Local Realtor Jeff Miller gets ready to send his drone into the sky for his latest video of The Grove at Wesley Chapel. Miller has shot and posted more than 80 drone videos of locations around Wesley Chapel. (Photo: John C. Cotey)
Jeff Miller has seen a lot of things since moving to Wesley Chapel in 2004.
As a Realtor for Charles Rutenberg Realty, he has seen the market take off, then crash land, then take off again. He has seen the area grow and grow. He has seen neighborhoods evolve and new roads appear.
These days, however, Millerâs view has changed….to about 300 feet above the ground.
If youâve been on the web looking for all of the new developments and businesses in Wesley Chapel, you may have come across one of Millerâs many drone videos, which are focused on all of the new developments in our area.
âI really love sharing the videos with everyone,â Miller says. âI think itâs pretty cool.â
Miller has been posting regular old ground-level videos on his YouTube page since 2017, but kept noticing more and more drone videos.
âThey were unique and super visual,â he says. âWhat a difference.â
Miller bought his first drone â a surprisingly compact gray DJI Mini 2 â in February, and has since posted more than 80 videos, from local communities like Persimmon Park, Estancia, River Landing and Avalon Park to area favorites like the Crystal Lagoon at Epperson, the Wiregrass Ranch Sports Campus of Pasco County and the Wesley Chapel District Park.
The first drone video he posted was 47 seconds of footage at the Overpass Rd. construction at I-75, followed by 99 seconds of Epperson Ranch and its lagoon. None of Millerâs first five drone videos topped 100 views, but many of his videos since then have fared much better.
A video of the future Wiregrass Ranch Blvd. has more than 600 views, a drone tour of Winding Ridge by GL Homes has more than 1,000 and an update on the Overpass Rd. construction currently is his top drone video to date with 1,300+ views.
All of his videos combined have nearly 20,000 views.
While Miller started posting his videos as a hobby, he says it hasnât been bad for business either.
âIâve had a lot of people reach out to me because of the videos,â he says. âEspecially the updates on the Overpass Rd. bridge, the parks and the malls. There are people interested in buying homes from out of state and I think itâs pretty cool they can see how the community has progressed.â
Jeff Millerâs drone videos focus on new developments like Avalon Park Wesley Chapel (top) and popular places Wesley Chapel is known for, like the Crystal Lagoon at Epperson.
Miller said the wealth of aerial video opportunities is a far cry from his first decade or so in Wesley Chapel.
âBack then, there was really nothing to shoot (here),â he says.
A 1993 graduate of Southern Connecticut State University with a degree in corporate video communications, Miller has long had an eye for photography and video. He says he started taking pictures when he was a kid and, when he moved to Wesley Chapel, he took on a role helping the former Greater Wesley Chapel Chamber of Commerce (now the North Tampa Bay Chamber) with social media.
âBefore Facebook, that was pretty impossible,â he says. But, he would attend events, and send out email blasts with recaps and photos.
He says he helped start the Wesley Chapel Fall Festival and art show. In 2008, Miller even ran for the Chamberâs Honorary Mayor of Wesley Chapel. He hosted a wine tasting at the old Cork and Olive on Bruce B. Downs Blvd. hoping to attract voters, and one of his goals was to get signs up in the area that said âWe Love Wesley Chapel.â
âI think I met everyone in Wesley Chapel that year,â Miller says, chuckling.
A long-time promoter of the community, Miller says he tries to get out and shoot something in the area every day. Although he says he graduated from college without even having used the internet or a cell phone, he eagerly dives into new technology.
âThis technology is ridiculously easy to use,â he says. âIt really gives me the chance to make awesome, shareable content. I hope people like it.â
Aquatic activities, sandy beaches and the crystal clear water of the Crystal LagoonsÂź amenity by Metro Lagoons at Epperson are available (at a discount) to the public for a limited time.
One of the most asked â if not the most asked â questions in Wesley Chapel has an answer, and it is yes.
Or more accurately: YES!
The Crystal LagoonsÂź amenity by Metro Lagoons at Epperson (off Curley Rd.) is open, and you can use it, too.
At least for now.
The first of its kind in the United States, the first shining jewel of Metro Development Groupâs Connected City project, is already drawing huge crowds to its crystal clear water, sandy beach and variety of activities.
For a limited time, the public is welcome to attend for $20 per person, up from $10 in early April. The discounted rate will be in effect through Memorial Day, when it goes up to $25 per person.
The lagoon has been allowing a limited number of non-Epperson residents in each day since April 8, and tickets are available while they last at LagoonInformation.com.
If you donât pre-order and decide to just show up, you run the risk of being shut out. According to Eric Wahlbeck, the managing director of Metro Lagoons, there have already been sellouts on almost every day with good weather, with more to come as summer rolls in.
âItâs been awesome to watch,â he says.
The lagoon is letting in 200-300 non-residents a day, and drawing nearly 2,000 visitors (including Epperson residents) on busy days, Wahlbeck added.
âItâs limited, so we can control the numbers for our residents,â he said, âbut so far, it has been hugely popular. This is only a test market, so we are still trying to see what the facility can handle while affording the residents their space.â
In time, the lagoon will be limited to residents only, who pay a $25 a month fee per household to use the facility. Until Epperson is built out, the admission of non-residents will help supplement the costs of maintaining the lagoon.
Epperson currently has 1,200 residents (in 350 homes), with another 165 homes currently under contract or being built, which will bring the resident count to 1,800 within six months.
So far, those living in Epperson donât seem to have a problem sharing their most desirable amenity. Wahlbeck says he hasnât had to sort out any problems involving non-residents so far.
âThere was a lot of fear in the beginning,â he says. âBut, since we started it, it has gone really well. We have made sure to make sure itâs not a free-for-all. And there will be plenty of resident-only parties.â
While not completely ready to open at our press time, Wahlbeck even hinted that the much-anticipated swim-up bar and tiki hut could be ready to go as this issue hits your mailboxes.
âThereâs no reason to bring anything, weâve got you covered,â he says. âWell, you might want to bring a few bucks.â
The lagoon pavilion area also boasts what Wahlbeck says is a âreally coolâ 18-foot by 12-foot LED screen above its stage, which will be used for viewing sporting events, like the Kentucky Derby, and even television shows like âJeopardyâ â he says some residents are organizing a Tuesday night âJeopardyâ watch party.
There also are activities scheduled every weekend. Last Sunday, the lagoon held a cornhole tournament, there is a Kentucky Derby party planned and thereâs always plenty of music. There also are aquatic activities planned, and the lagoon has a giant inflatable water slide like the one at the Tradewinds Resort on St. Pete Beach.
âItâs the same idea as Disney resorts,â he says. âYou come for the water, but there are plenty of activities to take part in as well.â
Although it has had a few starts and stops due to permitting and other issues, the lagoon is now pretty much 100-percent functional.
Following a few grand openings, as well as its share of controversy, Wahlbeck says the lagoon has evolved into everything Metro said it would be when it first introduced the concept back in 2014.
If you want to check it out, hurry over to LagoonInformation.com and get your tickets now!
Construction has resumed at the Crystal LagoonsÂź 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 countryâs first community to be home to a Crystal LagoonsÂź amenity in Epperson, is facing choppy, albeit crystal clear, waters.
First, summer is here and the lagoon isnât 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 â and others under contract and waiting to move into Epperson â 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:
âThe 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.â
Those angry with Metro, however, say they havenât 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 âLagoon Living.â
Instead, those residents are discovering a number of things they claim Metro and Epperson did not market â 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.
âThe people complaining are the ones who looked at stuff without asking questions,â says Epperson resident Ken Shere. âThey obviously didnât read the bylawsâ which, he adds, states clearly that Metro has the right âto set and adjust pricing.â
Bill Rowe, who moved into Epperson June 1 with his granddaughter, agrees, but only to a certain point.
âYou can put into a contract that we have the right to make changes,â Rowe says. âOf course, they are going to make changes. They have to be reasonable, though.â
Some donât think Eppersonâs 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 itâs not mentioned in their pricing.)
âI hope they come to some sort of resolution, something fair,â Rowe says. âI donât 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. Itâs not what I signed up for.â
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Epperson is reducing prices for current homeowners. Residents who bought before June 25 receive a 75-percent âpioneerâ 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.
âI 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,â she says. âThere was nothing implied about (other) amenities.â
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 âthe Lagoon will not be for the exclusive use of buyers within Epperson Ranch, and outside memberships will be available.â
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 Eppersonâs 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 arenât 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 isnât 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.
âThatâs when it all got real,â said Kip Lessem, an Epperson resident since April. âThe fact that the lagoon isnât open yet, and then all this other stuff happened, it just added fuel to the fire.â
But, Jonathan Smith, a one-time prospective Epperson resident, says Metroâs lack of a response to concerns about amenities, and a series of what he called âconflicting messages,â left him and others no choice.
âIt was marketed and advertised and sold to us as an all-inclusive exclusive amenity for residents,ââ he says. âMetro has gone back and forth wavering on really what it was going to be.â
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.
âIf you look at the rendering and canât take it literally, then why even post it?,â 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.
âI donât want it to fail,â he says. âI just think Metro should come in and say, âHey guys, weâre going to take responsibility for this (confusion), and moving forward weâre going to change our marketing material.â 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.â
Lessem says he thinks bashing Metro publicly wasnât the way to go, though he admits he is one of those disappointed that the lagoon isnât 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 â Lessem knows nerves have been frayed and enemies made, all inflamed by Facebook. He said he is âdisappointed in the maturity levelâ shown by many of his neighbors on both sides of the issue, âbut people let emotions get the best of them when they get passionate.â
At the end of the day, however, he says everyone has to live together.
âThe community is not the lagoon, itâs the community,â Lessem says. âItâs your neighbors. When all of this is said and done, you have to ask yourself, whatâs more important? Youâre going to find out you missed out on, like making friends, because of whatever side you are taking in this whole debate.ââ
