Sunlake road nearer to reality

Developers are close to reaching a cost-sharing agreement to build the boulevard.

By CHUIN-WEI YAP
Published June 26, 2007

LAND O'LAKES - After half a year of wrangling among developers and the Pasco school district, the plan to build Sunlake Boulevard appears to be back on track.

At least, that's how it appears to Newland Communities, Amprop Development and the Pasco school system.

All three parties say that an agreement with Lennar Homes was struck at a meeting last Wednesday, brokered by Pasco County officials, to share the cost of the proposed four-lane road.

The road's construction is expected to start later this summer, Rick Harcrow, Newland's senior vice president, said Monday.

"Concord Station LLP Lennar's corporate vehicle for this project is in discussions with Newland on a cost-sharing agreement for Sunlake Boulevard North," Ken Wagner, Lennar's vice president for land development, said on Monday. "But to comment any further at this time would be premature."

Wagner's statement was issued through Tucker Hall, the firm handling Lennar's public relations.

Sunlake Boulevard is a critical access point for three developments and the school district.

Starting about 500 feet west of Mentmore Boulevard on State Road 54, Sunlake Boulevard would cut northward, to reach Sunlake High School, Rushe Middle School, Lennar's Concord Station development, a retail center proposed by Amprop and Newland's proposed Bexley Ranch development.

Talks broke down after Lennar decided late last year that it would no longer collaborate, saying it isn't obliged yet to build the road. The pullout stranded the schools, which open in August, and threatened the other two developers' projects.

But last Wednesday's meeting seemed to have smoothed things over.

"After much work by all partners, we have a plan now for moving forward," Harcrow said. "We're very pleased that all this has been worked out."

At the meeting, Wagner and Newland's Southeast operations chief Don Whyte shook hands on the new deal, and appeared to have no differences any more on the impasse, according to Ray Gadd, assistant schools superintendent.

County Attorney Robert Sumner, who was brought in by the school district to help resolve the impasse, said Monday that he believed last week's meeting had tied up loose ends.

"It was clear that the issues were resolved," he said, pending a formal agreement between Lennar and Newland. "They agreed to the basic concept. In my mind, it was resolved."

Under the new plan, Harcrow said, Lennar will take care of the road's design and permitting. Amprop, Lennar and Newland will share the cost of building Sunlake Boulevard south of Mentmore, while Lennar and Newland will take on the portion north of Mentmore. Lennar will provide for drainage, environmental compensation and retention ponds that are associated with the road-building project.

The overall cost of Sunlake Boulevard is unclear, but is expected to run more than $11-million.

Lennar had earlier agreed to cut the district a $270,000 check to cover most of the cost of a temporary road to reach the schools, while Sunlake Boulevard is being built. The temporary road was originally estimated to cost $238,000, but Pasco County planners had asked for it to be built to conventional standards, which raised the price tag, Gadd said.

Newland and Amprop will also contribute $76,000 for the school district to build a temporary road to reach its schools, while it waits for Sunlake Boulevard to be constructed.

Eric Schoessler, Amprop's managing partner, said this $76,000 would be in addition to Lennar's contribution. Schoessler also confirmed that he thought the impasse between Lennar and Newland had been resolved.

Newland still needs to get the terms of the new agreement to Lennar.

"We're very optimistic," Harcrow said. "We're very anxious to get the agreement out and signed."

Chuin-Wei Yap can be reached at cyap@sptimes.com or (813) 909-4613.

[Last modified June 25, 2007, 21:30:07]