Residents urge county to stop planned townhome traffic routed through Abbey Brook Circle

At the Pasco County Board of County Commissioners meeting on May 6, residents from the Epperson community urged commissioners to block plans that would make Abbey Brook Circle the primary entrance and exit for a nearby 186-unit townhome development.

Residents said the narrow, residential street is used as a de facto play area for children and cannot safely absorb the additional daily traffic developers expect. "Turn the planned emergency exit on Elm Road into the sole entrance and exit into this development," said Alexandra Lewis, a resident of Abbey Brook Circle, urging officials to preserve a golf-cart-path connection rather than routing vehicle traffic through her street.

The dispute centers on a townhome project in the Epperson North area that, residents said, would direct traffic through Abbey Brook Circle even though the neighborhood lacks two of the three parks originally planned and has no park access on that street. "This street is special. It echoes the street from the past before screens and TikTok," resident Candace Alfieri told the board, adding that many families in the neighborhood have young children who play in front yards and use the street for recreation.

Neighbors and speakers presented…