The Laker/Lutz News

Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

Old State Road 54

Wesley Chapel library to be remodeled this fall

By

Community locals gathered at the New River Branch Library to learn of Pasco County’s plans to renovate the building’s interior and exterior.

The April 25 meeting was also an opportunity for the public to voice any questions, concerns or ideas regarding the project.

The library is one of seven branches that will undergo makeovers with funding provided by a general obligation bond overwhelmingly supported by Pasco County voters in November 2018.

Angelo Liranzo explained to a crowd on April 25 the future plans to remodel the New River Branch Library. The library, located near the border of Wesley Chapel and Zephyrhills, is one of seven branches in Pasco County that will undergo renovations. (Brian Fernandes)

The New River library is situated at 34043 State Road 54, which is near the border of Wesley Chapel and Zephyrhills.

Much of the planning for the improvements was based on feedback received from library patrons, said Angelo Liranzo, regional branch manager for New River and the Hugh Embry Library in Dade City.

Those attending the community meeting saw aerial-view drawings of the library — which will be reconfigured but not expanded.

The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) is working along with the county to fulfill the project.

A second entry will be added with a right-turn lane for motorists who are heading west on Old State Road 54.

The entrance will lead to the existing parking lot and will have signage to direct drivers.

Guests inquired about a possible way to turn left onto Old State Road 54 when exiting the library. At present, only right turns can be made when leaving the premises.

“We were hoping for a left-hand turn median, [but] we don’t see that in FDOT’s plans right now,” the branch manager responded.

However, he encouraged the group to take the issue up with county officials.

Linda Harris was relieved when plans were mentioned to incorporate more seating between the parking lot and the entrance.

“My friend is physically challenged and she has a hard time getting from her car all the way into the building,” the Zephyrhills resident said.

She explained that with additional seating, her friend can stop to rest, if needed.

There also are plans to add a book drop-off site in the parking lot, making it more convenient to return books.

A sidewalk also will be added, leading from the parking lot to the library’s community garden on the building’s east side.

This will provide easy access to the garden for those with limited mobility, Liranzo said.

Within the garden, an outdoor classroom will be built and shaded by an aluminum roof.

Alexandra Kotzeva is receptive to the plan. The Wesley Chapel resident volunteers at the library after school hours.

“I’m really glad to hear that the outdoor class(room) is going to be a thing now,” the 17-year-old said.

Attendees also expressed interest when they learned that the outdoor classroom would also serve as a stage for live performances and seminars, and also be equipped with proper lighting.

When a question was raised about security, Liranzo noted that lighting and surveillance cameras around the library’s outer perimeter is a possibility.

Cameras may be placed inside as well, especially at the entrance, he added.

Plans also call for seating in the front lobby, to encourage a social atmosphere, and there will be an art gallery.

The existing meeting room, to the immediate left, also will be enlarged by moving the rear wall back several feet. That room will also have new lighting, that can be dimmed or brightened, depending on the nature of the activity.

In response to a question about the children’s room, Liranzo said that the area will be larger and will be designed as an activities area.

It will feature a variety of amenities for the children, and will be walled off by a glass window so kids can still be supervised from the adult room.

As the largest area in the library, the adult room will be open to all, with computer stations, as well as a reading and seating area.

There will be three new study rooms by patron request and a room for young adults.

Also, there will be new restrooms.

“There will be self-checkout,” Liranzo added. “We’re trying to create more self-service opportunities for people who just want to do something quick, and go.”

These book stations will be located at the front desk and in various areas of the library.

However, he noted, library staff will still be available to help patrons requiring assistance.

New River will be closed during construction, which is set to begin in October, and is expected to take six months to complete.

Staff will be working with community partners to provide library services at other locations.

Published May 08, 2019

Old State Road 54 widening will ease East Pasco congestion

By

Work is underway to widen Old State Road 54, from Wesley Chapel to Zephyrhills, from a two-lane road to four lanes.

The 4.5-mile widening, which started in November 2017, will ease congestion between Curley and Morris Bridge roads.

The project will create a more consistent flow of traffic, as Old State Road 54 is a six-lane road, west of Curley Road.

Efforts to expand a portion of Old State Road 54 from Wesley Chapel into Zephyrhills, can be seen from this aerial view. What is now a two-lane road, will become four lanes – east of Curley Road to east of Morris Bridge Road. (Courtesy of Florida Department of Transportation)

“You have multiple lanes, multiple directions to the west,” said Zach Stringer, project administrator for the Florida Department of Transportation. “Where it’s previously reduced down to two lanes, that’s where we’re continuing multi-lanes with divided medians.”

Stringer added that the expansion will also accommodate increased traffic on Morris Bridge Road with the extension of State Road 56, which is another project that is also underway now.

The construction on Old State Road 54 will first prioritize the completion of two south-end lanes heading eastbound, two north-end lanes heading westbound and then incorporating a median in between.

The median will offer several openings to allow motorists to make necessary turns.

In addition, a north-end sidewalk and a 10-foot-wide multipurpose trail on the south end, will be built along the project’s entire stretch on Old State Road 54.

The project administrator said currently “we’re doing Phase 1A, which is constructing temporary asphalt to the south and short portions of temporary asphalt to the north for drainage crossovers.”

Short-term asphalt placement allows space for traffic diversion.

With additional space, workers can install and connect drainage pipelines from the north end to the south end of Old State Road 54.

The second phase is also in the works, as well, Stringer said.

On the evening of March 19, eastbound and westbound traffic was shifted further south to construct the two-lane expansion of the north end.

Future lane closures will be scheduled at nights and early mornings to avoid conflicting with heavy traffic hours.

The closures on open stretches of road will be from 8 p.m. to 6:30 a.m., while those at signalized intersections will be between 10:30 p.m. to 5:30 a.m.

The $42.5-million development is slated for completion during the summer of 2021.

Published April 03, 2019

State Road 56 extension to Zephyrhills is progressing

By

Pasco County’s efforts to extend State Road 56 from Meadow Pointe Boulevard to U.S. 301 are advancing, as construction is now in the latter phases of development.

“The main thing is the local connection between Zephyrhills and Wesley Chapel,” stated Gregory Deese, resident engineer for the Florida Department of Transportation.

The project, which began two years ago, will offer motorists a direct route between the two communities.

Construction for the new State Road 56 extension is advancing as the road is set to be paved in the near future. Also, traffic lights will be set up where State Road 56 intersects with Morris Bridge Road and U.S. 301. (File)

This will be a new alternative to traveling on Old State Road 54 further north.

Deese noted that it may also be beneficial in serving as a new hurricane evacuation route for those distancing themselves from coastlines.

Currently, State Road 56 ends at its intersection with Meadow Pointe Boulevard.

The road’s future extension, heading east, is barricaded from public use as roadway is still being constructed.

There’s about ½-mile of roadway that remains to be built, at which point the 6-mile stretch will be paved with asphalt, Deese said.

Traffic lights will also be installed where State Road 56 intersects with Morris Bridge Road and as it intersects with U.S. 301.

That work will require some daytime lane closures on both Morris Bridge Road and U.S. 301.

Flaggers will signal motorists as opposing traffic will have to share lane space.

“We’ll have stop signs and ‘slow’ signs to make sure that [the] operation is safe,” the engineer said. “You’ll stop traffic in one direction to allow the opposite direction to go through.”

Closures are expected to take place before and after morning traffic peak hours, Deese added.

In addition to the lights where it meets State Road 56, Morris Bridge Road will undergo an expansion.

This will accommodate a northbound and southbound left-turning lane – both heading east and west onto State Road 56 respectively.

U.S. 301 will be expanded to include a right-turn lane, and re-striped to provide a left-turn lane – both heading westbound onto State Road 56.

The project also will provide easier access to the Zephyrhills Correctional Facility on U.S. 301 (Gall Boulevard).

A northbound left-turn lane and a southbound right-turn lane on U.S. 301 will be added as a convenient entryway onto the premises.

Also, a 10-foot-wide trail will be added on the south end of State Road 56 for pedestrians.

“The multi-purpose trail on [State Road] 56 is basically a path that rollerbladers or walkers will be able to use,” Deese explained.

Also included is a 5-foot-wide sidewalk on the north end, and two 7-foot-wide bicycle lanes – on both shoulders of the road.

These amenities will run the entire course of the 6-mile project.

The $59.2-million development is set for completion as early as this fall.

Published March 27, 2019

Session highlights area roads

By

Pasco County residents had the chance to gain insight on three local road projects at a Feb. 26 open house presented by the Florida Department of Transportation.

The state road department officials fielded questions from residents during the session at Pasco-Hernando State College’s Porter Campus at Wiregrass Ranch, in Wesley Chapel.

Residents could view poster boards and watch videos to learn more about these three projects:

  • The Diverging Diamond Interchange connecting State Road 56 with Interstate 75 in Wesley Chapel.
  • The State Road 56 extension from Meadow Pointe Boulevard to U.S. 301
  • Widening Old State Road 54 east of Curley Road to east of Morris Bridge Road

While residents appeared to be interested in all three projects, the Diverging Diamond seemed to attract the most attention.

“This is the one that matters most to me,” said Lee Anne Pete, noting she drives in the State Road 56 and Interstate 75 area “every day, at least once.”

John McShaffrey, left, of the Florida Department of Transportation, informs Mike Lin on the operation of the Diverging Diamond Interchange in Wesley Chapel. (Brian Fernandes)

Since she and her husband moved to the area a decade ago, they have witnessed the growing development along State Road 54 and State Road 56.

The Wesley Chapel resident said she often gets stuck in traffic congestion on the northbound ramp leading onto State Road 56, from I-75.

One comforting solution for Pete is a third lane being added to the ramp leading west onto the State Road 56 bridge.

Currently, the 2-mile ramp branches off: Two lanes head west on State Road 56 and two lanes head east.

Greg Deese, FDOT resident engineer said: “This has been a long time coming in regard to congestion relief. We’re hopeful that’s what this is going to accomplish.”

Since construction began in January, workers are continuing to install drainage pipes under the southbound ramp heading onto I-75 and the northbound ramp heading onto State Road 56.

This, in conjunction with a lane expansion on the northbound ramp, may result in future lane closures.

However, any closures will continue to occur only at night from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m.

The next phase will be reconfiguring lanes on State Road 56 to crisscross before reaching the bridge, Deese said.

“Most of the time, you’re going to see during traffic shifts [that] they’re going to be working behind concrete barrier walls,” the engineer added. “You’re going to see the construction, but they’re not going to close lanes – especially during the day.”

The state transportation department projects that impacts to normal traffic flow will not be an issue whether traveling on or off the bridge.

Although the reception has been generally positive regarding the interchange, there are those who have expressed their concerns.

Mike Lin is somewhat skeptical of the added traffic light where the northbound ramp leads east onto State Road 56.

Currently, traffic on the ramp merging eastbound onto State Road 56 becomes congested even with no stop light present.

With the addition of the light, the New Tampa resident fears it will only worsen an already existing problem.

And, while the state transportation department assures that the bridge will not need to undergo an expansion for additional lanes, Lin has doubts about that, as well.

“How do you get it to fit in the existing bridge?” Lin asked. “Unless you’re going to make the lanes narrower, I don’t know how you do that,” he added.

The project plans to have three lanes heading eastbound on the State Road 56 bridge.

Westbound traffic will hold six lanes as studies show there is heavier activity on that route.

The $33-million interchange project is set for completion in late 2021.

Another road project featured at the meeting was the extension of State Road 56, from Meadow Pointe Boulevard in Wesley Chapel to U.S. 301 in Zephyrhills.

The $59.2-million project is of much interest, as it creates a direct link from Wesley Chapel into Zephyrhills.

Along State Road 56, pedestrians will be accommodated with a multipurpose trail on the south end, a sidewalk on the north end and bicycle lanes on both ends of the road.

The 6-mile project is expected to be completed later this year.

Another project featured at the open house involves the widening of Old State Road 54, east of Curley Road in Wesley Chapel to the east of Morris Bridge Road in Zephyrhills.

The 4.5-mile project will expand Old State Road 54 from two lanes to four lanes, divided by medians.

A sidewalk will be added to the north end, while a multipurpose trail will be added to the south end.

The $42.5-million project is expected to be complete by mid-2021.

Published March 06, 2019

Apartments on the rise at Brightwork Crossing

By

Brightwork Crossing is going vertical.

Brick-and-mortar tower-like structures are rising on the 32-acre site, off State Road 54, west of Wesley Chapel Boulevard.

These are early signs of an apartment complex approved for up to 350 units. The complex will be a series of four-story buildings with more than 60 apartments per building, according to county records.

Permits also have been approved for a WaWa convenience store, a Burger King and the apartment’s clubhouse. Internal roads include Tapestry Way, Maren Way, Ashley Creek Trail and Canopy Creek Way.

Construction crews are building apartments at Brightwork Crossing, a mixed-use project at Wesley Chapel Boulevard and State Road 54. This view is from Old Cypress Creek Road. (Kathy Steele)

Alabama-based Arlington Properties and BW 54 56 Holdings LLC are partners in the development. Representatives for the companies weren’t available for comment.

Pasco County commissioners approved the mixed-use, commercial and residential project in August 2017. It’s been on the drawing board since 2015.

Brightwork Crossing is approved for the apartments, as well as 250,000 square feet of offices, retail and a 150-room hotel.

Firestone Complete Auto Care store has been named as a potential retail store.

Construction began in summer 2017 as bulldozers cleared and leveled the vacant land, located directly behind the Shell gas station and Walgreen’s drugstore.

Traffic spills into the area from all directions, off State Road 54, State Road 56, Wesley Chapel Boulevard and Interstate 75.

Brightwork Crossing will fill out a prime corner at this major juncture for new development, which already includes Tampa Premium Outlets, Cypress Creek Town Center, and Florida Hospital Center Ice.

The site where apartments are being built was bisected by Old State Road 54, and often used as a cut-through by motorists seeking to avoid long waits at Wesley Chapel and State Road 54 and State Road 56.

Old State Road 54 became part of a land swap that gave the county green space for its wildlife corridor, as well as room for a future park-and-ride facility.

Recent and future road projects are on tap to improve traffic flow along the area’s major corridors.

Brightwork Crossing will have access via Wesley Chapel Boulevard to Cypress Creek Town Center, at the center’s Pondside Drive entrance.

Wesley Chapel is partially widened, near State Road 56, and the county plans eventually to widen the boulevard to six lanes to just north of Magnolia Boulevard. There will be 4-foot bicycle lanes, a median, 5-foot sidewalks on the eastern side, and an 8-foot multi-use trail on the western side.

Construction is expected to begin in 2018 on a diverging diamond interchange at I-75 to improve traffic flow.

Published April 25, 2018

Brightwork Crossing under construction on State Road 54

By

Brightwork Crossing is a mixed-use development under construction on about 32 acres close to Tampa Premium Outlets and Cypress Creek Town Center.

Up to 350 apartments, 250,000 square feet of offices, retail and self-storage, and a 150-room hotel can be built. Site plans are on file with Pasco County for a WaWa convenience store, Firestone Complete Auto Care store and Burger King.

A sign along Old State Road 54 marks off the site where construction workers are preparing about 32 acres for residential and commercial development – Brightwork Crossing.
(Kathy Steele)

The site is on the north side of State Road 54, west of Wesley Chapel Boulevard, directly behind the Shell gas station and Walgreen’s drugstore.

A handful of cows that once grazed on grass and weeds are gone. Bulldozers and cranes are leveling the ground. A single residence on the property is being torn down.

The complex will go up in the midst of one of Pasco County’s fastest growing areas, at an intersection where State Road 54, State Road 56 and Wesley Chapel Boulevard meet up. The State Road 56 interchange at Interstate 75 is immediately to the west.

Tampa Premium Outlets on the south side of State Road 56, and Cypress Creek Town Center, on the north side, are at the epicenter of new shops and restaurants. More are on the way, as are offices and hotels.

Tampa-based BW 54 56 Holdings LLC, and Alabama-based Arlington Properties Inc., are partnering on Brightwork Crossing.

Representatives for those companies weren’t available for comment.

The Pasco County Commission approved the development in 2016. The entire site is bordered by Wesley Chapel Boulevard, State Road 54, and the one-lane paved, Old Cypress Creek Road.

At hearings on the matter, traffic concerns became an issue.

The site is bisected by Old State Road 54, a popular cut-through for motorists seeking to avoid traffic jams at the intersection of Wesley Chapel Boulevard and State Road 54/56.

Old State Road 54 right of way was part of a land swap between the county, landowners and developers. It gave the county green space for its wildlife corridors network, and also room for a future park-and-ride facility for commuters.

A dead-end portion of the road to the north has been opened, and rebuilt to provide cross access, via Wesley Chapel Boulevard, into the town center. Sierra Properties, the town center’s developers, paid for the roadwork as part of its construction of a town center entrance, off Wesley Chapel.

The county plans to eventually widen Wesley Chapel to a six-lane divided road. And, a diverging diamond interchange is expected to replace the existing interchange at I-75 to ease traffic congestion. Construction is expected to begin in 2018 on the interchange.

Published August 2, 2017

Royal Lanes prepares to turn off the lights for good

By

It’s a place where leagues have battled for cash prizes and bragging rights, and little kids have had birthday parties.

For some, it’s been a gathering spot with friends after work to bowl a few games and enjoy a few pitchers. For others, it was where they hung out when they were kids.

Andre Pamplona, general manager for Royal Lanes, said the closing of a bowling alley has an impact on the community.
(B.C. Manion)

Soon, however Royal Lanes bowling center, at 1927 Brinson Road in Lutz, will welcome its final bowlers and pack up its pins for good.

The last day of operation will be May 21, said Andre Pamplona, the bowling center’s general manager.

The bowling alley has been owned for a quarter-century by Sandy and Neville Woolf, of Canada, but they’ve decided to sell, Pamplona said.

“My group was trying to purchase it. That’s what we came up to do, to try to salvage it and keep it a bowling center, but we got outbid. And, that’s it,” Pamplona said.

“I knew of a potential sale to the other group. We were doing our best to try to finalize our deal. The numbers just wouldn’t work,” Pamplona said. “The land just got overvalued.”

He’s not sure what the future use of the site will be, but he has heard that the building will be renovated for another use that has something to do with the automotive industry.

He’s sorry to see Royal Lanes go, not just because he worked there, but because the community will miss it.

“One of the things that owners don’t calculate is the impact to the community,” Pamplona said.

Soon this sign will be replaced by a new business occupying the site on Brinson Road, just off North Dale Mabry Highway, in Lutz.

But, he said he understands that the owner is making a business decision

Still, Pamplona said, “Land O’ Lakes will suffer. Land O’ Lakes will hurt. People will have to drive out of their way to go to bowling centers.”

Plus, bowlers are losing a gathering spot where many have been coming for decades.

“There’s such a value … it’s intangible, you can’t put a dollar to it,” Pamplona said.

Royal Lanes had 437 bowlers in five full adult leagues and two youth leagues. One of the youth leagues was purely youths and the other was a youth-adult league, where kids bowled with their parents, he said.

“Most of the leagues are going to stay together,” he said, and most have already decided to go another bowling center,” he said.

The closest bowling alleys are at Old State Road 54 and Little Road; on Hillsborough Avenue, across from Tampa International Airport; on Armenia Avenue, south of Hillsborough Avenue; and on U.S.301 in Zephyrhills.

Ultimately, some bowlers may choose to join different leagues at bowling centers that are more convenient for them, he noted.

This is the exterior of Royal Lanes, in Lutz. Lots of memories have been made within this building, which opened during the 1970s.

Most of Royal Lanes’ 18 employees also have relocated to another alley, Pamplona said, although he’s not sure what he’s going to do.

“I’ve got some options in the industry. I’ve got some options out of the industry,” he said.

When Royal Lanes ceases operations, it will no longer be a place where the clatter of bowling pins competes with memories of days gone by.

“Our Wednesday morning league is called The Lakerettes,” Pamplona said. “They’ve been bowling here, since basically the beginning.”

Royal Lanes is also the place where the Betty Strickland, who has since passed on, developed a reputation for her bowling prowess and her kindly nature.

Chances were, if you were looking for Strickland on a weekday, she’d be over at Royal Lanes.

Some days, she was known to roll as many as 10 games, but typically, she threw four or five.

One of Strickland’s biggest moments at the bowling alley came on Jan. 9, 2006, when she bowled 300 — a perfect game.

At the time, Strickland was the nation’s third-oldest woman to bowl a perfect game, according to a report published by The Tampa Tribune.

It’s also a place that figures prominently into the memory of Rachel Thompson, who worked at the bowling alley when she was young and now works at The Laker/Lutz News.

Thompson threw her perfect game at Royal Lanes. Her big moment came on Nov. 9, 2012.

Published May 17, 2017

New apartments and offices approved

By

Brightworks Crossing — a mixed-use project calling for offices, self-storage units, apartments, and a hotel with up to 150 rooms, landed on the desks of Pasco County’s planners nearly a year ago.

And, on Aug. 9, the Pasco County Commission pushed the project along with a series of approvals.

Commissioners unanimously agreed to amend the county’s comprehensive land use plan and to rezone the land. They also approved an agreement for a land swap between the county, the landowners and the developers.

The land deal will give the county green space for its network of wildlife corridors, and room for a park-and-ride lot with 25 parking spaces for future transit commuters.

A car passes along Old State Road 54, at Old Cypress Creek Road. The route is a popular cut-through to avoid traffic at State Road 56. (File Photo)
A car passes along Old State Road 54, at Old Cypress Creek Road. The route is a popular cut-through to avoid traffic at State Road 56.
(File Photo)

The site is directly behind the Walgreen’s drug store, at Wesley Chapel Boulevard and the State Road 56/State Road 54 intersection.

The intersection is a high growth area populated by Tampa Premium Outlets and new restaurants on the south side of State Road 56, and on the north side of the road, the future Cypress Creek Town Center.

“It’s a major intersection. A lot of thought, evaluation and analysis has gone into this project and its impact on the intersection,” said Matt Armstrong, the county’s executive planner. “We’ve put together a package that actually improves this area and will help in the long run.”

Brightworks Crossing received approval for a maximum of 350 apartments, 250,000 square-feet of offices, and self-storage and the 150-room hotel.

A road redesign also is built into the project for Old State Road 54, which bisects the site. The short stretch of road is a popular cut-through for motorists coming down Wesley Chapel who want to avoid traffic at the State Road 56 intersection.

County commissioners agreed to close the existing cut-through to accommodate the land swap and allow developers to build a new road in its place. The new road will be open to the public.

Nearby, work is underway by Sierra Properties to build an entrance into Cypress Creek Town Center, a future mall at the northeast corner of State Road 56 and Wesley Chapel Boulevard, also called County Road 54.

One of the mall entrances is across from Brightworks Crossing, on County Road 54.

In the long term, the county has plans to turn the two-lane stretch of Wesley Chapel Boulevard into a six-lane divided highway with sidewalks and a multi-use trail.

The impact of traffic and road redesigns raised concerns for Sierra Properties’ developers and John Narcisi, who owns JN Electric on Old Cypress Creek Road.

Narcisi is the only business on Old Cypress Creek, which also is off Wesley Chapel and intersects with Old State Road 54.

“Traffic will increase on Old Cypress Creek Road which runs in front of my property,” said Narcisi.

Attorney Clarke Hobby, representing Sierra Properties, said the proposed new road through the site should continue to function as a cut-through that can help ease traffic congestion.

“We think that’s an important issue, and the staff needs to look at that closely,” he said.

Published August 17, 2016

More development proposed near Tampa Premium Outlets

By

Another residential and commercial project is proposed for development on the State Road 54/State Road 56 corridor, near Tampa Premium Outlets and the Cypress Creek Town Center.

Pasco County planners are reviewing a zoning request for about 32 acres owned by Highway 54/56 LLC. The sale of the property is pending approval of the project.

Lutz businessman Carl Anderson is the company’s manager, according to state records.

The site — named Brightwork Crossing — is north of State Road 54 and State Road 56, and west of County Road 54, also known as Wesley Chapel Boulevard. The site is behind the Walgreen’s drugstore and nearby gas station, on both sides of Old State Road 54.

A couple of cows graze on land that is proposed for future residential and commercial development near Tampa Premium Outlets and behind Walgreen’s drugstore, off State Road 54. (Kathy Steele/Staff Photo)
A couple of cows graze on land that is proposed for future residential and commercial development near Tampa Premium Outlets and behind Walgreen’s drugstore, off State Road 54.
(Kathy Steele/Staff Photo)

The proposal from Tampa-based Brightwork Real Estate is to build a 100-room hotel and up to 115,000 square feet of retail on about 14 acres on the east side of the site. Up to 350 apartments are planned on about 13 acres on the west side of the site. The plan also includes open space.

About 1½ acres would be added to the county’s critical linkage pathways to preserve natural resources and wildlife. In return, developers are seeking a land swap and for the county to vacate a section of Old State Road 54, which bisects the site and is a cut-through for motorists navigating State Road 54 and Wesley Chapel Boulevard.

A neighborhood park would be built as an amenity within the apartment complex. There also would be a park-and-ride facility with 100 parking spaces and a bus transit stop.

No dates are scheduled yet for either a recommendation from the county’s Development Review Committee, or for a public hearing before the Pasco County Commission.

Published December 2, 2015