WESLEY CHAPEL, Fla. — Four months have come and gone since Wesley Chapel’s Crystal Lagoon was supposed to open, and residents are growing more and more anxious waiting for the opening that was promised back in April.
“Definitely the lagoon is the big attraction,” Sue Queen, an Epperson Ranch resident said to ABC Action News.
We caught Queen and a few of her friends out for a walk. For a large portion of that walk, they have to look over the beautiful lagoon that they were only able to use once.
“It’s been exciting seeing the slides go up, and the Wii Fit go up,” she said.
Like Queen, hundreds of residents have moved into the Wesley Chapel area in anticipation of the peace, paradise and one-of-a-kind pool.
Originally, the Crystal Lagoon was set to open at the end of April.
There was even a spectacular grand opening where Metro Development invited Michael Phelps to speak. Residents and the public were even invited to use the new lagoon.
Shortly afterward, the Crystal Lagoon was shut down, the owners telling ABC Action News Pasco County requested additional permitting and paperwork in late May.
"Metro Development Group is excited about recent progress seen at Epperson and all signs point towards an exclusive opening for residents this Fall, followed by an official opening shortly thereafter. Upon receipt of notification from Pasco County that additional permitting was required in late May, Metro submitted all the necessary paperwork. With all relevant permits now secured, the team has shifted its focus to a short punch list of remaining to-do items. Now that power to the construction grid of the lagoon is on, the Metro team is working with Crystal Lagoons to test mechanics and water quality. Because of its ongoing due diligence in cleaning the lagoon, Metro is confident that the water will meet the necessary requirements. Next up, the team will work to secure power to the rest of the lagoon property – one of the final steps before the lagoon can open.
Metro remains committed to opening the lagoon as soon as possible and shares in its residents’ disappointment whenever there are unexpected delays. As the country’s first Crystal Lagoon community, the team behind Epperson is in essence creating the rules and template and, despite years of planning, sometimes must learn as it goes. The good news is, we can see the finish line and it’s a beautiful shade of blue."
“It’s a very slow process,” Jessica Jackson said. She's not upset the pool isn’t open yet but says it’s taken longer than promised.
“There were a lot of promises like January this will happen, February this will happen — it didn’t happen,” she said.
Still, in late August, there’s not a set date for the Crystal Lagoon to open.
Residents saying they know it will eventually open its gates, but they are just disappointed it’s taken this long.
“I’ve met more people than I feel like I would have met just walking in the gate and plopping on the sand,” Queen said.
Metro Development expects an exclusive opening for residents sometime this fall, with a public opening shortly afterward.
