Planning commission backs major 2 Rivers amendment and a proposed surf park amid strong public opposition over water and traffic

The Pasco County Planning Commission voted to recommend approval to the Board of County Commissioners of a comprehensive plan amendment and a substantial modification to the 2 Rivers MPUD (items PC‑13/PC‑14), a large‑scale proposal covering roughly 3,405 acres along State Road 56 between Morris Bridge Road and Gall Boulevard.

Staff told the commission the amendment would clean up existing entitlements and authorize an overall maximum of 6,547 dwelling units (a gross density increase to 1.92), up to 767 additional non‑trip‑neutral multifamily units in targeted mixed‑use areas, 300 assisted‑living beds, 480 hotel rooms, roughly 705,000 square feet of retail and a proposed recreational water/surf park feature. The proposal also includes enhanced roadway and pedestrian connectivity and design standards for multifamily development.

The surf park drew the most sustained public attention. Many residents, environmental groups and local advocates urged denial or delay, saying the expansion will stress groundwater and wetlands, increase flood risk downstream in Hillsborough County and overwhelm local roads and services. "This is development is not an island. The water will continue to flow," said Danielle Kimbrell, a Plant City resident, during public comment. Sierra Club representatives and other speakers repeated calls for more study and coordination with Hillsborough County over watershed impacts.

The applicant team and technical consultants responded with technical data and commitments. Project engineer Joe Cimino said the surf amenity under discussion is a recirculating facility with a roughly 6‑acre lagoon (not the 35‑acre figure cited by some speakers) and estimated operational water demand of approximately 8,000 gallons per day; he also described staged filling and SWFWMD review for initial fill volumes and daily consumption to avoid off‑site impacts. Developer Tony Miller framed the surf park as a regional attraction with a boutique hotel, food and beverage, a festival field and community amenities that would generate jobs and economic activity.

Commissioners pressed staff and the applicant for clearer, enforceable wording that locks in the surf park’s intended scale and components rather than leaving a broad concept in the conditions. In response, the commission approved the amendment and the MPUD modification subject to an added requirement: the developer and its counsel must work with the county attorney to draft more detailed conditions — including a binding concept plan — before the Board hearing. That coordinated wording will be included in the Board packet.

What happens next: the staff transmittal and refined conditions will go to the Board for final action; the surf park and related uses will require subsequent detailed engineering, SWFWMD water‑use permitting and construction‑level approvals before any building work can begin.