Beaches, crystal clear water and cabanas are some of the highlighted features of the soon-to-open Crystal LagoonsĀ® 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 LagoonsĀ® 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.
āFor the first two weeks following the opening date, admission will be exclusively for Epperson Resident Members, and a limited number of resident guests,ā Wahlbeck said. āAfter 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.ā
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 ā many of whom remain stalwart supporters of Metro ā 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 lagoonās 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.
āWe have secured all relevant permits necessary to complete work and are currently testing and adjusting the mechanical systems,ā 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 āfully open, pending any unforeseen issues,ā 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.
āYes, 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 ā something that in part we attribute to the āLagoon Effect,āā he said.
Construction has resumed at the Crystal LagoonsĀ® 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 countryās first community to be home to a Crystal LagoonsĀ® amenity in Epperson, is facing choppy, albeit crystal clear, waters.
First, summer is here and the lagoon isnāt 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 ā and others under contract and waiting to move into Epperson ā 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:
āThe 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.ā
Those angry with Metro, however, say they havenāt 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 āLagoon Living.ā
Instead, those residents are discovering a number of things they claim Metro and Epperson did not market ā 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.
āThe people complaining are the ones who looked at stuff without asking questions,ā says Epperson resident Ken Shere. āThey obviously didnāt read the bylawsā which, he adds, states clearly that Metro has the right āto set and adjust pricing.ā
Bill Rowe, who moved into Epperson June 1 with his granddaughter, agrees, but only to a certain point.
āYou can put into a contract that we have the right to make changes,ā Rowe says. āOf course, they are going to make changes. They have to be reasonable, though.ā
Some donāt think Eppersonās 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 itās not mentioned in their pricing.)
āI hope they come to some sort of resolution, something fair,ā Rowe says. āI donāt 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. Itās not what I signed up for.ā
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Epperson is reducing prices for current homeowners. Residents who bought before June 25 receive a 75-percent āpioneerā 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.
āI 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,ā she says. āThere was nothing implied about (other) amenities.ā
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 āthe Lagoon will not be for the exclusive use of buyers within Epperson Ranch, and outside memberships will be available.ā
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 Eppersonās 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 arenāt 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 isnāt 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.
āThatās when it all got real,ā said Kip Lessem, an Epperson resident since April. āThe fact that the lagoon isnāt open yet, and then all this other stuff happened, it just added fuel to the fire.ā
But, Jonathan Smith, a one-time prospective Epperson resident, says Metroās lack of a response to concerns about amenities, and a series of what he called āconflicting messages,ā left him and others no choice.
āIt was marketed and advertised and sold to us as an all-inclusive exclusive amenity for residents,āā he says. āMetro has gone back and forth wavering on really what it was going to be.ā
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.
āIf you look at the rendering and canāt take it literally, then why even post it?,ā 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.
āI donāt want it to fail,ā he says. āI just think Metro should come in and say, āHey guys, weāre going to take responsibility for this (confusion), and moving forward weāre going to change our marketing material.ā 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.ā
Lessem says he thinks bashing Metro publicly wasnāt the way to go, though he admits he is one of those disappointed that the lagoon isnāt 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 ā Lessem knows nerves have been frayed and enemies made, all inflamed by Facebook. He said he is ādisappointed in the maturity levelā shown by many of his neighbors on both sides of the issue, ābut people let emotions get the best of them when they get passionate.ā
At the end of the day, however, he says everyone has to live together.
āThe community is not the lagoon, itās the community,ā Lessem says. āItās your neighbors. When all of this is said and done, you have to ask yourself, whatās more important? Youāre going to find out you missed out on, like making friends, because of whatever side you are taking in this whole debate.āā
There was the announcement in 2014 that the first Metro Development Group Metro Lagoon by Crystal Lagoons, the first-ever of its kind in the U.S., was coming to Wesley Chapel.
Then, there was a groundbreaking in 2016, followed by an event announcing the spigots to fill the lagoon had been opened in 2017, which gave way to a ceremony as it was filled with 16 million gallons of water later that year, and then, finally, a ribbon cutting to kick off 2018.
Next up: Saturday’s Grand Opening.
Olympic gold medalist Michael Phelps (photo), considered by most to be not only the greatest swimmer but also the greatest Olympic athlete of all time, will be on hand for the grand opening on Saturday, April 28.
The grand opening will feature a daylong tropical-themed celebration, highlighted by planned water ski shows, flyboarding performances, a live Caribbean band performing on Gasparilla Island and even mermaids in the lagoon.Ā
There will also be a be a live band and DJ on the main stage, food trucks, drinks, dancing and more.
Free parking and free admission provided to guests. Ā The event is already at capacity, but you can sign up for the waitlist, and future events, at LagoonEvent.com.
Phelps will help kick the party off. He was announced last year as a global ambassador for Crystal Lagoons, the company which has built 300 lagoons across the world (with a dozen or more also in the works) since it was founded in 2007 by Chilean real estate developer and biochemist Fernando Fischmann.
Gasparilla Island.
While previous events have featured the lagoon in various states of development, the Grand Opening is expected to show the lagoon in all its grandeur ā a 7.5 acre paradise maintained by ultra-sonic technology that uses sensors to monitor the quality of the crystal-clear water and 100 times fewer chemicals than a traditional swimming pool, surrounded by man-made beaches, private cabanas, swim-up bars, a tidal pool, restaurant and entertainment plaza.
The Crystal Lagoons are expected to become the hottest amenities driving home sales at new developments across the U.S.
In Wesley Chapel, home sales at Metro Developmentās Epperson community, located on Curley Rd. less than three miles north of S.R. 54), have been booming, in large part due to the lagoon. At Mirada, another Metro development in northeastern Wesley Chapel, work is beginning on a second, even larger lagoon. Both developments are part of the Connected City project, which links northern Wesley Chapel to San Antonio.
The lagoon will be exclusive to theĀ 2,000 homeowners in Epperson, who will pay for the maintenance of it. But until the community is mostly filled, there will be opportunities for the general public to use it.
For more information about Epperson, visit Epperson.Metroplaces.com. For information about Crystal Lagoons, visit Crystal-Lagoons.comā JCC
The first of two Crystal Lagoons in the āConnected Cityā is getting closer to completion in Metro Developmentās Epperson community off Curley Rd. (Photos courtesy of Metro Development Group)
If the Greater Wesley Chapel Chamber of Commerce (WCCC) was looking for someone to end its 2017 series of Economic Development Briefings with a bright, energetic look to the future, the Chamber found the right man.
Kartik Goyani, the vice president of Metro Development Group, painted a picture filled with Crystal Lagoons, autonomous cars, hyper-fast internet speeds and even better education, health care and solar-, wind-powered and WiFi-enabled street lights.
While it isnāt exactly the flying cars many of us thought weād be driving by now, Goyaniās presentation to local business leaders created a buzz that has many looking forward to the new yearā¦and beyond.
By then, Goyani hinted, the first Crystal Lagoon in North America ā at Metroās new Epperson development off Curley Rd. ā will be filled with water and frolickers.
He showed some drone video of the current state of the lagoon, but it was a picture of someone with a large hose standing in the lagoon, with its inner lining in place, filling it with water, that drew a few audible gasps.
āWe are hoping to stay ahead of schedule so the lagoon opens up early next year,āā Goyani said.
The new year also will see the hi-tech community project, billed as the first smart giga-bit development in the country ā with lightning-fast internet speeds 200 times faster than most homeowners receive now ā finally get an actual name. Goyani said the project was dubbed āConnected Cityā by the Florida Legislature after approving it as part of a 10-year pilot program, but that name was always just what Goyani called a āplaceholder.ā In January, it will be branded with a different name.
While the Crystal Lagoon is driving sales of homes āthrough the roofā in Epperson, it is just one of many amenities that Goyani says will make the Wesley Chapel community one the rest of the country will try to mimic.
The āConnected Cityā is a 7,800-acre area running north from Overpass Rd. in Wesley Chapel to S.R. 52 in San Antonio, and east from I-75 to Curley Rd., that will one day feature thousands of new homes and much more.
While Epperson will have as many as 3,000 homes upon completion, the āConnected Cityā project, which is expected to take 7-10 years to complete, will have as many as 37,000 new homes, up to 12-million-sq.-ft. of office space, a second lagoon in Metroās Mirada development, and hundreds of dedicated miles for autonomous vehicles.
āI donāt think Iāve seen a project anywhere else in the U.S. that has that,āā Goyani said. āWe are creating something really really exciting in Pasco County that will draw people from everywhere.ā
But, the Crystal Lagoons are the crown jewels of the āConnected Cityā project.
āWe didnāt want to build a larger clubhouse, or a bigger golf course, we wanted to totally reimagine it,ā Goyani said. āThatās what we did with Crystal Lagoons.ā
As for the most commonly asked question about lagoon access ā āCan we go, too?ā āGoyani says that Epperson homeowners take precedence. Over the next 7-10 years those 2,000 homeowners in Epperson will pay for the maintenance of the lagoon.
While there are currently only 30 homes or so in the community, Metro Development will be picking up some of the tab to keep the homeownersā maintenance bills low.
That may create some opportunities for controlled access to the lagoon, as members of parties or events held there.
Metro Development PresidentĀ Greg Singelton (middle) and Crystal Lagoons CEO Uri Man (right) lead a toast at the official groundbreaking for the lagoon at Epperson Ranch off Curley Rd.
When Metro Development president Greg Singleton was first told about a crystal lagoon, with its heavenly blue, ultra-clean water and sandy beaches, he confesses that he was a little underwhelmed.
But, at 30,000 feet, laying eyes on one for the first time a few months later, Singleton says he started sipping the Kool-Aid.
On Feb. 2, while standing in front of a crowd of more than 100 people at the official groundbreaking ceremony for the first Crystal Lagoon to be built in the U.S., Singleton was sipping champagne as he led a toast celebrating a sneak preview of the Metro Lagoon by Crystal Lagoons coming to the Epperson development Wesley Chapel.
With developers, home builders, county commissioners and the Greater Wesley Chapel Chamber of Commerce (WCCC) on hand at what could someday be home to as many as 3,000 homes off Curley Rd. (less than three miles north of S.R. 54), Metro Development showed off the beginnings of the massive project which currently is one large hole in the ground ā while selling a vision so bright, the developer felt the need to hand out white Crystal Lagoon shades.
Epperson is part of the larger Connected City project, a high-tech, ultrafast gigabit community covering roughly 7,800 acres stretching from northern Wesley Chapel into San Antonio. That project is still working its way through the Pasco County Board of County Commissioners.
Crystal Lagoons are expected to become one of the fastest-growing amenities in the country, and was the star of the preview show. The 7.5- acre lagoon at Epperson will be 4,200 linear square feet (almost a mile) in circumference and will have an average depth of 8 feet, with some areas as deep as 10-12 feet.
Developed by real estate developer and biochemist Fernando Fischmann, it will be like āswimming in a bottle of Zephyrhills water,āā Singleton said during the event.
Thatās possible because of a patented pulse disinfection and ultrasonic filtration system, as well as 400 sensors monitoring the water. Singleton said the lagoon will use less water and chemicals than a golf course or park when it comes to maintenance.
Some of those on hand (including Neighborhood News editor Gary Nager) were taken up 75 feet in a tethered hot-air balloon for an aerial view of the lagoon, which will be the first operational Crystal Lagoon ever in the U.S., while the less adventurous were raised in mechanical lifts.
With the exception of a few kayaks laid out among the piles of dirt, there was little to see, but plenty to imagine.
āIt will be the most incredible amenity you will ever see,āā said Scott Andreason, the director of landscape architecture with Heidt Design, which is designing the surrounding features of the Metro Lagoon, such as:
The Hub.
ā¢ The Hub, which will provide access to the lagoon, and include a large plaza to host community events, like farmers markets, a synthetic lawn covered with shade sails, a stage for live entertainment like bands, and a huge outdoor television for sports and movie viewing.
ā¢ A restaurant and swim-up bar, with an extended plaza behind the restaurant for food trucks and the ability to host weddings and corporate events, as well as a zero-entry access to the lagoon.
ā¢Venture Bay, for paddleboarders and kayakers.
ā¢Gasparilla Island, which Andreason describes as an āendless islandā with hammocks, cabanas and umbrellas, and a āTidal Waterā area where the water rises from zero to 3.5-feet deep.
ā¢Cabana Pool, a cove within the lagoon completely surrounded by cabanas. In the middle of it, an entertainment pavilion to accommodate a deejay or band, and another large television screen.
Gasparilla Island.
ā¢ The Grotto, which Andreason calls the āgemā of the lagoon; it will feature a waterfall.
ā¢ Town Center & Getaway Cove, which will have beaches where you can watch the sun set.
With gigabit internet, homes by Pulte, DR Horton, Miranda and Apex Homes and what will be a one-of-a-kind lagoon ā at least, for now ā Singleton says the goal at Epperson Ranch is simple:
āWe want to make it very difficult for you to go elsewhere.ā
Crystal Lagoons CEO Uri Man his company, which has more than 1,500 patents in 60 countries,Ā already has 15 contracts to build other lagoons in the U.S., and will build hundreds in the next few years.
āItās exciting,āā he said.
He also noted that a recent Boston Consulting study says more than 2,000 lagoons will be built nationwide over next 15 years. Crystal Lagoons already has more than 600 projects in development across the globe.
But, Wesley Chapel will be the first in this country. After Epperson, Metro is scheduled to build a lagoon near the Mirada development just south of S.R. 52, also in the Connected City. It also has plans to build in the Riverview area and in Fort Myers. For more info, visit MetroPlaces.com or Facebook.com/CrystalLagoonWC.
