Pasco commissioners continue rezoning for 63‑home Colony Road subdivision after residents warn of traffic and Vision Road conflicts

The Pasco County Board of County Commissioners on Feb. 25 continued a rezoning request for 63 single‑family lots on roughly 34.24 acres south of Hudson Avenue, citing outstanding questions about the planned Colony Road alignment, pedestrian facilities and how new connections would affect nearby rural properties.

The application sought to rezone agricultural land to a master plan unit development (MPUD) to allow up to 63 single‑family detached homes (60‑by‑120‑foot lots) and to construct a two‑lane segment of the future Colony Road as part of the development. Staff said the project will dedicate a 124‑foot right‑of‑way for the ultimate medianized County cross‑section but build the two‑lane half section to serve the development initially.

Commissioners heard more than a dozen residents and nearby property owners during a lengthy public comment period. Speakers described safety and capacity problems on Hudson Avenue, a lack of sidewalks near bus stops, concerns about children waiting in the dark and the prospect of increased cut‑through traffic using Foxfire and local neighborhood roads. Several residents said the route shown for Colony Road in county route studies would bisect existing one‑acre rural properties and that a realigned corridor or different access strategy should be considered.

Staff and the applicant said the MPUD includes internal pedestrian interconnects and a vehicular connection to the north and west to satisfy the county’s connectivity requirements. They also noted the site had already been classified Res‑3 (up to 3 units per acre) in the comprehensive plan; the MPUD as proposed yields a density (about 1.8 units per acre) well under the maximum allowed. The applicant said the project will construct the required two‑lane portion of Colony Road to access the development and dedicate the remaining right‑of‑way to the county.

However, commissioners and staff agreed that the plan’s proposed road cross‑section and the exact alignment of Colony/ Vision Road required additional engineering review and clearer language in the project conditions. County engineering staff said the Vision Road route in the area had been updated previously and that the county’s route‑study assumptions may not precisely match existing parcel lines; reconciling the alignment could involve right‑of‑way acquisition or a realignment exercise at the county level. Commissioners asked staff to work with the applicant and the county engineer to produce a cross‑section and access language that addresses the board’s safety concerns and to consider an emergency‑access option if neighborhood connections are deferred.

After extended discussion the board voted to continue the item to a date‑certain meeting so staff and the applicant could return with clarified conditions that: (1) require specific treatment of the Colony Road cross‑section, (2) confirm the applicant’s dedication of right‑of‑way and (3) address whether the proposed western vehicular connections should remain or be limited to pedestrian interconnects because of slope/elevation constraints. The board set the item to return at its March 25 meeting in New Port Richey.

Ending — Commissioners said they intended the continuation to allow time for the county engineer and staff to work with the applicant and adjacent communities to refine the road design and ensure pedestrian safety and neighborhood circulation were addressed before final action.