Volume 23 Issue 20
Inside:
Enjoy Authentic French Cuisine At City Grill! See page 0!
September 26, 2015
Named The 2014 ‘Small Business Of The Year’ By The Wesley Chapel Chamber Of Commerce! The Direct-Mail News Magazines Serving New Tampa & Wesley Chapel Since 1993! For the complete list of neighborhoods that receive this Wesley Chapel issue by direct mail, see page 42!
Local Businesses Not Thrilled With Bruce B. Downs ‘Loop Road’ Idea By Matt Wiley
A man stands at a pulpit and speaks to a crowd inside Atonement Lutheran Church on S.R. 54 in Wesley Chapel. The people in the crowd seem tense and the man speaking makes every effort to reassure them. This isn’t a church service, but the first public meeting about the S.R. 581 (Bruce B. Downs [BBD] Blvd.) “Loop Road,” that could alter the current alignment of BBD approaching S.R. 54. The proposed road also could potentially affect numerous local businesses. Lutz-based Johnson Engineering currently is in the middle of a study to determine the best alternative for the Loop Road, which will create a new road that will snake through the Wiregrass Ranch Development of Regional Impact (DRI) behind the new Walmart, continue through Wiregrass Ranch Blvd. and bend north to S.R. 54, just west of Saddlebrook Resort & Spa. In the future, that same road is planned to continue north through S.R. 54. Four alternatives are being considered and will be presented to the Pasco Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) sometime in January, Johnson Engineering’s Roy Chapman told the crowd at the meeting, which was held on Sept. 17. Each alternative is a slight variation on a basic route, with minor changes — at least geographically — to the road and the locations of the needed retention ponds. “We haven’t made a decision on the alternatives, yet,” Chapman said. “No-build also is an option. We’ll take our study back to
the BOCC and they’ll take an action on one of the alternatives.” None of Pasco’s five county commissioners attended the meeting. Chapman urged the more than 30 residents and business owners in attendance to Wesley Chapel Sonny’s BBQ owners Jim & Kristina make sure that Hoff (above) came out to the Sept. 17 meeting about the they wrote down planned S.R. 581 ‘Loop Road’ (right, in yellow), which their comments would divert drivers from the current BBD alignment and concerns for (in white) about a mile to the east, toward a new intersection at S.R. 54, next to Saddlebrook Resort. the public record and also to make appearances in front of the but we don’t know exactly when that will BOCC during their public comment periods be,” Chapman said. The Porters technically have until 2023 to begin construction on the at their meetings on Tuesday mornings. “If you see something you like or you Loop Road, but Chapman said that he imadon’t like (about the loop road alternatives), gines they’ll get started sooner. Either way, write it down and get it to us,” Chapman he explained, the design of the project would likely take two years after the BOCC makes a said. “We want to hear your comments.” Chapman said that the possible cost of decision on the best possible alternative, folconstructing the road has not yet been deter- lowed by another two years of construction. mined, nor the exact timeframe, but that the He added that the Loop Road would be decost would be split between the county and signed as a six-lane divided roadway. Two aspects of the project were major the Porter family, which owns and is developing Wiregrass Ranch. A representative for the areas of contention with the audience. The first was the realignment of BBD about a Porters declined to comment for this story. “The (Wiregrass developers are) prob- mile south of S.R. 54, which would create a ably going to be the ones doing the design “Y-intersection,” encouraging drivers to conand construction of this (road) in the future, tinue east along the Loop Road, as opposed
to north on the current BBD. A simple “Tintersection” also is a possibility in each alternative, but those “Ts” are considered to be secondary options for each alignment. “Does it make sense for the Porters to build a new road to put businesses on, yes,” said Wesley Chapel Toyota owner and Greater Wesley Chapel Chamber of Commerce (WCCC) award winner David Williams (see page 10). “You’re not considering the businesses that have been here for years (that are located north of the Loop Road) and suffered through recessions.” Wesley Chapel Nissan general manager Mark Perryman (also a 2015 WCCC award winner) also disagreed with the LoopvRoad See “Loop” on pg. 12
WCCC Presents The 7th Annual Fall Festival At The Grove Oct. 10-11! By Matt Wiley ward to a FREE weekend of great live music version of the event better, so we decided to
As temperatures begin to (hopefully) cool down in the Wesley Chapel area, the coming of the fall season is cause for celebration and the Greater Wesley Chapel Chamber of Commerce (WCCC)’s seventh annual Fall Festival the weekend of October 10-11 at The Grove shopping plaza, located off Oakley Blvd., is just the event to welcome the cooler months. Presented by The Grove, Parks Fiat of Wesley Chapel and Cornerstone Air Condition & Heating, local residents can look for-
and other entertainment for all ages. There, of course, also will be carnival-style food and beverages for sale and plenty of other vendor tents and the WCCC expects to draw more than 10,000 attendees to this year’s event. Although last year’s Festival took place on only one day, to better serve the community, the Fall Fest will once again span the entire weekend, as it had each of the prior years of the event. “Last year, we did the one-day event at The Grove,” says WCCC CEO Hope Allen. “But, the vendors really enjoyed the two-day
News, Business & Sports Updates
Neighborhood Magazine
Festival Of Flight Could Land In Zephyrhills, Charter Gov’t Idea Officially Struck Down By Committee, WCCC Awards Local Businesses & Lots Of Local Business Features!
Bobcats No Strangers To Wesley Chapel, Enter Our 2015 Dining Survey & Contest, NASCAR Driver Visits WCH & More Neighborhood Nibbles & Biz Bytes!
Pages 3-26
Pages 27-44
Also Inside This Issue!
go back to that.” Don’t miss this year’s musical performances on the Wesley Chapel Nissan Main Stage, featuring — guitarist/singer Evan Koteles, who also is a member of Tampa band 10th Concession (which headlined last year’s Fall Festival), but Koteles also plays solo shows around Tampa Bay; Dunedin, FLbased rock/soul/funk band The Time Bandits, country duo Indigo Summer (featuring country stars Bryan Edwards and Hope Nix), guitarist/singer Michael McDonald and popular local classical pianist James A. Williams. The Rotary Club of Wesley Chapel (Noon) will again host the annual Little Miss & Mr. Pumpkin Patch Pageant (photo), while the Lions Club of Wesley Chapel will host a Pet Parade and Ierna’s Heating & Cooling is sponsoring pet adoptions. The Fall Festival also will include the traditional Pumpkin Patch and Hay Rides. Plus, this year also will feature outdoor movies, including Disney’s “Frozen” and “Cars!” For more information, including schedules and additional sponsorship op-
portunities for the Wesley Chapel Fall Festival, please visit Facebook.com/WesleyChapelFallFestival.