Nearly 1,219 acres along U.S. Highway 41 north of Land O' Lakes are headed for a major transformation after the Pasco County Board of County Commissioners approved a land use change on Tuesday, July 14.

Ordinance 26-27, signed by Commission Chairman Jack Mariano, converts the site from a patchwork of residential, light-industrial, conservation and office designations to a single Planned Development category. The parcel sits on the west side of U.S. 41, roughly 2.75 miles north of the SR-52 intersection.

What the new plan allows

Under the updated Subarea Policy FLU 7.1.15, the Mitchell U.S. 41 site can accommodate up to 2,100 homes, 880,000 square feet of light industrial space and 99,000 square feet of office. Up to 80,000 square feet of the industrial allotment may be used for commercial purposes.

The residential cap jumped from 1,438 units under the old policy to 2,100, an increase of 662 units. At the same time, the required commercial set-aside dropped from 132,000 square feet to an optional 80,000 square feet.

The county's policy targets a 1.5-to-1 jobs-to-housing ratio at buildout and requires at least 98 acres be reserved for employment-generating uses. Post-secondary schools are also permitted within the light industrial areas, a provision that could support workforce training tied to the site's industrial tenants.

Wetlands and river protections built into the deal

The subarea includes roughly 213 acres of critical linkage conservation land and about 196 additional acres of wetlands. The Pithlachascotee River runs through or along the edge of the property. The developer must preserve the critical linkage by conveying title to the county or granting a conservation easement before or at the time of the first Master Planned Unit Development approval.

Septic tanks are prohibited on the site except for structures that existed before the ordinance's adoption.

Transit station and road upgrades required

The policy calls for a transit station of up to five acres within the subarea, with provisions for park-and-ride facilities, bus hubs and future commuter or light rail. The developer must also dedicate right-of-way along U.S. 41 within 90 days of the county's request.

The Ridge Road Extension Phase II, an $85 million project stretching 3.75 miles from North Sunlake Boulevard to U.S. 41, is scheduled for completion in late 2026, according to county project records. That new east-west connection will feed directly into the corridor near the Mitchell site.

Three public hearings led to Tuesday's vote

The approval followed three public hearings: the Local Planning Agency heard the case on Thursday, April 16; the commission held a transmittal hearing on Monday, May 19; and the adoption vote came on July 14. Florida Commerce issued a letter of no comment, and no reviewing agency raised objections.

State review and rezoning still ahead

The ordinance must be transmitted to the Florida Department of State within 10 days of adoption, putting the deadline at Friday, July 24. It takes effect 31 days after the state land planning agency confirms the amendment package is complete. No development permits can be issued before that effective date.

Once the ordinance is in effect, the developer must file for Master Planned Unit Development rezoning and submit a conceptual master plan covering site design, roadway layouts, transit station placement and a strategy to limit access points along U.S. 41. The site may be divided into no more than three MPUD districts.

Pasco County's mobility fee schedule, updated in February 2026, subsidizes office, industrial and hotel development at 100%, meaning those job-creating uses would owe no mobility fees on this site. The developer behind the Mitchell application has not been identified in the public ordinance.