The Laker/Lutz News

Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

B.C. Manion

Political Agenda 02/09/2022

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Qualifying period for municipal seats
Pasco County Supervisor of Elections Brian E. Corley announced that qualifying period for Municipal Elections began at noon on Feb. 8 and ends at noon on Feb. 15, according to a news release from Corley’s office.

After the qualifying period ends, a determination will be made regarding the municipalities that will hold elections, which are scheduled on April 12.

Interested parties should contact their respective city clerk for more information on candidate qualifying.

Municipal elections are for voters residing within the city limits only.

Information on city candidates is available on the Supervisor of Elections’ website, PascoVotes.gov, and sample ballots will be published in the Tampa Bay Times on April 8. Election results will be posted on PascoVotes.gov.

Voters going to the polls for Municipal Elections should bring photo and signature identification, or they will be required to vote a provisional ballot.

Voters also are encouraged to update their voter registration record prior to election day by contacting the elections’ office at 800-851-8754, or by visiting PascoVotes.gov.

Central Pasco Democratic Club
The Central Pasco Democratic Club will meet, via Zoom, on Feb. 16.

The guest speaker will be Amy Weintraub, the Reproductive Rights program director for Progress Florida and chair of the Reproductive Rights Task Force for NOW.

Socializing begins at 6:30 p.m, followed by the meeting at 6:45 p.m., and the guest speaker at 7 p.m.

For details, email .

East Pasco Democratic Club
The East Pasco Democratic Club is scheduled to meet on Feb. 21, remotely, via ZOOM.

Speakers will discuss winning in 2022.

Email , or call 813-383-8315 for details. Socializing starts at 6 p.m., followed by the meeting at 6:30 p.m.

Moore retires from District 2
Pasco County Commissioner Mike Moore has announced he will not run for reelection when his term in District 2 expires in November. In sharing the news, Moore said the decision came after much deliberation with his family. He plans to retire from politics and return to the private sector, his announcement said.

Candidates lining up for local seats
Here’s a look at candidates in local races that have filed as of Feb. 3, according to the Pasco County Supervisor of Elections website:

Pasco County Commission
District 2 candidates:
Troy F. Stevenson
Seth Weightman

District 4 candidates
Gary H. Bradford
Christina M. Fitzpatrick
Shannon J. Wittwer

Pasco County School Board
District 1:
Johnathan D. McKeen-Chaff

District 3:
Cynthia Armstrong
Matt Geiger

Endorsement
Pasco County Commissioner Mike Moore has announced he is retiring from his seat in November. He has endorsed candidate Seth Weightman to replace him on the county board.

Political Agenda
Political Agenda is a column that runs only during election years.

It gives candidates a place to announce they are seeking political office. It lets voters know of upcoming Meet the Candidate nights or political forums.

It is a place where political clubs can announce upcoming meetings, and it will include news that is pertinent to voters for upcoming elections. It also will announce endorsements.

It is limited to candidates who are running for office in The Laker/Lutz News coverage area.

This column does not include political fundraising events.

There is never a guarantee of publication, but we do consider each item we receive. Please submit items for consideration at least two weeks prior to the desired publication date. Send submissions to .

Compromise reached on rezoning, in Land O’ Lakes

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The Pasco County Commission has approved a new subdivision in Land O’ Lakes, after the developer agreed to build a “vision” road to help handle area traffic.

The construction of that road has been a sticking point for months, and now the applicant has agreed to do the road — which is referred to as a vision road because at this point, it’s just a line on the map and an alignment must be determined.

As part of the conditions for approval, the county staff agreed that the developer could receive up to 66 certificates of occupancy before having to make roadway improvements.

But no additional certificates of occupancy will be granted before those improvements are done.

The rezoning request, filed by Darrell A. and Karen J. Renner, calls for a 108 single-family subdivision in Land O’ Lakes.

The rezoning, which commissioners approved on a 3-2 vote, will change the zoning on 50.5 acres of agricultural land to allow a master-planned unit development (MPUD), on the south side of Bexley Road, about a mile west of the intersection of U.S. 41 and Wisteria Loop.

Commissioners Christina Fitzpatrick and Mike Moore voted against the request. Fitzpatrick wanted to delay the vote to provide more time for her to meet with interested citizens and the applicant to try to resolve concerns about the future alignment of the vision road.

Moore backed Fitzpatrick’s request for a continuance.

But the developer asked for a vote to be taken up or down, noting that the rezoning process, with its continuances, has been both lengthy and costly.

Attorney Shelley Johnson said her clients agreed with the conditions, as revised.

Ray Gadd, Chris Nocco and Jeremy Crouch had voiced concerns about allowing construction to occur, without the vision road.

At the Jan. 25 meeting, Gadd said: “There is an actual alignment on the vision road map and I would like that alignment to be followed.

“Do we have some reasonable expectation that the actual existing vision road alignment that’s on the vision map today will be followed?” Gadd asked.

Couch told commissioners he also wants to see the road follow the alignment on the map.

“Wisteria Loop is unique. There are a lot of homes that are estate homes on the lake. There’s a lot of really nice, mature trees, along the road, it’s very quaint.

“The alignment goes right through a pasture. It’s going to be easy for them to build. They’re not going to have conflicts with citizens. It’s going to be real smooth if they go through that pasture and that will kind of keep the character of Wisteria intact.

“I support it, as long as they follow that alignment,” Crouch said.

Nocco urged commissioners: “Make sure that road stays the way it is and it doesn’t get realigned because of permitting.

“It’s not just about this project that this community is concerned about. It’s about all of the further projects that are going on.

“If we’re talking about smart growth, we have to realize that this is one of the only roads that will cross over the path of train tracks. CSX is not easy to get roads through, over their lines. So, we better be smart and do it right this time, because if we’re not (smart), this is going to be a disaster for this Land O’ Lakes area for numerous years to come,” Nocco said.

Gadd, who is deputy superintendent of Pasco County Schools, and Nocco, who is the county’s sheriff, both made it clear that they were speaking as private residents, not in their official capacity.

County Administrator Dan Biles said the alignment shown on the vision map is conceptual in nature.

The actual alignment can’t be determined until field work is done to consider the wetland impacts, the curvature of the road, the design speed of the road and other factors, he said.

A county transportation planner said there will be bonds to ensure that the road improvements are made.

Ultimately, Chairwoman Kathryn Starkey joined her colleagues Jack Mariano and Ron Oakley to support the rezoning, with Moore and Fitzpatrick dissenting.

Published February 09, 2022

Planning board makeup to stay the same

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The makeup of the Pasco County Planning Commission will stay the same — despite a change in the way members are selected.

Also, the planning board has reappointed Charles Grey as its chair and Jaime Girardi as its vice chair.

There are differences, though. Now, each Pasco County commissioner makes his or her individual appointment to the planning board and that planning commissioner serves a term that mirrors the term of the county board member who makes that appointment.

The county board also collectively selects one planning board member who serves a four-year term.

In this case, County Commissioner Ron Oakley appointed Grey; County Commissioner Mike Moore chose Peter Hanzel; County Commissioner Christina Fitzpatrick chose Don Anderson; County Commissioner Jack Mariano chose Roberto Saez; and, Commission Chairwoman Kathryn Starkey chose Girardi.

The board collectively appointed Chris Poole.

The planning board advises the county board on land use and zoning issues.

The issue involving how planning board members are selected arose last summer.

County board members Mariano and Starkey said they wanted to make individual appointments; Oakley said the process was working and no changes were needed.

County Attorney Jeffrey Steinsnyder said the change would require an amendment to the land development code.

Steinsnyder added: “I’ll also remind you that the reason you moved to board appointments versus commission appointments was to move forward the way most other jurisdictions do it.”

The county board directed its staff to take the steps necessary to lay the groundwork for a board vote to amend the land development code.

Public hearings were held and the land development code was changed.

When the county board ultimately voted to keep the current planning board membership intact, Denise Hernandez, the county’s zoning administrator, responded this way: “Everyone is back on, which makes me very, very happy.”

Characterizing this reaction as an editorial comment, Hernandez added: “This is the best planning commission that you’ve had in the 19 years that I’ve been doing this job.”

Oakley noted: “We were looking at something that I felt wasn’t broken.”

At its Feb. 3 meeting, Chief Assistant County Attorney David Goldstein told the planning board that no additional swearing-in ceremony would be required, since they had previously been sworn-in.

However, Goldstein said he would be happy to arrange a ceremonial swearing-in, if one was desired.

Planning board members agreed that wouldn’t be necessary.

Published February 09, 2022

Union pushes for school funding

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It’s no secret that COVID-19 has taken its toll on school operations.

When Don Peace, president of the United School Employees of Pasco, appeared before the Pasco County School Board on Jan. 18, he pointed to declining morale, increasing mental health concerns, rising numbers of staff resignations and retirements, and a number of other issues.

On Feb. 1, Peace urged the school district’s administration and school board to join the union in seeking a ballot initiative to improve school funding.

“I am asking that all of you today, join with me and take a real stand for public education employees of Pasco County,” Peace said.

“The time to act is now.

“We can’t wait for help in the future,” he added. “If Tallahassee is not going to help us properly fund employee salaries and programs, than we must take the steps to do this ourselves.

“Never has there been a better time to start the ball rolling for a November ballot initiative — a referendum to support employee salaries and 1-to-1 student technology needs.

“Parents are ready. The community is ready,” he said.

He reminded the board and district staff about comments he made during the board’s previous meeting about the need to act on behalf of employees.

“If we don’t act now, we won’t have safe and qualified bus drivers transporting our kids to school.

“We won’t have qualified and caring FNS (Food and Nutritional Services) staff, preparing nutritious breakfasts and lunches for our students.

“We won’t have the senior-experienced teachers in front of our students, delivering instruction and mentoring our up-and-coming educators.

“We won’t have the resource staff, the guidance counselors, the behavioral specialists, the social workers — all of the other support staff that plays such a special role in educating all of our special needs students.

“We won’t have the mental health support that we so desperately need for our employees, who are begging for help.

“We won’t have caring and hardworking custodial staff to clean our campuses, or mechanics to keep up our transportation, or secretaries to support our working staff.

“We are the only district, in our five-district region, without a referendum to aid with district costs.

“Until we take this action, we will not be able to compete with the surrounding districts.

“We must do all that we can to retain all of our employees.

“We cannot afford to lose even one.

“We must take steps today.

“Join with me, in this call to action now.

“We can’t wait for legislators in Tallahassee to fix our problems.

“Despite what they say, we’re not their No. 1 concern. We must act on our own behalf.

“Let’s do this together.

“My ask is for this board to take formal action, on a ballot initiative, today,” Peace said.

Despite his urgings, no one on the school board, or within the district’s administration, responded to Peace’s call to action.

Meanwhile, on the union’s website, there is an update on the issue of salary increases.

The update says that the union and district have received information from the Florida Department of Education regarding calculations based on full-time equivalent students.

“Due to funding concerns statewide, this has taken considerably longer than in any previous year,” according to website update.

“There has been a tremendous increase across the district and state of families taking advantage of the new HOPE and FAMILY EMPOWERMENT scholarship opportunities, which has diminished available monies to negotiate for salary increases,” the information adds.

The union and senior school district staff “are currently evaluating existing allocations to see where additional funds may be available to use for this purpose,” the update concludes.

Published February 09, 2022

Zephyrhills and Fivay high schools to offer ‘Early College’

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Pasco County Schools is launching a new program aimed at helping more students achieve an associate degree and high school diploma at the same time.

Samantha Del Valle, assistant director for the Pasco school district’s Office for Leading and Learning explained the new approach during the Pasco County School Board’s Feb. 1 meeting.

The district has had a Collegiate High School program for several years, but because of the passage of Senate Bill 52, it is revamping that program to create an Early College Program (ECP).

The new program will operate at Zephyrhills and Fivay high schools, with admission to the program determined through the district’s School Choice program, Del Valle said.

Before making changes to its program, district staff met with representatives from Pasco-Hernando State College (PHSC) and with Dayspring Academy, to learn from them, Del Valle said.

It also did research involving programs in the state of Texas, because “they are very well-versed and have a robust Early College Program,” Del Valle said.

Ultimately, those conversations and that research led to the district’s ECP, which will begin in the fall.

The idea is to get as much participation as possible, Del Valle said, so the district is making it part of its School Choice application process, to give access to as many families across the district as possible.

Del Valle explained the differences between the former Collegiate High School program and the new ECP.

The Collegiate High School program required students to take courses at PHSC. The new program allows ECP students to take courses at Zephyrhills or Fivay high schools — the designated program high schools — or through Pasco e-School or PHSC, Del Valle said.

“So, from all of those locations, they’re (students) going to have voice and choice, in what they’re interested in and what is best for them,” Del Valle said.

Increasing the options is expected to lessen potential transportation barriers, she said.

Another difference: The district’s Collegiate High School program was limited to high school juniors and seniors.

Under ECP, the district will welcome a group of freshmen, who will complete the program together.

The district intends to reach out to middle schools to raise awareness about the program and to encourage eighth-graders to apply for ECP through school choice.

“Students enter as a cohort. They have a counselor who supports them through the program, with a plan of what each year looks like.

“So, if your end goal is a high school diploma and an associate degree, we’re starting that process in eighth grade and ninth grade, to get you there,” Del Valle said.

The aim is to encourage as many students as possible to take advantage of the program, Del Valle said.

Although the program will be based at Zephyrhills and Fivay high schools, all students can apply.

Those selected will be placed at the high school closest to them, Del Valle said.

The new program aims to increase participation.

“If you look at our Collegiate High School numbers in prior years, we had 60 seats and we were averaging 15 to 20 students, districtwide, who were engaging in the program,” she said.

Under its agreement with PHSC, the district’s new ECP will allow 125 high school juniors and seniors to earn college credit.

Another change, she said, allows students to repeat a course, if they earn a D, or F, or withdraw.

“That is not something that was in there previously,” she said.

So students will not automatically be withdrawn from the program for being unsuccessful in a class.

“And, we’re continuing conversation, as well, with PHSC, around co-accreditation,” she said.

If that occurs, school district sites would be somewhat like satellite locations for PHSC, which would allow even more opportunity for dual-enrollment classes at the district sites.

Those conversations are continuing, Del Valle said.

School board members said they would like to hear more about ECP, so a board workshop on the topic will be scheduled.

Published February 09, 2022

With his moment in the spotlight, parks employee thanks others

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James K. Baisley spent 35 years of his life tending to Pasco County’s parks — rising through the ranks from groundskeeper to labor supervisor to Park Operator III.

Over the years, he’s had his hand in countless park improvements and in maintaining fields, to give park users a safe place to play.

The Pasco County Commission took a few minutes during their Jan. 25 meeting, to recognize his contributions by adopting a resolution, detailing those accomplishments.

James Baisley poses with a group congratulating him for his 35 years of service, while tending to parks in Pasco County. (Courtesy of Pasco County)

When Baisley took his place in front of the microphone, he began by expressing his gratitude.

“First of all, I’d like to thank the good Lord for keeping me healthy — to make it the 35 years that I did.

“I’d like to thank my wife, for putting up with me, for all of this.

“And, especially my children — they sacrificed many weekends that I worked, while they were children. I hope they forgive me for it.

“And, I’d like to thank Pasco County for allowing me to work here. It’s been a pleasure.

“I thought back over the 35 years of how many lives that I’ve touched throughout these years,” he said.

“A number of kids who grew up in the parks, now work for parks and recreation. I watched them grow up as kids,” he said.

Over the course of the years, he said, “I’ve watched commissioners come, commissioners go; directors come, directors, go,” he said.

His work for the county, though, remained a constant.

“It’s been a pleasure. I’ve enjoyed every minute of it,” Baisley said.

The resolution highlighted some of his contributions.

At one point, the document noted, Baisley was simultaneously overseeing groundskeeping and maintenance for up to six parks.

He worked closely with various co-sponsored youth organizations, outside user groups, local school athletic teams and Friends of the Parks organizations.

He also “set the standard for athletic field maintenance,” the resolution says.

Over his career, he “displayed tremendous leadership” and was “always willing to train staff members both within and outside his area of responsibility.”

His willingness to train others resulted in him working at more than 30 parks throughout the county.

And, he was instrumental in adding a second softball field at Elsie Logan Memorial Park. The funding came from a grant, but he created the softball field by reconfiguring existing fields, fencing, scoreboards, and irrigation, the resolution adds.

He helped with special events, such Wilderness Wonderland at the Rotary Pavilion, and the Celebration of Lights event within Safety Town and Concourse property.

And, he was involved in numerous field renovations and typically completed these without the need for outside contractors — resulting in better playing fields, while saving taxpayer funds.

Pasco County Commissioner Christina Fitzpatrick praised Baisley’s dedication.

“As you can tell by the resolution, he’s always gone above and beyond. I’ve always heard the compliments that his fields were the best in Pasco,” she said.

“You will definitely be missed,” Fitzpatrick told Baisley.

Published February 09, 2022

Amazon to bring 500 jobs to Pasco

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The Pasco Economic Development Council Inc., has announced Amazon’s commitment to build a 517,220-square-foot facility that will be home to 500 employees.

The $150 million Amazon Robotic Sortation Center (ARSC) is being built at Eagle Industrial Park, a 127-acre property that was identified as part of the Pasco EDC Ready Sites Program.

The Pasco EDC Ready Sites Program, funded through Penny for Pasco, accesses, evaluates and certifies large tracts of land to prepare properties for industrial development, according to information from Pasco EDC.

Bill Cronin, president and CEO of the Pasco EDC, shared details of the planned project during the Pasco County Commission’s Jan. 25 meeting.

“This facility is going to employ more than 500 people, and this is not your typical sorting facility.

“This is the good stuff, you guys. This is one that you fight over,” Cronin added.

“This is a robotics center, which means that our students at the career academies — studying robotics — and people working through AmSkills, all have the opportunity to be able to work on these machines and robots.

“These are not the low-paying jobs of typical sorters.

“We got their attention because of the way we operated and handled their first project,” he said, referring to Amazon’s facility on State Road 54.

“We told them we want the good stuff. They listened. They came back and they delivered,” a clearly exuberant Cronin said.

“So, at 10 o’clock this morning, Amazon issued a national press release about four of these competitive (projects) in Florida,” he added.

Cronin also shared a quote with commissioners that he had received from Sam Blatt, economic development manager for Amazon.

In the email, Blatt said: “Given Eagle Industrial Park’s location and the availability of the quality of our workforce in the region, Pasco County was a natural fit for Amazon’s new sort center.”

Cronin said Amazon will be breaking ground any day on the project, which will likely take about 11 months to build.

“So, we should be looking at the end of the year, at a state-of-the-art facility right at (State Road) 52 and Bellamy (Brothers Boulevard).”

Pasco County Commission Chairwoman Kathryn Starkey noted: “ AmSkills has received funding to really blow up our robotics training program and we’re going to be working with Wendell Krinn (Technical High School) with their robotics academy, so we’re real excited about being able to help Amazon get their workforce.”

Commissioner Mike Moore added: “What a big win for Pasco County, really, the entire region.”

The new Amazon site has frontage on State Road 52 and is less than 2 miles from Interstate 75.

Pasco Commissioner Ron Oakley commented on the project, in a Pasco EDC news release.

“This is a unique facility supporting a lot of technology and robotics. I am thrilled to have such a cutting-edge facility join the evolving SR 52 (State Road 52) and I-75 (Interstate 75) corridor,” Oakley said.

The new facility is considered a mid-mile facility, which feeds Amazon logistics, according to the Pasco EDC release. The facility will feature line-haul trucks, which will use the I-75 corridor to bring shipments to locations across the southeast.

Published February 02, 2022

Pasco is on a roll, and is poised to attract more jobs

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The announcement last week of Amazon’s decision to bring 500 jobs to Pasco County prompted a broader discussion by the Pasco County Commission about what it can do to support continued employment growth.

Pasco County Commissioner Mike Moore raised the topic, after Bill Cronin, president and CEO of the Pasco Economic Development Council Inc., shared details of Amazon’s planned project.

The company is planning a 517,220-square-foot Robotic Sortation Center, on 127 acres, at State Road 52 and Bellamy Brothers Boulevard.

Moore said that one of his objectives when he ran for a county board seat in 2014 was to bring jobs to Pasco, so residents wouldn’t have to commute daily to work elsewhere.

So, at the county board’s Jan. 25 meeting, Moore asked Cronin and David Engel, director of Pasco County’s Office of Economic Growth, what commissioners can do to help in those efforts.

Moore put it this way: “So, we look at the growth along the (State Road) 54 and (State Road) 56 corridor — what can we do, what should we do — to preserve some of the job-creating sites along that corridor?

“Eventually, we could run out of space,” he said.

He asked: “Can we have more Spec (office) space? Can we have more Ready Sites?

“What can we do, as a board, to assure our residents 5, 10, 20 years down the road that jobs are going to be here. So, we don’t have to leave this area all of the time?”

Cronin said Pasco enjoys an advantage compared to many other places in the state.

“We’re really one of the only places that has land and people. Other places in Florida have people; they don’t have land. And, if they’ve got land, they don’t have people.

“We’re in a really good situation right now,” he said.

However, preserving sites for job-generating activities is important, not just to create more employment, but also to reduce congestion, Cronin said.

“It is the solution to a lot of our transportation problems, to make sure people are employed here and not somewhere else,” he said.

Cronin highlighted the need to ensure that employment centers that were entitled as part of master-planned unit developments are actually developed as job generators and are not converted to residential uses.

The whole idea of a master-planned unit development is to create a self-contained place where people can live, work and play, he said.

The non-residential portion of the project also is important for the county’s tax base, he added.

So, Cronin told the board: “The main thing is to make sure that the developers are continuing to commit and take care of those of entitlements, regarding those employment centers, and not (allow developers to) trade employment center entitlements out for anything.

“The jobs come first. If you’re going to trade it for housing or things like that, it totally throws the whole purpose of an MPUD out the window. Because, if you don’t have the jobs in the MPUD, then you’re getting in your car and you’re driving somewhere else every day,” Cronin said.

Ideally, Cronin added, the employment centers will be built first, before the housing within the development.

When that happens, he explained, “there’s less chance of residents saying, ‘Oh no, we don’t want that company, here.’”

Moore asked Cronin: “How important is it to have employment centers along State Road 54 and State Road 56 — because of access to Interstate 75, to the Suncoast Parkway, to I-275?”

Cronin responded: “Anytime you’re moving people, you want to be close to the highway.”

The economic development expert cited Moffitt Cancer Center’s planned Pasco campus as an example. It’s going to be developed near the Suncoast Parkway, Ridge Road and State Road 52.

“That’s 14,000 (projected) jobs. That is workforce that will be coming from everywhere. So making sure the transportation is there,” Cronin said. “If you’ve got transportation set up to move people, that’s where your jobs should also be.”

Engel told the board that the county’s planning and development party, along with the Office of Economic Growth and the Tampa Bay Regional Planning Council are working on a Light Industrial, Employment Center Study.

“We want to do an assessment of the county and our land use, and provide adequate guarantees and recommendations to the board to preserve this space,” he said.

Engel also noted a tremendous amount of development potential in East Pasco, moving up from the Interstate 4 (I-4) corridor.

Cronin said: “You’ve got a lot of people that are coming down I-4, going straight up into Pasco County, rather than coming all of the way to I-75 in Pasco County and heading north.”

Commission Chairwoman Kathryn Starkey agrees with the county’s need for more industrial sites. But she also wants more attention paid to redevelopment along the county’s busy corridors, such as U.S. 19 and U.S. 41.

Commissioner Jack Mariano agreed: “Redevelopment is a big issue.”

Mariano asked Cronin to look into how Pinellas County treats redevelopment, as compared to Pasco County.

Published February 02, 2022

Pasco moratorium area set to expand

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The Pasco County Commission is set to expand the area where new applications for multifamily are on hold.

The county board heard public comment on the proposal at its Jan. 25 meeting, with final action set for Feb. 8. The expanded moratorium would be retroactive to Jan. 6, the date of the Pasco County Planning Commission’s public hearing on the issue.

The larger area was proposed by Pasco County Commissioner Mike Moore, who has championed the pause on new multifamily applications — to allow completion of a study to determine whether the county has an oversaturation of entitled apartment developments.

This map depicts the original boundaries for Pasco County’s temporary pause on accepting new multifamily applications, and the approved expansion area. (Courtesy of Pasco County)

Moore repeatedly has warned his colleagues about potential long-term consequences from allowing too many approvals of apartment projects.

He fears the prospect of an oversupply leading to buildings being abandoned, as renters move to newer developments. That, he has said, will set the stage for blight and increased crime.

The temporary moratorium on new multifamily applications applies only to an area within Moore’s District 2.

The temporary ban on new applications applies to an area essentially made up of Wesley Chapel and Land O’ Lakes.

The area initially was generally defined as between State Road 52, on the north; U.S. 41, on the west; State Road 54 on the south; and, Bruce B. Downs Boulevard, on the east. The boundary zigzags between Moore’s District 2 and Commissioner Ron Oakley’s District 1.

The proposed expansion includes several additional areas along the State Road 54/State Road 56 corridor.

The expansion area can generally be defined as State Road 54 to Collier Parkway to County Line Road (south) to Mansfield Boulevard to State Road 56; and from just east of Bruce B. Downs Boulevard and State Road 54 due north to Interstate 75 to Overpass Road and west to the existing moratorium boundary.

The moratorium expires on April 1.

Originally, the moratorium was set to expire on Sept. 28, 2021, but the county board extended it for 185 days, to allow more time to complete the study.

The study is examining whether there’s a potential oversaturation due to existing and possible future multifamily developments, and to determine whether additional regulations are necessary.

Revised on Feb. 10, 2022

New overpasses planned for bicyclists, pedestrians

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Pasco County and the Florida Department of Transportation are working together on projects aimed at providing bicyclists and pedestrians overpasses on State Road 54 and State Road 52, to gain access to the Suncoast Trail, on the Suncoast Parkway.

The estimated costs for the overpass at State Road 52 is slightly under $10.1 million, according to materials in the Pasco County Commission’s Jan. 25 agenda packet.

The project is funded through the Transportation Capital Improvements Program, with funding from Penny for Pasco, the documents say.

Since the overpass will span a State Road, county staff has been in discussions with FDOT staff about having FDOT manage the project for design and construction, according to the backup.

It notes that “FDOT has the expertise with bridge design projects and resources available to execute the project.”

The state transportation agency has agreed to include the overpass project as part of its work program, as long as the county provides the funding.

Under the agreement, FDOT will be responsible for the design plans, advertising, and letting the construction contract, to include utility coordination, permitting and the construction engineering inspection for the project.

The county will be responsible for all project costs, securing an agreement with the Florida Turnpike Enterprise for the use of the Turnpike property for the project, and completion of all required survey, geotechnical exploration, and subsurface utility engineering, the agenda document says.

“If there are any additional costs required for the project, provided they are necessary and compensable, the county will pay those additional costs,” the document adds.

Upon completion of the project’s construction, the county will assume the maintenance of the

bridge and its components.

Discussions also have been underway with the Parks, Recreation and Natural Resources Department regarding the maintenance responsibility for the bridge, since it is part of the Suncoast Trail (which they currently maintain).

The total estimated project cost is $10,089,528. The county will transfer $9,779,528 to FDOT for the design and construction cost of the project.

The remaining funds ($310,000) will be retained by the county to complete the survey, geotechnical exploration, and subsurface utility engineering for the project.

The agenda background also notes: “With the completion of the design plans, the project could be positioned as a shovel-ready project and potential candidate for grant funding from the “Build Back Better Reconciliation Plan,” and the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act of 2021, in which new investments will be made for safety, walking and biking opportunities.”

The county board approved staff’s recommendation to amend the budget to add nearly $8.6 million to the project because less than $1.5 million had been included in the current budget for the project.

In another action, the county board also approved an agreement with FDOT relating to the design and construction of a bicycle/pedestrian overpass for the Suncoast Trail at State Road 54.

In that agreement, the board approved a budget amendment of more than $9.6 million, since the current budget includes only slightly more than $1 million.

Just like the overpass project at State Road 52, the agenda packet for this item notes that“with the completion of the design plans, the project could be positioned as a shovel-ready project and potential candidate for grant funding from the “Build Back Better Reconciliation Plan,” and the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act of 2021, in which new investments will be made for safety, walking and biking opportunities.

In addressing her colleagues during the Jan. 25 board meeting, Pasco County Commission Chairwoman Kathryn Starkey talked about recent discussions she had with state lawmakers, to discuss Pasco’s funding requests.

“I feel confident that we’re going to be successful this year,” Starkey said.

She specifically mentioned a conversation she had with Florida Senate President Wilton Simpson, who is a Republican from Trilby.

She said she talked to him about finding a funding source to help with the costs of the planned overpasses at the Suncoast Parkway.

Starkey said she has been told that when the Suncoast Parkway was designed, “they didn’t have the trail in mind.

“And so, they didn’t anticipate that, so it wasn’t built in and planned in our area.”

As a result, Starkey said, “the citizens of Pasco County are ending up right now funding our pedestrian overpasses on (State Road) 54 and (State Road) 52.”

But Hernando County has an overpass funded by the Turnpike Authority, and so does Citrus County, she said.

Starkey said Simpson said he will help with the issue.

“We have a plan that we’re going to push forward this year, to hopefully alleviate that cost to our citizens and be able to move that money to other projects, so I’m real excited about that,” Starkey said.

Published February 02, 2022