof that what we are having developments abide by is now threatening our current county. My neighbors here were flooded with two days of rain before the hurricane hit. So, maybe we need to reevaluate the standards we hold new developments to. Because currently, with what we’re using, they’re flooding out their neighbors. So, can we maybe tap the brakes on some development and figure out how to protect our current residents.” 

Moody responded, “I don’t think there are easy answers. Are there things we can do to reduce stormwater runoff? Sure. Maybe we can require less impervious surface and more green space.” 

Pultorak also said that there have been so many individual approvals on portions of the Connected City that the county and developers may have lost sight of that project as a whole. 

“I think it’s long past time to have a public workshop on the Connected City,” he said, “because, when that project was originally brought to Pasco, it was supposed to be a community that would make Lake Jovita jealous. But, I’m watching and I’m seeing a heck of a lot of warehouses and light industrial in these zoning amendments and warehouses don’t look to me like the South Tampa ‘vibe’ we were promised. When the Connected City turns into 2 million sq. ft. of distribution space, it doesn’t bring to mind the South Tampa vibe that was going to make Lake Jovita jealous.” 

Power-Pointing 

Pultorak had a chance to come back later in the meeting and present his specific observations about the proposed Tall Timbers development. 

He displayed aerial images of the subject development property which he said were taken the morning of the meeting, that clearly showed the 38-acre parcel still holding significant amounts of water (that wasn’t clearly visible from the road). 

Pultorak also showed topographic (topo) maps indicating on the property where the multiple existing (historic) lakes and wetlands were located and noting how the development showed a commercial building over one of the existing ponds (which he says have expanded since the storms) and potential parking over other wetland areas, an issue that he said is likely to affect the natural flood plain that serves the surrounding properties, including his. 

He noted that the site plan also proposed two very large retention ponds (totaling 9.5 acres) in areas where two existing ponds were, and two parks (green space) totaling 1.7 acres, in addition to the townhomes and commercial. 

Pultorak stated that perhaps the best use for the entire property would be for it to be used as green space for the Connected City. The Planning Commission members echoed his concerns about the wetland impacts (as well as the need for a comprehensive Connected City public hearing) and asked county staff if a building was not placed over the wetland (to avoid impacts) would it still meet the conditions of the binding site plan? 

In light of the drainage concerns and outstanding questions, a proposal was put forth to continue the meeting to Thursday, December 12, and before adjourning, the commission asked for an engineer (representing the development) to come to the next meeting to explain how the potential impacts to the flood plain could be addressed. The continuance passed unanimously. 

Hangry Joe’s Hot Chicken Opens In The Former King Of The Coop Location On S.R. 54!

The Hangry Joe’s Hot Chicken & Wings “Mega Sando,” with cheese, waffle fries & Hangry Sauce. (Photos by Gary Nager and Joel Provenzano)

Hangry Joe’s Hot Chicken & Wings is now open in Wesley Chapel! The new chicken-focused, quick-service restaurant has opened on the north side of Wesley Chapel Blvd. just west of I-75, in front of The Grove, next to Brooklyn Water Bagel (in the former location of King of the Coop).

This is the eighth Hangry Joe’s location in Florida. The Wesley Chapel restaurant’s Grand Opening was held on Oct. 19, following a “soft” opening a few days before. The husband-and-wife team of Nico and Jalahany Gutierrez was on hand for the Grand Opening, making sure everything was running smoothly in their new franchise, as the line outside their location began building several hours before the new Hangry Joe’s opened.

First-in-line Richard Coley celebrates the ribbon-cutting at the new Hangry Joe’s in Wesley Chapel, then enjoys his Mega-Sando

In fact, Zephyrhills resident Richard Coley, who was first on line, said he arrived “at about midnight” in order to be first. He even brought his own comfy chair with him!

As to why Richard — who said this was his third attempt at being first on line for a Hangry Joe’s opening (he was first in Zephyrhills and third at Cocoa Beach, when he said a couple came to the soft opening the day before “and just never left”) — is so taken with Hangry Joe’s, he said, “It’s the biggest chicken sandwich I’ve ever seen in my life…and it’s delicious!”

Richard was guaranteed one of the 25 top prizes given away to the first 100 people on line — one free “Sando” per week for a year (Jannah also got one of the 24 other randomly-distributed top prizes) — and as promised, the first 100 attendees all were served within the first hour of the new Hangry Joe’s opening.

Owner Nico Gutierrez (at left behind the register) helped his employees deal with the crowd at the Grand Opening

Meanwhile, Nico, a Wesley Chapel resident for 14 years, wasn’t afraid to get behind the counter and help out both his customers and his staff. He wore a Hangry Joe’s branded polo, setting the example for his employees.

Nico also owns Code Ninjas, located in the New Tampa Center plaza at Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd. at New Tampa/Cross Creek Blvd.

As to why someone who has a long professional background in software engineering got into the restaurant business, Nico said, “I worked in restaurants when I was younger and knew I would eventually get back to it.” He also said he got connected with the Hangry Joe’s brand when he was invited to a Founders Dinner back in February because he wanted to learn more about the franchise. From that first meeting to opening in October, things obviously moved pretty quickly.

The line stretched around the building by the time the new Hangry Joe’s opened.

When asked what really sets Hangry Joe’s apart from its competition, Nico explained that it’s the Korean touch — from the way the chicken is prepared to the way it’s fried. According to the company’s website, “Founders Derek Cha and Mike Kim [both from South Korea] are the dynamic duo behind the success of Hangry Joe’s Hot Chicken & Wings…,” and that, “Their meticulous approach to sourcing ingredients, like locally-raised chickens and Korean gochujang peppers, ensures that each dish is a perfect blend of heat, sweetness, and smoky goodness.” The company also prides itself on never freezing its chicken.

Unlike many fast food restaurants, the food that came out actually looked better than the pictures on the menu board! The “Sando,” their normal-size fried chicken sandwich, was plump and juicy, lightly fried, with the right amount of pickles and slaw, on a beautifully toasted bun.

The “medium” sauce had just the right amount of heat and flavor. For more extreme tastes, try the “Mega Sando” which is a huge half- pound chicken breast, and go all the way up on the heat scale to “Angry Hot,” but be aware that you’ll have to sign a waiver if you do!

In addition to sandwiches, wings and Kore- an-style nuggets, Hangry Joe’s also offers chicken & waffles, waffle fries, mac & cheese, salads and wrap sandwiches.

The new Hangry Joe’s Hot Chicken & Wings is located at 27835 Wesley Chapel Blvd., Unit 102. For more info, visit HangryJoesWesleyChapel.com or call (813) 519-4997.

Try the crispy wings with soy garlic sauce & Reese’s shake.

More Mansfield Blvd. Business Updates! 

The smaller dirt mound near Enterprise care rental on Mansfield Blvd. is expected to be home to a drive-through coffee shop & self-storage facility. (Photos by Joel Provenzano) 

If you thought we were done after last issue’s updates about some of the new businesses now open or still coming to Mansfield Blvd. in Meadow Pointe (and Wiregrass Ranch), guess what? We’ve got quite a few more for you! 

Drive-Through Coffee & Self Storage 

Ever since the end of 2023, when a 400’ long and 25’ tall dirt mound, perfectly shaped like a car jumping ramp, appeared along Mansfield Blvd. in the dirt lot near the new Enterprise car rental place, bets could have been made that more than a few passing motorists probably envisioned what it would be like to take a Dukes of Hazard or Evel Knievel-style jump off the end of it. It was just beckoning. 

Well, if you didn’t do it — and we’re assuming no one did — you won’t get the chance again, as that dirt mound has been whittled away over the past few weeks and is being used to level out the rest of the roughly 21 acres of property owned by Wiregrass Ranch upon which it sits. The property is now being prepared for some new and future developments. 

On the 1.6 acres immediately adjacent to Enterprise, it’s been long rumored that a drive-through coffee shop, specifically Ziggi’s, was going there. That is still a possibility, as site plans for the coffee shop were approved by Pasco back in June of 2023, showing a 1,947-sq.-ft. building, plenty of parking (23 spaces), and a long drive-through lane that could handle a 14-car queue from the window, which would put most Starbucks to shame. 

It’s still not known for sure if Ziggi’s will still be the brand coming, or if what’s shown in the approved plan is what will be built at all. Time will tell after they’re done moving the dirt. Nothing else has been submitted yet for that parcel. 

On the remaining 19.30 acres, there’s only one other development currently being proposed — and it’s likely to be the subject of still more jokes on local Facebook pages — a 102,600-sq.-ft., 3-story self-storage facility on the southern half of the property, furthest away from Mansfield Blvd. (near the school access road). 

Plans for this storage facility were started months ago, but the most recent layout was submitted this month, making it a safe bet that this project is moving forward towards vertical construction. This would be the second self-storage place in Wiregrass Ranch, as a Morningstar storage (located behind the Audi dealership) opened in late 2018. 

On the northern half of the property (closest to Mansfield), no business development plans have yet been submitted to the county, so Wiregrass is likely just making it “pad-ready” for future development with all those bulldozers — where the land is compacted, graded (leveled), zoned & platted, with approvals and utilities ready to go. 

In these cases, specific building permits might be all that’s needed in the future. 

Bay Paws Pet Resort 

Back in our Apr. 16 issue, when we first announced Bay Paws Pet Resort was coming next to Wiregrass Ranch High, construction had not yet begun and building materials were being piled up behind a temporary chain link fence, in preparation for what will surely become a popular place for local pet owners. 

There’s been a lot of progress on the Bay Paws Pet Resort on Mansfield Blvd.

Those materials have now taken shape, and the 15,000-sq.-ft. pet resort is coming together at a fairly brisk pace, with substantial and visible progress being made every week. 

As the sign hanging outside states, Bay Paws will offer boarding, daycare and grooming on site (along with numerous other services). With it being located next to the schools, I’m sure many parents will be dropping off all their children (furry ones included) in one trip. The facility will offer a portal where customers can use cameras to monitor their pets throughout the day. 

In addition to the building, there’s also going to be a generous 17,375-sq.-ft., fenced-in “outdoor turf group play area” and, according to the recently created Bay Paws Wesley Chapel Facebook site, this outdoor area also will include a “state-of-the-art splash pad” (there’s a cute video of what that looks like, with dogs enjoying it, on the Facebook page), like the one at the new Bay Paws location that just opened in Trinity. The page also says that a “Fall of 2024”opening is planned, with the exact opening date still to be announced. 

MH Nail Studio 

Two suites down from the new Enterprise Car Rental, and also in front of Wiregrass Ranch High, is the recently opened MH Nail Studio. While this isn’t the first nail salon in Wiregrass, it is the first one centrally located and closest to all the neighborhoods surrounding Mansfield. 

The inside of the 1,800-sq.-ft. nail studio is a pleasant place to be, nice and bright (while still having soft lighting), with a very airy feeling, not too big or too small, with tall ceilings and everything appropriately spaced apart — MH has a well-executed and modern upscale layout with a welcoming staff. 

Originally planning to open in August, some delays ended up pushing the salon’s Grand Opening to Sept. 12. Owner/operator Rubin Bao said that he lives just outside of Wesley Chapel, but decided to start looking for a location in Wesley Chapel, specifically the Wiregrass area, because he saw it as a developing and expanding area poised for growth. 

Rubin explained that they signed this location in November of 2023 and had permits for construction in April of this year, and have worked diligently since then to get everything ready. Rubin credits his family and friends for helping him out, and getting him quickly past the learning curve of how to start and operate his very first Nail Studio. 

He also credits and appreciates his customers for getting word out about their opening and says that being right near multiple schools has worked out pretty well, as staff from those schools, including one of the principals, has visited and told others about their experience. 

And, since a lot of parents pick up their high schoolers from that plaza/gas station area, many have come in to check it out and decided to get their nails done together. He said it’s typically hard to find parking for about a 15-30-minute window each school day in the afternoon, but the exposure is a great upside! 

When asked if he knew what was coming to the empty suites on either side of his nail salon, Rubin stated that he heard one might be a ramen noodle place. We’ll see! 

Meadow Pointe II To Build On Empty Mansfield Blvd. Lot 

A game plan has been formulated, and preliminary designs are finally moving forward for the large empty grass lot next to the Kids R Kids Learning Academy, on the southeast corner of the signalized intersection for Mansfield Blvd. (photo below) and County Line Rd., directly across the street from the neighborhood CVS Pharmacy. 

This empty lot sits right in the heart of Meadow Pointe II, caddy-corner from the existing clubhouse, and is being planned as additional facilities for the community. 

Justin Wright, the operations manager for Meadow Pointe II, says that, “The plan is to build a multiuse building for Meadow Pointe II. There are no plans [drawings] at this time as we just selected an architect to start the design process.” 

The architect referred to will be Renker Eich Parks Architects, who were selected by community staff in August of this year. They are a local firm from St. Petersburg, who specialize in historic preservation and urban planning, but have done a number of public school and government building design projects, including for USF and the Pasco County School Board. 

According to Wright, the uses of the future space are being specifically envisioned for maintenance operations, meetings and staff office space. The target year for construction to begin is 2025, and the community has currently set aside $900,000 for the building. 

The additional land was purchased by Meadow Pointe II in November of 2018 from Trout Creek Properties for $850,000 (according to appraiser records). The total size of the parcel the community owns on that corner is now 5.32 acres, which includes the existing paved access road and the drainage pond behind (to the east of) Kids R Kids, and part of the wetland to the south. The buildable project area, that most residents see as the empty grass lot next to the signal, will be between 1.5-2 acres of the total 5.32 acres. 

This current proposal might be a relief to many who have seen this lot sit mostly empty for 25 years, except for some rubble/rock piles and the occasional semi-truck that used to park out there. 

The previous major proposal, that caused an uproar with the community residents in 2017-18, even leading to a signed petition against it and the eventual purchase of the property by Meadow Pointe II, was for a 7-Eleven gas station, which ended up going in front of Wiregrass Ranch High instead, at Mansfield and Hueland Pond Blvd., and which opened in 2022. 

Mansfield Blvd. Traffic Signal Becomes Operational Just Two Days Before School 

Despite some confusion when it first became operational, the new traffic signal at the intersection of Mansfield Blvd. & Oakwood Preserve Blvd. has helped calm traffic in the area. (Photo by Joel Provenzano)

The new traffic signal at Oakwood Preserve Dr./Wiregrass School Rd., in front of John Long Middle School, Wiregrass Ranch Elementary, and the back gate for The Ridge at Wiregrass community (see map below), was put into operation just in the nick of time for the start of the 2024-25 school year. In fact, the signal didn’t change from blinking yellow to full operation until Aug. 10, or just two days before school started throughout Pasco County. 

Because of a number of delays, the county was only able to have the signal in “flash mode” for two days before that, whereas most new signals blink for at least 7-14 days before becoming operational, so motorists who drive through the area can get used to seeing it at that location. 

Some observant drivers may have noticed that these delays, and the rush to get the signal turned on before the start of school, at first caused some pretty serious safety concerns. 

But, with the ‘flash mode’ lasting only two days, that gave very little time for motorists to get acclimated to the new signal. This was initially made worse by the fact that since this intersection has been a 4-way stop for two years, most drivers using Mansfield were used to coming to a complete stop from each approach. It was extra confusing because the overhead signals for the Mansfield traffic began flashing yellow, even though the ground-mounted stop signs that had long been at that intersection (with their flashing red signals on top) were still there and operational. 

To generally avoid confusion, national traffic engineering standards (as listed in the Federal Highway Administration’s Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices for Streets & Highways, or MUTCD) requires that if any flashing light is present, its color must match whatever condition is present, so with a stop sign for each approach, the overhead signals on the new span should have been flashing red for all directions (according to the standards), but it was flashing yellow instead for Mansfield, causing a mixed message. 

Because of these inconsistent colors, it was directly observed that some motorists were still stopping at the stop sign like they should have been, while others on the same approach didn’t notice the stop signs, or were confused, and continued through the intersection without stopping (as most people do when they see an overhead flashing yellow signal). This caught many motorists who were turning from the side streets off guard, since they were expecting the Mansfield traffic to stop, naturally causing a few near misses and horn-honking. 

Luckily, this confusing set-up was only present for two days before the stop signs were removed (from all four approaches) and the signal put into full operation. But, that did create another issue. 

Since it was done so quickly, some motorists were observed coming to a complete stop at the stop bar, even though they had a solid green signal, likely because their subconscious muscle memory was taking over, since they were used to always stopping there. Horn honkers behind them alerted them to their error, and they proceeded on their way. 

This happened four times while we were taking photos and observing the intersection, a full week and a half after it was put into normal operation. Even with the advanced “Signal Ahead” signs, it seems that there’s no replacement for time. 

Concerns About Pedestrian Safety 

To address pedestrian safety at the new signal, the county did something local motorists are used to, by giving it an “exclusive pedestrian phase,” which means that when the “Walk” symbol comes on after the button is pushed (at any time of day), it comes on for all of the crosswalk directions simultaneously, requiring ALL directions of vehicular traffic to stop without moving, including the right turns, until the walk phase ends, exactly like the operation of the signal down the street at County Line Rd. in front of the Meadow Pointe II clubhouse. 

The location of the new traffic signal on Mansfield Blvd. in Wiregrass Ranch. (Google map modified by NN) 

To help enforce the right turn restrictions, electronic “blank-out,” “No Right on Red” signs were installed next to the eastbound and southbound approach signal heads, and similar static signs were installed facing the northbound and westbound approach signals. But, the county also left cable coiled up on the line for more future electronic signs, if the need arises. 

Crossing guards (trained as traffic control officers by the Pasco Sheriff’s Office) are still present at the signal on school days, to help out pedestrians. Since they are traffic control officers, they can direct traffic to move as needed, despite what color the signal shows, requiring motorists to pay attention to their commands and use extra caution when approaching the intersection. 

Unfortunately, during our most recent visit, some motorists were observed still stopping at the red light, even though the crossing guard was clearly waiving them through. 

The Need For The Signal 

Mansfield Blvd. has seen its share of improvements over the past few years, many of which (including this signal) were geared towards safety. The original 4-way stop was installed shortly after it was announced by Pasco County Traffic Operations representative Venkat Vattikuti, at a meeting with Meadow Pointe residents in the fall of 2022. Eventually, flashing beacons were installed on top when it was clear that many residents were not “seeing” (or obeying) the stop signs. 

Then, in 2023, there was resurfacing on Mansfield to address pavement that was quickly becoming gravel and flashing pedestrian beacons were added in front of the entrance to the Wrencrest subdivision in Meadow Pointe in 2024. 

The all-way stop was continuous from the start. Many residents appreciated the interim solution (before the signal could be funded and installed) because of how it helped with pedestrian safety, but other residents felt that it unnecessarily backed up traffic by stopping every single vehicle on the main road. 

What About The High School? 

Traffic still may back-up a little at the time when the crossing guards are out there at the new signal, since the middle and adjacent elementary schools dismiss students only a few minutes apart from each other. However, traffic around the time of Wiregrass Ranch High’s dismissal has been observed to be much better at this intersection. 

Back when it was just a 4-way stop, traffic would sometimes be seen backing up on Mansfield Blvd. for half a mile from the southbound stop sign, from traffic leaving the high school heading back into Meadow Pointe. 

Now, the biggest issue for the high school seems to be a relic of its original design — the two outbound lanes onto Mansfield at Hueland Pond Blvd. Back when the high school opened in 2007 the entrance/exit was (for two years) strictly to the intersection where the new signal is at The Ridge, where Mansfield (at that time) came to an end. 

Between 2007 and 2009, Mansfield Blvd. was extended northbound at the same time S.R. 56 was being extended eastbound from Publix to meet it, a coordinated effort by the developer of Wiregrass Ranch, the county and FDOT. When the Mansfield extension was completed, the two northern outbound lanes from the high school (a left and a right) were opened for use and were all that was needed, because the intersection was unsignalized, and there was no through traffic because Hueland Pond Blvd. didn’t exist yet. 

The southern exit to Mansfield was subsequently closed (by a gate) and the northern entrance became the only way in and out of Wiregrass Ranch High. 

In 2016, Hueland Pond Blvd. was constructed to align with the high school’s entrance and the signal was installed. The right turn lane coming out of the high school was converted to a through/right, and even though Hueland Pond was given a dual left, for whatever reason, the exit from Wiregrass Ranch High remained a single left, even though there was room in the median to add another left. 

That single left and through/right make getting out of the high school a lengthy process. The through traffic (waiting for a green to go onto Hueland Pond) blocks traffic behind them as they wait to make a right turn onto Mansfield, and all it takes is one car wanting to go straight. It does appear that there is room to add a separate right turn lane if the county decides to add one.