Pasco County, Fl

ENVM 653

Pasco County, Fl Tourism: Attractions and Transportation Hand in Hand Bonnie Aylor / 0801736

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PASCO COUNTY, FL_AYLORB

November 25, 2012

Table of Contents Executive Summary ......................................................................................................... 4 Welcome to Pasco County ............................................................................................... 6 Brief History ............................................................................................................... 6 Residential Stats .......................................................................................................... 6 Economy ..................................................................................................................... 6 Things to Consider ...................................................................................................... 6 Pasco County Land Management Issues .......................................................................... 7 Overview ..................................................................................................................... 7 Urban Land Management Study .................................................................................. 7 ULI’s Recommended Growth Plan Goals: ............................................................... 8 Effect on County Operations ....................................................................................... 9 Further Notations ......................................................................................................... 9 Pasco County Tourist Attractions .................................................................................... 9 Overview of Wesley Chapel .......................................................................................... 10 Sport Park in Focus ....................................................................................................... 11 Things to Consider .................................................................................................... 11 The Major Drawback ................................................................................................. 11 Alternatives ............................................................................................................... 12 Other Sports Complexes ........................................................................................ 12 Sunwest Mines ...................................................................................................... 12 Other Considerations ................................................................................................. 13 Opinions .................................................................................................................... 13 Proposed Solutions for Transportation ........................................................................... 14 Ridge Road Dynamics ............................................................................................... 14 Discussion of Facts .................................................................................................... 14 Opinion of the County ............................................................................................... 15 Alternatives ............................................................................................................... 15 Tower Road ........................................................................................................... 15 East Toll Road ....................................................................................................... 15 Opinion ..................................................................................................................... 16 Good things about Ridge Road .................................................................................. 16 Serenova Tract .......................................................................................................... 16 Western Portion of County ........................................................................................ 16 Citizen Opinion ......................................................................................................... 17 Final Thoughts .......................................................................................................... 17 Conclusion .................................................................................................................... 17 County History .......................................................................................................... 17 Economic Boom ........................................................................................................ 18 Results of Recession .................................................................................................. 18 Possible Solutions...................................................................................................... 18 References ..................................................................................................................... 20 APPENDIX ................................................................................................................... 22 APPENDIX I City Limits Map – New Port Richey, Fl............................................... 23

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APPENDIX IIA Moonlake Rd – Moonlake Developments ........................................ 24 APPENDIX IIB Wesley Chapel – Wesley Chapel Developments .............................. 25 APPENDIX III Market Regions ................................................................................ 26 APPENDIX IV Bruce B Downs – Tampa Region ...................................................... 27 APPENDIX V High Vacancy Zone ........................................................................... 28 APPENDIX VIA Saddlebrooke Resort – Location .................................................... 29 APPENDIX VIB Paradise Lakes – Locations ............................................................ 30 APPENDIX VII I75 Access Routes – Shoppes at Wiregrass ...................................... 31 APPENDIX VIII Ridge Road Expanse ...................................................................... 32 APPENDIX IX Transient Plan Map .......................................................................... 33

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Executive Summary Pasco County is a much secluded “bed-town” located on the outskirts of the Tampa Metropolitan Area. The county houses over 16,000 residents. After the construction of the Suncoast Expressway Toll Road passing through the county with major stops at the east/west access roads, a slight spurt of development began to spur economic growth within the county. Small shopping and dining centers were built around the toll access points and some high priced housing developed was designed a little bit further. In 2005, one of Pasco’s old farm roads experienced the pleasures of the low housing market with some housing developments containing homes running in the 500K’s. The same situation occurred in the central portion of the county in Wesley Chapel, right off of the Bruce B. Downs highway starveling into Pasco from Tampa. Once the mortgage market went into the recession, so did the developments and Pasco’s new economy. Pasco enjoyed the splendor of the new economy and allowed a private organization to run a growth study on the county. Once the results were in, it was determined that Pasco would need to focus on some key issues. The biggest of these were:  Land use  Transportation, and  Economic development. One of the main ingredients that the county has planned for the economic development portion is to attract tourism to the county. Other than the central portion, the county is faced with a high vacancy rate to the west and a high rural zone to the east. The county would need to begin to build tourism through attracting tourists into its central corridor and then redirecting them to the east and west in a manner that would attract them to come back. Fortunately the high economic period brought about the development of the Shoppes of Wiregrass to the central portions, and the Florida Medical Center of Wesley Chapel. The area has also kicked up on its fine dining and low key entertainment opportunities. In order to attract more families from outside into the area, the county is faced with the question of whether or not to except a donation of a sport complex in the central corridor between the mall and the hospital. The big catch is that the county may be charged with the task of marketing venues to the complex and other maintenance and upkeep services. The donation will be made on behalf of the Porter Family, who own the Wiregrass Ranch and developed the Shoppes at Wiregrass. The donation, along with a donation of 100,000 lbs of fill dirt, will allow the Porters to divert $1 million from their income tax bill. Once the new complex is built, county officials will have to decide how residents will get to the venues. It is easy for outsiders to reach the complex with two local access points from Interstate 75 and a nearby access point from Interstate 275, of which Interstate 4 runs into. However, the only main access points for local residents are through the east/west access roads, St. Rd 54/56 and St. Rd 52. A lot of resident will have to travel considerably north or south to get to these access roads, and then they will have to travel the same distance again once they reach Bruce B Downs. The county has proposed to

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open up a new extension of Ridge Road to the west and to build a toll Road from Highway 301 in the east. The toll road has no current point of controversy and studies have already begun. However, the Ridge Road extension has brought in a world of adversaries. The Ridge Road extension would have to stretch through a major area preserved land. Although the preserved land is 6,533 acres in size and the planned road will need no more than 500 acres, if that much, citizens are concerned about the wildlife species that will be upturned. Some are also concerned about the wetlands that are protected in that area and how the extension will affect the wetlands. The preserve was already purchased in part as mitigation from the Suncoast Highway access point that runs close-by. However, business people are saying that the route, that is supposed to provide a midway access onto the Suncoast then stretch to north/south Highway 41, would make it much easier to travel to and from work, especially if the central portion were opened up as a center of economy as the county hopes. Furthermore, emergency planning experts are looking at it as another hurricane evacuation routes. The road will open up the area to a very scenic and well priced housing area of the west as they travel through to visit attraction such as the new Congo River Golf, Gulfview Square Mall, or even the new Hilton Homestead Suites entertaining the western side of the county. This could help invite developers to reconstruct the vacant areas and develop in the west end. County officials are looking at it positively. Decision or no, both developments appear to go hand in hand. Without something to get people into the county, there will be no discovering Pasco. However, without easy access to the rest of the county, visitors may go elsewhere, such as to Busch Gardens Tampa Bay which is located just up the road off of Bruce B Downs.

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Welcome to Pasco County Brief History Pasco County has history that dates all the way back to 900-1500 AD with the settlement of the Tocobagan Native American Tribe. Upon docking of a carrier boat navigated by Panfilo de Narveaz and his resulting journey Noeth, the land of Pasco County was discovered. After the building of the military access road and its finalization in 1826, citizens began to navigate to Pasco from Tampa and to build structures along its west end corridor. The tally steadily grew and more citizens became aware of the region and public railways were included for transportation of goods to and from Brooksville and Tampa. In 1909, the building of a 35 mile access road between Dade City and the northern Coastal region of Hudson, also spurred the onset of development and new residential access to the area. A new lumber plant was opened and the population scale increased for the thousands to the 11,000 mark (Fivay 2012).

Residential Stats Currently Pasco County houses a larger number of residents in a series of market regions and also boasts the conservation of hundreds of thousands of acres of agricultural, rural and untouched lands in other areas. As an illustration of the population mix, a 2008 Urban Land Institute (ULI) report shows that the central west market region, stretching into the coastal zone, of New Port Richey had a population of 16,645. The South-Eastern market corridor city of Zephryhills came in close behind with a population of 12,579. The small western region city of Port Richey was home to 3,205 residents while our eastern region of St Leo has 12,250 and our eastern Dade City sector had 958 (ULI, 2008). By 2008 the population in Tampa had reached 449,490 (ULI 2008) and 464,697 by 2010 (US Census, 2012).

Economy The employment rate in 2010 for Pasco County was at 16.2 percent for nonfarm private employment. Of those people over 16 years old only 51% were employed in the civilian labor force and .11% employed in the armed forces. Of those employed, 82% drove alone, 10.2% carpooled, 0.4% utilized public transport, 0.84% walked, 1.7% used other means of transportation and 4.8% worked from home (US Census, 2012). This may suggest that transportation could be a main cause of unemployment since the mean drive time was 30 minutes and the majority of those working actually used their own transportation (US Census, 2012). Most jobs are located too far from the county for residents to find adequate transportation for employment.

Things to Consider Pasco County was formed as a reprieve for those working in the Metro Area to find a peaceful place to rest at night, outside of the hustle and bustle of the big city (P. Bipin, Personal Communication, September 17, 2012). The residents needed to be able to have access to resources and entertainment without having to return to the city outside of work hours. The county formed restaurants, groceries, malls and other amenities to cater to that

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need. However, a good portion of the county has always preferred to remain virtually traffic free, enjoying large land and agricultural opportunities (Fivay, 2012). Long-time residents can give historical accounts of how one of the southwest market area hospitals was once surrounded by cattle farm and the “mobsters” that once worked to develop the county built the hospital right through it using permits from the City Hall. This same story has served to explain the reason why the town of New Port Richey actually forms a u-shape around the town of Port Richey rather than to obtain separation by regular means of pass through town borders (Appendix I, City Maps). The mobsters worked to form the hospitals, along with other local amenities, while Port Richey maintained its population with residents wanting to maintain low traffic to and from the town and preserve ranchlands. Although much of the area did get developed and Port Richey is now a highly populated residential zone, some would say the farmers won. This is due to the everlasting attitude against travels going in and out of the city. These patterns of contempt have contributed to the transportation dilemma currently at hand throughout the county.

Pasco County Land Management Issues Overview In 2005 the county experienced a large peak in housing development construction along the central and south corridors (ULI, 2008)(Fivay, 2012). These developments were filled with fancy, high dollar homes that were slightly unlike the average residents throughout the county (APPENDIX IIA, Moonlake Map)(APPENDIX IIB, Wesley Chapel Map). The cause; during that time mortgage rates were at an all time low and government funding for housing was at an all time high. However, that wasn’t a forever incentive and development slowly eased down. To compliment this development, the new Tampa extension of the Veteran’s Expressway toll system, the Suncoast Highway, was extended up into Brooksville, traveling through the central and northern market regions of the county providing access at State Rds 54 and 52 (Kinsler, 2012). These access points spurred the uprising of small consumer centers to greet travelers as they entered and exited the toll road. Once the developments slowed and the county could see the difference between the economies during the high development period compared to the ensuing years, they wanted to find solutions. The ULI was the organization with ample capabilities to supply some advice for the county’s economic development (P. Bipin, Personal Communication, 2012).

Urban Land Management Study The first thing that the ULI did in order to make a recommendation for the county was to split the county up into specific market regions depending on their land management features. These are as follows: The

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  

Coastal region to the west side of US Hwy 19 along the Gulf of Mexico, Inland west, just below the central region and to the east of US Hwy 19 Central portion consisting of central properties stretching three quarters of the way south from the north,  Southern region along St. Rd 54, and  Eastern portions of the county stretching parallel with Hwy 301. (ULI, 2008)(Comprehensive Plan, 2011)(Appendix III, Market Regions) This separating of the county into regions enabled the ULI to look at each sector of the county for what it would be able to contribute to an economic development plan. For instance the Eastern portion of the development would grow best with the use of industrial business to attract income into the region while the Coastal Zone would profit most from the reorganization of housing systems and the growth of small businesses along its vacant commercial corridor (ULI, 2008). The development hot spot actually emerged itself as a privy to the South Central portion of the county, where the county extends from a development corridor along the outstretches of Tampa. This development would basically extend Tampa’s current development north into Pasco County along its St Rd 54 and 56 sectors (APPENDIX IV, Bruce B Downs Map). However, Pasco hopes that new development in the South Central corridor will be more proficient at attracting growth because the housing units are newer and the shopping facilities are more modern than the historically booming economic sectors of Tampa (P. Bipin, Personal Communication, 2012)(K. Wiley, Personal Communication, 2012).

ULI’s Recommended Growth Plan Goals: The ULI pinpoints five key areas of interest to use for zoning a growth management program:  Transportation  Growth management  Land use  Environmental protection  Job creation, and  The fiscal health of Pasco County itself (P. Bipin, Personal Communication, 2012) Each market area of the county was analyzed for specific criteria including challenges, market area vision, market area neighborhood improvement strategies, market area regional infrastructure system strategies, and job enhancement strategies (ULI, 2008). After the overall county analysis it was determined that the key to growth in the county rested in these three areas:  Land use  Transportation, and  Economic development (P. Bipin, Personal Communication, 2012).

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Effect on County Operations These criteria were used as a skeleton in the creation of the county’s current comprehensive plan. After considering these recommendations, the county was able to set specific agendas for each region. The county also used this plan to create an incentive option to ensure that growth would follow the goals specified from the comprehensive plan (Comprehensive Plan, 2011). One major enforcer is the use of increasing impact fees according to the area of development. The target region for development is the south central region along St Rd 54 and 56; if a developer wants to create a housing development along with a center of economy there will be zero impact fees, otherwise the impact fees will vary on an increasing scale the further from the plan the developer gets. This distance is measured in both concept and market region selection (Fees, 2012)(P. Bipin, Personal Communication, 2012).

Further Notations In the midst of the excitement over the development prospects of the south central region, it might appear that the inline west and coastal regions have been completely neglected. In some sense this may be true, however in other areas it is not. The Main Street division of the Inline West region has been determined as a tourist attraction shopping center (visitpasco, 2012) and the coastal region still houses one of the county’s malls. The Gulf View Square mall has stimulated the growth of other small businesses around the area of the mall such as a few small restaurants, a party store, an electronic outlet, and other shopping and dining pleasures. However, a major drawback in developing the necessary growth needed for these market regions to flourish is in discovering ways to attract the developers required to spur such growth. The situation is further complicated when considering the level of vacant properties in the northern section of the Inland West and the number of vacant commercial buildings along the coast, in the Inland West and especially along the northern tip of the Inland West where it meets one of the major access roads, St Rd 52 (APPENDIX V, Vacancy Maps). The best way for the county to attract developers is to supply a need through tourism. Tourism invites guests into the county and opens up the desire for the county to provide accommodations.

Pasco County Tourist Attractions When visiting the county’s tourism web site, visitpasco.com, the viewer would be surprised. The web site appears to display a wonderland of tourist activities. The web site’s designer did an excellent job in providing pictures of actual spots within the county that would look vastly appealing to any newcomer. Once the viewer begins to browse the website for things to do and places to stay, it becomes immediately apparent that the county needs to expand on tourism opportunities. The main tourist attraction for the county is the dozen nudist resorts throughout the county, the 20 public and private golf courses, and ecotourism (visitpasco, 2012). Since the nudist colony reaches out to an obscure population and not the general population, these colonies could not be considered an adequate tourist attraction. The Golf courses

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make a great asset to the county; however most of them are located as housing units and mostly cater to residents housed within them. Saddlebrook Resorts makes a great vacation spot, yet one must consider that the complexity of the course and the price of a stay would also only draw in a selected bunch of tourists (Saddlebrook, 2012). Both Saddlebrook resorts and one of the major nudist colonies, Paradise Islands, is located within that South Central corridor (APPENDIX VI A&B, Resort Maps). The ecotourism opportunities bring in a great deal of local visitors from the Tampa Metro region. These opportunities are mainly related to county preserves, parks and trailways. The county recently began to charge a small fee to park within property boundaries at such facilities via toll stations (Parks and Rec, 2012). This charge began around the summer of 2009, shortly after the ULI plan had been recommended. Residents can also purchase annual passes to park on the grounds, providing a reduction in fees for those that visit them often. These passes do provide a small income to the county, however the entire function and capability of the ecotourism program does not generate the kind of income that large attraction commodities normally incite. This is because visitors are mainly local; they come for the day, bring their own food, cook out and then go home. There is no utilization of hotels, restaurants or convenience shops to obtain forgotten necessities. In this regards, it would seem imperative for the county to begin developing tourist attractions into their new development plans, beginning with the South Central zone and then branching into other areas of the county. County planners have expressed similar opinions as they have started to decipher future growth plans. One recent option that has surfaced that could work to solve the need for new tourist attractions in the county is the design and construction of a new sport complex in the Wesley Chapel region of St Rd 54 and 56 (Logan, 2012).

Overview of Wesley Chapel Wesley Chapel is a quaint 6.1 miles town located in one of the most profitable regions of Pasco County, where the southern access roads meet Tampa’s Bruce B Downs Highway (City Data, 2012). The county has already built one of the Metro area’s most prestigious malls, the Shoppes of Wiregrass, in that region. Consumers that happen to be traveling through Busch Gardens, touring one of the major universities, or looking to take advantage of New Tampa’s various dining delicacies might stroll north to visit the mall, the YMCA or one of the northern dining delights. Wesley Chapel currently houses ~44,092 individuals with 14,491 households carrying a mean value of $211,800 and a medium income of $69,673 (WC CDP, 2010). It is already one of the more wealthy areas of the county. The city’s residential structure permits 3.7 houses per acre, on average, and is about a 4 house per acre lot size (City Data, 2012) (WC CDP, 2010). New developments feature a lot of multifamily units designed with luxury and style, fit for a compact growth scheme and prestigious enough to match a high-income area.

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Sport Park in Focus A major thing to consider when determining if the development of a sports park is profitable is to determine the potential market for sports within the county, including its surrounding areas. Pasco County has a large interest in sports, of many kinds. The region hosts many leagues of common team sports, such as basketball, football, soccer, volleyball, softball, etc, a large number of fighting sports, nature sports, equestrian sports, running and racing sports, fishing sports, skating sports and a number of other sports (visitpasco, 2012). One of the major recreational centers features a large bike and skateboard park (NPR Recreation, 2012). Most of the prosperous fitness and recreation facilities also provide the opportunity to join a swim team, contributing to major swim competitions in the region. If a child cannot join a certain sport at a chosen school, s/he can always join a team from the various sports competition corporations that offer business throughout the region. Many facilities also offer the same sports for adult teams.

Things to Consider Outlying areas also provide a lush atmosphere for sports. The Tampa Metro region is home to the Raymond James Football Stadium, home of the Buccaneers, the Yankees Training field, and Tropicana Field, which is home to the Rays. The area also provides facilities for horse racing, dog racing, and various specific types of automobile racing. The Honda Indie Grand Prix visits downtown St. Petersburg on an annual basis to provide enjoyment for the average car and drifting enthusiast. Sports are a major theme throughout the Tampa Metro Area. Sports are also a major theme in the development of the Metro Area economy. Before one would even begin to evaluate the region for the tourist specific value of a sport complex, it becomes apparent that such a complex would be a good decision for mitigating flow from Tampa into Pasco on a localized level.

The Major Drawback The Porters, who own the Wiregrass Ranch property in Wesley Chapel, originally proposed the Sports Complex Design as a donation. A portion of this property was previously used for the building of the Wiregrass Mall. Such a donation would allow the Porter’s to deduct a large portion from their Corporate Taxes, with the addition of another 100,000 yards of fill dirt for the property, they would be able to deduct $1 million from income taxes (Kinsler, 11/2012)(Logan, 2012)(Manion, 2012). The county can look at this on many levels. First, the value of the Porter’s corporate taxes would be secured, however the park and fill dirt are not fiscal commodities but physical properties. In order to have funds in other areas of the budget, the county would have to give up a few other donations that the Porters have provided in the past; including their bid for the sports

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complex planning and a donated property meant to be used as a tennis stadium next to Saddlebrook (Kinsler, 11/2012)(Logan, 2012)(Manion, 2012). The combinations of the three losses together make the sport complex construction project risky. To enhance the risky nature of the deal, the Porters are now considering that the county will be in charge of the maintenance and upkeep of the sport complex, which could become a costly ordeal.

Alternatives Other Sports Complexes Other bidders have placed proposals for new county youth sport complexes around the area. Recently the Board of County Commissioners was charged with the decision to pass a zoning exception for a sport park located within a rural residential area of Dade City. Although the park could compliment the features of the area it was designed for, many residents had complaints. The Park was to be built on a currently vacant acreage that houses an old mobile home and serves as a water washout zone for some local public water sources. The park really won’t disturb the current use of the land because it will be developed as an outdoor sport park. The only indoor facility planned for the park is the use of the existing mobile home for an office and administrative center. The residents are dissatisfied with the projected level of traffic that will be flowing in and out of the “two lane road” that exists as an entry point for the parks property. Environmental controls can be placed throughout the park to make it less impacting in regards to traffic. The project’s developers have proposed to limit places for parking and to use grass-conserving surfaces for the parking lot. Furthermore, the land will be contoured so that runoff will run into an onsite retention pond for filtration. The last status of the application before the BCC was a denial of the exception request because the zoning and purpose of the park does not require the use of an exception. It is recommended that the parks developers apply for a specified license after holding a public review meeting (PC, 2012).

Sunwest Mines Over to the west of the county, along the Northern Coastal Region, the Sunwest Mines has been proposed for retirement into a developed water park and residential community. The designs boast the inclusion of boat access, water parks, hotels, fitness areas, shopping, a new golf course, and a sport complex. It offers to place the amenities among a new housing community built straight atop of the mines (Sunwest, 2007)(Sunwest Comp, 2010). The designs beg to provide an excellent solution for inviting tourists to the region, comparable to Saddlebrook with a greater number of residential units. Coastal zone residents are just as objectionable to this development as they are to the Dade City development, and for much the same reason. Residents throughout Pasco appear entirely adverse to any development that will bring in more traffic to specific outer limit regions. In response, Harbourtown engineers have suggested to open Aripeka Rd, located at the Northern Tip of the county, as the access road to and from the development, directing traffic away from the Old Dixie Road currently traversed by citizens living in the Sea Pines community, directly adjacent to the mines (Sunwest, 2007)(Sunwest Comp, 2010).

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Other Considerations With the current traffic already passing in and out of the Wiregrass Mall and Wesley Chapel Florida Medical Center, traffic is not an issue in the South Central region. Residents are enthusiastic about the park. The park is set to maintain its presence right in between the Wiregrass Mall and Wesley Chapel Florida Medical Center (Kinsler, 11/2012)(Logan, 2012)(Manion, 2012). The design also compliments the smart growth theme by providing for a mixed area use of the land. Sports parks contain mostly open land that remains fertile during its use, providing for a rich resource of future development should such a need arise. Its location also provides for an easily navigable access route that outsiders could follow in order to take advantage of park commodities or engage in competition since it is located on the extension from Bruce B Downs and right near the I75 access point (APPENDIX VII, Access Map). The best part is that these access routes already exist. According to the current status of negotiations, Pasco County would have to hire an outside organization to market and run the park for tournaments and other events. The park is set to include concession stands and many trails. Revenues from the park would go back into the tourism funds used to help build the park. Commissioners Jack Mariono and John Gallagher both support the development (Kinsler, 11/2012)(Logan, 2012)(Manion, 2012).

Opinions Since the Wiregrass Ranch area is now in the plan as a starting point for the county’s development, it is largely important to be able to attract visitors to the area. Sports are a major theme among citizens of the county; every weekend parks and recreational facilities are packed with youth sports tournaments. Many of the youth athletes engage in multiple sports so that when one sport is in recession, the children can always participate in a different sport. Expanding venues into the wiregrass mall area would also bring attention to the new features of the area and attract new regular visitors. The marketing portion is risky; however with the right kind of strategy the facility would be able to host state and national championships. People from all over could enjoy the areas new amenities, basking in the splendor of local hotels while enjoying a night out for fancy dining opportunities. Even though the sports complex is located in a central portion of the county, many of the county’s own residents may experience slight trouble transporting from their portion of the county to the sports complex. This is because, other than the toll road and interstate that runs to and from Tampa or St. Petersburg, the only other access roads throughout the county are State Rd 52 and State Rd 54 heading east and west and US Hwy 19 heading north and South bordering the coastal market zone into Pinellas County. Residents would need one or more access routes in order to travel back and forth easily for the complex, the mall or even for the projected new level of job growth that is to occur in the area. Access should be provided for both the East and far West areas of the county.

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Proposed Solutions for Transportation There have been two major proposals made in order to address the transportation question for those living within the county. The county currently maintains a road running through the central market area from the north down into the inland market area called Moon Lake Rd. This road has attracted developers in the past that have built multiple high dollar housing communities on the west side of the road. The road connects residents to the St. Rd 52 access road from the River Ridge Community. The River Ridge Community consists of a good number of medium income housing communities, a shopping center, and one of the areas better school zones.

Ridge Road Dynamics Having access to St. Rd 52 allows these residents to decide if they want to travel east into Dade City and 301, east to Land O Lakes to travel through Lutz into Tampa via US Hwy 41, or to take the Suncoast Parkway Toll into downtown Tampa or St. Petersburg (APPENDIX VIII, Ridge Rd Map). The road also runs into Ridge Rd to the South, which stretches over to the western access road, US Hwy 19, to travel into Pinellas. Travelers have also take Moon Lake to Decubellis Rd that will allow them to access Starkey Blvd for a south going trip to the other east west extension, St, Rd 54 (APPENDIX VIII, Ridge Rd Map). Proposals have been made to extend this road horizontally so that the eastern end stretches into a quicker access point to Suncoast Parkway and then on over to US Hwy 41. The construction of this extension would create an entrance to the toll road halfway between the St. Rd 52 and St Rd 54 entrances (Kinsler, 2012)(Orth, 2012)(Audubon, 2011). Residents living in the center of the county could easily access the toll road into Tampa and St Petersburg or skip past the entrance straight over the US Hwy 41 for a faster commute to the Zephryhills, Wesley Chapel, Land O’ Lakes area.

Discussion of Facts The extension has brought about much controversy with local residents. In order for the road to be constructed further east, it would have to cut into the current Serenova Tract hiking preserve. This is a western corridor camping, equestrian, hiking and fishing spot comprised of 6,533 acres of preserved wetlands (Serenova, 2012). The county is currently going back and forth between the Army Corps of Engineers to obtain environmental permits to construct the highway. The commissioners state that the extension was planned when the Suncoast Toll Road was extended through the county (Kinsler, 2012)(Orth, 2012)(Waxlier, 2011). A portion of the Serenova Property was preserved to mitigate environmental impacts of the toll road; construction of the extension would cut right into that property. In order to re-mitigate the effects of both, the county has bought 500 more acres of land. They have also included plans for runoff filtration ponds, animal underpass tunnels, and fences along the edges of the extension to keep wildlife from crossing onto the property, and

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many other environmental controls that would make the access road an environmentally sound venture(Kinsler, 2012)(Orth, 2012)(Waxlier 2011). Residents are saying that the controls are not enough. The Audubon Society has prepared a list of sensitive bird species that habitat the preserve that would be affected by the access road (Audubon, 2011). Planners respond that the fences would be built high enough so that the birds would have to fly over it intentionally if they wanted to get to the other side. Others have mentioned that most wild life wouldn’t be willing to crawl under the berms without prodding and the highway would only limit their habitat space. Army Corps of Engineers have asked for a new species list and a discussion of alternatives to the extension (Kinsler, 2012)(Ortho, 2012).

Opinion of the County County officials are concerned that the road is needed to relieve current traffic congestion. There are already plans to extend the St. Rd 54 highway between Gunn Highway running into Tampa and US Hwy 41, running north and south between Hernando county and Downtown Tampa, from a four lane highway into a six lane highway. Traffic is highly congested in the area during business hours, so much so that it is stop and go even with the four-lane highway that was only recently widened (Kinsler, 2012)(Ortho, 2012). This congestion is another factor that creates such a long commute time for residents. The extension would also allow a clearer bus route into the US Hwy 41, Land O’ Lakes area (APPENDIX IX, Transient Map, 2008). County officials are also stating that the extension would make for an extra hurricane evacuation route. To provide further explanation of the need, experts show how St. Rd 54 has been closed in the past after large storms due to flooding, requiring residents to really need another route (Kinsler, 2012)(Ortho, 2012).

Alternatives Tower Road One of the alternatives that the Army Corps of Engineers has solicited information about is the Tower Road extension, stretching from Gunn Highway diagonally through the west central region to connect with the Ridge Rd Suncoast access point and over to US Hwy 41. County officials state that they never considered this plan to extend Tower Rd into a four-lane highway to US 41, with an overpass at the Suncoast, as an alternative to the Ridge Rd extension. They never even planned for the Tower Rd construction to actually create a Suncoast access point. The road was meant as one other alternative to relieve the congestion from US Hwy 54 only (Kinsler, 2012)(Ortho, 2012). The location of the road would provide easy access to the coastal market region or inland west residents. These residents would still have to travel to St. Rd 54 to access the new road or to St Rd 52 and down US Hwy 41 to the entrance point. The Ridge Rd extension would open easy access for the two regions.

East Toll Road The only other major transportation route planned for the area is a proposal for a toll road extension between highway 301 in Dade City and the US Hwy 41 access, allowing for

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exit and entry around the wiregrass area. This really would not serve as an alternative to the Ridge Rd extension because it works on the opposite end of the county. Residents of the Eastern corridor would have easier access to the new developments, the mall, the sport park and any new employment opportunities. It does, however, relieve some of the congestion from the St. Rd 54 east/west access road by re-mitigating traffic from the east along a different route (BCC, 2012)(Kinsler, 2012).

Opinion A major issue that has occurred throughout the county, creating a barrier to growth, is the residents constant opposition to traffic congestion and transportation solutions. It seems that when they aren’t objecting about potential new traffic traveling into a particular spot, they are complaining about the solutions developed to resolve traffic congestion issues. Many of the residents that do work travel, on average, around 30 minutes to and from work every day. They experience congestion regularly when traveling through access roads. It’s frustrating.

Good things about Ridge Road Ridge Road is short road located in the center of the coastal and inland west market regions. It would seem obvious that an extension of this road would be the best option for diverting some of the traffic from St. Rd 54 and St Rd 52 during commuting times. The road would be built through some of the more attractive sections of the county, allowing travelers to gain a positive impression of the area as they pass through the area. However, building on such sensitive land is a risky subject.

Serenova Tract As it currently stands, the Serenova Tract preserves 6,533 acres of preserved land. The county estimates the displacement of 500 acres of land, at most, for the project. In this regards, another 500 acre property is already under acquisition to make up for the loss. Displacement values do get slightly more complicated then that. The berms and underpasses and fences and general restructuring of wildlife pathways makes the physical difference of 500 acres, just under a mile, a small estimate of the trouble it would be to retrain the animals to live amongst the new habitat. This isn’t to say it couldn’t be done. It almost appears that the extension is a necessity for the coastal and inland west portions of the county.

Western Portion of County The western area of the county has been neglected for a long time. The residential and commercial zones are full of over 100,000 vacant properties. It could be theorized that a large cause of this vacancy is the lack of access to other areas. Having a clear access route to economic zones would be a great opportunity for the two market regions. Although citizens that inhabit the area are adverse about traffic, the Coastal zone entertains a movie theatre, two show theatres, and many dining experiences, local beaches with boat access, seven hotels, a Congo River Golf park, a Monster Mini Golf, a skating rink, a local mall, and many other amenities. Another east/west access road providing a smooth route between Land O’ Lakes, US Hwy 41, the Suncoast Expressway

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and other high traffic areas would invite a greater level of local tourism, at least. The road has its complications, but the level of vacancies and lack of ability to maintain buildings in the region due to the lack of economic growth causes an entirely different environmental complication.

Citizen Opinion Citizens appear concerned that the road will create a larger level of sprawl. There are only so many different things that people can do with their free time. The more opportunities for general entertainment located in more areas would actually create the opposite situation. With more local access and more local entertainment choices, less people would have to travel the overridden roads into Tampa, Clearwater and St. Petersburg. I’m not 100 percent sure that the residents concerned with sprawl are completely knowledgeable in regards to what exactly sprawl is. I think they are concerned that sprawl may be the occurrence of a higher local level of traffic. They aren’t seeing that the term refers to the high level of traffic traveling over the 10 – 35 mile subzone outside of the immediate Metro Center of Tampa. The residents are highly mistaken.

Final Thoughts The Tower Road and Ridge Road extensions would work well hand in hand because traffic would divert slightly onto the Suncoast Expressway at the Ridge Road access point before flowing out onto the Suncoast to US 41 portions of the road where Ridge and Tower would intersect. The new compaction of traffic would only maintain the previous flow of the two roads separate from each other. In any regards, the area needs to find new and better ways to attract developers to the area to renovate the current buildings and bring in more economy.

Conclusion County History Pasco County was built as an alternative residential zone for citizens to escape the work life, hustle and bustle of Tampa to settle on larger private lots with a more peaceful atmosphere, maintaining much lower traffic flows. Over the years more and more people flowed into the area, bringing small economies with them. The county developed a city counsel as a resource for mitigating utilities, transportation and other necessities for the ever growing residential population. Lots continued to sell at low prices while residents continued to demand shopping, hospitals, restaurants and other amenities. The county exercised its own financial industries as well. On the east end the county ran cattle ranches, citrus groves, wineries, and lumberyards. On the west end the county benefited from the peat mines, sponge docks and the fishing industries. A railway

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stretched through the central and east portions of the county allowing the transportation of goods between Tampa and Brooksville. As certain resources along county corridors became exploited or retired, residents began to move out of the area. Long time residents aged and eventually their lots became vacant, residents enjoying previously secluded localities moved out of the area to head north from the ever-growing residential area.

Economic Boom During the early 21st century the county enjoyed the luxury of the low cost housing and mortgage market by approving luxurious housing developments constructed through-out the county. The county also enjoyed the luxury of the new Suncoast Expressway extension and the small shopping and dining centers that accompanied the access points. When the economy fell and the housing market shut down the county went into a slight recession.

Results of Recession The recession quickly “woke-up” the county to realize that something needed to be done to create more economic growth. After having a study conducted about the county, it became apparent that one of the biggest barriers to overcome in creating this growth was to invite tourism. Another major factor was the development of better transportation alternatives.

Possible Solutions Two items weighing heavily on the agenda are the creation of a sport complex between the Wiregrass Mall and the Florida Medical Center Wesley Chapel; and the rerouting of traffic flows from the current east/west access roads with another extension halfway between inviting access to the vacant coastal and inland west zones. Although most citizens are very supportive of the sport complex, the same majority are objectionable to the Ridge Rd extension that would provide more access to different areas of the county and to economic centers in the Tampa Metro area. Objections to any sort of transportation-involved solution have been a lingering pattern among county residents. With the development of the Peat mines into the Harbourtowne Luxury zone, the construction of many entertainment and travelors accommodation units long the coastal and inland west zones, it would seem that a third access road to the major highways and toll roads would be a necessity for inviting tourism to the area. In order to fill the current vacant commercial lots and residential units, exposure to the area from outside sources is a must. With the development of the sport complex marketing state and national venues to the area, the county needs to find a greater range of solutions to redirect visitors throughout the county and stray them away from sprawling into the attractive Busch Gardens, Lowry Park and International Mall zones of the Greater Tampa Area. The access roads could be a good solution for making this diversion possible.

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Without the development of the sports complex, there may not be enough general attractions to invite visitors into the region. This would make the access road obsolete except to divert sprawl into more areas of the county. Basically, for growth to occur the county would need to approve both construction projects. One without the other would just contribute to the current big picture problem.

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References (2007). Sunwest Harbourtowne. Retrieved from: http://www.sunwestpasco.com/ (2008). Pasco County Florida: Planning and Organizing for Successful Economic Development. An Advisory Services Panel Report. ULI-Urban Land Institute. Washington, DC. (2010). Sunwest Harbourtowne. Pasco Couty, Fl, Pasco County Government. Retrieved from: http://fl-pascocounty.civicplus.com/index.aspx?NID=1528 (2011). The Comprehensive Plan of Unincorporated Pasco County. Pasco County Planning and Growth Management Department. Retrieved from: http://www.pascocountyfl.net/index.aspx?nid=1248 (2011). Say NO to The Ridge Road Extension in Pasco County. Audubon of Florida News, Audubon of Florida. Retrieved from: http://audubonoffloridanews.org/?p=10398 (2012). Board of County Commissioners, Pasco County, Florida: Unofficial Annotated Agenda. Historic Pasco County Courthouse, Board Room, 2nd Floor. Retrieved from: http://pasco.siretechnologies.com/Sirepub/agdocs.aspx?doctype=minutes&itemid =112943 (2012). Chapter 1300 Concurrency, Mobility and Impact Fees, Land Development Code. Pasco County, Fl Pasco County Government. Retrieved from: http://www.pascocountyfl.net/index.aspx?NID=1340 (2012). Memoranda Number: ZN12-075. Pasco County Planning Commission, Zoning and Site. Pasco County, Florida. Retrieved from: http://pasco.siretechnologies.com/Sirepub/agdocs.aspx?doctype=minutes&itemid =91233 (2012). Parks and Recreation. Pasco County, Fl; Pasco County Government. Retrieved from: http://www.pascocountyfl.net/index.aspx?NID=252 (2012). Parks and Recreation: Recreation and Aquatic Center. New Port Richey, Live Work Play. Retrieved from: http://cityofnewportrichey.org/index.aspx?nid=146 (2012). Saddlebrook, Tampa. Saddlebrook Resort. Retrieved from: http://www.saddlebrook.com/our_resort.html

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(2012). Serenova Tract. Southwest Florida Water Management District. Retrieved from: http://www.swfwmd.state.fl.us/recreation/areas/starkey-serenova.html (2012). State and County Quick Facts: Pasco County, Fl. Unites State Department of Commerce: US Census Bureau. Retrieved from: http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/12/12101.html (2012). A Timeline. History of Pasco County. Retrieved from: http://www.fivay.org/pasco1.html (2012). Welcome to Pasco County!. Pasco County Florida, It’s Only Natural. Retrieved from: http://visitpasco.net/ (2012). Wesley Chapel, Fl. City-Data.com. Retrieved from: http://www.citydata.com/city/Wesley-Chapel-Florida.html (2012). Wesley Chapel CDP, Fl. U.S. Department of Commerce, United States Census Bareau. Retrieved from: http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/12/1275875.html Kinsler, L. (2012). Pasco administrator backs plan for youth sports complex. Tampa Bay Online, Pasco News. Retrieved from: http://www2.tbo.com/news/pasconews/2012/nov/04/panewso1-pasco-administrator-backs-plan-for-youth-ar553298/ Kinsler, L. (2012). Corps Wants More Information on Ridge Road Extension Plan. The Tampa Tribune, Pasco Tribune. Retrieved from: http://www2.tbo.com/news/pasco/2012/jul/27/1/panewso1-corps-wants-moreinformation-on-ridge-roa-ar-443053/ L. Logan. (2012). Wiregrass Mall Pitches New Deal for Pasco County Sports Complex. Tampa Bay Times. Retrieved from: http://www.tampabay.com/news/localgovernment/wiregrass-ranch-pitches-newdeal-for-pasco-county-sports-complex/1257965 Manion, B.C. (2012). Pasco County Could Gain Major Sports Complex. Community News Publications. Retrieved from: http://cnewspubs.com/wp/?p=12249 Orth, C. (2012) Ridge Road Extension Could get Regional Priority. Hernando Today, Hernando News: A Division of the Tampa Tribune. Retrieved from: http://www2.hernandotoday.com/news/hernando-news/2012/oct/14/haobito1ridge-road-extension-could-get-regional-p-ar-532360/ Waxler, E. (2011). The Debate of a Ridge Road Expansion in Pasco County Remains Alive After Ten Years. ABC Action News. http://www.abcactionnews.com/dpp/news/region_pasco/the-debate-over-a-ridgeroad-expansion-in-pasco-county-remains-alive-after-ten-years

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APPENDIX

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APPENDIX I City Limits Map – New Port Richey, Fl

Retrieved from: http://cityofnewportrichey.org/index.aspx?NID=233

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APPENDIX IIA Moonlake Rd – Moonlake Developments

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APPENDIX IIB Wesley Chapel – Wesley Chapel Developments

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APPENDIX III Market Regions

(ULI p17, 2008)

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APPENDIX IV Bruce B Downs – Tampa Region

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APPENDIX V High Vacancy Zone

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APPENDIX VIA Saddlebrooke Resort – Location

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APPENDIX VIB Paradise Lakes – Locations

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APPENDIX VII I75 Access Routes – Shoppes at Wiregrass

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APPENDIX VIII Ridge Road Expanse

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APPENDIX IX Transient Plan Map

Retrieved from: http://www.pascocountyfl.net/DocumentCenter/Home/View/3575

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