New development is headed to vacant land fronting the Lexington Oaks subdivision.
The Pasco County Commission approved a change to the county’s comprehensive land use plan, and a zoning amendment, to allow for the development of a residential and commercial project at Lexington Oaks Boulevard and Wesley Chapel Boulevard.
The boulevard is within the wider Wesley Chapel area, at the epicenter of new growth in Pasco. Lexington Oaks Boulevard is the entry into the Lexington Oaks residential community.
The California-based developer, Specialty Restaurants Corp., proposes to build up to 200 apartments or condominiums and 300,000 square feet of retail. An assisted living or independent living facility could be constructed, too.
Developers worked with the Lexington Oaks Homeowners Association on issues related to interconnections with existing roads, and roads internal to the proposed development.
This proposal replaces one previously considered by Specialty Restaurants that did not include a residential component.
“It would have been pretty much a straight retail project,” said Clarke Hobby, the attorney representing the developer.
Development will happen north and south of Lexington Boulevard, under the names of Lexington Oaks Plaza North and Lexington Oaks Plaza South. An approximately 5-acre parcel in the southern portion was carved out of the project to potentially be developed separately.
The southern parcel is about 46 acres; the northern parcel about 23 acres.
Internal roads and driveways within the south parcel and the separate 5-acre parcel will have connectivity to Lexington Oaks Boulevard. There also will be access to Progress Parkway at Wesley Chapel Boulevard, which has a traffic signal.
This would just be the latest new development in the area.
Wesley Chapel Boulevard is dotted with subdivisions, such as Stagecoach, Cypress Estates and Grand Oaks.
It is a major corridor linking to State Road 54 and State Road 56 to the south, and the rapid commercial and residential development at that intersection.
Tampa Premium Outlets and Cypress Creek Town Center are adding to the retail sector. New hotels are open or are under construction. An apartment and retail development called Brighthouse Crossings is under construction behind the Walgreens drugstore, near the same intersection.
As more development emerges, Pasco is preparing to widen Wesley Chapel Boulevard.
Cypress Creek Town Center developers recently completed road widening immediately north of the State Road 54 and State Road 56 intersection.
Future county plans call for widening Wesley Chapel Boulevard to a six-lane divided roadway, with additional traffic signals. Some segments of Wesley Chapel Boulevard to the south are two lanes, but the roadway at Lexington Oaks is four lanes.
The widening will extend to just north of Magnolia Boulevard.
Bike lanes, a median, sidewalks on the eastern side of the boulevard and a multi-use trail also are included in the road design.
Published November 1, 2017
