Updated: December 2004

The Mall developer has made a public promise to Pascowildlife.

Click HERE to view a letter to Pascowildlife

(you'll need Adobe Acrobat to read this file)

Most have heard of the Regional Mall being planned for the interchange of SR 56 and I-75 in Pasco County, but do you know the details? On this page, we hope to give you some insight into the development of this huge project and what it means to our ecosystems.

A citizen's group known as "Citizens Against the Mall" filed a challenge in Tallahassee the week prior to Christmas at the Dept of Community Affairs (DCA) to the Comprehensive Plan amendment change for the mall. They have hired attorney, Ralf Brookes and planner, Earle Starnes to make their case.

The Tampa Bay Group of the Sierra Club (and possibly the Nature Coast Group) have said that they will challenge the mall as well. To this date, PWL is not aware of any action on the part of the Sierra Club.

Pasco Commissioners added the following condition to the Development Order on November 23, 2004:

(4)  The Applicant/Developer shall make every reasonable effort to relocate all gopher tortoises within the project site.  In the event that on-site relocation is not reasonably possible, all gopher tortoises shall be relocated to an appropriate off-site location.  In no event shall the Applicant/Developer seek to kill or wound any gopher tortoise without first receiving specific approval of the BOCC.

By the time, Development Review Committee (DRC) met on November 4th, Pascowildlife had been able to add two more conditions:

• Relocation of gopher tortoises will be considered before application to FFWCC for a taking (killing)

• The bridge, once built, will channel stormwater runoff into the the stormwater system and away from Cypress Creek and the bridge will be fenced to impede trash and debris from blowing over into the creek.

Our main areas of concern are:

• Protect Cypress Creek (CC) (an outstanding Florida water) from pollution and improve water quality, if possible.

• Explore relocation of gopher tortoises before determining that a take (kill) is the only option. *done!

• Make sure flooding upstream in the CC drainage basin is not exacerbated.

• Make sure flooding downstream is not increased.

• Protect water quality in CC during construction of the SR54 extension bridge. Make sure that the bridge does not contribute pollution to CC from dirt, debris, trash and runoff during normal useage. *done!

• Incorporate Low Impact (at source) Strategies (LID) for stormwater management. To learn more on LID return to our home page and follow the links.

• Make sure there is no stormwater discharge directly into CC

• Make sure mitigation for wetland loss is of the highest quality possible and integrated with Pasco County and SWFWMD conservation goals.

• Make sure that the Mall and the bridge are adequately buffered from neighbors directly across CC (south and southwest) from the Mall.

Pascowildlife has read the Development Order (D.O.). With very little exception, the promises made to PWL have been incorporated into the D.O. In addition, the issues raised by SWFWMD, DEP, DCA and FFWCC have been addressed in the D.O. As for the exceptions - we continue to work with all parties to improve the D.O. for environmental purposes.

Pascowildlife, Inc. did not and will not oppose the Mall.