Beaches, crystal clear water and cabanas are some of the highlighted features of the soon-to-open Crystal Lagoonsยฎ amenity in the Epperson community off Curley Rd. (Photos: Gavin Olsen)
Metro Development Group says its widely-anticipated, first-of-its-kind in the U.S. Crystal Lagoonsยฎ amenity should finally be available to residents of the Epperson community in August, although work will continue through the summer.
The general public will have to wait a little bit longer, but will be allowed in for reduced rates once the gates open.
According to Eric Wahlbeck, the 200 or so residents already living in Epperson will get first dibs to enjoy an amenity that features crystal clear water, sandy man-made beaches, recreational aquatic activities and pool-side bars and cabanas, but has been maligned this summer because of an issue with permitting that stalled construction and made some residents unhappy.
โFor the first two weeks following the opening date, admission will be exclusively for Epperson Resident Members, and a limited number of resident guests,โ Wahlbeck said. โAfter the initial two-week period, the lagoon will open to the public by making a limited number of tickets available to non-residents for a short-term discounted rate of $10 per person.โ
Once that term, which is likely to be determined by demand, expires, tickets for the public to enjoy the lagoon will cost $25 per person per day.
Pricing was an issue for some residents and potential residents, some of whom chose to get out of their contracts.
Meanwhile, current residents โ many of whom remain stalwart supporters of Metro โ were told they would enjoy discount prices to use lagoon amenities like kayak and paddleboard rentals, but the discounts will be phased out over three years and could end up costing larger families thousands of dollars a year to be able to access all of the lagoonโs features.
Metro also had to suspend construction when it was discovered in May that 19 buildings at the lagoon had been built without proper permits.
โWe have secured all relevant permits necessary to complete work and are currently testing and adjusting the mechanical systems,โ Wahlbeck says.
The lagoon, beaches, the giant inflatable waterslide (the same slide as at the Tradewinds Resort on St. Pete Beach) and bar areas are all expected to open as part of the first phase. Wahlbeck says the lagoon will be โfully open, pending any unforeseen issues,โ following the late summer 2018 opening. Other features will open as soon as they are completed in later phases.
Wahlbeck says in addition to the roughly 200 residents currently living in Epperson, another 150 future residents are currently under contract.
โYes, people remain excited about the Lagoon and the Epperson community is tracking to become one of the fastest-selling communities in the Tampa Bay area โ something that in part we attribute to the โLagoon Effect,โโ he said.
A sign (see top photo on next page) on the building indicates that Bahama Breeze Island Grill, which is getting ready to open just east of Chuyโs Tex-Mex on the north side of S.R. 56, will open to the public on Monday, July 16. Weโre trying to make sure we get an invite to the friends & family pre-opening, so look for a sneak peek on WCNT-tv before Bahama Breeze opens. Fresh seafood + live music one mile from where we live means Jannah and I will be frequenting Bahama Breeze…frequently.
โขAlso opening in July, next to Menchieโs Frozen Yogurt in the Shops at Wiregrass, is Nothing Bundt Cakes, which has been among the favorites at each of the last two Tastes of New Tampa & Wesley Chapel. At our press time, those amazingly moist bundt cakes with perfectly creamy icing still seemed to be weeks from being made or sold at this location, but a spokesperson for the store said โdefinitely in July.โ
If youโve still never tried Nothing Bundt Cakes, visit the N. Dale Mabry or another location before this store opens and have a couple of samples and please tell them the Wesley Chapel Neighborhood News sent you!ย Youโll be waiting with baited buttercream breath for Nothing Bundt Cakes to open here, too.
โขNot enough for you? Pomodoro Pizza, which is opening in the space previously occupied by Kwan Ming Bistro in the plaza on S.R. 56 that also is home to Wolfโs Den, also is expected to open in early- to mid-July.
Pomodoro is the first local pizzeria to admit that it has New Jersey-style pizza โ which Iโve tried to tell quite a few New Tampa and Wesley Chapel residents over the years โ is similar to, but slightly different (in most cases) from New York-style. Iโll let the Pomodoro owners give you their take on the differences, but new pizza is never a bad thing for me to try.
โขAnd last, but not least, another newcomer to the same plaza as Mellow Mushroom on the north side of S.R. 56, across from the Tampa Premium Outlets, is Sweetea Cafรฉ, which is still mostly a shell inside and doesnโt look like it could possibly be open before the end of July, but weโll keep you posted.
Weโll also have updates on Earth Fare (which looks ready to go vertical), Mod Pizza (in the getting-much-closer-to-completion building next to Starbucks on S.R. 56, in front of Costco) and the three hotels set to open in the next next issue.
Have You Tried Bayscape Bistro?
Iโm sure most residents of that community have heard that the restaurant at the Heritage Isles Golf & Country Club off Cross Creek Blvd. in New Tampa has changed hands again, following a $1.3-million investment by the Heritage Isles Community Development District (CDD) to revamp the club house and the restaurant that rarely has been much more than a place for hungry golfers to stop and have a sandwich and a cold beer.
No matter how nice the renovations may be, unless the CDD found the right operator for the restaurant โ one that could attract people who donโt live in Heritage Isles to check it out โ it was likely to fail again.
Well, not only is the new Bayscape Bistro & Bar at Heritage Isles significantly more attractive looking than anything else that has occupied the space before, some of you may recognize the name of the guy who owns and operates it โ and who has provided a much more restaurant-like menu than any of his predecessors.
Edward Bujarski, who ran one of the first and most successful high school culinary arts programs in Hillsborough County at New Tampaโs Wharton High for 17 years, is genuinely excited to bring real, fresh food to Cross Creek Blvd. near Morris Bridge Rd. and to be able to hire some of his former students to work at Bayscape.
I first visited Bayscape few days before we went to press with this issue, but the Bayscape chef salad I started with combines greens, roasted chicken, mojo pork, cheddar and pepper jack cheeses, tomatoes, cucumbers and four crispy seasoned pieces of grilled toast that I assure you are better than any croutons youโll have anywhere.
Look for more about Bujarskiโs new venture in a future issue, but go check it out and tell the happy crew we sent you!
Bayscape Bistro & Bar (10630 Plantation Bay Dr.) is open every day for breakfast, lunch and dinner. For more info, call (813) 994-3445 or visit BayscapeFlorida.com.ย
I also spoke with Cary Anderson of Streetfront Commercial Properties, who is now leasing out the space in the Shoppes of Amberly plaza in Tampa Palms, which does have a few vacancies, including the 6,400-square-foot space previously occupied by Casa Ramos Mexican Restaurant.
Anderson says he has been close to closing a deal for the space, but that he is still looking for โsomething special, like a sit-down Italian or seafood restaurant or even a great sandwich place for that Casa Ramos slot.โ
Amici Pizza Reopens…And The Crowd Goes Wild!!
It took so long to open that many fans on the Wesley Chapel Community Facebook page of Amici Pizza โ previously located in the Grand Oaks Square plaza on Wesley Chapel Blvd. in Lutz but which has been closed for a few monthsโ was never going re-open in its new, freestanding building located less than a mile north of its old location.
Well, our Neighborhood News Facebook page and WCNT-tv โ Wesley Chapel & New Tampa Television โ were among the first to announce last month that brothers Vincent and Rick Mannino had finally reopened at 26602 Wesley Chapel Blvd./S.R. 54, also in Lutz.
The result of our announcement was one of our most popular Facebook posts and WCNT-tv videos of 2018 โ with a reach of nearly 26,000 people, 15,000+ views on YouTube and Facebook and 1,600+ likes, loves, shares and comments.
Happy Amici patrons across the area were raving about the layout and look of the new place, the food (like the true NY-style meat pizza above; photo by Gavin Olsen) and about the return of a 16-year-old local favorite. We wish the Mannino brothers luck, but it doesnโt look like theyโre going to need it. We also wish Rickโs wife Tracy much success in her also-new Salon Trรฉ Anne hair salon which shares the building with Amici.
Amici Pizza is open every day for lunch & dinner. For take out & more info, call (813) 973-9734 or visit Amici-Pizza.com and please tell โem the Wesley Chapel Neighborhood News sent you! For Salon Trรฉ Anne, call (813) 994-3553 or visit the salonโs page on Facebook.
Old Pasco Rd. (above) might be getting a fresh look in the near future, as a new middle and high school, new home and apartment developments and a business park threaten to add significant cars to the two-land road. A study (map to the right) will soon take a look at safety improvements for Old Pasco Rd. (Photo: Giuliano Ferrara)
The two Pasco County commisioners who represent the largest portions of Wesley Chapel โ Ron Oakley in District 1 and Mike Moore in District 2 โ have had their fair share of complaints from residents about area roads, and the traffic on them.
So, as Moore, Oakley and their fellow commissioners took up the debate about a proposal clearing the way for a new business park on Old Pasco Rd., they both were in favor of taking a closer look at whether or not the two-lane road should be widened first.
That is not going to happen, however, as the Board of County Commissioners (BCC) voted to approve a re-zoning request that clears the way to allow 2,250,000 sq. ft. of office and light industrial entitlements on roughly 91 acres of land on the east side of Old Pasco Rd. about 290 feet south of Overpass Rd., near the new Cypress Creek Middle High School.
The BOC is hoping it attracts future businesses and brings more jobs to the county.
Moore was in favor of the re-zoning request, but considering there is a widening project already in the works for Overpass Rd., near where the new business park will be located, he said he was only suggesting, no pun intended, that the BCC look further down the road.
โI just asked why not do the whole (widening) thing at once instead of piecemeal,โ said Moore. โIt would be nice if it was widened all the way down to S.R. 54. You always want to be prepared for the future. Putting the infrastructure in place first is important to me.โ
Oakley agreed. The Overpass Business Park, which was formerly known as the Vibrant SUN Business Park, is in his district and was approved by the Board of County Commissioners vote on May 22.
Mooreโs concerns about Old Pasco Rd.โs ability to handle the additional traffic, especially from trucks, that a business park might add was assuaged by the assumption that many of the trucks and additional traffic will use the future Overpass Rd. interchange to get on and off I-75.
However, he still has concerns about the road, which will see increased traffic from the addition of middle school students to the Cypress Creek Middle/High School campus, a potential Performing Arts Center on that campus, 400 new homes in Quail Hollow, and the 264-unit Arbours at Saddle Oaks residential development at the intersection of Old Pasco Rd. and Country Club Rd.
Moore said plans to widen Old Pasco Rd. were at one time in the countyโs Long Range Transportation Plan (LRTP) but were removed during the 2008 economic downturn. He said he was going to try to get the project put back into the LRTP.
He said the county is looking into applying for state infrastructure grants to pay for any potential widening project.
Pasco commissioners recently approved $89,788 for HDR Engineering, Inc. to conduct a road safety audit (RSA) and study for Old Pasco Rd. from S.R. 54 to north of Overpass Rd., a 3.32-mile stretch.
While the RSA is unrelated to the BCCโs approval of the business park, Moore said it could determine that such a need to widen Old Pasco Rd. exists.
However, the study, expected to take four months, is focued more on road safety issues and safety improvements than widening.
That study will take a look at the Old Pasco Rd. intersections with S.R. 54, Post Oak Blvd., Foamflower Blvd., Dayflower Blvd., Country Club Rd., Bonnie Blue Dr., Deedra Dr., Sonny Dr., Lindenhurst Dr., and Overpass Rd.
Union Park Charter Academy is Wesley Chapelโs first charter school and is expected to open fully enrolled, with 615 students in grades K through 6. (Photo: Giuliano Ferrara)
Wesley Chapelโs first charter school will open this fall. Demand for the school is clearly high, as enrollment already is full and thereโs a waiting list at every grade level.
Union Park Charter Academy โ called โUPCAโ and pronounced โUP-kuhโ โ has 615 students scheduled to start school in kindergarten through 6th grade when it opens for the first time on August 13.
One thing you wonโt find is classrooms of kids filling notebooks that transcribe lectures. In fact, the rooms at the school arenโt even called โclassrooms.โ
โThe design of the building allows us to really meet the personal needs of individual students,โ says the schoolโs founding principal, Tracy Ware. โThe design of the building is in communities. Whatโs exciting is that there are so many options.โ
Instead of traditional classrooms, each grade level meets in a common area with all of the teachers for that grade level. Students then move into one of the spaces available to them. That might be a learning lab for larger groups of students and a teacher. Or, it could be an area with flexible seating where students sit on creative furniture, such as โwobble boardsโ (no worries about kids leaning back and toppling over a four-legged chair), or stand at a high-top table.
There also are areas for small group projects, where students can go inside a glassed-in room and work without distraction, but still in complete view of the teacher.
The school is responsible for teaching to state standards and testing using statewide standardized tests.
โWhat sets us apart is not what we teach โ itโs how,โ explains Ware. โWe have opportunities to use more technology and divide children up based on learning style, with four teachers teaching the same curriculum at the same time, but bringing it to children in different ways.โ
UPCA is the newest school by Charter Schools USA, which currently manages 84 schools in seven states, serving more than 70,000 students in pre-kindergarten through 12th grade.
Charter schools are public schools that operate under a contract โ called a charter โ with the local school district. Each charter school is independently governed by its own board of directors, and employees do not work for the local school district. However, Pasco County Schools is responsible for some oversight, ensuring that the school is in compliance with its charter and local, state and federal regulations.
Charter schools are required to be non-profit organizations.
As a charter school, it is a tuition-free option for parents looking for an alternative to the public school to which their child is assigned. This fall, Pasco County is expected to have 5,513 students enrolled in a total of 12 charter schools, with UPCA the only one located within Wesley Chapel, although a second charter school, Pinecrest Academy, is expected to open in 2019 at a site to be determined.
Ware was previously an education cluster manager responsible for leading and coaching principals and senior leadership teams using international standards she practiced while serving as a principal in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (UAE). In Abu Dhabi, she opened a grades K-5 school, where she promoted clear collaborative relationships between staff members with various backgrounds from all over the world.
โMs. Ware is the perfect fit for our new innovative school opening in Wesley Chapel,โ said Charter Schools USAโs Michelle Thompson, the companyโs regional director of education for Floridaโs west coast. โWe knew we needed someone who will approach educational solutions from an entirely new mindset as we open a brand-new school with such an open and collaborative environment.โ
A Focus On Technology
In addition to the innovative building, another unique aspect of UPCA is its focus on technology.
โTechnology gives us more opportunities to reach students,โ says Ware, explaining that smart technology will be used throughout every learning community, including an iPad issued to every student in grade 3 and higher.
โTeachers can flip the classroom,โ because of this technology, explains Ware. Instead of traditional homework โ where Wade says that incorrect practices can actually hurt a studentโs ability to learn something correctly โ a teacher can use video or other means to introduce a lesson at home that will be experienced the next day at school.
In addition, Ware says sheโs excited about the level of involvement sheโs already seen from the parents of the students who plan to attend. Many students can walk or bike to school, she says, and more than 90 parents signed in to the schoolโs first Parent Teacher Co-Op meeting (similar to a PTA).
The schoolโs students have already voted to choose its mascot, which is the Comets.
โThe things that really set this school apart are its design, our use of technology, parental support and community investment,โ says Ware. โStudents have an opportunity to be innovative and creative, and thatโs what weโll provide at Union Park.โ
Ware says that although there is a waiting list, interested parents should not be discouraged from applying, because some students who are enrolled now may not attend due to relocations or other factors.
โEven if theyโre on the waiting list,โ Ware explains, โthereโs a good chance they could be enrolled this fall.โ
Union Park Charter Academy is under construction at 32775 Oldwoods Ave. in Wesley Chapel. For more information, stop by its temporary office at 3830 Turman Loop, #101, between 9 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Monday-Friday, call (813) 358-7306 or visit UnionParkAcademy.org.
Construction has resumed at the Crystal Lagoonsยฎ amenity in Epperson, after a delay due to permitting. The delay in opening the lagoon, combined with the cost of amenities, has riled some in the community. (Photo: Gavin Olsen)
After years of anticipation and months of positive press clippings, the countryโs first community to be home to a Crystal Lagoonsยฎ amenity in Epperson, is facing choppy, albeit crystal clear, waters.
First, summer is here and the lagoon isnโt open, thanks in part to Pasco County ordering Metro Development Group, which is building the high-profile project, to halt construction back in May when it discovered 19 buildings had been built without proper permits.
While construction has resumed, even more disconcerting to Metro might be a host of current residents โ and others under contract and waiting to move into Epperson โ complaining publicly about what they feel are broken promises and false advertising that have led to additional fees, despite paying premium prices for homes in the community.
That group, which it says numbers roughly 70 homeowners and those who have placed deposits or are under contract, hired the Kovar Law Group to represent themselves when, they say, they did not receive any answers from Metro.
They took their complaints public on June 15, when the group called local media outlets for an impromptu press conference at the lagoon. That has exacerbated strained relationships, mostly through Facebook posts and comments, and residents who say they are pleased with Metro and who fear the bad publicity will bring down their property values and cast an unfair stain on the new community.
Metro responded to the Neighborhood News through public relations firm Tucker/Hall with a prepared statement:
โThe Epperson neighborhood has been extraordinarily popular, and we are honored that so many families are moving here and enjoying the area. We want all families to enjoy the neighborhood and amenities, and we have already extended new discounts and benefits to early residents. We want to hear feedback from residents about their questions so we can work with them to make the area even better as this neighborhood grows.โ
Those angry with Metro, however, say they havenโt received any clear answers.
*****
They say they were promised an idyllic paradise, presented for months in beautiful renderings where one monthly fee of $25 gets you full run of the lagoon, all packaged as โLagoon Living.โ
Instead, those residents are discovering a number of things they claim Metro and Epperson did not market โ additional costs for amenities, including rides down an inflatable water slide and kayak and paddleboard rentals, as well as rules against bringing in your own chairs and coolers, as well as memberships for non-residents.
โThe people complaining are the ones who looked at stuff without asking questions,โ says Epperson resident Ken Shere. โThey obviously didnโt read the bylawsโ which, he adds, states clearly that Metro has the right โto set and adjust pricing.โ
Bill Rowe, who moved into Epperson June 1 with his granddaughter, agrees, but only to a certain point.
โYou can put into a contract that we have the right to make changes,โ Rowe says. โOf course, they are going to make changes. They have to be reasonable, though.โ
Some donโt think Eppersonโs latest email falls into the reasonable category, though.
According to an email sent to residents three weeks ago, thanking them for their patience, Epperson introduced, in addition to the $25 monthly fee all residents pay, Play Passes.
Bronze Level passes, which will cost $20 a month per person for the summer season (March through September), are good for unlimited slide rides, four Wibit (an inflatable water platform) sessions and four guest passes. For $40 more a month per person, Silver Level passes allow four 1-hour kayak rentals, four 1-hour paddleboard rentals and two more guest passes.
A Gold Level pass is $90 per person per month, allowing for 30 Wibit sessions, 30 1-hour kayak and paddleboard rentals, eight passes and unlimited slide rides.
A family of four could spend as much as $360 a month ($4,320 per year) to enjoy close to unlimited access to the lagoon amenities, or $2,160 just for the summer. (Note-Metro did not respond to a question about what happens from October through February, since itโs not mentioned in their pricing.)
โI hope they come to some sort of resolution, something fair,โ Rowe says. โI donโt want that every time my daughter goes down a slide I have to get out my wallet and pay a fee. I want my wife to be able to walk down to the lagoon and have a bottle of water with her without water police stopping her. I want Metro to succeed, but you have to be fair and not let it become some amusement park. Itโs not what I signed up for.โ
*****
Epperson is reducing prices for current homeowners. Residents who bought before June 25 receive a 75-percent โpioneerโ discount, but just for this summer, meaning that the Play Pass tiers will be only $5, $15 and $22 a month per person. Next year, the pioneer discount will be 50 percent, then 25 percent in 2020, before being phased out completely.
Kristen Alvis, who bought her home in July of 2017, and others, say those who are complaining did not read their contracts closely enough.
โI signed a contract with M/I Homes and again at closing and, in both cases, it was clearly stated that the $25 monthly fee provided you access to the lagoon,โ she says. โThere was nothing implied about (other) amenities.โ
Ken Shere, being interviewed by ABC Action News, says that Metro has been upfront with Epperson residents and that the overwhelming majority of residents are happy.
And, for those who are complaining that public memberships will be available when they thought they were buying into an amenity offered only to residents, Shere points out where it clearly says in a recent community disclosure addendum that โthe Lagoon will not be for the exclusive use of buyers within Epperson Ranch, and outside memberships will be available.โ
Shere says Epperson is the best neighborhood he has ever lived in.
He said Metro provided an Icee truck, tent for a grill and other items for Eppersonโs summer bash, and has helped develop a tight-knight community. He is disappointed in the negativity towards Metro, and thinks much of it is being fueled by non-residents who only have deposits down and arenโt yet as invested in the community.
He says he is convinced that 95 percent of residents are happy, even though many might be discouraged that the lagoon isnโt open yet. Those on the other side say that they believe more than half of the residents are unhappy and want answers from Metro.
*****
When the group of residents and potential future residents started having town halls, Shere says he and others asked them to stop representing the community and look for other avenues to resolves their issues. When they hired an attorney, he says that started a series of back-and-forth attacks on social media.
โThatโs when it all got real,โ said Kip Lessem, an Epperson resident since April. โThe fact that the lagoon isnโt open yet, and then all this other stuff happened, it just added fuel to the fire.โ
But, Jonathan Smith, a one-time prospective Epperson resident, says Metroโs lack of a response to concerns about amenities, and a series of what he called โconflicting messages,โ left him and others no choice.
โIt was marketed and advertised and sold to us as an all-inclusive exclusive amenity for residents,โโ he says. โMetro has gone back and forth wavering on really what it was going to be.โ
Some residents are disappointed that the water slide depicted in renderings used in marketing materials still on display at the pool is not what they ended up with, which Metro Development Group says was done out of caution, due to the potential for severe weather in Florida. Other residents are leery of the lack of free amenities at the lagoon. (Photos: Gavin Olsen)
Smith adds that even today, site maps at the lagoon show a two-person slide next to a tube slide in the Adventure Bay part of the lagoon; when in fact, only a large blue and white inflatable slide sits on the other side of the lagoon.
The renderings have been used for months by Metro to promote and market the lagoon, although their defenders says renderings of any project are always subject to change and should not be taken literally.
โIf you look at the rendering and canโt take it literally, then why even post it?,โ Smith asks, adding that instead of deluging Metro with emails, the group decided to hire an attorney to represent their concerns and try to get some answers.
On May 24-25, two town hall meetings were held. Smith said due to some of the personal attacks he has endured, he and his wife backed out of their contract.
โI donโt want it to fail,โ he says. โI just think Metro should come in and say, โHey guys, weโre going to take responsibility for this (confusion), and moving forward weโre going to change our marketing material.โ If they had said amenities not included, prices subject to change, we would have been okay with that. I just feel like the way they did it was false advertising.โ
Lessem says he thinks bashing Metro publicly wasnโt the way to go, though he admits he is one of those disappointed that the lagoon isnโt open yet.
He said the pricing is no surprise to him, but he can see how it can add up for larger families. He hopes Metro will reevaluate the prices of passes in order to attract more people to the community.
And, about that community โ Lessem knows nerves have been frayed and enemies made, all inflamed by Facebook. He said he is โdisappointed in the maturity levelโ shown by many of his neighbors on both sides of the issue, โbut people let emotions get the best of them when they get passionate.โ
At the end of the day, however, he says everyone has to live together.
โThe community is not the lagoon, itโs the community,โ Lessem says. โItโs your neighbors. When all of this is said and done, you have to ask yourself, whatโs more important? Youโre going to find out you missed out on, like making friends, because of whatever side you are taking in this whole debate.โโ
