Two Rivers Megaproject at Zephyrhills' Doorstep Clears Key Hurdle — 4,000 Homes, 2,500 Apartments and a Surf Park

Pasco County took a major step Thursday toward reshaping the fast-growing corridor at Zephyrhills' western edge, as the county Planning Commission voted to recommend approval of the sprawling Two Rivers development — a plan for nearly 4,000 homes, 2,500 apartments, hotels, businesses and a 35-acre surf park spread across hundreds of acres along State Road 56, from Morris Bridge Road to Gall Boulevard.

It's one of the largest proposed projects in the county, and it sits close enough to Zephyrhills that local families would feel it in the traffic they sit in, the water they draw and the neighbors who move in next door. The recommendation isn't the final word — but it clears a key hurdle and pushes the decision to the elected board that will have the last say.

What's actually on the table

According to local news reports, the proposal packs a full small-city's worth of uses into the SR-56 corridor between Wesley Chapel and Zephyrhills:

• Nearly 4,000 homes
• 2,500 apartments
• Hotels, businesses and retail
• A 35-acre water park — the planned Peak Surf Park

Two Rivers itself is a master-planned community measured in the thousands of acres, with home villages already rising along the corridor over multiple phases. Thursday's action dealt with changes to that larger plan rather than a brand-new project appearing from nowhere.

The surf park driving the buzz

The piece drawing the most attention is Peak Surf Park, a 35-acre surf-and-recreation destination that secured its land within Two Rivers back in 2024 and has been working through permitting and planning since. Founded by lifelong Florida surfer and entrepreneur Tony Miller, it's pitched as far more than a wave pool — plans describe a wave lagoon paired with dining, bars, retail, live music and wellness amenities, with a targeted opening around 2027.

According to reports, backers frame it as a "third place" for the region — somewhere between home and work — and Miller has said he wants surfing accessible to everyone, from first-timers to experts, along with programs aimed at veterans, kids and people with disabilities.

That vision is exactly what supporters leaned on Thursday. Two letters submitted to commissioners — from Florida's Sports Coast and the Pasco Economic Development Council — argued the surf park could help turn Pasco into a genuine visitor destination. A developer connected to the project told the commission it would become a marquee asset for locals, and at least one resident used public comment to say she was excited and frustrated that so many neighbors were opposed.

What worries the neighbors

More than a dozen residents spoke, and many came to push back. Their concerns clustered around the everyday costs of rapid growth in east Pasco:

• Traffic on already-strained roads
• Flooding as more land is paved over
• Water resources stretched by thousands of new residents
• Lost green space and wildlife habitat

According to local news reports, one resident told commissioners the plan was not a minor adjustment but a transformation of the community on a massive scale. Another said Pasco doesn't need more development — it needs better roads, less traffic and stronger protection for its water. Those are the same tensions that have followed nearly every big project along the SR-56 corridor as it fills in.

What happens next

The Planning Commission recommended approval with conditions, and the proposal now heads to the Pasco County Board of County Commissioners. That's where public hearings will be held before commissioners make a final decision — and where residents on both sides will get another, more consequential chance to be heard.

For Zephyrhills-area families, that's the meeting worth watching. The commissioners' vote is what determines whether the homes, apartments and surf park actually get built, and what traffic, drainage and water conditions come attached. Residents who want to weigh in can track hearing dates and agendas through the county at pascocountyfl.net.

Why it matters here

Two Rivers isn't a distant Wesley Chapel story — it's unfolding at Zephyrhills' doorstep, along a corridor local drivers already use every day. Done well, it could bring a one-of-a-kind attraction and thousands of new customers for nearby businesses. Done poorly, it could deepen the traffic, flooding and water pressures residents already flag. Which version arrives now rests with the county commission.

For more on this story and the growth reshaping our area, visit Zephyrhills Community Website and follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and X for updates as hearing dates are set. Have a view on Two Rivers? Join the conversation in our Community Forum — and read more government & politics and business & development stories to keep up with how our community is changing.