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Wiregrass project clears first approvals hurdle

The developers of the giant project give in and agree to build a pair of major connector roads through the property.

By PHIL DAVIS
Published March 31, 2006

DADE CITY - Don Porter figured from the smiles Thursday that the county Development Review Committee had given the first of many approvals needed to build a massive housing and commercial development on his family's Wiregrass Ranch in Wesley Chapel.

They did. He had a hard smiling with them. Porter described seven months of back-and-forth between his attorney and county staffers as "painful."

"This isn't what I do for a living, so obviously I'm tired of everything," Porter said Thursday. "I think as long as government exists there will be delays."

Wiregrass still faces several layers of additional scrutiny, including a development of regional impact review by state and local agencies. Technically, Thursday's approval applied only to 1,999 homes in one segment of the property. But both sides agreed to tackle the road plans for the whole area.

The Porters and developer Pulte Homes got few of the concessions they demanded when they first went before the DRC in August. One key change: Pulte agreed to put a public road through its gated Del Webb retirement community.

The north-south road will connect State Road 56 to Chancey Road.

"We've given in on that," said Joel Tew, the developer's attorney. "We're simply going to have to put a lot of control gates on this access road."

The county staff insisted on a variety of public and private roads to relieve traffic in the already congested area. Pulte's plans could allow as many as 16,000 homes and millions of square feet of commercial space on the former ranch.

Pulte also agreed to build frontage roads along the State Road 56 extension.

Tew also argued against an east-west connection from Bruce B. Downs to a proposed "town center" on Porter Boulevard. He said the road didn't fit with pedestrian-friendly plans for that community.

County Administrator John Gallagher was supportive of pedestrian enhancements but voted with the rest of the committee to require Pulte to build the road.

Gallagher said the key to easing the area's uncertain traffic woes was to make sure residents of all the developments in the area could bike or walk - or drive a golf cart, he conceded - to a proposed retail "town center."

"Where are they going to park?" Gallagher said. "I don't want it to end up like Brandon town center where you can't get in and you can't get out."

[Last modified March 31, 2006, 01:09:18]