Pasco County Tells Wesley Chapel & Lutz/LOL Groups: No Borders

Border Wars WEB 2

After weeks of research by the Wesley Chapel and Central Pasco Chambers of Commerce to help Pasco County staffers determine the borders of Wesley Chapel and Lutz/Land O’Lakes — which included bringing in local historians and combing through old newspaper archives — both organizations found out recently it was a wasted effort.

Bottom line? Barring a successful effort to incorporate either area, there will be no defined borders for Wesley Chapel or Lutz/Land O’Lakes.

Border Wars WEB1
Are the two intersections shown above in Wesley Chapel or Lutz/Land O’Lakes? Pasco County: ‘We won’t define a border.’

In fact, new Pasco Planning & Development administrator Kristen Hughes said defined borders were never going to happen, because that is not the job of the county.

But, that was news to the WCCC and CPCC, as the leaders of both Chambers were left scratching their heads.

“Each group had an opportunity to present their side and their information,’’ said WCCC CEO Hope Allen, after getting the bad news. “We were all under the impression there would be a resolution and the county would be the deciding factor and we would live with whatever the county decided. Toward the end, the county said that wasn’t going to be the case.”

Pasco County planner Matt Armstrong met with both sides in February and said in March he was still collecting data and that, “Ultimately, we will be bringing a report to the Board of County Commissioners (BCC) with a recommendation on what we think the boundaries (should) be.”

But, between then and our press time, Pasco County attorneys stepped in and said defining borders to settle the dispute was not the job of the county.

The border decision, which had been expected for more than a month to be voted on by the BCC at their April 26 meeting, never made it onto the agenda.

“Yeah, I was surprised,’’ said Allen. “It would have been nice to know that. We spent lot of time on this. We were following the lead of the county.”

Calls to Armstrong were returned by Hughes, who said, “We are not going to define a border.’’

Hughes also was critical of local reporting on this issue, claiming that of all things he has read, half were wrong. He also claimed defined borders were never on the table, even though the WCCC and CPCC were working specifically on that issue. “But, that was our impression,’’ Allen says.

The debate over what area defined Wesley Chapel and what area defined Lutz-Land O’Lakes was sparked in January by a request to the BCC from the CPCC to rename the southern end of Wesley Chapel Blvd. as it crossed southbound over S.R. 56, to be more representative of the Lutz-Land O’Lakes area.

That debate over renaming the road was tabled until the BCC could research the issue. Board members decided that defining the borders between the two unincorporated Census Designated Places (CDPs) — Lutz/Land O’Lakes and Wesley Chapel — needed to be settled first, setting off the fact-finding missions by all involved.

Representatives of Lutz/Land O’Lakes believe their border extends west to I-75. The Wesley Chapel side thinks its western border extends to Wesley Chapel Blvd. So, the area between S.R. 54/Wesley Chapel Blvd. and I-75, which currently have Lutz (33559) and Land O’Lakes (34639) addresses, has been at the heart of the dispute.

Both areas are unincorporated, meaning neither is governed by a local municipal corporation, but rather, in this case, by the county. Hughes cited poet Robert Frost in saying, “Good fences make good neighbors,” saying the solution lies in resolving the differences between the two Chambers.

“Our objectives are, one, we really are about getting people to hold hands and work together to achieve a common goal,’’ Hughes says. “And second, helping communities find their hearts. Where is their center, what is their identity, and how do you want to build that out?”

Pasco County currently only has six incorporated areas — the cities of Zephyrhills, Dade City, San Antonio, Port Richey and New Port Richey, and the incorporated town of Saint Leo.

The rest of the county is comprised of unincorporated CDPs like Wesley Chapel, Land O’Lakes/Lutz, Trinity and Hudson, to name a few. Armstrong said that 450,000 of the 490,000 people living in Pasco today reside in those currently unincorporated areas, with only 40,000 residing in the municipalities.

Hughes said he has heard there is a group looking into incorporating Wesley Chapel, in which case a discussion and vote on the requested borders would be taken. But, there hasn’t been any official action that he knows of…yet.

“It is my understanding (that there are people looking into it),’’ Allen said. “I don’t know if there’s a collective group, per se, but it is being discussed in different conversations. But, our Chamber has not taken a position on it.”

Some of the same concerns remain, but the entire debate seems to be back where it started — Wesley Chapel Blvd.

“We were opposed to the renaming of the southern portion of Wesley Chapel Blvd., and we are still opposed to that renaming,’’ Allen said.

Allen said the WCCC has reached out to the CPCC and asked that the leadership from both organizations sit down and look for resolutions to some of the issues between them.

Which, Hughes would say, beats drawing borders any day.

WC Noon Rotary To Host First ‘Duck Derby’ On May 21!

Photo: Cartersville, GA, Duck Derby
Photo: Cartersville, GA, Duck Derby

Fresh off another successful Adult Spelling Bee, the Rotary Club of Wesley Chapel (WC) Noon is proud to invite everyone in the Wesley Chapel and Central Pasco areas to its first-ever “Duck Derby,” which will be held Saturday, May 21, 11 a.m.-3 p.m., “lakeside” at Hungry Harry’s Bar-B-Que, which is located minutes from Wesley Chapel at 3116 Land O’Lakes Blvd. (aka U.S. Hwy. 41), Land O’Lakes.

WC Noon Rotary Club Duck Derby organizers John Jay (the DJ) and Vicki Hamilton of Smart Health Inc. say the Duck Derby is a fun, family-friendly event where attendees “purchase” anywhere from one duck for $5 to a flock of 25 ducks for $100. The ducks are numbered on the bottom and loaded into a body of water to “race.” If your duck finishes in a high enough position in the Derby, you win a great prize — and all to support the selected charities supported by the club, including its own 501(c)(3c) nonprofit foundation — the “Rotary Club of Wesley Chapel Noon Fund.”

“It’s such a fun day for everyone, no matter what age you are,” says John. “We have live musical entertainment lined up, a fun Kids Zone (with inflatables, games, face painting and more), great Hungry Harry’s food for sale and some really great prizes.”

Among those prizes are an all-day fishing trip for 5 with a charter boat captain (a $600+ value); a weekend (2-night) stay at Saddlebrook Resort Tampa ($500); a free weekend rental of a Ford Mustang convertible donated by Parks Ford of Wesley Chapel; a $250 certificate for auto repairs from TWA Firestone; a handmade fishing rod by WC Rotarian Jimmy Mason ($300), restaurant gift certificates and more.

This year’s Duck Derby Big Bird Sponsor ($4,500) is Fun Services of Land O’Lakes, owned by WC Rotarian Jodi Sullivan (FuntasticEvents.com). The Donald Duck Sponsor ($1,000) is Sam’s Club of Wesley Chapel and the Rubber Ducky Sponsor ($250) is Cash 4 Gold of Wesley Chapel (Kash4Gold.com). See you there!

Wiregrass Ranch Prepped For Major Projects

Wiregrass Ranch Map
(Map by Blake Beatty)

West Palm Beach-based commercial developer John Dowd played a pivotal role in the development of the Wesley Chapel and Wiregrass Ranch area near S.R. 56 when, with the stalwart help of JCPenney as the lead anchor, he helped spearhead the birth of The Shops at Wiregrass mall.

Dowd admitted that it wasn’t easy. Right before the mall finished, the economy started to slow. Had it been six months later, Dowd doesn’t think the mall would have ever been built. “We had tenants come to us who had literally just signed leases and wanted out,’’ he said. “Everybody was so afraid of what was going to happen to the world.”

But, thankfully, the world did survive. And, so did the mall.

Wiregrass Ranch DRI
John Dowd shows a map of the Wiregrass Ranch DRI and where some of the planned construction will take place.

Dowd is back in the area, and is again teaming up with local landowner/developer JD Porter to help give the Wiregrass Ranch Development of Regional Impact (DRI) another economic shot in the arm.
At the Wesley Chapel Economic Development meeting at Mulligans (inside New Tampa’s Pebble Creek Golf Club) on April 28, Dowd and Porter regaled a crowd of more than 100 local business leaders with tales from the past, but mostly of a future they see as bright and bustling.

The Wiregrass mall, which Dowd said didn’t have the start everyone had hoped when it opened in 2008, is now enjoying the kind of success that was expected. That is triggering further development in the area, as the Porter family carefully and judiciously parcels out its land to businesses and developers who fit into their long-range plans.

Dowd said he was attracted to working with the Porter family because of the family’s deliberate style. Unlike many landowners, JD Porter said he is no rush to sell to the highest bidder and turn an instant profit. Instead, the Wiregrass Ranch DRI continues to only greenlight projects the Porter feel add value to the entire area.

Wiregrass Ranch Set To Expand

Here’s some of those plans Porter and Dowd shared at the Economic Development meeting:

1. On S.R. 54, just down the road from Walmart, the first project between Dowd and Porter will be a 12,600-sq.-ft. strip center, with two nicely designed buildings. Two restaurants are already signed up, with two more close to coming aboard as well. The project will feature a typical mix, including a cell phone store, nail and hair salons, restaurants and “good neighborhood use” businesses.

“We already have more interested tenants than we have space for,’’ Dowd said.

2. On S.R. 56, east of the Wiregrass Mall expansion (which will include restaurants, a movie theater and a grocery store), Porter and Dowd are doing is having site work done at another shopping center, to be called Wiregrass Commons at 56, which will include a “green” or specialty grocery store.

Nothing has been signed yet, Dowd said, and “we’re not doing any of the small stuff until we get an anchor signed up. Once that happens, that will be a 50,000-60,000-sq.-ft. project in total and a nice addition to the area.

3. Porter also said a hotel would be finalizing a deal within 30 days, and that is expected to also immediately east of the Wiregrass Commons at 56 project. He did not say which hotel, but we have heard rumors it will be a Marriott Fairfield Inn.

4. Even further east on S.R. 56, the long-awaited Raymond James Financial campus is close to officially announcing its arrival.

No, seriously.

JD Porter says big things are coming.
JD Porter (left) says big things are coming to Wiregrass Ranch, including Raymond James.

Porter joked that he was sick and tired of talking about the long-rumored project, which some had begun to doubt. But doubt no more.

“We got good news (April 27) and I truly believe within the next 2-3 weeks we’ll have a permit,’’ Porter said. “Having that permit triggers the closing. Having that closing means the other two or three office users, which we are we are talking to right now — anywhere from 600,000 square feet to another 1.2-million-sq.-ft., Fortune 50 companies — they close, and I would suspect we’re going to see movement within the next 4-6 months after that.”

Porter said Raymond James will add between 4,000-6,000 jobs, and that you can double that total to 8,000-12,000 jobs with the other unnamed businesses set to follow.

That will also begin to create some of the day traffic that Dowd says is necessary if the area is going to attract more quality restaurants, as well.

5. Porter said they will be closing on an assisted living facility, “in the next 45-60 days”. Porter didn’t disclose any other information, but the facility will be called Beach House at Wiregrass Ranch Assisted Living & Memory Care, which is owned by the Prevarian Companies.

The facility will be multiple stories when completed next to North Tampa Behavorial Health, which also is expanding and will be adding 48 rooms by the end of the year.

6. As part of trying to force vertical integration into the development plan, Porter said that in 30-45 days construction also should begin on a condo project, called Altis at Wiregrass, which will be located directly north of Wiregrass Commons at 56.

“If I would’ve said condos in Pasco County 3-4 years ago, you probably would have told me to get the hell out of here,’’ Porter said. “Well, it happened.”

Porter hinted at four-story structures, with rooftop pools and verandas. “Something typical of Hyde Park and South Tampa,’’ he said. “But not typical Pasco County.”

The condos, which according to site plans will include 394 multi-family dwellings in 15 separate buildings, are part of Porter’s plan to build new and different projects in the area. “If you wanna play in the sandbox, you have to step it up,’’ he said. “We are very fortunate to be in the right area. If people want to be here, bring something new to the table.”

Just The Beginning Of New Phase For Wiregrass Ranch

Porter promised other major announcements concerning major retailers still to come. But for now, he is pleased with the area’s progress, citing the proximity of an expanding hospital, a state college with room to grow into a full-fledged university and more retail in the area. He also expects an increase in new homes as well, and once the residential areas mature a mixed-use town center can be developed.

DonPorterWEB
Members of the Wesley Chapel Chamber of Commerce Board, including past President Jeff Novotny (holding plaque) were honored to present the plaque that will adorn the boardroom at the WCCC office in The Grove named for the late Don Porter to Don’s son JD and daughter Quinn (center), during the Chamber’s Economic Development briefing at which JD and commercial developer John Dowd spoke about Wiregrass Ranch.

Porter also said his family is rethinking its commitment of donating 120-acres to the county to build a park in the area. A tennis center fell through more than a decade ago, as did a proposed baseball complex on the site last year. In November the county announced it would be seeking partners in a public-private relationship to build an indoor facility on land that also would include outdoor fields.

But Porter, frustrated with the county’s inability to move forward on donated land, says he may take back some of it back by the end of the year and build the park privately, as part of his long-range plan to provide the area with “synergy”.

“We are looking to create something we can be proud of out here not just tomorrow, but 10-50 years down the road,’’ he said.

Look for more updates on this area at WCNeighborhoodNews.com.

Grey Wolf Armory Suffers Second Break-In Since March

WFTS-TV
WFTS-TV

Three hooded and gloved suspects knocked a hole in the Grey Wolf Armory wall and made off with more than 30 weapons early Sunday morning, the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office said.

The PSCO says that between 2:53 and 2:57am, the suspects entered through the east side of the Wesley Chapel gun shop, located at32733 Eiland Blvd., after smashing the exterior lighting and taking advantage of the fact that that side of the building is obscured by hedges.

The suspects made off with 30 hand guns, two long guns and one sniper rifle, leaving in an unknown direction. Other more expensive guns were left untouched.

The business has an alarm, but it was never activated, and the suspects crawled around to avoid surveillance camera and motion detectors, the PCSO said.

This is the second time in two months the Grey Wolf Armory has been broken into. According to a post on the business Facebook page from March 14, someone broke in and damaged a half-dozen guns while smashing a glass display unit, but was only able to make off with a single hand gun thanks to the PCSO’s quick response.

“If I was a conspiracy theorist, I would wonder if someone had it in for us,” a post reads on the Facebook page of the Grey Wolf Armory. The new post suggests that the Sunday break-in was orchestrated by the same people from March, because they tried to break in at the same point as March but found the walls had been reinforced and moved to a more vulnerable spot. They also, the post says, took several guns Sunday that they tried but failed to take the first time.

 

Anyone with information is asked to call investigators at (800) 706-2488.