Drivers pulling out of Hollybrook Plaza need to be cautious.
Residents were assured during a sparsely attended virtual public hearing hosted by the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) in February that the plans to redesign and modify part of Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd. south of its intersection with S.R. 54 are ongoing.
Construction on the median project is expected to begin in early 2022.
The project centers around the northbound and southbound median just south of the actual intersection.
The median currently has an opening allowing motorists to cross from exits between the Sonnyâs BBQ and Sun Trust Bank adjacent to the Publix-anchored Hollybrook Plaza to southbound BBD or straight across to the west, to the Village Market shopping center, and from the Village Market to northbound BBD or across eastbound to the Hollybrook Plaza.
The plan is basically to extend the median and eliminate any cutting across BBD from either side.
The medians along this stretch will be combined into one.
It is not an uncommon sight to see an accident at the northbound side in front of the Sonnyâs BBQ or Taco Bell.
According to FDOT, the median project was initiated by an intersection study that showed 233 âcrashesâ had been reported in that area from 2011-15.
A Neighborhood News Reader Survey in 2017 voted the BBD/54 intersection as the second-worst in Wesley Chapel, behind the I-75 and S.R. 56 intersection (which will have a new Diverging Diamond Interchange by the end of 2021).
The plan to make the location safer centers around closing what is now a split median and constructing one long median from Eagleston Blvd. to the south all the way north to S.R. 54.
Under the current set up, the northbound far left turn lane, when filled during busy traffic hours, extends beyond the median opening and blocks those trying to cross BBD.
Now, with a single, longer median, that left turn lane will be extended to accommodate more vehicles, which will reduce congestion.
There also will be a new traffic signal installed at Eagleston, and new roadway lighting added to the northbound lanes, as well as some resurfacing.
At the southbound end of the new median where the light will be installed, a dedicated U-turn lane will be built for motorists wanting to get to Hollybrook Plaza (this also can be achieved by merely driving east through the BBD/54 intersection and entering via two entrance points off S.R. 54).
FDOT says it plans to let the project out to bid in October, with construction beginning a few months later.
A likely-to-be-proposed development will affect three different communities, according to Quail Hollow residents opposed to it.
Lane Mendelsohn has had his eye on the more than 1,000 acres of land next to where his family lives in the Quail Hollow area for a few years now. Not because he wants to buy it, but because those who own it have plans he feels arenât best for that area.
SoHo Capital, LLC, the developers of the proposed Dayflower Master Planned Unit Development (MPUD), may be prepping to ask the county for a rezoning that will increase how many homes it can build on the land from roughly 1,000 to almost 1,500. Mendelsohn is worried about overcrowding, flooding, damage to wetlands and roads buckling under an influx of new traffic, to name a few.
So, instead of sitting back and waiting to see what happens, Mendelsohn and a group of Quail Hollow residents are on a mission to stop a potential rezoning of the land before it even gets started.
Mendelsohn has spent a good deal of his own money founding the Quail Hollow Alliance (QHA), creating a website and forming a team of land and environmental experts. He has rallied the communities of Quail Hollow, Angus Valley and Lexington Oaks â and residents of those developments account for the many of the more than 2,000 signatures in opposition he has collected â in a proactive effort to save the area.
âIâm not an activist that goes around county looking for a fight,â Mendelsohn says. âI got involved because this affects me, my family and my community. Weâve got one shot to stop this proposed development on a very environmentally sensitive piece of property and once built on, thatâs it, thereâs no turning back. If someone didnât step up with the time and financial resources, my feeling was we may blow it and have to live with the adverse effects. If I didnât do this, I would never be able to forgive myself.â
SoHo Capital is likely to bring its plans to the Pasco County Planning Commission in the near future. It owns 1,007 acres north of Wesley Chapel Blvd. and west of Old Pasco Rd. The property touches three established communities, but mostly Quail Hollow and Angus Valley, communities which date back to the 1950s, where home lots are generally three quarters of an acre or larger.
Mendelsohn owns a 75-acre lot just north of the property, a six-acre plot and a 2-acre plot where he lives next to his parentsâ 14-acre lot.
Mendelsohn says Soho Capital wants to fill the developable areas (probably 500 acres, due to how much of the property is wetlands) with 40-foot lots.
While he says he respects a land ownerâs rights to do what is allowed under its zoning, he is opposed to rezoning to allow even more homes.
While SoHo is already permitted to build around 1,000 homes (2.2 homes per buildable acre due to its current Res-1 zoning), Mendelsohn says the developer is working towards a rezoning which would allow for 1,439 homes.
âMy feeling is development has to be responsible, and has to be consistent and compatible with the surrounding areas,â Mendelsohn says.
Jennifer Seney, a Quail Hollow resident who researches most of the information that fills the groupâs website, feels the same.
âIâll even go a step further,â Seney says, âIâll say that what is being proposed for this piece of land is completely inappropriate.â
The additional density from a rezoning, not what is currently allowed, is where the QHA finds the problem.
According to Mendelsohn, SoHo Capital estimates the development would add 13,309 additional day trips on three small country roads that run right through Quail Hollow and Angus Valley. Mendelsohn says those roads â Sandy Ln., Mangrove Dr. and Armenian Ln. â are already classified as substandard by the county for not being thick or wide enough, and there is no room to widen them without getting rid of the swales that help control the areaâs persistent flooding.
Seney has particularly strong feelings about the roads, because she says SoHo Capital is requesting that the county allow it to pay âfair shareâ on the road improvements, which means splitting the costs with the county, rather than footing the bill themselves. She believes the countyâs share would end up as an assessment on those living near and using the roads. In other words, the residents of Quail Hollow and Angus Valley.
âThe road improvements are solely for the benefit of the developer,â Seney says. âWe donât need them (with the current population that uses them), and would never ask for them, but will have to pay for them.â
Seney, who worked for Pasco County as a recycling supervisor from 2008-18, fears the county may see this as an opportunity to bring the roads up to a higher level of service without having to pay for anything.
Following a March 1 required virtual public meeting with the developer, QHA members also claimed the project, which is adjacent to the Cypress Creek Preserve, would destroy âat least 11 acres of pristine wetlands, which help recharge Tampa, St. Petersburg and Clearwaterâs water supply through Pascoâs Cypress Creek Watershed.â
SoHo Capital, or SoHo Dayflower LLC, does not yet have any meetings scheduled yet before the planning commission, which would be the next step. Mendelsohn is hoping that such meetings wonât happen at all. The main goal of his group is to convince county staff that the project isnât worth putting to any vote, due to the numerous questions â which Mendelsohn says have not been answered â put forth by the QHA.
âI donât want this to get in front of the planning commission and then the county commissioners and have us have to fight this out in front of them,â Mendelsohn says. âIf the Pasco County Planning department really takes a look at this, they would see that this project is not a good project for this area.â
District 2 County Commissioner Mike Moore says he has been contacted by the group, but until the project moves onto the planning commission agenda, he has little to say about it.
The QHA is not trying to stop SoHo from building any homes on the land it owns. Mendelsohn says he is not anti-development. And in fact, if developers were only trying to build the number of homes the property was currently zoned for, the QHA wouldnât even exist.
However, if a rezoning does take place, he feels that more homes will equal more problems for long-time residents of Quail Hollow and Angus Valley.
âMy main point is, building 40-foot lots is just not compatible in an area where the lots are bigger and there isnât that kind of density,â Mendelsohn says. ââI do believe property owners have rights and I respect that, however my hope is that the county commissioners are listening to the people and just because a developer requests a rezoning, that is not something they are entitled to or that the commissioners are required to grant.â
For more information, check out QuailHollowAlliance.org
Schwartz has nine home runs in just 13 games this season, while pitcher Hailey Vazquez (below) is sporting a sub-1.00 ERA, and both have helped Cypress Creek High to an impressive 10-3 start this season. (Photos: Charmaine George)
Mandy Schwartz digs the long ball.
Through the first 15 games this season, the Cypress Creek High (CCH) junior third baseman has launched 10 pitches over the softball fences at various high schools, from Zephyrhills (twice) to Wiregrass Ranch to Berkeley Prep, where home run No. 10 in the sixth inning lifted the Coyotes to a 1-0 district win.
Her eighth home run, which came in the sixth inning against Class 5A, No. 3-ranked River Ridge, tied a game the Coyotes eventually lost 5-4, but it also set a school record for a season, breaking Neely Petersonâs previous mark of seven set in 2019.
Schwartzâs ninth homer, three days later, tied her for the state lead with two other players.
Her 10th, April 8 against the Bucs, is merely putting the record further out of reach for the coming classes of Coyote softball players — and there’s still three games to play.
She’s not just a player who can crush a lot. In fact, Schwartz doesnât see herself as a home run hitter, just someone who hits the ball hard.
âI definitely think I am a power hitter, but not necessarily a home run hitter,â she says.
Schwartz combines her power with contact, and is hitting .608 with only three strikeouts in 48 plate appearances this season. It is one of the primary reasons the Coyotes got off to a surprising 12-3 start in 2021, including 6-0 in the District.
Hailey Vazquez
And, there have been other bright spots. Senior centerfielder Emma Coons is hitting over .300 with 12 stolen bases, junior Jillian Hudson is batting .382 with a team-high five doubles, and senior Hailey Vazquez has given Cypress Creek a legitimate ace in the circle for the first time in its four years of existence.
Vazquez boasts a 0.74 ERA, and has struck out 112 batters in 66 innings while posting a 9-2 record.
âI canât ask more of Hailey,â says first-year Coyotesâ head coach Jennelle Day. âSheâs a great leader on and off the field and has a confidence the girls follow. Sheâs done a lot of big things for us.â
Schwartz has been a starter since her freshman year, when she batted .467 with three homers, eight doubles and 25 RBI. That team won a District title, a Regional playoff game and came within a run of making it to the Regional championship game.
She credits her offensive numbers to Tommy Santiago, who was her private hitting coach before rejoining the staff of the University of South Florida softball team last year. Santiago changed Schwartzâs swing a few years back, and after struggling a few months to get the mechanics just right, she has been on a tear.
Last season, she didnât get a chance to follow up her impressive freshman season due to Covid-19, which cut the season short (but not before she was able to hit a home run in the Coyotesâ season opener against Mitchell).
Schwartz was unsure what to expect in 2021, and has been a little surprised by CCHâs hot start.
âHonestly, I really didnât expect this because we lost a majority of our players (the past two seasons),â Schwartz says. âWe currently have eight freshmen on our roster, so I thought it might be a little rocky. But, everything just clicked early on.â
Even with Schwartzâs big bat and Vazquezâs stalwart arm filling two important areas, the CCH defense may deserve just as much credit for the teamâs success. Through 15 games, the Coyotes had committed just nine errors.
âThe bats can be shaky, but the defense has really stepped up,â Schwartz says.
As a result, she thinks this yearâs version of the Coyotes can match what the 2019 team did, and maybe even advance in the State playoffs.
âI think as long as we stay focused we can definitely do that again,â Schwartz says.
Even though there are quite a few Mediterranean/Middle Eastern restaurants located in New Tampa, based on what Iâve already tasted and heard from customers, itâs still well worth a few-minute drive to the Eagle Plaza on Oak Grove Blvd. at S.R. 54 in Lutz to try the new Garden Mediterranean Grill.
gggg
Owners Raja Saad and her husband, Chef Hedi Jlassi (top photo) are both from the Arabic North African nation of Tunisia and they offer a huge variety of delicious Mediterranean-influenced food in a beautiful, but casual setting.
The restaurant now called Garden Mediterranean Grill has had a number of previous tenants, including a Latin restaurant and a number of coffee shops, but Raja and Hedi and their family believe that they have brought the right cuisine and the right price to the location â and yes, the food is delicious!
Whether you dine as a couple of bring a large family or group of friends to the Garden, youâre sure to find plenty of options, as well as huge portions.
So far, the only salad Iâve sampled is the tangy house salad (diced tomatoes, onions, cucumbers, lettuce, parsley, herbs, olive oil and lemon juice), but there also is a great-looking Greek salad, fattoush, tahini and Caesar salads. You also can top your salad with a variety of meats and seafood, including chicken kabobs (so good) or shawarma, beef or lamb shish kabobs, kufta (ground lamb) kabobs, delicious, fresh-cut gyro meat, salmon or shrimp.
Like most Mediterranean restaurants, Garden Mediterranean Grill offers dessert favorites like baklava, warbat (filo dough stuffed with cream) and a variety of cakes, but my favorite so far are the almond baklava fingers shown and the salted caramel cheesecake. Iâve yet to try the baklava with ice cream, but itâs definitely on my list. As for beverages, try the Turkish coffee, the Moroccan mint green tea and the fresh mint lemonade.
Left to right: Mint lemonade, salted caramel cake and hot tea being poured.
Garden Mediterranean Grill is located at 1900 Oak Grove Blvd., Lutz (zip code 33559) and is open Mon.-Thur., 10 a.m.-10 p.m., 10 a.m.-11 p.m. on Fri., 9 a.m.-11 p.m. on Sat. and 9 a.m.-10 p.m. on Sun. For more information, call (813) 528-8088 or see the ad on pg. 39 of our latest issues for a Grand Opening Special 15%-off coupon.
The connection of Kinnan St. in K-Bar Ranch to Mansfield Blvd. in Meadow Pointe continues to be a problem, according to some area residents.
A number of emails sent to Pasco County District 2 Commissioner Mike Moore suggest that far too many cars have been making their way around the barrier, which is a mechanical arm designed to only let first responders and emergency vehicles through.
As a result, Pasco County is taking action. Moore says the county will be installing security cameras and additional barriers to prevent any more cars from sneaking through the small opening.
Chris Dillinger, a member of the Meadow Pointe II CDD, says he also has heard the complaints, including by some who feel the connection is the first step towards opening the connected roads to all traffic. But, he says as long as Pasco County controls the gate, which is part of the agreement with Hillsborough County, which constructed the connection, he is confident the roads will remain closed and adjustments will be made to stop cars from circumventing the barriers.
After years of debate over connecting the roads, it was finally decided last year to make a connection that would only be accessible by law enforcement, fire and other emergency vehicles, and to police it with a barrier gate arm. New, wider bike paths and sidewalks also were added to the connection for cyclists and pedestrians.
However, those wider paths are being used by cars, according to critics.
The Neighborhood News has received some emails making the same charge. As a result, we visited the connection, and witnessed a small black car slipping through the bike path on the east side of the gate, where a generous gap exists (photo), and crossing from New Tampa into Wesley Chapel.
You can see by looking at the picture above that there is still room for smaller cars to get through, although it is a fairly tight fit.
âWhile there are supposedly things in place to prevent traffic from entering the road…especially on the Mansfield side, it is not effective,â one emailer who did not want to be identified told us. âThose of us who use it for walking, running and cycling were so excited that we would not have to be exposed to a lot of fumes from vehicles. But, no matter what time I walk in that area, there are always vehicles that enter from Kinnan and Mansfield. There are vehicles that, from the Mansfield side, can successfully drive slowly and carefully through there…and there are enough violators for me to be concerned. This road is not closed to traffic; itâs being used more frequently than you know.â
Commissioner Moore contacted both Ken Hagan, the Hillsborough County Commissioner for District 2 which includes Kinnan St., and District 7 Tampa City Council member Luis Viera, who represents the New Tampa area that includes K-Bar Ranch.
âThe gate is a good idea,â Viera says. âIt helps emergency vehicles and first responders get through and it will save lives. Letâs hope we donât let a few people ruin that.â
