The granting of emergency access to Hazel Avenue from a proposed 321-lot subdivision in Hudson was approved during the April 23 meeting of the Pasco County Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) held in New Port Richey.
The emergency access was part of a request made by Gary L. Blackwell Investments Inc., for the zoning of approximately 107.24 acres in northwest Pasco to be changed from A-R Agricultural-Residential District and A-C Agricultural District to Master Planned Unit Development (MPUD).
It was approved by a vote of 3-1. Commission Chairman Ronald Oakley of District 1, District 2 Commissioner Seth Weightman and District 5 Commissioner Jack Mariano voted in favor of the measure that was opposed by District 3 Commissioner Kathryn Starkey.
The Pasco County Planning Commission (PC) had voted against the proposed emergency access during its March 21 meeting.
The PC’s decision came after hearing testimony from several area residents who voiced their opposition to any vehicular access being granted to Hazel Avenue from the proposed subdivision.
Approving the emergency access was one of three options put before the BOCC on April 23. The other two options were to either grant no vehicular access at all to Hazel Avenue or to grant full access to Hazel Avenue.
Several of the same people who opposed the access on March 21 also spoke against it on April 23.
The subdivision’s developer, Meritage Homes, has agreed to contribute $250,000 toward the cost of improving sidewalks along Hudson Avenue that will be the main entrance to the subdivision, said Kamala E. “Kami” Corbett.
She is an attorney with the Clearwater office of the Law Firm of Hill Ward Henderson and was representing the applicant.
In addition, Corbett said, the developer will contribute $3,800,000 in mobility fees and would have no objection if that money was used to improve the intersection of Hudson Avenue and Cobra Way.
In other business on April 23, commissioners:
- Approved a construction contract with David Nelson Construction Company for a project to widen Wesley Chapel Boulevard/County Road 54 to six lanes from north of State Road 54/SR 56 to Old Pasco Road. The project is expected to cost $69,440,908 and to be completed by May of 2027.
- Adopted a resolution for the Pasco County Housing Finance Authority to issue bonds in an amount not to exceed $85 million for the proposed development of 388 affordable housing units for persons aged 62+ at the Anchors at Gulf Harbors. The units will be located in the City of New Port Richey northeast of the intersection of Marine Parkway and Sea Forest Drive. The entire development will be affordable for tenants earning 60% or less of the area median income.
- Approved a Conditional Use Request, with conditions, made by Word of Life Fellowship/Word of Life GLA for a Group Living Arrangement in an A-C Agricultural District in northwest Pasco County containing approximately 471.40 acres. The applicant will now be allowed to have a total of 1,237 beds in 52 dormitory buildings for church-related activities on its property located on the south side of Hudson Avenue, approximately 1,500 feet west of Hays Road.
- Received a presentation from Bill Cronin, director of Pasco County Economic Development Council, regarding accomplishments in the previous quarter of 2024. Pasco is leading in the area of high technology and there are good jobs for area residents, according to Cronin. He added that 765 jobs had been created in Pasco County in the past quarter.
“We are probably bringing in twice as many businesses as residential projects,” Chairman Oakley said following Cronin’s presentation.
“We are third in residential growth but first in commercial,” added Commissioner Mariano.
- Approved having the skate park located at the Land O’ Lakes Recreation Complex to be expanded from 10,000 square feet to 25,000 square feet. Its anticipated construction will begin in the fall of 2025 and be completed in the winter of 2025.
Published May 01, 2024
