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Housing boom goes past SR 52

A Jacksonville developer plans to build 800 homes on 541 acres north of that state road.

By STEPHEN HEGARTY
Published June 9, 2005

GOWERS CORNER - This rural area in north-central Pasco is about to join the housing development frenzy that has overtaken much of central Pasco.

Developers have filed plans for an 800-home development called Talavera on the west side of U.S. 41 just north of State Road 52.

With thousands of homes popping up each year along State Road 54, it was only a matter of time before the housing boom marched north along U.S. 41. Now there are new homes in Connerton, Tierra Del Sol, Asbel Creek and Lakeshore Ranch on either side of U.S. 41.

But until now, most of the action was south of SR 52.

The Talavera development involves 541 acres, which includes about 174 acres of wetlands. Its developer is SR 52 Development LLC, a company from Jacksonville with an office in the Tampa Bay area. SR 52 Development bought the Gowers Corner property for $14-million in January, according to county property records, from James Gills, the developer of Trinity.

The property was the subject of a zoning battle three years ago when the zoning was changed from agricultural to high-density residential. Gills requested that the county allow for 1,144 homes on the property, reasoning that it was part and parcel of the emerging U.S. 41 corridor. But the county staff disagreed, viewing the area as sparsely populated and rural. A compromise was reached.

The local representative for SR 52 Development could not be reached for comment Wednesday.

[Last modified June 9, 2005, 01:18:10]