Yo Murphy (right) is hands-on when it comes to training athletes trying to get to the next level.
Llewellyn Murphy, Jr., better known as Yo to Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ fans, remembers tearing his quad muscle in 2001. But, with the help of a performance therapist and fitness coach, Murphy was able to get back to playing wide receiver in time to help the St. Louis Rams make it to Super Bowl XXXVI on Feb. 3, 2002, which the Rams lost to the New England Patriots, the first Big Game win for QB Tom Brady.
Murphy, who played seven games for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 1999 and was an electric kickoff returner, says he didn’t have a Plan B at the time, but the rehabilitation experience and how it helped him play four more seasons of professional football crystallized one for him.
“It showed me how much value that has, and how much impact you can have on someone’s life when you do this job and focus on what they need,” Murphy says. “I just fell in love with it.”
Murphy ended up becoming the only player ever to play seasons in the NFL, Candaian Football League (CFL), the XFL and NFL Europe. He also is the only player to suit up for the Super Bowl, Grey Cup and World Bowl championship games. Murphy is now a 15-year veteran of the performance training industry, and is expanding from his Westchase location to the Wiregrass Ranch Sports Campus of Pasco County.
Yo Murphy Performance should be up and running later this month.
At the 11,000-sq.-ft. Westchase location, 38 professional and professional-to-be athletes train as part of his clientele, including Washington Nationals outfielder Kyle Schwarber, Kanasas City Royals first baseman Carlos Santana, 2020 Heisman Trophy winner Devonta Smith (from the University of Alabama) as well as NFL hopefuls getting ready for the NFL combine, like Smith’s teammate at Alabama, DT Christian Barmore and speedy Auburn WR Anthony Schwartz.
While prepping professional athletes for a combine or upcoming season may be a specialty, Murphy says his training center also caters to a few hundred “corporate,” as well as more than 100 youth athletes.
“We treat the regular dude like a serious athlete,” Murphy says. “People get in ruts when they just go to the gym (to go). The only difference between the athlete and the regular dude is, while in the gym training, athletes have a start and an end date. We are good as humans when we have goals and we have deadlines and we have discipline involved. That’s what we focus on. We treat everyone the same.”
Murphy says he was alerted to the Wiregrass Ranch Sports Campus by his director of basketball, Darryl Hepburn, who Murphy says has held NBA combines but saw a need for a facility with more courts. Once Murphy visited, he saw the Wiregrass Sports Campus, with its 98,000-sq. ft. of indoor space to be “a perfect fit.”
Yo Murphy Performance caters to the serious athlete, whether professional or amateur. The Wiregrass Ranch location, he says, will offer memberships for adults, and even offer 1-on-1 training and combines for those corporate athletes.
Expect a fair share of professional athletes to be sharing that space as well. Murphy said NFL wide receivers like Diontae Johnson (Pittsburgh), Deon Cain (Baltimore) and Auden Tate (Cincinatti and a Wharton High in New Tampa graduate) all live near the facility and plan on training there in the offseason.
Murphy expects a more than two dozen NFL players to make Wiregrass Ranch their training home now that the Super Bowl LV is over.
For additional information about Yo Murphy Performance, visit YoMurphy.com.
A full bar in available at the Grove Theater, Bistro & Entertainment for a pre-movie drink.
The Grove Theater, Bistro & Entertainment will have a spin room, children’s room, acting studio, a comedy club and more, but on Feb. 19, it finally opened to do what it was built to do:
Show movies.
After more than a year of renovations and redesign, the theater debuted its new reclining leather seats and bistro with a showing of movies like “Judas and the Black Messiah”, “Land” and “The Little Things.”
The former Cobb Theater was operating at limited capacity, with only 50 percent seating in checkerboard style, and no one sitting in front of, behind or next to other customers. Only some of the 12 screens were in use, and some of the showings were sold out.
The selection of movies also is limited, as Hollywood has held back on production and releases due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
The Bistro dining area, which The Grove Theater management refers to as “upscale,” was busy on the weekend nights, with a wide menu of dishes, featuring items like steak, shrimp macaroni and cheese, fish tacos and bruschetta, with crème brulee highlighting its desert options. The chicken parmesan was the most popular menu item, and all could be ordered at Bistro tables, as well as for in-movie dining.
Laron, Angel and English Hearst (eating the burger) of New Tampa enjoying a meal at the Grove Bistro.
A full bar serving drinks, as well as a sushi bar, are also part of the Bistro, and the main lobby has 45 video arcade games for pre-movie entertainment.
“People are ready to go back to the movies and we are proud to be able to provide them with a safe environment to enjoy a night out with their friends and family,” said Matheus Gold, vice president of operations. “We are operating at 50% capacity with checkerboard seating and sold out several showings our opening weekend. Our Bistro offers new dishes and the feedback we received is that we are back better than ever.”
The theater is taking lots of Covid-19 safety precautions, with temperature checks at the door and facial coverings required inside. However, with the limited seating, social distancing was easily manageable.
The two-floor, 85,000-sq.-ft. movie theater is being dubbed by developer Mark Gold as the future of how entertainment will be offered to attract families. His plans are for families to come for dinner, leave the kids in a converted-theater Kids Play Place room, and see a movie or comedy show at Side Splitters Comedy Club (which is expected to open this spring).
Then, families can then spend time together cruising the 200-acre complex, which will have a mini-golf course, the much anticipated KRATE by Gold Box container park and a “downtown village” area, all featuring other bars, restaurants and retailers.
The theater renovations are another part of a massive project at The Grove, which Gold’s Mishorin Gold Properties purchased in September 2019 for $62.7 million.
The Grove Theater, Bistro and Entertainment will be open Saturday and Sunday from 4-9:30 p.m., and Sundays noon-7 p.m. Tickets can be reserved at grovetheater.com.
1 — TREBLE MAKERS 6034 Wesley Grove Blvd. The Grove at Wesley Chapel (813) 406-4371 When Treble Makers Dueling Piano Bar & Restaurant was getting ready to open in the new Village at The Grove, I didn’t know what to expect in terms of the food — that is, until I met with co-owner Jamie Hess and Executive Chef Kevin Maggard.
Then, I couldn’t wait for it to open.
Maggard promised delicious, tender steaks (like the perfectly seasoned filet shown in the top photo), fresh fish and seafood and unique, inspired appetizers and in the six months or so that Treble Makers has been open, he has more than delivered on that promise, at least in one editor’s opinion.
His seared, sesame-crusted ahi tuna appetizer (photo, left) is as good as there is in the area, and although it hasn’t always been as crispy as the perfect first time I had his sweet & spicy calamari, there’s no doubt that it’s different than you’ll find anywhere else. People we’ve spoken with also rave about his imperial crab dip and homemade potato gnocchi appetizers.
In addition to the coconut curry grouper and the filet, definitely also try the seared diver scallops, the tender veal or chicken Marsala and I still plan to try the NY strip and prime rib steak options.
And of course, please also check out the dueling piano shows and other entertainment options at my favorite for 2020!
2 — TROPICS at SADDLEBROOK 5700 Saddlebrook Way (813) 973-1111 When Dempsey’s Steak House at Saddlebrook resort closed for much-needed renovations in 2020, it was a little easier for me to move Treble Makers up to this year’s top spot in Wesley Chapel, even though much of the Dempsey’s menu is still available at the resort’s The Tropics restaurant. Another factor in dropping the only non-chain restaurant in Wesley Chapel to offer a tomahawk ribeye steak (photo) is affordability. Treble Makers definitely isn’t cheap, but The Tropics is still primarily a “big night out” kind of meal for almost anyone, especially for a certain news magazine editor.
4 — ZUKKU-SAN SUSHI 25916 Sierra Center Blvd (813) 419-1351 While I don’t want to spoil the surprise for you about why I love Zukku-San so much — my full-length review of this elegant, new and delicious sushi-and-so-much-more restaurant located just west of I-75 on S.R. 56 appears in our latest issue — I will tell you that it also is Jannah’s 15-month-old granddaughter Rosie’s favorite place to eat in our area, so we’ve been going there a lot. And, it’s definitely not so much about the sushi, which is excellent, as much as it is about creativity. The dish shown above — a semi-spicy raw bluefin tuna appetizer topped with caviar and served with golden grape tomatoes — isn’t on the menu, yet…but I’m guessing it will be soon.
5 — ROCK & BREWS 26000 S.R. 56 (813) 537-6016 Directly across S.R. 56 from Zukku-San is Rock & Brews, which is owned in part, and inspired, by Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley of the rock group KISS. But, Rock & Brews is a really delicious restaurant offering everything from “sweet heat” chicken (photo) and a really good 8-oz. filet mignon, to crispy calamari, unique Brews-chetta, blackened redfish, wings, blackened chicken pasta and even the “front row” pizzas. And, even though it also opened during the pandemic, it seems that a lot of local people agree with me when it comes to the made-from-scratch food, the atmosphere and the live music on weekends (please call about availability). Jannah and I love the covered outdoor bar.
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6 — OMARI’S GRILL Lexington Oaks Golf Club 26133 Lexington Oaks Blvd. (813) 907-7270 Omari’s Grill at the Lexington Oaks Golf Club is still (sadly) one of Wesley Chapel’s best-kept secrets. And, even though you can only get co-owner/chef Anass El-Omari’s perfect grilled mahi-mahi topped with mango salsa (above), crispy, but tender chicken parmigiana and filet mignon with cream sauce as Friday night dinner specials, the regular golfer-oriented menu for lunch and dinner is delicious, too. From burgers and grilled chicken sandwiches to salads and wings, everything is made from scratch and it shows. You can even give it a try for free as a first-time visitor to a Rotary Club of Wesley Chapel meeting on Wednesdays at noon.
7 — FLORIDA AVENUE BREWING CO. 2029 Arrowgrass Dr. (813) 452-6333 When you think about craft beer breweries, you may not think of delicious food, but in the case of Florida Avenue Brewing Co.’s location in the former Sports + Field building on S.R. 56, you’d really be missing out on something yummy. With small plates like perfectly sesame-seared, Szechwan ahi tuna, excellent Chinese sticky ribs, Buffalo cauliflower and the jumbo lump crab cakes shown above (with zesty remoulade sauce), a variety of flatbreads, Korean-style bibimbap bowls, braised short ribs and Gulf grouper fish & chips, Florida Ave. has great chef-created food to go with a unique variety of craft beers and hard ciders and seltzers.
8 — BUBBA’S 33 26340 Silver Maple Pkwy. (813) 522-5090 Bubba’s 33, which is an entirely different concept restaurant from Texas Roadhouse, features sports bar prices with restaurant-quality food. Delicious starters include the crispy wings in a variety of sauces and dry rubs to unique items like “Big O”(onion) Rings, crispy fried pickles, Bubba’s fiesta dip (with bacon, ground beef and refried beans), plus tasty hand-tossed pizzas, excellent bacon grind bacon burgers (photo), plus everything from California grilled chicken to Southern fried chicken and chipotle chicken & shrimp pasta. There’s even two different Texas Roadhouse-quality grilled and marinated signature ribeye steaks and outstanding drink prices.
9 — LONGHORN STEAKHOUSE 2647 Creek Grass Way, Lutz (813) 909-0003 When Jannah and I feel like a delicious filet at a fair price, with great sides included, Longhorn is the first place we both usually think of — and not just because it’s the closest steakhouse to where we live. From the tender Flo’s filet (photo) to the NY strip or the recently added bone-in “outlaw” ribeye, Longhorn’s steaks are always done to perfection and if you’re somehow ever not happy, the management will always make it right. We love the salad, the crisp-crust bread and always-fresh veggies, too. Jannah also loves the parmesan-crusted chicken. And, although we wish the bar area was a little bigger, the bartenders and drink prices are outstanding.
10 — AUSSIE GRILL 25340 Sierra Center Blvd. (813) 261-0140 You have to hand it to Bloomin’ Brands, the parent company of Outback Steakhouse, for coming up with this fantastic fast-casual concept. Even though it opened in the middle of the pandemic, the new Aussie Grill — ours is the first freestanding unit — with its super-easy drive-through and order-ahead pickup options, was the right concept at the right time. The food is Outback-quality — from the topped, grilled chicken (photo) and seared beef tenderloin large plates, to the bacon “bomb” burger and braised brisket sandwich and more — Aussie Grill has been a welcome addition to our local dining scene. With a larger menu, it could have finished even higher on this list.
Wesley Chapel definitely had one of its biggest years ever, in terms of restaurant openings, in 2020, so my list this year looks very different than last year. Here are short write-ups about my 25 favorite restaurants (new and existing) in Wesley Chapel for 2020, starting with No. 25 and counting down to No. 11. Tomorrow, we’ll show you the Top 10.
25 — FRATELLI’S PIZZA & CAFE 5327 Village Market (813) 991-1118 Even though I didn’t remember the name of their long-time, open-24-hours-a-day original Fratelli’s in the Hunts Point Market in The Bronx, NY, I am so happy that the Fratelli brothers decided to sell that location and bring their tasty NY-style pizza and pastas to Wesley Chapel. I was even happier when I first sampled the truly authentic penne with broccoli rabe, chicken and sausage shown above. You won’t find better broccoli rabe in the Tampa Bay area and the baked pastas and hot subs also rock! Fratelli’s also features Jannah’s favorite garlicky Grandma’s pizza in Wesley Chapel.
25 — AMICI PIZZA 26602 Wesley Chapel Blvd. (813) 973-9734 For anyone who loves authentic NY-style pizza, the new location of Amici’s on Wesley Chapel Blvd (aka S.R. 54) in Lutz has brought me ever closer to the Mannino brothers and their delicious pizza. But, like 900Âş Woodfired, Amici’s makes my list of Wesley Chapel favorites in part because it features a very authentic NY-style version of another one of my favorite pasta dishes — the linguine with white clams shown above. I can’t really call it a sauce, because it’s correctly more of a light broth, but it is loaded with whole clams and garlic and is a definite must-try! And, although I’ve never been a big fan of the garlic knots at most pizza places, try Amici’s garlic bread with marinara dip. Yum!
24 — RICE-N-BEANS 27405 Wesley Chapel Blvd. (813) 803-7974 Although I never really thought of Puerto Rican food as one of my favorite Latin cuisines until I tried the original location of Rice-n-Beans on S.R. 54 in Lutz, the beautiful new location (in the former Cody’s Roadhouse building) has kept me a fan of Wesley Chapel’s Rice-n-Beans, especially the amazing fried chicken chicharrons shown above. I’m also a fan of the roast pork mofongo, the grilled pork chops and chicken breast in garlic sauce. And yes, the rice and (I prefer the red) beans served with every meal are also delicious and authentic. Rice-n-Beans also has great drink prices at its spacious, full-liquor bar and had added salsa dancing and other entertainment pre-pandemic.
23 — THE GARDEN GRILLE at the Hilton Garden Inn 26640 Silver Maple Pkwy. (813) 591-6900 Please stop me if you’ve heard me say this before, but when the Hilton Garden Inn Tampa-Wesley Chapel first opened in late 2018, it hosted a Grand Opening event, where the food served in the hotel’s Garden Grille restaurant was so good, I thought it must’ve come from an outside caterer. Wrong! The food at the Garden Grille is excellent, from delicious crispy wings, to tasty meatballs, perfect Pan Asian ribs and even a great New York strip steak (photo). I wish the Garden Grille was open for lunch, but it’s also great for “event” food like a unique French toast casserole for brunch and more. The bar is never crowded and has great drink prices.Â
22 — LITTLE ITALY’S 24436 S.R. 54, Lutz (813) 909-2122 Owners Jessica and Carl Meyers’ seemingly hard-to-find location on S.R. 54, a mile or so west of the Tampa Premium Outlets, has been bringing in hungry fans from the moment it opened and the addition of beer, wine and homemade sangria definitely hasn’t hurt business, either. Although I’ve always said that the menu could be more diverse, if you’re looking for huge portions of lasagne, chicken or veal parmigiana (photo, usually offered as a special only)  and, especially the calzones, this is your place. I can’t partake of the “lobsta” ravioli, but I’ve seen and heard many rave about it.
20 — GLORY DAYS GRILL 28812 S.R. 54 (813) 535-7678 I’ve said before that when Glory Days Grill first opened in New Tampa a few years ago, replacing the popular Lee Roy Selmon’s, I wasn’t a big fan. However, when Jannah and I first tried the new Glory Days on S.R. 54, less than a mile from my office, we immediately recognized that the menu had been greatly upgraded. Even though they did away with our favorite appetizer (zucchini fries), the burgers (try the proprietary blend) are excellent and I also enjoy the comeback chicken (with sundried tomatoes and feta cheese in lemon-butter sauce), fried chicken & waffles, the Boston clam “chowda,” the 1988 center-cut sirloin and the house-marinated pork chops shown above. Â
18 — TOP SHELF SPORTS LOUNGE at AdventHealth Center Ice 3173 Cypress Ridge Blvd. (813) 953-1032 Based on my experience at other ice rinks when both of my sons played ice hockey, I had no real expectations for good food when what is now called AdventHealth Center Ice first opened. Boy, was I wrong. Not only does Top Shelf have some of the best wings, burgers (photo) and bar food around, it also serves delicious mixed veggies as a side and the craft beers from owner Keelan Cottle’s own 81Bay Brewing are definitely popular with the hockey moms and dads. Top Shelf also is mine and Jannah’s favorite place to watch Lightning games.
17 — THE HUNGRY GREEK 2653 Bruce B. Downs Blvd. (813) 345-8526 Now that there are so many new restaurants in Wesley Chapel, it’s easy to forget about The Hungry Greek, but not if you enjoy great Greek specialties (as I do) in a fast-casual environment that never disappoints for quality, service or price. I’ve yet to try the recent addition of Greek bowls (with brown rice, garbanzo beans, tomatoes, feta, olives, pepperoncini and tzatziki sauce, with your choice of chicken, gyro meat, shrimp, falafel or salmon), but the spanakopita and the gyro dinner shown above (I get it without the onions) are always great, especially with a Mythos or other Greek beer.
16 — BONEFISH GRILL 25264 Sierra Center Blvd., Lutz (813) 907-8202 When you’re looking for the best seared tuna sashimi appetizer (photo) in Wesley Chapel, there’s no doubt in my mind that the recently relocated Bonefish Grill is still near the top of the list. The thick slices are always fresh, always well-seared but still rare and covered in black and white sesame seeds. Bonefish also features excellent fresh fish, but not as good for my money as Grillsmith’s. The Outback-quality steaks are an added bonus. I can’t eat the bang-bang shrimp because of my accursed shellfish allergy (but they will make it as bang-bang chicken for folks like me) and it’s still among the best you’ll find anywhere. Love the new bar area, too!
15 — UMU JAPANESE & THAI 2653 Bruce B Downs Blvd. (813) 591-6121 Many locals rave about the sushi at Umu Japanese & Thai and you can count me among them, but when you take a deeper dive into the menu (as I finally have), you find out that there’s even more to love than the huge selection of sushi rolls and the best variety of white meat fish nigiri (on rice) and sashimi in our area. I have enjoyed the crispy soy-marinated Kara-Age chicken appetizer (from Umu’s “Hot Tasting” starters menu), the deep-fried chicken and pork (Umu-ton) katsu, the “Wafu-style” Japanese NY strip steak and especially, the miso-marinated Chilean sea bass shown here.Â
13 — PASTA DI GUY 4839 Bruce B Downs Blvd (813) 994-1294 Owner/chef Guy Carmeli continues to add items to his still-smallish menu, but it’s hard to argue with the quality served up at the 2020 addition to our local dining scene. Our favorites at Pasta di Guy (see ad on pg. 42) are the made-from-scratch strozzapreti and spaghetti pastas, topped with any of the six different freshly made sauces (Alfredo, beef Bolognese, marinara, creamy pesto, vodka or aglio e olio (garlic and oil), and what may be the best house-cut zucchini noodles (above) in our area. Yes, it costs extra to add grilled chicken, house-made Italian sausage and veggies like broccoli and cauliflower, but it’s worth it. And, the recent addition of design-your-own, house-made pizzas is a step in the right direction, too.
11 — OUTBACK STEAKHOUSE 5710 Oakley Blvd. (813) 973-7717 The steak quality at the Outback Steakhouse has never been in question. The Victoria’s filet is very similar in quality and price to Longhorn’s Flo’s filet and the bone-in New York strip shown here is, as the menu claims, full of flavor. In addition to the great variety of steaks, Outback also is famous for its shrimp on the barbie and bloomin’ onion appetizers, Alice Springs chicken and surf & turf options that I sadly can’t enjoy, but rewards members (like me!) get $20 off at Outback or Bonefish or $40 off at Fleming’s every third visit. Jannah and I still won’t wait for a table, but whether we sit at the bar or use the easy takeout system, we’re rarely disappointed.
The Charleson Communities at Wesley Chapel are under construction at the southeast corner of New River Rd. and S.R. 54., part of more than 1,000 apartment/multi-family units being added to District 2 recently. Commissioners debated whether more apartments are needed in the area. (Photo: tampacivil.com/Aerial Productions)
More and more apartment communities are being built in or proposed for the Wesley Chapel area, and Mike Moore doesn’t like it.
The Pasco County Commissioner, whose District 2 includes most of Wesley Chapel and some of Land O’Lakes, is leading the fight against building more apartments, in contrast to his fellow commissioners who also represent parts of Wesley Chapel — District 1 commissioner Ron Oakley, whose district includes much of Wesley Chapel north of S.R. 54, and District 3 commissioner Kathryn Starkey, who represents a sliver of the southwest corner of Wesley Chapel.
Moore and Starkey clashed at a Jan. 12 commission meeting over a proposal to build apartments just north of the future BayCare Hospital on Bruce B. Downs (BBD) and Eagleston Blvds. Moore and Starkey disagreed about whether or not to approve the proposal by the developer, Mass Capital, with Moore motioning to have it denied. and both Starkey and Oakley voting against it, as did new Dist. 4 county commissioner Christina Fitzpatrick.
The commission then voted 5-0 to continue the debate over the proposal — which would build 240 multi-family dwellings on 16.24 acres — for 60 days.
The commissioners picked the argument back up at a workshop scheduled on Feb. 9, moving towards a temporary moratorium on approving new apartment complex projects.
Moore has long opposed the proliferation of new apartments in the county and, in particular, in his district. His reasons are clear — apartments are taking up land that could be better used generating employment, and because he believes there are already enough multi-family properties to fulfill the need in the area.
To prove he wasn’t alone, he funded a poll conducted by Spry Strategies in December of 400 residents in District 2.
“I’ve beaten this drum for years about apartment complexes in Pasco County, but especially in District 2, so I went ahead and did something,” Moore says. “It was not funded with county dollars, it was $1,700 and I used my own account…I wanted to show it’s not just coming out of my mouth, it’s coming out of citizens’ mouths, too.”
The results, however unscientific, reveal that more local residents agree with him than not, with 154 (or 38.5 percent) saying they don’t approve of the number of apartment buildings in their communities. Almost as many (149) were unsure or didn’t have an opinion; Moore chalked that high number up to the poll being conducted during the holidays. And, 97 (24.2%) of those polled approve of the amount of apartments in their community.
The poll also revealed that 196 (or 49%) would prefer to see more office and commercial development than more apartments, with 59 (14.7%) not having a preference. Again, a high number, 145 (or 36%), were unsure or didn’t have an opinion either way.
Asked whether they believed that more apartments should be built in Pasco County, 231 (57.75%) replied no and 73 (18.3%) replied yes, with 96 (24% unsure).
“Not a day goes by, especially in Land O’Lakes and Wesley Chapel, that someone comes up and starts talking to me and doesn’t bring it up,” Moore says. “I get emails about Covid and in it they bring up the subject of apartments. It shows you how frustrated the community is when it comes to the amount of apartment complexes built in that area.”
According to Nectorious Pittos, AICP, Pasco County’s director of Planning and Development, there are 68 Master Planned Unit Developments (MPUDs) in District 2, and 25 allow for multi-family apartments to be built. Recently, more than 1,000 units have been approved, constructed or are under construction at four new communities — Charleston at Wesley Chapel (on the southwest corner of S.R. 54 and New River Rd., just past Avalon Park West), the new Parc at Wesley Chapel in Lexington Oaks, the Cypress Creek Town Center and in the Aiken MPUD in nearby Land O’Lakes.
Moore says there are dozens of parcels in the area that already have the entitlements dating back to the 1980s to build apartments, and he has no interest in taking those away. But, developers hoping to rezone areas that would be better used for job-creating commercial spaces is where he wants to draw the line.
Moore also cited traffic issues, lack of the space generating employment and revenue for the county, and the effects more apartments will have on nearby schools.
The county received 24 emails about the Mass Capital project, all opposing it. However, Barbara Wilhite, the lawyer representing the developer, said those emails were all from Seven Oaks residents, and despite its proximity, the proposed apartment complex is not located within the Seven Oaks DRI. She said there was support for the proposal from actual future neighbors like BayCare Hospital, Blue Heron Assisted Living Facility and nearby townhomes.
While Moore, who lives in Seven Oaks, was adamantly opposed regardless, Starkey was supportive of developer Mass Capital’s proposal.
She says she heard apartments in the area were at 98 percent capacity — Moore says he disagrees with that number — and she didn’t feel the number of apartments already in existence were oversaturating the area. She also felt it was a good location for apartments, and argued there would be less traffic added to the area with an apartment complex than any other use.
Starkey argued against Moore’s motion to deny by disputing his points and suggesting he was arguing from a privileged perspective.
“It’s elitist and improper,” Starkey said. “Not everyone can live in a $500,000 (home in a) gated community. We are going down a path that is really dangerous, rude and inappropriate.”
Oakley said he felt the project was a good idea and “fits a puzzle.” He voted against Moore’s motion to deny it.
Moore, who says he has spent a good amount of time researching the subject of apartments and the good and bad effects they can have on communities, said he was hoping to change some minds at the Feb. 9 workshop.
