Pasco commissioners approve rezoning for Land O’ Lakes townhomes

Plans for the Enclave at Livingston include intersection improvements for State Road 54.

After a lengthy debate, the Pasco County Board of Commissioners voted 3-2 on Oct. 21 to approve a rezoning request that will allow Stanley Martin Homes to build the Enclave at Livingston, a 178-townhome community behind Our Lady of the Rosary Catholic Church.

The rezoning changed the designation of 43.6 acres off Collier Parkway from agricultural-residential to master-planned unit development. Stanley Martin purchased the land from the Academy at the Lakes school.

District 2 Commissioner Seth Weightman moved to approve the request and was backed by District 1 Commissioner Ron Oakley and District 3 Commissioner Kathryn Starkey. District 4 Commissioner Lia Yeager and District 5 Commissioner Jack Mariano voted against it.

The central issue was not the rezoning itself but the conditions Stanley Martin agreed to in exchange for approval — primarily realigning 20 Mile Level Road on the north side of State Road 54 and connecting it to Livingston Avenue. The townhome community will be located on 20 Mile Level Road.

Weightman, citing traffic congestion on State Road 54, said the intersection improvements would benefit both future townhome residents and current 20 Mile Level residents, particularly when turning onto State Road 54 — the only way to exit the residential road.

“The project is compatible and certainly appropriate for the future,” Weightman said before making his motion.

The intersection project will modify the northbound approach lanes at State Road 54 and Livingston to provide one left-turn lane, one shared through- and right-turn lane, and one right-turn lane. According to information provided at the meeting, right-turn volume is 300 cars an hour, while through-lane volume is 50 cars an hour. The changes will reduce overall delay while maximizing the volume-to-capacity ratio at the intersection.

The Livingston extension north to the project access is included in the cost-feasible section of the 2050 Plan as part of the State Road 54-Collier intersection improvement and will provide right of way for further extension of Livingston Avenue.

Stanley Martin will pay roughly $288,317 for the modifications and improvements.

The 20 Mile Level Road in Land O’ Lakes was a hot topic of discussion at the Oct. 21 Pasco County Commission meeting since the road leads to the newly approved 178-townhome community Enclave at Livingston. Commissioners approved a rezoning request that will have developer Stanley Martin realign 20 Mile with Livingston Avenue at State Road 54. [ MIKE CAMUNAS | Beacon Media ]

Mariano questioned why the money was being spent only on the intersection rather than paving all of 20 Mile Level Road, currently a dirt road that dead-ends behind the Land O’ Lakes Recreation Complex.

“I just think we should see if the money is better spent, especially if it means paving 20 Mile Level,” Mariano said.

Barbara Wilhite, attorney for the developer, said Stanley Martin spent four months working on the intersection project with the county and wanted to stay the course, though the company could be flexible. County engineering staff agreed the intersection work was the correct approach.

However, flexibility was built into the approved rezoning. Stanley Martin and county engineers will review whether paving all of 20 Mile Level Road is both feasible and financially viable within the approved budget.

“Just fixing the intersection doesn’t make sense to me,” Mariano said.

Yeager added, “We’re the ones who get emails about it, so I just want this project to be perfect.”

Oakley said he would prefer additional work and funding go toward improving nearby Collier Parkway to address ongoing traffic congestion.

A few residents spoke against the request at the Oct. 21 meeting.

In May, dozens of residents attended an informational meeting held by Stanley Martin and Tampa Civil Design at Our Lady of the Rosary. Longtime 20 Mile Level Road residents said accessing and exiting the unpaved road is already “a logistical, time-consuming nightmare.” It’s the only entrance and exit on westbound State Road 54 and requires a U-turn at Livingston when traveling eastbound. Residents from neighboring communities — including Lake Padgett Estates, Plantation Palms, Valencia Gardens and Dupree Lakes — said traffic has increased travel times on the 4-mile stretch of Collier Parkway.

The intersection project must be completed before work can begin on the Enclave at Livingston. The rezoning approval stipulates that Stanley Martin can use 20 Mile Level Road only to construct utility improvements and mobilize equipment to stabilize Livingston Road Extension during construction.

The realignment and townhome project also includes fences and buffers where the road and development border the neighboring communities of Terra Bella and Huntington Ridge.

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