This map shows the planned location for the future magnet high school off Meadow Pointe Blvd., as well as the location of the future K-8 school planned for the Two Rivers community. (Image credit: Pasco County Schools)
It’s still a couple of school years away, but Wesley Chapel will welcome another high school to address overcrowding concerns at two of its high schools — as well as help grow the area’s healthcare workforce.
Set to open in August 2028, the new school will be a medical magnet high school with an opening-day capacity of 1,300 students and a heavy focus on health care and medical studies, including medical sciences, imaging and nursing.
Located on the west side of Meadow Pointe Blvd., north of Chancey Rd. (between C.R. 54/ Wesley Chapel Blvd. and S.R. 56; see map), the nearly 75-acre site is close to numerous hospitals, including AdventHealth Wesley Chapel, BayCare Hospital Wesley Chapel and especially, the coming-soon Florida Medical Clinic Orlando Health Wiregrass Ranch Hospital.
“We believe the market in that area would lend itself to that career cluster,” said Pasco County Superintendent of Schools John Legg, Ed.D., at the Sept. 9, 2025, Pasco School Board workshop regarding the proposed magnet school.
With it being situated between Wesley Chapel (WCH) and Wiregrass Ranch (WRH) high schools, the new school is expected to pull most of its student population from those currently attending WCH and WRH, both of which are over capacity. WCH is currently about 500 students over its capacity and WRH is 600- 700 students over its capacity.
The new school is part of a broader effort by the Pasco School District to partner with healthcare organizations and hospitals in order to expand the county’s healthcare workforce.
In 2025, the district received a $500,000 planning grant from Bloomberg Philanthropies, in partnership with AdventHealth, to build a healthcare-focused high school program, with an opportunity to secure a larger $25-million, five-year implementation grant in the future. We had no further information about that additional grant at our press time.
The school district also has a great partnership with Pasco Hernando State College (PHSC) through its nursing and health science programs. PHSC officials believe that this new magnet school will be a tremendous benefit to Pasco’s health care industry, as well as its residents.
“We are proud to support the new medical magnet high school and help create a seamless pathway for students with an interest in health care to advance into our nursing and allied health programs,” says PHSC President Eric Hall, Ed. D. “This partnership aligns with our commitment to preparing the next generation of health care professionals and complements the expanded educational opportunities available through our Institute for Nursing and Allied Health Advancement at [PHSC’s] Porter Campus at Wiregrass Ranch.”
District officials say the approximately $80-million school is primarily being funded by impact fees, which are one-time charges imposed by local municipalities on new residential developments in order to fund public projects like schools and infrastructure.
We hope to be able to update this story within the next few months.
Harmon Ashton Oaks’ ‘Build-To-Rent’ Townhomes & Two Ridges Rd. Will Each Flank Established Community
The Google map above has been modified by Neighborhood News to show the locations of the portion of Two Ridges Rd. now under construction (upper Two Ridges Rd. label) & Harmon Ashton Oaks.
Development to the left, development to the right. It doesn’t take a genius to understand that Wesley Chapel is one hot area, quickly being shaped by one project after another, and the residents of the Ashton Oaks community off C.R. 54/Wesley Chapel Blvd. are seeing that first-hand — as their small neighborhood of 203 single-family homes and 70 villas is literally being surrounded on all sides by new construction.
About 1.5 miles east of Meadow Pointe Blvd. along C.R. 54 (which was called S.R. 54 until recently, when Pasco County took over the responsibility for the road from the state), two major projects are currently moving full steam ahead, flanking the established Ashton Oaks neighborhood and bringing both long-awaited infrastructure improvements and new residential growth to the area.
Two Ridges Rd. Extension Moving In The Right Direction
The first project will likely be something of a major relief for many Ashton Oaks residents, who have dealt with increasing cut-through traffic ever since the first leg of Two Ridges Rd. (see map) opened in early 2025.
That initial 1.3-mile segment connected S.R. 56 to Grecko Dr., which created a temporary route between C.R. 54 and S.R. 56 for drivers “in the know.” While some residents viewed the shortcut as an unexpected traffic burden, the corridor itself was always envisioned by county planners, long before the first homes in Ashton Oaks were ever built.
Looking south at the intersection of River Glen Blvd. & the new portion of Two Ridges Rd. (Photos by Joel Provenzano)
Now, the northern second leg of Two Ridges Rd. — approximately 0.7 miles in length — is rapidly taking shape (photo right). The extension will run north to the existing traffic signal at C.R. 54 and River Glen Blvd., across 54 from the main entrance to Avalon Park Wesley Chapel.
Crews are currently performing grading, drainage and landscaping work across the corridor, steadily preparing the site for curbs, paving and final roadway construction.
At the current pace, locals can likely expect the Two Ridges Rd. construction to be near or fully completed by the end of 2026.
Once finished, the new extension will become the southern leg of the existing C.R. 54/ River Glen Blvd. intersection, opening access to future development opportunities on the southwest corner of the intersection, including a planned commercial parcel and the anticipated second phase of the nearby Valencia Ridge 55+ community (again, see map).
According to county records, GL Homes — the developer of Valencia Ridge — is funding and constructing the extension of Two Ridges Rd. using developer dollars.
Beyond local traffic improvements, the project also represents another major step toward the completion of a larger regional north-south corridor first detailed in our “…Road with (Too) Many Names?!” article nearly two years ago.
That corridor, pieced together through multiple separately named roadway segments, is now quickly becoming reality:
• 100% of the K-Bar Ranch Pkwy. segment in New Tampa is currently under construction
• Approximately 90% of the Wyndfields South segment is under construction
• Roughly 50% of Vida’s Way has already been completed (with the other 50% to start along with a future phase)
However, one major section of this road with too many names will no longer move forward. As we reported last year, the entire Kirkland Ranch portion of the corridor was sold to the state for conservation purposes, removing that segment from future roadway plans.
Most of the roadway sections are being constructed privately by developers as part of their associated communities. The only publicly funded portion currently planned is the southernmost 10% of Wyndfields South, the section along the west side of Union Park Charter Academy, which is slated for completion by Pasco County.
Harmon Ashton Oaks Brings Build-To-Rent Trend To C.R. 54
The second major project under way, to the east of Ashton Oaks, is Harmon Ashton Oaks (see map above & photos below), the build-to-rent townhome community rising on the southeast corner of C.R. 54 and Ashton Oaks Blvd.
The signage for Harmon Ashton Oaks is visible from C.R. 54.
The 28-acre development will feature direct access from both roadways and represents another example of a rapidly growing housing trend across the Tampa Bay region: professionally managed rental home and townhome communities.
The project is being developed by DRB Group Florida in partnership with Crescent Communities, which has previously developed several apartment communities throughout Florida, including the well-rated Novel Beach Park overlooking Tampa Bay in the Westshore area of Tampa.
However, Harmon Ashton Oaks appears to be Crescent Communities’ first single-family-style rental community in Florida, despite the company already operating similar Harmon-branded communities in North and South Carolina, Texas and Arizona.
Unlike traditional apartments, build-to-rent communities are designed to offer many of the conveniences of apartment living while providing features more commonly associated with single-family homes.
That includes attached garages, private ground-floor patios opening onto lawns, larger floorplans, and increased privacy — all while still offering residents on-site leasing offices, professional property management and lease flexibility.
The concept has become increasingly popular in Wesley Chapel in recent years, joining communities such as Vireo Wesley Chapel in Meadow Pointe III and Skymor Wesley Chapel off the end of Caroline Dr.
According to the developer’s website:
“Designed to blend the freedom of renting with the comfort and privacy of single-family living, Harmon Ashton Oaks will feature 115 thoughtfully designed 3- and 4-bedroom, 2-story townhomes averaging more than 1,800 sq. ft. Each residence will include modern finishes, spacious interiors, private yards and 2-car garages.”
The developer’s rendering of the Harmon Ashton Oaks build-to-rent townhome community.
Plans for the community also include a resort-style pool, leasing office, amenity center and an adjacent 10,000-sq.-ft. open lawn and play area. Notably, every unit in the development is expected to include a two-car garage — an uncommon feature for rental communities.
Harmon Ashton Oaks is currently expected to welcome its first residents in early 2027.
Interestingly, while promotional materials for the project reference a future dog park, we were unable to locate that feature on the approved site plans or amenity drawings submitted for the development.
Caught In The Middle
Whether it’s new roads, new rooftops, or entirely new ways of living, the area surrounding Ashton Oaks is rapidly transforming, as Wesley Chapel’s growth engine continues pushing eastward along CR 54.
While Ashton Oaks itself may not be the focus of the development boom, this established neighborhood now finds itself directly between two major projects that reflect the area’s continued evolution — one aimed at improving regional connectivity, the other introducing another modern housing concept to one of Pasco’s fastest-growing corridors.
And with construction activity accelerating on both sides of the community, residents are getting a front-row seat to just how quickly Wesley Chapel continues to change.
Tyler Norman (photo) was riding east on County Line Rd., the road still quiet in the early morning hours, and the hum of his motorcycle steady beneath him as he approached the signal for the intersection of County Line Rd. and Grand Hampton Dr.
It was the kind of ride that feels routine — familiar roads, familiar turns — until, suddenly, it wasn’t. Tyler’s life was cut short at age 19.
Five months later, two small matching roadside signs now stand along that same stretch of asphalt. Simple, temporary, easy to miss if you’re not looking. But, for those who know, it marks something permanent.
May is Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month in Florida, and this year, those signs and their familiar message have taken on a deeper meaning across Wesley Chapel, New Tampa, and the surrounding areas.
As part of a statewide effort, Florida’s Motorcycle Safety Coalition — also known as “RideSMART Florida” — and its partners announced the following at the end of April:
“RideSMART Florida and our statewide partners will begin placing hundreds of “Watch for Motorcycles!” signs throughout the state at the sites of 2025 motorcyclist fatalities. This powerful visual tribute aims to honor fallen riders and raise driver awareness leading up to the start of Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month [which started] on May 1.”
After the initiative began, those signs (paid for by the Florida Department of Transportation, or FDOT) appeared locally — including the one placed along County Line Rd., in front of Grand Hampton (photo, right) — each one tied to a real story, a real life lost.
One of those lives lost was 19-year-old Tyler Norman.
According to investigators, Tyler was riding a 2012 Kawasaki motorcycle eastbound around 2:30 a.m., on Dec. 6, 2025, when a Nissan Rogue traveling westbound attempted to turn left onto Grand Hampton Dr. Authorities say the driver, 50-year-old Mauricus “Rico” Labron Green, turned directly into Tyler’s path, violating his right of way. The motorcycle struck the front of the SUV.
Tyler (who was wearing a helmet) was transported to a nearby hospital, where he died from his injuries.
Green remained at the scene and was arrested, as police reported signs of impairment. Court records show he was charged with DUI manslaughter and refusal to submit to testing, along with a citation for an improper left turn. His case remains open and is scheduled to continue later this year. Records also indicate a prior DUI arrest in Lakeland in 2017.
Behind the legal process, though, is the reality those roadside signs are meant to convey.
Tyler’s family, like too many others, was devastated by the loss. And, across Florida, similar signs now stand for other riders — each representing family and friends navigating the same kind of grief, the same unanswered questions, the same sudden absence.
The goal of the campaign is not only remembrance, but prevention.
Above graphic source: RideSMART Florida
Motorcycle crashes often come down to a narrow margin — visibility, timing and judgment. In many cases, including this one, right-of-way violations and impairment play a role.
But, safety officials emphasize that responsibility for these crashes is shared. Drivers are urged to double-check intersections, especially before turning left, always use their turn signals, even if they think no one is nearby, and to remain alert for motorcycles — which can be harder to see and judge in distance.
Riders, in turn, are encouraged to stay visible, ride predictably and anticipate potential hazards at every intersection.
Those small signs along the roadside are easy to pass by without a second thought. But they are placed with intention — at the exact locations where moments like Tyler’s unfolded.
They are reminders that every commute, every late-night drive and every routine ride carry weight. And, that looking out for one another on the road isn’t just a slogan — it’s what may one day separate a close call from a devastating loss.
State officials stated that due to safety and maintenance reasons, the temporary signs would only be placed on local roads, not interstates or limited access roadways.
Obviously, AI (Artificial Intelligence) is the wave of the future, but if you’re old school like me, it’s probably been hard for you to embrace.
However, although I still find errors when I use Google AI to do research for stories, I am now a lot more interested in the other ways that AI can help my business — thanks to the husband-&-wife team of Josh and Michelle Stanaland of Shark Branding Solutions.
In addition to Michelle and Josh, the Shark Branding Solutions team includes chief operating officer Tiffany Fancher (at left in photo, with Michelle and Josh), “who makes sure everything runs smoothly,” Michelle said. “We couldn’t do this without her.”
Michelle, Shark Branding’s CEO, invited the Neighborhood News team to the company’s first-ever in-person “Hackathon” on May 26 (at Philena Worthington’s Worthington Agency, a AAA insurance office at 35366 Pure Water Way, Zephyrhills) — which wasn’t at all what it sounded like, at least not to me.
Josh, the company’s chief technology officer, created a simulation of the websites of each of the six businesses who attended the Hackathon. Each website was outfitted with an AI “employee” (“not a ChatBot,” Michelle emphasized) who served as each company’s receptionist.
In other words, when you logged onto your own simulated website, your AI receptionist (ours was named Nora) popped up to answer any and all questions about your business that someone visiting your website might have.
“I don’t know about you,” Michelle said, “but as a business owner, I love creating websites and helping companies build their brands. I don’t like having to answer the phone. But, I also know that I have lost potential clients because I didn’t answer the phone or get back to the person soon enough.
“If you hire a receptionist, which can cost you $40,000 a year, you have to train them, hope they will handle your customers as you would and that they will be reliable. Your AI receptionist is ‘trained’ by being programmed with all of the info about your business and is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.”
She added, however, “That the goal is not to replace your employees, but to allow your entire team to avoid having to handle those customer inquiries so they can each do their actual jobs.”
At any rate, the idea of the Hackathon was for each of us to hack, or basically break, our own AI receptionist.
But, guess what? Without ever having to be trained by myself or Jannah, Nora answered every possible question anyone visiting our website could possibly ask — including about our editorial content, and especially, about advertising in the Neighborhood News.
In other words, Josh and Michelle, who have not yet rolled out their AI receptionist “package” to the public, are onto something big. And, you should definitely give them a call — and please tell them I sent you.
For Shark Branding Solutions, call (727) 269-7009 or visit SharkBrandingSolutions.com. For the Worthington Agency, call (813) 454-7388. — GN, photos by Charmaine George
Checking Out The Changes Since Mast Capital’s $92-Million Investment To Return The Resort To Its Former Glory
Gary & Jannah Nager started off a short staycation at the all-new Saddlebrook Resort with a glass of champagne in their recently redecorated two-room suite overlooking one of the completely revamped Saddlebrook golf courses. (Photos by Charmaine George & GN)
Pyramid Global corporate chef James Messinger (left) and Saddlebrook GM Jeff Mayers at GOAT.
The last time Jannah and I stayed at Saddlebrook Resort was the night we got engaged back in 2015. Our room was big, but dated and musty. The restaurants we both loved — especially Dempsey’s Steak House — were either gone or no longer worth the money. We didn’t tell anyone at the resort, but we did tell each other that this would probably be the last time we would visit Saddlebrook unless we had a very good reason to do so.
A little more than a decade later, the resort’s new ownership group — Mast Capital — has largely completed its $92-million revamping of Saddlebrook, and has finally given us that very good reason to return.
The delicious grilled grouper at GOAT Kitchen & Bar.
Although Jannah and I had already visited (and I reported about it in these pages more than once) the new RARE 1981 steak house multiple times, there was so much other new “stuff” to do that we decided to take a short “staycation” in one of Saddlebrook’s recently revamped rooms to check out the upgrades to the legendary Superpool and Palmhaus pool bar & restaurant, and watch a Tampa Bay Lightning game at the new GOAT (aka “Greatest Of All Time”) Kitchen & Bar, which definitely has an upscale sports bar feel but with better food than any of the chain restaurants in Wesley Chapel.
Lorena the bartender making specialty drinks at the Palmhaus pool bar.
The only things we didn’t get to enjoy were the resort’s now-27 holes of true championship golf — since neither of us still plays at all; I was terrible when I did play — or the new eight beautiful, new pickleball courts or the European-style Esthetics813 “The Spa at Saddlebrook.”
The good news is that everything we did do was so impressive that we surely will be back!
In the meantime, you can check out everything we enjoyed during our return trip and all of the tasting and indulging we shared.
The bottom line is that the new Saddlebrook Resort is now well worth your time and money. If you haven’t been there recently, you honestly haven’t been there at all!
All of the carpeting & furnishings in every guest room at Saddlebrook have been updated. The Superpool now has a large number of cabanas & umbrellas.
Gary & Jannah Return To Saddlebrook — & Love Everything About It!
After experiencing the RARE 1981 steak house media preview and the separate Saddlebrook Media Day, both back in Nov. 2025 (both of which I reported about extensively in our Dec. 23 issue, so you won’t see RARE photos in this feature), and the much more recent media preview of the new GOAT Kitchen & Bar, Jannah and I decided to reserve one of the resort’s fully redesigned hotel suites because we wanted to experience as much of the all-new Saddlebrook as possible for this story about everything new.
GOAT (Greatest Of All Time) Kitchen & Bar! (Top to bottom & l.-r.) The GOAT Kitchen & Bar is all-new and features great elevated sports bar fare like fish & chips, double smash burger, Hall of Fame short rib nachos and a decadent bananas Foster cheesecake.
I then interviewed Saddlebrook general manager Jeff Mayers to make sure I wasn’t missing anything that the resort’s new owner Mast Capital had redone as part of its $92 million makeover. Bottom line? Although you can’t really do all there is to do at Saddlebrook in one day or even an entire weekend, you can get a pretty good taste of what was once a worn out “old lady “of a resort returned to her “Grand Dame” former glory.
Fully Renovated Hotel Rooms!
On these pages, I hope you’ll get enough of a feel for all there is for couples and families to savor at the all-new Saddlebrook to want to stay there yourselves, or at least have a great meal. Want more good news? If you do visit just to dine at RARE 1981, GOAT or the also-new Palmhaus pool bar, ask your server to validate your valet parking ticket (there is no more self-parking at the resort) and Mayers says your $30 valet charge will be waived!
“We have had much higher engagement and better response from both our members and the local community regarding all of the improvements,” Mayers says. “RARE 1981, in particular, has seen tremendous turnout for member events and from local residents, although GOAT and Palmhaus also have gotten great reviews.” He also told me that the number of memberships has increased significantly since the improvements have been open.
On a recent Friday afternoon, Jannah and I checked in to our completely overhauled two-bedroom, two-bath suite (one of 451 rooms at the resort) — which is bigger than some of my previous apartments. It not only had all-new carpeting and furnishings, but also new fixtures in the bathrooms, and the kitchen was full-sized, with a new freezer and ice maker, plus a full oven and four-burner cooktop, as well as a full coffeemaker (although there is also the BREW lobby café for artisanal coffee drinks and on-the-go bites). Unlike when we last stayed at the resort, everything smelled as clean and fresh as it looked. The bed was super-comfy and there were also bedside connections for electronic devices.
27 Holes Of Championship Golf!
Our patio looked out onto the 9th hole of the newly revamped 9-hole Oak golf course, one of three 9-hole Rees Jones-designed layouts (left photo) that have replaced the two 18-hole Arnold Palmer-designed original courses. The former driving range, located just inside Saddlebrook’s front gate, is gone and has been replaced by a much better driving range and putting green using some of the former golf course space.
I was told by a guy at the golf and racquet sports pro shop that both the Oak and Pine courses are completely redone and together are now about a 7,000-yard, par-72 track. The Cypress, the third nine-hole course, is still having its renovations finalized. And yes, you can still play golf (as well as tennis and pickleball) at Saddlebrook without having a membership (see info below), whether you stay over at the resort or not.
27 Holes Of Championship Golf!
You also don’t have to be a member to play on Saddlebrook’s fabled 41 tennis courts that include every championship surface (even Wimbledon-style grass) or its eight gorgeous, new pickleball courts. You might, however, get to see some current and future tennis or golf pros training at the Saddlebrook Golf Academy, Happy Hopman Tennis Academy and Saddlebrook Preparatory School, all of which train at the resort, which also is the home of both the Professional Tennis and Professional Pickleball Registries. There’s also an amazing fitness center that resort guests can use as part of their $28 per night (per room, not per person) resort fee. And of course, there’s also the renowned Saddlebrook Superpool, now made even better by the addition of the Palmhaus Pool Bar, which also features live entertainment on the weekends. Don’t want to deal with kids running around? The resort also has an adults-only pool.
Palmhaus Pool Bar!
(Top-bottom & l.-r.) The Palmhaus Pool Bar also features delicious food, like the ahi tuna poké bowl, a poolside burger, grilled mahi-mahi tacos and a variety of frozen drinks.
“The Superpool now offers DJ music on the weekends,” Mayers says, “and there are sound system enhancements being added out there.”
He adds that there already are new sound systems installed inside GOAT and RARE that have outdoor patio broadcast capabilities, “even for sporting events.”
You also don’t have to be a member or even a resort guest to indulge yourself at the Spa at Saddlebrook, also known as Esthetics813, operated by Kyymara Rose Wickiser, an Aveda Spa alum and long-time aesthetician in the Wesley Chapel area.
Kyymara says, “Esthetics813 is a premier holistic wellness and spa program. We are proud to be among only two resorts in Florida offering a fully curated, comprehensive wellness program that goes far beyond traditional spa services.” She adds that the Spa’s philosophy is “Bare-Faced Naked, which has nothing to do with the absence of makeup. It is the courageous, beautiful act of being fully comfortable and confident in who you are.”
Spa services include customized facials, therapeutic massages, body treatments, manicures and pedicures, yoga, stretch and aqua classes, guided meditation and more.
Memberships & Club
Saddlebrook offers a variety of memberships, from social to racquet sports to golf, and each membership type comes with its own set of privileges.
Mayers says that although there have been ongoing discussions about converting or replacing the building that formerly housed Dempsey’s Steak House as a private club for Saddlebrook members, “nothing has been finalized yet. But, we will provide updates as those plans solidify.”
In other words, if you last visited Saddlebrook before all of these improvements came online, you owe it to yourself to visit again. Don’t expect anything to be “cheap,” but I believe it is now well worth the money you’ll spend.
For reservations and more info about Saddlebrook Resort (5700 Saddlebrook Way), call (813) 973-1111 or visit Saddlebrook.com. To book services at Esthetics813, visit Esthetics813TheSpaatSaddlebrook.com or call (813) 474-4486. Or, see the ad below. — GN
