Pasco County commissioners authorize transmittal to state to move land along Old Pasco Road into urban service area

Pasco County commissioners voted to transmit a staff-initiated comprehensive-plan amendment to the Florida Department of Commerce that would move a portion of land along Old Pasco Road from the rural neighborhood protection/urban expansion area into the urban service area.

Amy Toll, planner with Pasco County Planning, Development and Economic Growth, told the board the amendment would remove the subject area from Rural Area 4'the county's rural neighborhood protection area'and include it in the urban service area, resolving a mapping inconsistency embedded in the comprehensive plan. Toll said the mapped area is predominantly Category 1 wetland and that the amendment is intended to align maps and policies so future projects can comply with state and local requirements.

Board members said the change matters because it affects where higher-density development and public facilities are expected. Commissioner Mariano (District 5) raised concerns about the timing of any development and whether road and sidewalk improvements would be in place before new projects move forward, noting recent new housing and ongoing construction on adjacent roads.

Toll and county staff responded that Pasco has funded widenings of Old Pasco Road into 2026 for about half the corridor within the proposed urban service area and that the northern extension will be addressed through the Gateway Hub project. Staff said they will continue work on a development agreement to secure road improvements in coordination with developers and the county engineer.

Resident Barbara Wilhite, who said she represents developers on some projects but was speaking as a resident, described the amendment as a technical fix to correct inconsistent mapping and urged the board to proceed while staff and developers work on infrastructure details. "We're not going to move anything forward if we don't correct our errors," Wilhite said.

After discussion, the board authorized transmittal to Florida Commerce and other reviewing agencies. The motion passed on a voice vote with all commissioners present voting in favor.

Why it matters: Changing the map from urban expansion to urban service area makes the parcel eligible for a higher planned level of density and signals that the county has analyzed or will analyze public-facility capacity. Commissioners flagged the need to coordinate road widenings and other infrastructure so new development does not outpace improvements.

Next steps: The amendment will be transmitted to state reviewers. Staff and county engineering will continue negotiations on development agreements and capital-improvement programming to address Old Pasco Road improvements before major development proceeds.