A 35-acre surf park, nearly 4,000 single-family homes, a 480-room hotel, and hundreds of thousands of square feet of retail and office space are one step closer to reality along State Road 56 after the Pasco County Planning Commission unanimously recommended approval of sweeping changes to the Two Rivers development on July 10.

The vote advances one of the largest development proposals near Wesley Chapel to the Pasco County Board of County Commissioners, which must hold its own public hearings and cast the final vote.

Expansion adds housing, schools and hotel

Two Rivers spans roughly 6,000 acres along State Road 56 from Morris Bridge Road toward Gall Boulevard, straddling Wesley Chapel's eastern edge near Zephyrhills. Eisenhower Property Group is building out the former Thomas family ranch, with multiple homebuilders developing individual neighborhoods since construction began in late 2022.

The updated entitlements include 4,047 single-family homes, 1,878 apartments, 514 townhomes, 108 villas, a 300-bed assisted living facility and a 480-room hotel. An earlier plan for a 1,125-home, age-restricted community was removed and replaced in part by the assisted living component. The apartment count increased from about 1,400 to about 1,900 units.

The development also calls for a K-8 school, a high school and an 85-acre district park on land the county purchased last year. The Pasco County School Board approved a $6.76 million early site work contract for the Two Rivers K-8 school on Tuesday, May 5, awarding the work to Williams Company Tampa, according to school board records.

Surf park anchors commercial development

Peak Surf Park, the development's signature commercial attraction, is a 35-acre facility first announced in late 2024. Founder Tony Miller spent nearly two years searching for a site before choosing central Pasco County for its access to the broader Tampa Bay market, according to the Wesley Chapel Community Website.

The park centers on a wave lagoon using Surf Lakes technology from Australia designed to produce waves for all skill levels. Plans include a half-mile sandy beach, concert and event space, restaurants, bars, retail shops and wellness facilities, with about 700 parking spaces. Peak Surf Park is targeting a late 2027 opening.

An economic impact study submitted to the Planning Commission projects the park would generate an estimated $1.3 billion in business output during its first decade, about 700 jobs per year and nearly $150 million in combined state and county tax revenue over 10 years. The study's author and commissioning party are not identified in public records. Letters from Florida's Sports Coast and the Pasco Economic Development Council argued the surf park could help position Pasco County as a visitor destination.

Residents voice concerns about growth

The recommendation came despite more than a dozen residents speaking against the project at the hearing, according to the Wesley Chapel Community Website. Speakers raised concerns about traffic, flooding, loss of green space and wildlife habitat, and strain on local water supplies.

One resident told commissioners the proposal was "not a minor adjustment but a transformation of the community on a massive scale."

County commissioners will make final decision

The Planning Commission's vote is a recommendation, not a final approval. The Pasco County Board of County Commissioners will hold public hearings before casting the deciding vote. No hearing date has been announced. Residents who want to comment can monitor the county's public hearing schedule at pascocountyfl.net.