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Pasco County spreads path toward more walkable communities

 
Published May 28, 2015

NEW PORT RICHEY — The land planners call it MUTRM, pronounced "mutter um." It's the bureaucratic acronym for dense housing abutting sidewalks and traffic grids leading to nearby businesses and open spaces in a neighborhood center.

Combined, these elements are considered mixed-use trip reduction measures, MUTRM, even if others outside of county government might use a more familiar name: a compact, walkable community; more feet on the pavement than on the gas pedal.

The idea is to keep people close to their own homes and apartments for shopping and recreating. Think Longleaf, but with substantially more commercial space so people won't have to leave their development and navigate State Road 54 to get to a grocery store.

The county started investigating this land-planning tool over the past few years as it prepared for a future that, at some point, could include substantially more mass transit than exists today. It means putting housing, shopping and recreation in close quarters to discourage the traditional autocentric sprawl that dominated Pasco County's residential development for decades.

To encourage participation, the county offers financial benefits to developers. Projects designed with the trip-reduction guidelines get a 25 percent discount on their required transportation mobility fee payments.

Pasco County adopted its MUTRM criteria in November, and last week commissioners approved the land rezoning for another development to follow the new techniques — the Mitchell 54 West project at the southwest corner of Little Road and State Road 54.

The large-scale Bexley, Starkey and Greenfield projects also are using the design. And Asturia (formerly known as the Behnke Ranch) did not need to follow the county ordinance, but chose to use the concept because of expected market demand for these types of community developments, according to the county planning staff.

Mitchell 54 West "is almost prototypical" of the desired walkable community, said land use lawyer Clark Hobby, who likened it to Old Hyde Park Village in South Tampa with apartments atop commercial uses. Hobby represents the Mitchell family, which owns the land. Kitson & Partners of Palm Beach Gardens is the developer.

Though the project is not expected to break ground until 2016, the word "excited" was bandied about the West Pasco Government Center last week by commissioners, staffers and others. The project is slated to include almost 1 million square feet of commercial and mixed uses, and 800 homes, apartments and townhouses on 333 acres. Kitson & Partners previously revealed plans for a walkable courtyard rimmed by shops and restaurants on a commercial Main Street. Amenities are expected to include a grocery, a lifestyle/fitness center, a 10- to 12-screen movie theater and big-box retailers. Some of the homes will be near the existing housing in Trinity West and will have pedestrian paths leading to the abutting Seven Springs Middle School and Mitchell High.

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The land is part of a larger area of more than 1,150 acres the county dubbed its western urban hub five years ago in an attempt to encourage homes, shops and office parks in a relatively condensed area to reduce the number and length of car trips.

One key provision is the developer's promise to contribute $243,000 toward rebuilding Weilbilt Boulevard through the project to Mitchell Ranch Road. Commissioner Kathryn Starkey noted the poor condition of Weilbilt Boulevard, which leads to the Trinity Oaks Commerce Park.

"Weilbilt serves a very nice business park, and it is in Third World condition," she said.

"It wasn't a good front door for our business parks," agreed Hobby.

The push for the walkable community, however, does not end the demand for traffic improvements nearby. At 70 percent buildout in 2021, the project will contribute to traffic deficiencies at the corner of SR 54 and Little Road. Those still need to be addressed.