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 — Ron Oakley in District 1 and Mike Moore in District 2 — 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.
“I just asked why not do the whole (widening) thing at once instead of piecemeal,” said Moore. “It 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.”
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.
Moore’s concerns about Old Pasco Rd.’s 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 county’s 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 BCC’s 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.
Construction has resumed at the Crystal Lagoons® 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 country’s first community to be home to a Crystal Lagoons® amenity in Epperson, is facing choppy, albeit crystal clear, waters.
First, summer is here and the lagoon isn’t 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 — and others under contract and waiting to move into Epperson — 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:
“The 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.”
Those angry with Metro, however, say they haven’t received any clear answers.
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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 “Lagoon Living.”
Instead, those residents are discovering a number of things they claim Metro and Epperson did not market — 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.
“The people complaining are the ones who looked at stuff without asking questions,” says Epperson resident Ken Shere. “They obviously didn’t read the bylaws” which, he adds, states clearly that Metro has the right “to set and adjust pricing.”
Bill Rowe, who moved into Epperson June 1 with his granddaughter, agrees, but only to a certain point.
“You can put into a contract that we have the right to make changes,” Rowe says. “Of course, they are going to make changes. They have to be reasonable, though.”
Some don’t think Epperson’s 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 it’s not mentioned in their pricing.)
“I hope they come to some sort of resolution, something fair,” Rowe says. “I don’t 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. It’s not what I signed up for.”
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Epperson is reducing prices for current homeowners. Residents who bought before June 25 receive a 75-percent “pioneer” 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.
“I 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,” she says. “There was nothing implied about (other) amenities.”
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 “the Lagoon will not be for the exclusive use of buyers within Epperson Ranch, and outside memberships will be available.”
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 Epperson’s 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 aren’t 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 isn’t open yet. Those on the other side say that they believe more than half of the residents are unhappy and want answers from Metro.
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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.
“That’s when it all got real,” said Kip Lessem, an Epperson resident since April. “The fact that the lagoon isn’t open yet, and then all this other stuff happened, it just added fuel to the fire.”
But, Jonathan Smith, a one-time prospective Epperson resident, says Metro’s lack of a response to concerns about amenities, and a series of what he called “conflicting messages,” left him and others no choice.
“It was marketed and advertised and sold to us as an all-inclusive exclusive amenity for residents,’” he says. “Metro has gone back and forth wavering on really what it was going to be.”
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.
“If you look at the rendering and can’t take it literally, then why even post it?,” 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.
“I don’t want it to fail,” he says. “I just think Metro should come in and say, ‘Hey guys, we’re going to take responsibility for this (confusion), and moving forward we’re going to change our marketing material.’ 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.”
Lessem says he thinks bashing Metro publicly wasn’t the way to go, though he admits he is one of those disappointed that the lagoon isn’t 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 — Lessem knows nerves have been frayed and enemies made, all inflamed by Facebook. He said he is “disappointed in the maturity level” shown by many of his neighbors on both sides of the issue, “but people let emotions get the best of them when they get passionate.”
At the end of the day, however, he says everyone has to live together.
“The community is not the lagoon, it’s the community,” Lessem says. “It’s your neighbors. When all of this is said and done, you have to ask yourself, what’s more important? You’re going to find out you missed out on, like making friends, because of whatever side you are taking in this whole debate.’’
Long-Time New Tampa Resident Jim Davison debates roadway connections with Pasco County residents at an open house May 29. (Photo: John Cotey)
When the Tampa City Council met in early May to debate a rezoning that would allow M/I Homes to proceed with building 700 new homes in K-Bar Ranch, council members got stuck on one major point:
There aren’t enough roads in the area to allow residents to get in and out of their new neighborhood.
Without connections to Pasco County, particularly merging Kinnan St. in New Tampa with Mansfield Blvd. in Meadow Pointe, more homes would mean more residents who are essentially trapped with just one road, Kinnan St., out of their neighborhoods.
So the discussion was postponed until June 28 in the hopes that Pasco, with help from a yearlong Wesley Chapel Roadways Connection Study, which was near completion, would provide some answers.
The report is out. And no, it hasn’t.
At a May 29 open house at the Porter campus of Pasco-Hernando State Community College, an executive summary of the report was presented to roughly 75 locals — including politicians on both sides of the argument — but didn’t address actual connections in a way many who attended may have hoped.
How that ends up affecting future development in K-Bar Ranch remains to be seen. The Tampa City Council will take up the debate again June 28. But, any decision they make will have to be made without any promises of any connections between Hillsborough and Pasco counties. And, Pasco is in no rush to make a decision on the issue.
The public comment period about the Roadways Study ends today, and AECOM, the consulting firm that did the study, isn’t scheduled to present them to the Pasco MPO until August. A final study report will be finalized following that meeting, and then Pasco County will run a public opinion poll — basically an up or down vote on each of the connections, as well as combinations of connectors — in September or October.
The Pasco MPO will then meet in October to review the final study and decide what recommendations to make to Pasco’s Board of County Commissioners (BOC). The BOC will have the final say, with no date given for a final vote.
Connecting only Kinnan to Mansfield — the streets still separated by a 30-foot hop-skip-and-a-jump patch of dirt and bushes — without any other connections being made, was not studied.
District 2 commissioner Mike Moore, who represents the Meadow Pointe area, says connecting Meadow Point Blvd. to K-Bar Ranch Pkwy remains his favored option, and is opposed to connecting Kinnan-Mansfield.
“I think some people possibly thought the study would show maybe just a couple of hundred cars a day (added to Mansfield traffic with the connection),” Moore said, “but the study shows obviously that’s not the case. It’s anywhere from 500 to 4,000 (according to traffic projections). If anyone thinks Kinnan-Mansfield can handle 4,000 cars a day, it’s just not reality.”
When it was pointed out to Moore that the gap between 500 and 4,000 is significant, and that 500 cars could be only 250 making round trips, he said “That’s still a lot.”
At the original roadways meeting May 15, 2017, Pasco residents who filled out public comment cards were opposed to the connection, but only by a 37-36 margin.
“Now that we’ve done the study, and people can see the numbers, the true numbers, I have a sneaking suspicion that will change quite a bit,” Moore said.
While extensive, the study included no recommendations. It only went as far as listing positives — alternate routes during accidents, economic benefits, convenient travel to attractions in Hillsborough County, and relieving the traffic of up to 7,000 vehicles per day on Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd. and Cross Creek Blvd. — and negatives, like the increased traffic with minimal congestion relief for Pasco County roads and almost $2-million in additional improvements needed, with connections. The study looked at four alternatives, including a no-build alternative that would put up a gate for emergency vehicles and bicycle and pedestrian accommodations at Kinnan-Mansfield, but no connection for general public use.
Other alternatives studied included:
• Connecting Kinnan-Mansfield and K-Bar Ranch Blvd. to Meadow Pointe;
• Connecting only K-Bar Ranch Blvd to Meadow Pointe Blvd.; and
• Doing all three possible connections: Kinnan-Mansfield, K-Bar Ranch Pkwy.-Meadow Pointe Blvd., and Wyndfields Blvd. to K-Bar Ranch Pkwy.
Tampa’s District 7 councilman Luis Viera, who represents New Tampa, attended the meeting and was disappointed by the lack of specificity in the study. However, he was pleased by the prospect of at least an emergency gate at Kinnan-Mansfield.
Moore said Pasco County proposed one two years ago, and even offered to split the costs, but Tampa rejected it.
“I’m not looking at this from a political perspective,” Viera said. “If we can have a compromise for now, if a gate is built only for first responders, that’s a net positive. We obviously want to go further. That’s getting to first base, and we want a home run. But right now, that would be a net positive for both sides from a safety perspective.”
On Thursday mornings in New Tampa, dozens of women gather together to laugh, read the Bible and share life with each other.
Some are young women.
Others are moms, who may bring their young children to attend their own classes in a nearby room. Still others are grandmothers and even great-grandmothers.
Whether they’re young or old, married or single, parents or not, and whatever their religious preference, all women are invited to join the Tampa Northeast/New Tampa Community Bible Study (CBS) class, says the group’s teaching director, Karis Tiberia.
“We’re there to study the Bible together,” Karis explains. “One of the things I think is special is that we focus on the essentials of the Christian faith, not on denominational distinctions. Whether they attend church or not, everyone is welcome.”
While the focus is on studying the Bible, that’s not all that’s happening in the group.
“We encourage each other, love each other, challenge and take care of each other through all of the ups and downs of life,” Karis says.
The Tampa Northeast/New Tampa CBS class is part of an international organization called Community Bible Study. The group that meets in New Tampa has just completed its third year, with about 75 women registered, and will begin its fourth year this fall.
It meets most Thursday mornings, from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m., at St. James United Methodist Church, 16202 Bruce B. Downs Blvd. While St. James provides meeting space for the group, it is completely independent and supported by other churches, too, such as Grace Episcopal Church, where the group’s Leaders Council meets each week to prepare.
Moms who have children who are in third grade and younger can bring the kids along. Carmellia Loyd is the children/youth director. She says children will be cared for in a loving, fun and safe environment, and all teachers are trained and background checked.
“It’s not childcare,” Carmellia says. “From the time they’re two and older, they’re in programming, learning Bible stories, songs, simple verses, and how to have a relationship with God.”
The group’s leadership team is made up of 15 women, including Karis and Carmellia. When women join CBS, they’re placed into a smaller discussion group, called a “core group.” New this year, one core group will be meeting in the evening to accommodate more women’s schedules.
The first class will be held Thursday, September 6. An Open House will be held on Thursday, August 30, 10 a.m.-11:30 a.m., for people to drop by, find out more about CBS, meet the leaders, pick up a study book and/or register. The group will meet most weeks, except for holidays, and will end on May 9, 2019.
The group will be studying the Book of Matthew. Registration is $35 and children’s registration is $10.
Participants complete a 10-15 minute lesson in their CBS study book each day, then gather for the weekly class, where they sing worship songs, break into discussion groups, and then come back together for a large group teaching, led by Karis.
“Some people gain knowledge by answering questions, others by sharing in discussion, and some by hearing the teaching,” Karis says. “CBS covers all of those ways.”
Carmellia says she has been involved in CBS, which has several groups in the Tampa Bay area, for 18 years.
“The thing I like about it is it is straight Bible study,” says Carmellia. “They ask you questions, you look at the answers in the Bible and discuss it in your small group. It doesn’t matter if someone has known Jesus for six weeks or has been a saint for 60 years — everybody has something to contribute.”
Carla Rybolt is the group’s coordinator, handling logistics, including member registration. She has participated in the New Tampa group since its inception.
“Being in God’s word keeps me closer to God at all times,” Carla adds. “I was in the midst of a terrible storm when I started with CBS and the class led me through a gamut of learning how to completely trust God and let go of all of my anxieties. Through everything that I’ve learned, I’ve been surrounded by amazing women who hold me up.”
Karis agrees. “It’s made a difference as I go through life to have women who I know will be there for me. Aside from the Bible study and how we grow in our faith, I am also personally encouraged by my participation both in the class and as a leader.”
All three women say they love the diversity of the women who attend the group.
“The number one thing I liked about CBS from the beginning is that it’s biblically-based and everybody is welcome. Whether you’re Atheist or Jewish, no one is ever turned away,” says Carla. “Jesus tells us to love one another, and that’s the way it is at CBS.”
Carmellia adds, “It’s for anybody, whether you want to find out what the Bible is all about or have studied it for years. It’s a great place to feel comfortable and not judged.”
Registration is open now. For more information, visit the group’s website at TampaNortheast.CBSclass.org or email Carla Rybolt at CBS.Tampa.Northeast@gmail.com.
The oft-argued merits of a connection point between Wesley Chapel’s Mansfield Blvd. and New Tampa’s Kinnan Dr. is set to get a new look, but that won’t be the only route back and forth between Hillsborough and Pasco counties that the Pasco County Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) plans on looking at in less than two weeks.
The MPO will hold an open house-style meeting on Tuesday, April 18, 5:30 p.m.-7:30 p.m., at Pasco-Hernando State College (PHSC)’s Porter Campus at Wiregrass Ranch, in order to gather public comments and other information to be used in the upcoming Wesley Chapel Roadways Connections Study.
The study is designed to evaluate the pros and cons of three potential roadway connections between Wesley Chapel and New Tampa (red circles on map above):
Mansfield Blvd. & Kinnan St., a long sought-after connection by many in the Cross Creek and K-Bar Ranch area, though it also has its share of opponents.
Meadow Pointe Blvd. & the Meadow Pointe Blvd. extension, which leads right into the planned K-Bar Ranch Blvd. and would provide easier access to Morris Bridge Rd.
Wyndfields Blvd. & the Wyndfields Blvd. extension, which would also connect directly to both K-Bar Ranch Blvd. and Morris Bridge Rd.
“We are just starting the process, and the purpose of the first meeting is to get public input about what issues there are on both sides,’’ says Pasco County transportation engineer Ali Atefi, P.E.
Kinnan St. and Mansfield Blvd. have been separated by about 50 feet of grass, trees and sometimes garbage, for years. In 2016, Pasco County District 2 commissioner Mike Moore and then-Tampa District 7 City Council member Lisa Montelione met to discuss connecting the roadways, but those talks stalled.
New District 7 City Councilman Luis Viera made the connection point one of the staples of his winning campaign, and continues to say he would like to push to bring the roads together.
“From both sides, we have had a request for a connection and, we’ve had people that don’t want to connect,’’ Atefi says. “But, these connections are shown on our long range plans and we want to do an in-depth study and figure out the positive and negatives.”
The open house, which Atefi says “is not a debate,” will include an MPO summary at 6 p.m., followed by an opportunity for those attending to examine area maps and to voice their opinions. Stations will be set up, and representatives from Pasco County Planning & Development, the MPO and the consulting team will be available to answer questions.
The public is welcome to drop in anytime between 5:30 and 7:30.
Atefi says other meetings will be held in the future, and the public will also be encouraged to take online surveys to help determine what, or if any, connections should be made.
The PHSC-Porter Campus at Wiregrass Ranch is located at 2727 Mansfield Blvd. in Wesley Chapel. For more information about transportation planning in Pasco County, visit the MPO website at PascoMPO.net.
