When Hillsborough County Commissioner Ken Hagan tossed his shovel of dirt at the groundbreaking of the new and improved Branchton Regional Park last month, he did so with one thing in mind — this is going to be more than just a park. It’s going to be a destination.
Work has begun on the area’s latest county park project, bringing a host of activities to 43 acres just off the southwest corner of Morris Bridge Rd. and Cross Creek Blvd.
The current Branchton Park — a large patch of nature with a trail, basketball court and small playground — is being re-created just south of its current location.
“Currently, it’s a very beautiful, picturesque park,” Hagan said, “but really, it only has a small playground and basketball court, with a shelter. We’re going to turn it into a destination.”
That will involve a larger playground, four pickleball courts, all-sports courts for basketball, volleyball and other sports, a splash pad and walking trails, to name a few of the amenities.
And, that’s just the start.
“It gets even better, because that’s only Phase 1,” Hagan said. “The next phase will have a dog park for both large and small dogs, an event pavilion, additional walking trails with a boardwalk, and a really cool…zipline, which will be the first one in Hillsborough County.”
The zipline is expected to be a private-public venture, and Hagan said he hopes to add more private-backed amenities in the future.
Hagan also has broached the idea of adding a Hillsborough County Sheriff’s office substation to the area. He says he has already secured the $6 million needed to complete the first phase of the park’s upgrades, which could be completed by sometime in 2023.
Two years ago, the county polled local residents about their preferred amenities. More than 500 people responded online to the survey, and the county has incorporated many of those requests into the new park’s design.
“When we build this park, there will be something here for everyone,” said Rick Valdez, director of the county’s Parks & Recreation Department. “From birth to 90 years old, there’s going to be something that you can come out and enjoy at this park.”
When District 2 Pasco County Commissioner Mike Moore argued for his apartment moratorium, he promised people that there were more than enough multi-family projects coming. He was opposed to land zoned for commercial and retail being turned into land slated for sprawling apartment complexes, saying there were plenty of entitlements for multi-family projects already in existence.
Moore may have had a point.
At the moment, there are more than 20 apartment complexes, ranging from the usual to those promising “luxury” and even “elegant” living locations in Wesley Chapel’s three zip codes — 33543, 33544 & 33545 (see map on pg. 7), that are either making their way through permitting, under construction or recently completed.
If you count other projects just outside the border of the Wesley Chapel area, that number grows. There are apartments coming to the Zephyrhills side of Eiland Blvd., just across the street from Wesley Chapel. In Land O’Lakes, Zephyrhills and San Antonio, that number exceeds 30 rental communities.
All in all, Wesley Chapel could be home to nearly 10,000 apartment dwellings in the next two years, if not sooner.
And, there are more projects not even in permitting yet, large multi-family communities headed to Wiregrass Ranch, the Two Rivers area on S.R. 56 and Epperson.
“The message I was attempting to send is justified by the number we’ve seen either come out of the ground or that are already (in permitting),” Moore says. “And there’s a ton more parcels that already have the multi-family zoning. There’s people holding out or not ready to develop and are holding on to those entitlements. That’s a lot more.”
While Moore continues to worry about apartment oversaturation, the debate still goes on in the County Commission. As recently as Oct. 11, members sparred over whether apartments were more important than jobs.
The Silverslaw Apartments (above) are being built just north of the Hyatt Place Wesley Chapel on the north side of S.R. 56 near I-75, and are one of many large rental complexes on the Wesley Chapel schedule over the nest 2-3 years. (Photo by John C. Cotey)
District 3 Commissioner Kathryn Starkey argued that the county has “hundreds of thousands of jobs coming…these people will need someplace to live.” District 2 Commissioner Ron Oakley, who represents the northern and easternmost parts of Wesley Chapel, agreed.
Eric Garduño, the government affairs director for the Bay Area Apartment Association, says Pasco County has always been near the bottom of statistics when it came to apartments per person. And the Tampa Bay area in general has always adopted zoning ordinances that favored single-family home developers over apartments.
“I think that’s starting to change in the sense that you can’t build single-family and single-family only to meet the housing needs as a community and a nation,” he says.
Wesley Chapel Blvd., which has expansion plans, is home to a number of large incoming complexes. The area around the bustling Grove Entertainment has close to 1,000 units on tap, including many that are already taking lease applications, and the corridors on S.R. 54 and 56 towards Zephyrhills have already attracted a number of projects.
“I think, generally speaking, policy makers really need to look at attracting jobs, and how that goes hand-in-hand with housing,” Garduño says. “You are starting to see it in a lot of places.”
On Oct. 18, roughly MP 30 residents gathered to ask Pasco County for solutions to traffic problems on County Line Rd. and near the schools on Mansfield Blvd. (Photo: John C. Cotey)
Kyle Molder tried a few years back in 2019 to draw attention to the unsafe crosswalks along County Line Rd. in Meadow Pointe Areas I and II, with minimal success.
But, as time went on, the danger only seemed to grow. In 2020, there was a car crash that killed the driver and led to the speed limit being reduced from 40 miles per hour (mph) to 35 mph, but it didn’t stop the speeding. The sounds of revving engines can be heard in the early hours of the morning, say residents who gathered at an Oct. 18 meeting at the Meadow Pointe I Clubhouse.
Another accident, back in September, involved three cars and, while no one died, it was just another example of County Line Rd.’s local reputation as a “drag strip.” Molder, who is running for Seat 2 on the Meadow Point II Community Development District (CDD), filmed his daughter trying to cross at one of the crosswalks, only to be stuck at the median as cars whizzed by and refused to yield.
According to a Florida Highway Patrol (FHP) Statistical Report requested by Molder, there have been 37 (FHP only) accidents in 2022 on County Line Rd. between Bruce B. Downs (BBD) and Mansfield Blvds. through Sept. 9.
With nearly four months to go in 2022 when that report was compiled, the total crash number is already more than in any other year going back to 2016.
This accident on County Line Rd. in Sept. was the latest in a string of speeding incidents that have concerned Meadow Pointe residents who live near the roadway. (Photo courtesy of Kyle Molder).
Molder organized the Oct. 18 safety meeting, and invited Pasco officials to attend, in order to shine a light on what they deem is a public safety hazard, as well as help deal with the traffic on nearby Mansfield Blvd., which is home to a preschool, three public schools and a college.
“The school zones need to be reinforced,” said Alicia Willis, the Vice-Chair of the Meadow Pointe I CDD (in Seat 3), who helped run the meeting.
Venkat Vattikuti, P.E., PTOE, the traffic operations manager for Pasco County, was more than an hour late to the 90-minute meeting but managed to squeeze a lot of good news in a short period of time to the 35 or so residents who attended.
Vattikuti said there is little the county can do about ending speeding. Even after reducing the speed limit on County Line Rd., a study showed that speeding had actually increased.
“Did we slow them down? No,” Vattikuti said. “We can’t fix the stupids. And we know all those stupids are in our neighborhoods.”
What the county can do, Vattikuti says, is fix the crosswalk issue. Currently, there are 19 crosswalks along County Line Rd. between Bruce B. Downs Blvd. and Mansfield Blvd.
Vattikuti said that is too many. He said the county is recommending consolidating 19 crosswalks into four, each spaced a half-mile apart.
Kyle Molder (left) and Venkat Vattikuti, P.E., PTOE, the traffic operations manager for Pasco County, talk to a gathering on concerned Meadow Pointe residents last month. (Photo: John C. Cotey)
Those crosswalks would have flashing beacons that are activated by pedestrians. According to Vattikuti, studies show that the percentage of drivers yielding at crosswalks goes from 20 percent to 90 percent when there is a flashing light.
Vattikuti said that Pasco County is willing to pay for two of the crosswalks, with the Meadow Point I and II CDDs having to pay for the other two. Once installed, however, the county would maintain all four at no cost to Meadow Pointe.
If Meadow Pointe puts in a request for the enhanced crosswalks, Vattikuti promised they would be installed in early 2023. “That I can guarantee you,” he said.
And, since speed tables are not allowed on County Line Rd. because the roadway exceeds 3,000 daily trips, Pasco is experimenting with raised crosswalks — which would serve nearly the same purpose as a speed table — in New Port Richey. If those prove to be productive, they can be employed on County Line Rd. as well.
Molder said he was pleased with what Vattikuti told the crowd. “I think it will help,” he said. “It’s a good start.”
As for the tangled Mansfield Blvd. school zones, Vattikuti said the county would be installing a 4-way light at Oakwood Preserve, in the hopes that it will break up the congestion. Additional signage already has been installed to help keep the sidewalk free for kids walking and riding to school.
Because the county did away with courtesy busing within two miles of the schools in that area — which include Wiregrass Ranch Elementary, John Long Middle School and Wiregrass Ranch High, foot and bike traffic in that area has doubled, according to those in attendance at the meeting.
“We have to keep it going now,” Willis told the residents. “Keep emailing. Keep calling. Don’t stop.”
The third time was apparently the charm for developers seeking to build a 320-unit apartment complex in the Seven Oaks Master Planned Unit Development (MPUD) Master Plan.
After having their efforts rejected by the Pasco County Planning Commission last year and the Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) in January, and appealing the decision and going to mediation in the spring, developer DD/SR 56 LLC finally got the vote it needed to build the apartment project.
On Oct. 11, commissioners voted 3-2 in favor of modifying the MPUD and clearing the way for the new apartments and 25,000 square feet of commercial and retail space on 10 acres on Ancient Oaks Dr., just off S.R. 56, adjacent to Sam’s Club (see map).
DD/SR 56 LLC only needed to change one mind, and it succeeded. District 1 Commissioner Ron Oakley, who voted against the project in January, joined Dist. 3 Commissioner Kathryn Starkey and Dist. 4 Commissioner Christina Fitzpatrick by voting in favor of the project.
Dist. 2 Commissioner Mike Moore, who lives in Seven Oaks, and Dist. 5 Commissioner Jack Mariano remained opposed. They argued that the commercial designation for the 10 acres should remain because the area needs new jobs more than it needs multi-family housing.
Oakley, whose quote from the January meeting — “I’ve always felt that the size of the project is too large for the site” — was cited on a few occasions by opponents during the four-hour BOCC meeting, said his concerns about parking, traffic and pedestrian safety had been eased by the developer’s changes to the project.
“It’s a better fit on the site than it was prior,” Oakley said.
During the mediation process, the developer made a number of changes to its application, including a new site plan that includes two multi-story buildings. There will be vertical parking, and developers increased the commercial and retail space from 20,000 square feet to 25,000, which will be on the ground levels of the buildings.
There also were pedestrian safety and traffic issues that were resolved, including plans to extend and improve a walkway to Sam’s Club from the complex
Opponents argued that allowing 320 apartments on 10 acres was too dense and would not only create additional traffic and safety issues, but also would set a problematic precedent for the future.
“The 32 units per acre will set a dangerous and irreversible precedent,” said Chelsea Waller of Waller Law, who represents the Seven Oaks Community Development District. “Every developer is going to come into the county demanding the same density, and there goes the unique character of Pasco County.”
A presentation by opponents claimed that the 32 units per acre exceeds that of nearby apartments The Enclave (7.2), Bonterra Parc (10), MAA’s Colonial Grand (15.9) and the Windsor Club (16.3).
More than a dozen Seven Oaks residents spoke in opposition at the Oct. 11 meeting, citing mostly traffic concerns and compatibility with the rest of the MPUD. The location off S.R. 56 and the traffic congestion already in that area were the primary concerns.
One resident warned that such projects would lead to Wesley Chapel becoming like San Francisco (“If you go back there right now you understand what your future may look like if we approve this kind of stuff”), and another warned that the multi-story buildings could cause “sky and sun blocking.”
Waller argued that the changes made by the developers were insufficient to warrant approval. The project belonged in South Tampa or Orlando, she said, and was not compatible with Wesley Chapel’s urban dynamic.
But Joel Tew, the land-use attorney representing DD/SR 56 LLC, said that’s exactly what the developers are seeking.
“This is the poster child for a vertical mixed-use infill project,” Tew said, adding that it is supposed to look like Westchase Park or Hyde Park. “The whole point is to create a walkable look.”
While developers appear to have prevailed in their efforts to proceed with the project, an appeal could still be forthcoming, although it would likely take more than a year to get back to the BOCC.
Considering the contentious state of politics in our state and country these days, it’s clear that one of the most important midterm General Elections in recent memory will be held on Tuesday, November 8.
On the ballot for those of you who live in Wesley Chapel, in addition to races for U.S. Senator, a new Representative in the U.S. Congress and Governor of Florida, are also-important races for the State Senate and Florida House, as well as State Attorney General, Commissioner of Agriculture and Chief Financial Officer.
Locally, any chances of hotly contest races have long disappeared, particularly in contests involving the Pasco County Commission.
The District 4 seat was up for grabs between Aug. 23 Republican Primary winner Gary Bradford and his friend and Write-In opponent Cory A Patterson. But Patterson has pulled out, so Bradford is in. Same goes for Dist. 2 Write-In candidate Louie Rodriguez, who gave the Dist. 2 seat to Republican Primary winner Seth Weightman.
One Pasco School Board seat was supposed to be headed to a Nov. 8 runoff, but Primary Election top finisher Al Hernandez was disqualified because he did not move into his District 1 in time to officially qualify for the election (where he was supposed to face a runoff against second-place finisher James Washington because neither earned 50% of the vote), and third-pace finisher Stephen Meisman, who lodged the complaint against Hernandez’s residential status, withdrew when he was not added to the Nov. 8 ballot, apparently handing Washington the seat. But Hernadez, who is endorsed by Gov. Ron DeSantis and has outraised Washington $114,767.62 to $18,805, is still on the ballot — for now — thanks to the 2nd District Court of Appeal pausing the lower court’s order. Oh boy.
Speaking of confusion, also on the Nov. 8 ballot, following the successful passing of the Aug. 23 ballot measure increasing the property tax millage rate by $1 (per each $1,000 of taxable value) to raise the pay for Pasco’s public school teachers, are the State Constitutional Amendment ballot measures and the continuation of the Penny for Pasco one-cent sales surtax beginning in 2025 (when the current Penny referendum ends). Although the School District will receive 45% of the funds from the Penny (as will the county, with 10% going to the incorporated cities in Pasco), those school funds are for capital projects not salaries, so the School District put the property tax increase on the Aug. 23 ballot, in order to avoid confusion about the two taxes. Mission accomplished? Hmmm.
Here are the highlights on the Nov. 8 ballot. While we did not have space for the entire ballot, you should have your official Sample Ballot by now.
WESLEY CHAPEL’S NOV. 8 GENERAL ELECTION BALLOT (Early voting is available thru Nov. 6)
U.S. Senator Marco Rubio (REP; Incumbent) Val Demings (DEM) Dennis Misigoy (LPF) Steven B. Grant (NPA) Tuan TQ Nguyen (NPA)
Representative in U.S. Congress, District 12 Gus Michael Bilirakis (REP) Kimberly Walker (DEM)
Governor & Lieutenant Governor Ron DeSantis/Jeanette Nuñez (REP; Incumbt) Charlie Crist/Karla Hernandez (DEM) Hector Roos/Jerry “Tub” Rorabaugh (LPF) Carmen Jackie Gimenez/Kyle “KC” Gibson (NPA)
State Attorney General Ashley Moody (REP; Incumbent) Aramis Ayala (DEM)
Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis (REP; Incumbent) Adam Hattersley (DEM)
Commissioner of Agriculture Wilton Simpson (REP) Naomi Esther Blemur (DEM)
State Senator – District 23 Danny Burgess (REP) Mike Harvey (DEM)
State Representative – District 54 Randy Maggard (REP) Brian Staver (DEM) Ryan S. Otwell (NPA)
Countywide Referendum — 2025 Penny For Pasco To Fund Job Creation. Public Safety, Environmental Lands, Education and Infrastructure.
Shall a one-cent sales surtax continue to be levied, beginning in 2025 and continuing through 2039, and shared among Pasco County Schools (45%), Pasco County (45%) and Pasco’s cities (10%) for: job creation and economic development projects (pursuant to Section 212.055(2)(d)3, Florida Statutes; public safety infrastructure, acquiring environmentally sensitive lands; infrastructure for new schools, renovations, additions, athletics, instructional technology and security; parks and recreation infrastructure; transportation infrastructure; and public infrastructure within the cities? ____Yes ____No
