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Pasco commissioners approve North Pasco Resort change; neighbors press for noise, water and traffic protections
Summary
The board approved a text amendment and MPD modification renaming the former North Pasco RV Resort, reducing RV spaces to 350 and permitting a 250‑room hotel; residents raised concerns about amplified outdoor entertainment, groundwater use and road capacity, and the applicant accepted conditions limiting outdoor entertainment to resort guests and compliance with county noise rules.
Pasco County commissioners approved a comprehensive plan text amendment and related MPD modification that change the North Pasco RV Resort into the North Pasco Resort, reduce RV spaces from 550 to 350 and add a 250‑room, four‑story resort hotel.
Planning staff presented the amendment and said the sub‑area policy would continue to prohibit permanent residency and limit length of stay to transient occupancy, and that certain lakeside areas would be restricted to passive recreation. William Vermillion described the binding concept plan, a 274‑foot minimum setback from Lake Iola for the hotel, and an extensive landscape buffer for Lake Iola scenic corridor preservation.
Neighbors testified at length about noise from an outdoor entertainment area, the potential for sustained peak traffic on two‑lane roads near I‑75 and Lake Iola, a small culvert connecting Moody and Middle Lake that they said could worsen flooding risks, and the volume of water the hotel and RV park could use from local aquifers. "At 85% occupancy just in the hotel, that would be 200 cars a day..." said one resident calling attention to both traffic and water use. Kim Wit told the board she estimated substantial per‑room water demand and expressed concern about county water restrictions in effect for residents.
The applicant added a written condition (MPD condition 30G) restricting outdoor entertainment to resort guests and restaurant/bar patrons only, forbidding stage lighting that creates off‑site glare, and requiring compliance with Pasco County’s noise code. "Any outdoor entertainment area shall be limited to resort guests and restaurant/bar patrons only," Barbara Wilhight read into the record.
On the question of permanent occupancy, staff and the applicant noted that Florida law classifies permanent occupancy as stays longer than six months; the project’s conditions prohibit permanent residency and require guest registers and enforcement per Florida statutes.
Staff and county engineers described required off‑site transportation improvements including turn lanes and intersection work; neighbors urged signalization and, where warranted, four‑lane construction sooner rather than later. County staff said the project included specific intersection improvements and that broader corridor work (including Kenton Road connections) would be addressed through development agreements and the capital improvements program.
Commissioners approved the plan and the MPD modification by roll call after making and accepting several conditions, including the entertainment limitation, confirmation of the Lake Iola buffer and assurances the project will comply with applicable decibel/noise regulations. The board also asked staff to monitor enforcement challenges and report back if the county needs additional noise enforcement tools in rural areas.
