Commission approves 434‑unit Murphy Road MPUD after staff and applicant reduce intensity and add buffers

The Pasco County Board voted to approve an MPUD rezoning allowing up to 434 single‑family detached units on approximately 118.82 acres at the northeast corner of Murphy Road and County Road 54.

Staff said the current proposal is substantially reduced from an earlier, more intense plan and that minimum lot sizes were increased to 55‑foot widths (square‑foot lots), additional landscaping buffers were added along the northern boundary, and a multiuse path will be provided on a collector section of the project. William Vermillion summarized the changes staff and the applicant made after public and city review, and explained the applicant would be required to provide stormwater compensation so pre‑development drainage conditions are maintained for adjacent neighborhoods.

Applicant representatives noted they moved the village kiosk centrally to avoid disturbance to nearby residents and that the plan limits direct interconnections to substandard county roads that are planned for future improvements. Several neighbors warned about safety at nearby rail crossings and asked about traffic and drainage; a resident who lives near the Forbes Road/rail crossing described past accidents and urged caution. Staff and the applicant responded that stormwater will be managed so pre‑ and post‑development flows are consistent and that transportation spacing and minor variation requests were supported by traffic review.

The board approved the rezoning and recommended conditions with an abstention noted by one commissioner because of proximity to the site.