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Five Farms Avenue

Age 55-and-older community gets private road

May 17, 2017 By Kathy Steele

Developers and residents often clash when it comes to land issues.

But, on two issues involving roads relating to a proposed 55-and-older, gated community — there was a rare moment when both sides agreed.

And, the developers and residents got the response they wanted from Pasco County commissioners, too.

One issue involved eliminating the extension of Five Farms Avenue, that would connect Country Walk subdivision to the adult community planned in adjacent Wiregrass Ranch.

The other issue involves privatizing a public collector road to be gated and privatized, within the 55-and-older community.

Commissioners sided with the developer and residents on both issues.

In doing so, they voted 4-1 to overrule the county’s Development Review Committee recommendation regarding both roads.

The review committee wanted to allow the extension of Five Farms Avenue, which dead-ends in Country Walk, into the proposed Wiregrass neighborhood.

The committee also wanted to prevent the privatizing of a public collector road in the active adult neighborhood.

Pasco County Commissioner Kathryn Starkey was the only commissioner who sided with the development review committee’s recommendations.

“I have always been supportive of our planning process to connect neighborhoods to each other,” Starkey said. “I just think it’s Planning 101 to connect neighborhoods.”

But, not in this case, said Bill Merrill, a Sarasota attorney representing Locust Branch LLC, the developer for the 55-and- older community.

Opening up Five Farms would create connections to Country Pointe Boulevard and then to Meadow Pointe Boulevard, Merrill said.

“This is going to be a speedway through the residential portion of the neighborhood,” Merrill said. “I think we need to pull back sometimes. What makes sense here?”

But, Kris Hughes, the county’s planning and development director, said the county seeks to increase connections between neighborhoods. Such connections help “to get people efficiently out of their homes” for public health and safety reasons, and reduce traffic on major roadways, Hughes said.

“The idea is to create some semblance of a grid pattern in these neighborhoods to provide inner movement internal to the system at appropriate scales and for significant relief from arterial (roads),” Hughes said.

County staff also has to look not only at neighborhood streets but the larger picture of how they impact the entire road system, he added.

Most county commissioners said they want to encourage more 55-and-older communities. And, Starkey said she isn’t opposed to gated communities.

“You’re not going to get one that’s not gated,” said Pasco County Commission Chairman Mike Moore. “They want their privacy.”

Pasco County Commissioner Mike Wells said the Wiregrass project is a good one.

“Folks like to have gated communities,” Wells said.

Published May 17, 2017

 

Filed Under: Local News, Wesley Chapel/New Tampa News Tagged With: Bill Merrill, Country Pointe Boulevard, Country Walk, Five Farms Avenue, Kathryn Starkey, Kris Hughes, Locust Branch LLC, Meadow Pointe Boulevard, Mike Moore, Mike Wells, Wiregrass Ranch

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04/20/2021 – Republican club

The East Pasco Republican Club will meet on April 20 at 6 p.m., at the Golden Corral, 6855 Gall Blvd., in Zephyrhills, in the Tuttle Room. The guest speaker will be Brian Corley, supervisor of elections. … [Read More...] about 04/20/2021 – Republican club

04/21/2021 – Democratic Club

The Central Pasco Democratic Club will meet on April 21, via Zoom, to discuss voting rights and current legislative issues. Socializing starts at 6:30 p.m., followed by the meeting at 6:45 p.m. For information, email , or call 813-383-8315. … [Read More...] about 04/21/2021 – Democratic Club

04/21/2021 – Financial wellness

The Hillsborough County Public Library Cooperative will present “Strategies for Short-Term Financial Wellness” on April 21 at 6:30 p.m., for adults. Participants can learn tips and information for building emergency funds, managing debt and increasing cash flow. Registration is through the calendar feature at HCPLC.org. … [Read More...] about 04/21/2021 – Financial wellness

04/22/2021 – Virtual Earth Day

UF/IFAS Pasco County Extension will host a Virtual Earth Day Celebration on April 22 from 10 a.m. to noon. Educational sessions, with guest speakers, will include: Composting, gardening, getting outside, water conservation, forest services and recycling. To register, visit bit.ly/registrationpascoearthday. To join in on April 22, visit bit.ly/zoom2021earthday. … [Read More...] about 04/22/2021 – Virtual Earth Day

04/23/2021 – Improv Night

Live Oak Theatre will present an Improv Night on April 23 at 7:30 p.m., at the Carol & Frank Morsani Center, 21030 Cortez Blvd., in Brooksville. The family friendly event will feature the Conservatory’s Improv Troupe with games, skits and actor’s choices inspired by the audience. Doors open at 7 p.m. Seats are $10 per person in advance and $15 at the door. For information and tickets, visit LiveOakTheatre.org, call 352-593-0027, or email . … [Read More...] about 04/23/2021 – Improv Night

04/24/2021 – Keep Pasco Beautiful Earth Day

Keep Pasco Beautiful will celebrate Earth Day on April 24 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., at Crews Lake Park, 16739 Crews Lake Drive in Spring Hill. There will be educational and upcycle vendors; a ladybug release; presentations by Croc Encounters and the Owl’s Nest Sanctuary for Wildlife; native plants for sale from the Nature Coast Chapter of the Florida Native Plant Society; document shredding from 9 a.m. to noon; a rain water harvesting workshop at 10 a.m. ($45 fee); and compost workshop at noon. Preregistration is required for both workshops, at KeepPascoBeautiful.org/earth-day. There also will be a free household hazardous waste collection with Pasco County Solid Waste. The first 50 people to bring a thermometer containing mercury will receive a $5 Publix gift card (one per vehicle). For information on what waste will be accepted, call 813-929-2755, ext. 2046, or visit PascoCountyUtilities.com. … [Read More...] about 04/24/2021 – Keep Pasco Beautiful Earth Day

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