Tampa developer plans huge project in Hernando County
A Tampa developer is planning one of the largest residential subdivisions in recent Hernando history: 3,700 residential units and 180,000 square feet of shopping off U.S. 19 near Woodland Waters. “Hernando County is a really exciting area,” said John Heagney, a spokesman for the developer, Metro Development Group. “We feel there is a tremendous opportunity for intelligent growth.” Because of the project’s size, it is classified as a “development of regional impact,” or DRI – meaning it will face a longer, more exhaustive approval process than smaller subdivisions, said Paul Wieczorek of the county Planning Department. Representatives from Metro Development met with the county Thursday to begin identifying development issues. Though the discussions are preliminary, one major concern will likely be the local road network, Wieczorek said. The development, called Lake Hideaway, is expected to feed traffic onto U.S. 19 to the west, Hexam Road to the north, and State Road 50, Weeping Willow Street and Star Road to the south. Some of those roads will certainly need to be upgraded to accommodate increased traffic, he said. Because the property is already designated as residential, Metro will not need a comprehensive plan change. Also, the land is already mostly surrounded by residential development, including Woodland Waters and Royal Highlands, though most of those lots are larger than the ones planned for Lake Hideaway, Wieczorek said. Metro has a contract to buy the land from a trust headed by Tommy Bronson of Brooksville. Two years ago, the Bronson family’s company, TBF Enterprises Inc., proposed developing an 80-acre portion of the property as part of Woodland Waters. County Commissioner Diane Rowden objected at the time, saying she wanted to see plans for all of the Bronson property to ensure it received scrutiny as a DRI. “The County Commission said they would like to see a master plan next time this comes forward,” said Don Lacey, a vice president of Coastal Engineering Associates, which prepared the initial plans. “So now we’re back.” The plan includes land for a school, Lacey said, and calls for the project to hook up to a county sewage treatment plant adjacent to the property. Bronson, who was involved in the initial development of Majestic Oaks – on another parcel of land the family partly owned on the east side of Brooksville – said he would not be involved in the Lake Hideaway development. “This is a land transaction,” he said. Even Metro may not be the final owner, Heagney said. The company, which also has offices in Orlando and Jacksonville, specializes in acquiring parcels, securing development approval and building roads and laying utility lines. It then typically sells sections of its properties to builders, which market the subdivision and build the homes. That will probably not happen for three more years, Heagney said. The company said it is interested in thoughtful planning, though no details of Lake Hideaway have been finalized – not even the total number of houses or how many will be villas or townhouses. “We have no specific plans at this point,” Heagney said. “(But) we know there is going to be a school. We know there are going to be parks.” The 3,700 units in Metro’s plans are about the same number as in Seville, a long-dormant golf community that is also preparing to submit new plans for development, Lacey said. Since the approval of the Royal Highlands subdivision in 1972, only Sunrise – a DRI near I- 75 with a proposed 4,800 houses and townhouses – is larger. Neither Heagney nor Lacey knew the likely price range for houses at Lake Hideaway. But given the rapid increase in home prices and escalating building and land costs, Lacey said, “you’re going to have a hard time getting anything built under $200,000 anymore.” Dan DeWitt can be reached at dewitt@sptimes.com or (352) 754- 6116. ***As always, the latest in Real Estate News as it pertains to Spring Hill Real Estate, Brooksville Real Estate, Weeki Wachee Real Estate, Hernando Beach North Real Estate, Hernando Beach South Real Estate, and Hudson Beach Real Estate. – Brought to you by Hernando Luxury Homes, Your Luxury Real Estate Leader in Hernando County, Florida and Pasco County, Florida. Bookmark This Post
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About the AuthorJosh Hanoud is the #1 Top Producing Agent at Tropic Shores Realty in Spring Hill, FL and in the top 3% of all real estate agents in Hernando County, Florida (2007). He also happens to be the co-founder (along with Natalie) of the Hernando Luxury Homes website which aims to showcase the best properties that Hernando County and the surrounding Nature Coast has to offer. Whether buying, selling, relocating, or investing - Josh & Natalie are proud to offer a higher level of service. Contact them today at 352-397-5182 or Josh@HernandoLuxuryHomes.com to see what they can do for you.View other posts by Josh Similar Posts
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