Volume 22 Issue 15
Inside:
More Of Gary’s Out-OfArea Dining Favorites!
July 19, 2014
See Neighborhood Magazine!
The Direct-Mail News Magazines Serving New Tampa & Wesley Chapel Since 1993! THIS INDEPENDENT COMMUNITY NEWS MAGAZINE IS DIRECTLY MAILED TO: NEW TAMPA: Arbor Greene • Cory Lake Isles • Cross Creek • Easton Park • Grand Hampton • Heritage Isles • Hunter’s Green • Hunter’s Key • K-Bar Ranch Lake Forest • Live Oak Preserve • Pebble Creek • Richmond Place • Tampa Palms • The Hammocks • West Meadows WESLEY CHAPEL: Aberdeen • Belle Chase • Bridgewater • Brookside • Chapel Pines • Country Walk • Lexington Oaks • Meadow Pointe • New River • Northwood • Pinewalk • Pine Ridge Saddlebrook • Saddleridge Estates • Saddlewood • Seven Oaks • The Lakes at Northwood • The Villages of Wesley Chapel • Watergrass • Wesley Pointe • Westbrook Estates • Williamsburg
County Approves Request For Proposals For Land Opposite Hunter’s Green water fountains and plenty of shade trees. The RFP states that the county is open to proposals that include leasing, purchasing or joint-use of the land in a private-public partnership (P3). Regardless of what is developed, the commercial development must follow the same design format/architectural style as the entrance to Hunter’s Green. Although owned by the county, the land is within the Tampa city limits, so it also will be subject to the city’s zoning requirements. “We’re still very far from the finish line,” says Dist. 2 Comm. Victor Crist. “We’re asking for proposals for anything within the stated parameters. We want to make sure that the community as a whole is happy.” Crist says that, even though proposals are being sought now, the process still will be a long one, adding that it takes months to receive and go through proposals. In addition, depending upon what is submitted by contractors, more public hearings will have to be held to keep the public informed. “It’s not going to be a closed-door process,” Crist says. According to county documents, the schedule for developing the land has the RFP opening date set for mid-August, with another public meeting tentatively scheduled for the end of that month to present proposals to the community. The proposals then will be evaluated and ranked by county officials (based upon developer qualifications, the proposal itself and the proposal’s financial
New value to the county) in Tam September, with appa B lvd. Cros proval set for mid-Ocs Cr eek tober. Zoning, design Blvd . and permitting is estimated to take several more months and construction on whatever project is approved for the site isn’t estimated to begin until at least October 2015. As far as the commercial development along BBD is conHunterʼs Green cerned, Crist hopes to attract businesses that currently are not in the area, most notably, The area outlined in green is the county-owned 81 acres across Bruce a specialty food store, B. Downs Blvd. from the entrance to Hunter’s Green that could be desuch as Trader Joe’s or veloped with a community center/theater, dog park and passive park. Whole Foods. Right now, New Tampa residents have to travel all cal about a private-public partnership. “Overall, it appears that the citizens the way to N. Dale Mabry Hwy. in Carrollwould support commercial use (depending wood to shop at either store. “We want to attract businesses that are upon type) so long as it provides the funding to build-out a public park or community/ highly specialized,” Crist says. At the May 5 public meeting at the New cultural center,” the county’s report from Tampa Regional Library (located on Cross the meeting reads in the RFP. “Citizens also Creek Blvd.) about developing the land, Crist expressed a desire for the process to be transand other county officials took questions and parent and to have an opportunity to review noted concerns from attendees, who were the plans as they are developed.” Stay tuned for updates as we continue to mostly in favor of a community center and park. However, several attendees were skepti- follow this story.
Wesley Chapel has lost one of its original residents and a key player in the development of the booming area, as Wiregrass Ranch Development of Regional Impact (DRI) developer Don Porter has passed away at age 73. The family name is prominent around town, most recently unveiled on the sign for the new Pasco-Hernando State College (PHSC) Porter Campus on Mansfield Blvd., but it’s probable that the college might not even be standing in its current location in the
Wiregrass Ranch DRI had it not been for the generosity of Porter and his family, who donated the 65 acres for PHSC’s fifth campus. Wiregrass Ranch also will be home to a proposed youth baseball facility (Don was an outstanding baseball player at the University of Mississippi in Oxford and even played in the minor league system of the old Houston Colt .45s Major League team), also to be built in the next few years on donated land. The Porter family’s loss has not been
Local News, Business & Education Updates
Neighborhood Magazine
lost on the local community, especially two institutions that make up much of the heart and soul of the growing Wesley Chapel area: Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel (FHWC) and the Shops at Wiregrass mall, both of which sit on the Porter family’s 5,100-acre property. “Don Porter’s vision was to transform (Wiregrass Ranch) into a community centered around family, a community with quality health care, education and recreation services for its residents,” says FHWC spokesperson Tracy Clouser. “It was wonderful to work with Don and his family to bring that vision to life. We are truly saddened at his passing, but are inspired by his legacy, which lives on now and still will, in the future.” Shops at Wiregrass general manager Greg Lenners had similar kind words to share in memory of Porter. “Wesley Chapel and Pasco County have lost a very important visionary and patriarch of our community,” Lenners says. “During just the short time that I knew Mr. Porter,
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By Matt Wiley Just more than a month since a meeting was held to gather public comments about what to do with the land across Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd. from Hunter’s Green in New Tampa, the Hillsborough County Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) has approved a Request For Proposals (RFP) for a private-public partnership to develop the property. During the June 18 BOCC meeting, commissioners unanimously (by a 5-0 vote) approved the RFP that will be open to developers in August. Situated across from the entrance to Hunter’s Green, the county owns an 81-acre parcel of land, made up mostly of conservation areas and a large retention pond used for the BBD widening project. Included on the property is 13.4 acres of developable land, as well as 3-4 additional acres for commercial development along BBD itself. The RFP asks developers to submit options for the 13.4acre parcel, but all must include a two-story, 30,000-sq.-ft. civic building (community center/theater) for county use, a 250-space parking lot and a three-acre dog park. The dog park, the second for the area (the New Tampa Rotary club is in the process of raising funds to develop another at the New Tampa Rec Center on Commerce Park Blvd. in Tampa Palms), will include separate fenced areas and separate fitness and agility stations for large and small dogs, as well as
Wiregrass Ranch Developer Don Porter Passes Away At Age 73
Also Inside This Issue!
New Tampa Residents Sound Off At HART Public Hearing, County Could Take Over Pebble Creek Utilities, Plus Lots Of Local Business Features & More!
University-Area Kids Learn To Swim At New Tampa YMCA, Café Don José’s Menu Goes Back To Its Spanish Roots; Plus More Neighborhood Nibbles & Biz Bytes!
Pages 1-46
Pages 47-60
it was easy to see that he was a very approachable individual and that he was well respected by his peers, as well as others that knew him. His vision for the development of Wiregrass, his significant contributions to our community and future growth of Wesley Chapel is an important legacy that Don Porter will live on for years to come. Mr. Porter will be missed!” A memorial service was held for Porter on July 12 at the PHSC Porter Campus (for a recap, turn to page 3 of this issue). Our thoughts and prayers are with the entire Porter family. — Matt Wiley