The Pasco County Commission has approved a rezoning for a development of 285 multifamily dwellings, on approximately 29.2 acres, at the southeast corner of State Road 52 and Old Pasco Road.
The development, known as Stillwell Pasco Station, will be maintained under a common ownership, said Barbara Wilhite, an attorney representing the applicant.
All of the structures abutting the Tampa Bay Golf & Country Club will be a single story, Wilhite said, and all of the buildings within the development will be a single story or two stories.
“This will be a high-end, built-to-rent project,” she said.
The expected demographics for the development is roughly 60% retirees and 40% young married couples.
Commissioner Ron Oakley voiced support for the development.
“This actually is a very good project. It’s done very well. It fits the community,” Oakley said.
Commissioner Kathryn Starkey also gave the project high marks for design: “I think this is the best one we’ve seen come through here, personally.”
But Elayne Ayan, who lives nearby on Princeville Drive, spoke in opposition.
“I, and dozens of my neighbors, oppose the Stillwell zoning application.”
She voiced concern about the rate of growth Pasco County is experiencing.
“There are six separate items for rezoning, just on today’s agenda, which creates over 7,000 new homes and millions of industrial/retail square footage, and that’s just today’s agenda.
“In just this year, within a couple miles of my house, dozens more projects have already been approved, tens of thousands of houses and millions more retail/office footage.
“The approvals seem to be done in a routine manner, like, ‘All is well,’ But I’m here to tell you something I think you already know ,and that’s that it’s not all well.
“Already, Pasco is the third-busiest county in the state for EMS calls. At the Aug. 9 board meeting, two people talked of the dangerously long response times for Pasco Fire EMS. One of the speakers said this has been brought to your attention a full year ago. Since then, has anything been done to fix this?
“How will this not be a catastrophe, when all of these approved projects are built and inhabited, adding tens of thousands of residents? The county’s firefighters have been asking the board for its help. This is a public safety issue, which should be a top priority.
“You’re not doing Pasco County residents any favors by building them new houses and inviting thousands of new people to move in, when our public safety infrastructure has not and cannot keep them safe.
“Pasco Fire EMS is struggling and has repeatedly asked for the board’s help. Instead, the board is approving thousands and thousands of new housing units every single month. It is inevitable the county will see an increase in traffic accidents, fires and medical emergencies.
“How is it responsible to continue to approve such rapid new growth without properly resolving the essential required Fire EMS/public safety concern?
“I urge you to pause rezoning approvals, at least in the Route 52/75 area (State Road 52/Interstate 75). People’s lives are truly at stake and this is why I, and my neighbors, oppose the Stillwell rezoning,” she said.
Chairwoman Starkey asked interim County Administrator Mike Carballa to address the Fire Rescue question.
Carballa responded: “We have a number of new fire stations that are either under construction, under design or in process. We recognize that we’re catching up on a lot of that. We also are putting in a lot more money for additional apparatus and equipment for Fire Rescue, so those items are coming forward.”
He also noted that a big chunk of proposed budget involves investments in Fire Rescue.
Commissioner Mike Moore said the Tampa Bay Golf & Country Club, which is next to the planned development could prove to be an amenity that will provide enjoyment for retirees moving into the area.
Starkey also noted: “This area is going to be filled in, as time goes by. Because everyone wants to live in Florida right now.”
Published August 31, 2022
