The Laker/Lutz News

Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

B.C. Manion

Planet Fitness coming

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Planet Fitness will occupy the former Babies “R” Us space at the Grove at Wesley Chapel. The fitness giant will occupy more than 25,000 square feet of space and plans to open several months after construction inside is complete. It will join a Bealls Outlet/Home Centric, which also is under construction. Both businesses are taking over what used to be the Toys “R” Us and Babies “R” Us buildings, according to a news release.

Artistic director hired

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New Tampa Players has named Nora Paine as its producing artistic director, a newly created position. It also has formed an Artistic Advisory Council. The new organizational structure is intended to support the new chapter of the theater company, which is 18 years old, and is seeking to increase its community impact and reach, according to a news release.

Pasco County is breaking growth records

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Pasco County’s growth has been so rapid that its staff can’t keep up with it — prompting the county to budget for additional positions to address the increasing development.

The county plans to add 10 staff members to its planning and development department, two positions in code enforcement and 14 positions in building construction services during the next fiscal year.

This is an apartment development off State Road 54, in Land O’ Lakes, that was under construction last year. It’s just one sign of a flourishing building market in Pasco County. (File)

“The county is experiencing unprecedented growth at this time. And, a lot of that growth impacts our branch, directly,” Sally Sherman, assistant county administrator for development services said, during a presentation at the Pasco County Commission’s Sept. 15 meeting.

“As we strive to meet the demands of the customers for which we serve, we are also looking to — ‘How are we doing, and can we do it better?’— all of the time.

Along those lines, the branch’s staff put together a survey to gauge its performance, and to identify its strengths and weaknesses.

“The survey went out to over 6,000 customers and those individuals who have literally had interactions with the branch.

It received 644 responses, and of those 517 came from individuals who’d had interactions with the branch within the past year.

“This is the first-ever survey that has been conducted to try and gauge where we are as a branch and the services,” Sherman said.

“What we see this is — an opportunity to set a benchmark, as to where we are, and as we continue to make improvements, how we’re doing. This is anticipated to be conducted annually,” Sherman added.

All of the new people moving into Pasco County are generating a demand for retail and restaurant uses.

“The survey captured percentage ratings of various processes that our department offers.

“It rated everything from very satisfied to not satisfied.

Satisfaction ratings, out of a possible 100%:

  • Planning and development department: 64%
  • Building Construction Services: 72%
  • Code Enforcement: 67%
  • Office of Economic Growth: 73%

Those taking the survey also were able to submit comments, which yielded additional information for the department, Sherman said. She added: “We’re going to be looking at those in detail and following up with individuals.

Volume is up in everything, from calls coming into the department, to site plans under review, to proactive code enforcement actions, to permits being pulled, Sherman said.

The county has 422 active site plan reviews currently under consideration, she said.

“With our site plan review process, we have pre-application meetings for those. And, right now, those are slated out to January with the number of requests we are receiving for reviews.”

Sherman also addressed the volume being handled by the building construction services department.

“New single-family home permits, as you know, have taken off in Pasco County.

“In 2020, there were 5,741 new homes issued,” she said, adding at that time it was taking nearly 23 days to process a new single-family residential permit.

So much residential growth happened in the Bexley subdivision, off of State Road 54, in Central Pasco, that an additional classroom wing was needed at the elementary school soon after the school opened.

Over the last eight months, the department has issued 6,317 new single-family home permits, processing them in an average of 8.5 days.

“This is due in part to a great team, working extremely hard, looking for innovative ways to improve service,” Sherman said.

In working with the Tampa Bay Builders Association, the county was aiming for a 10-day turn-around for single-family permits, Sherman said.

“As you can see, we have met that goal and we’ve exceeded that goal. I’m hoping with the changes that we are continuing to make that we will continue to exceed that goal.”

In the arena of commercial permitting, the county is currently embarking on a major effort to streamline its processes, Sherman said.

“We have a team that’s very innovative and ready to seek change to make things better for our customers,” she said.

The county’s inspectors also have been very busy, Sherman said.

“Over the last eight months of this year, they have conducted over 202,000 inspections,” she said.

Ultimately, the county’s new development is expected to result in a $2 billion expansion to the county’s tax roll, Sherman said.

Continually seeking ways to improve
Sherman thanked her staff for its dedication and hard work.

“I see them in the mornings, when I walk in at 6:30, going into the office to start work. They’re not going in early to leave early, but are going in early to meet customer needs.

Santander is one of the businesses that has taken advantage of Pasco County’s economic development efforts, which entices employers to provide good jobs.

“We see them on the weekends, coming into work, to meet the needs of our customers.

“They are extremely, extremely dedicated team members.

“And, as we continue to serve the community, in keeping with our strategic plan to create a better community, a better future for all of those involved, we want to continue to do that with integrity, respect, service innovation and service excellence.”

Commissioner Jack Mariano praised Sherman for demonstrating her initiative in conducting a survey about the branch’s work.

“You’ve got a baseline to work with now,” Mariano said.

Commissioner Kathryn Starkey zeroed in on the amount of time it takes to get a pre-application meeting.

“What can we do in the short term to shorten that time. I think we’re up to four months to get a pre-app meeting. Is there anything we can do to help that?”

Sherman said efforts are being made to improve that part of the county’s process.

Starkey followed up: “Is it more planners that we need?”

“We are getting more planners,” Sherman said. “But we are taking a look at how we can streamline the process. We’re looking at it in detail right now.”

Nectarios Pittos, director of planning and development, told Starkey:  “It’s a logistical issue, not just with the planning and development department, but also with all of the other departments that participate in the process with us.

“So, yes, you could add, theoretically, more planners to address the pre-application, but you’d also have to double up the other positions in the departments that participate in the process, just to get more than eight or nine pre-apps that we can do per week.”

Commission Chairman Ron Oakley told Sherman: “I appreciate everything you are doing Sally, you’ve made the department stronger and better, and moving forward.

“We want to do it the right way, but we want to continue to streamline, and get it faster and quicker through the system.

“If we were not having so many projects, it would be different, but we’ve got them piled up,” Oakley said.

Published September 29, 2021

Florida changes COVID student quarantine protocols

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Florida parents now have the power to decide whether a healthy child should be taken out of school because of exposure to COVID-19.

Gov. Ron DeSantis, State Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo and Education Commissioner Richard Corcoran joined together on Sept. 22, to announce that the Florida Department of Health issued a new rule, empowering families to make that decision.

The new emergency rule, which became effective on Sept. 22, prevents the unnecessary exclusion of healthy students from in-person schooling; safeguards the rights of parents and legal guardians and their children; provides health protocols for symptomatic or COVID-19-positive students; and provides opportunities for parents and legal guardians to choose which protocols to implement when their student has had direct contact with someone who tests positive for COVID-19, according to a news release posted on the governor’s web page.

“Parents have the right to have their healthy kids in school,” DeSantis said, in the release.

“In-person education is important for students’ well-being, their educational advancement, and their social development. The idea that schools are somehow a big problem when it comes to the spread of the virus has been refuted yet again. Not only is the forced quarantining of healthy children disruptive to a student’s education, but many folks in Florida are not able to work from home. With this rule, we are following a symptom-based approach to quarantining students in Florida.”

The state’s new surgeon general added: “The governor and I share a similar vision of weighing the costs and benefits of public health policies – and our new rule today is an example of that,” Ladapo said, in the release.

“We must make sure that we are doing what is right for parents and for students. There’s not a single high-quality study that shows that any child has ever benefited from forced quarantining policies, but we have seen demonstrable and considerable harm to children. It’s important to respect the rights of parents.”

Corcoran also commented: “What we did over the past year was nothing less than amazing – we gave parents in our state the option to send their children to school for face-to-face instruction with more students, over a longer time than any state in the nation – but we did see massive quarantining,” said Education Commissioner Richard Corcoran, father of six kids who missed over 100 days of school last year due to quarantines.

“If you take the number of kids that had to quarantine, and added up the days they missed in school, in the education arena, we would call that a chronic absenteeism pandemic. Now we have the data telling us that factually 98% of those children who quarantined never became symptomatic. That’s why the previous policy didn’t make any sense. This is a brilliant change, and I’m so thankful for this new common-sense rule.”

On another COVID-19-related issue, DeSantis announced that Florida has secured 3,000 doses of monoclonal antibody treatments directly from GlaxoSmithKline, after the Biden Administration cut the supply.

“We should be doing everything we can to get patients monoclonal antibody treatments, not cutting allocations of treatment like the Biden Administration has done,” DeSantis said, in a release on his web page.

Florida has been aggressive in making this treatment available.

Meanwhile, on the issue of Pfizer booster shots, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that these groups of people receive Pfizer booster shots, six months after their initial series of shots:

  • People 65 years and older, and residents in long-term care settings
  • People aged 50 to 64 years with underlying medical conditions
  • People aged 18 to 49 years with underlying medical conditions, based on individual benefits and risks
  • People aged 18 to 64 years who are at increased risk of COVID-19 exposure and transmission because of occupational or institutional setting

According to the CDC, many people now eligible to receive a booster shot received their initial vaccine early in the vaccination program and will benefit from additional protection.

“With the Delta variant’s dominance as the circulating strain and cases of COVID-19 increasing significantly across the United States, a booster shot will help strengthen protection against severe disease in those populations who are at high risk for exposure to COVID-19 or the complications from severe disease,” according to information on the CDC’s website.

The CDC also will evaluate available data in the coming weeks to make additional recommendations for other populations or people who got the Moderna or Johnson & Johnson vaccines, the website says.

COVID Numbers

Pasco County Schools*
Student cases: 5,317
Employee cases: 900

Hillsborough County Schools*
Student cases: 9,145
Employee cases: 1,520

*Cumulative for school year, as of Sept. 24

Sources: Pasco County Schools and Hillsborough County Schools

Pasco County*
Cases: 1,851
Positivity rate: 13.8%

Hillsborough County*
Cases: 3,841
Positivity rate: 9.7%

*Week of Sept. 17 to Sept. 23

Source: Florida Department of Health

Published September 29, 2021

Intersection planned on State Road 52, at Sunlake

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Pasco County has approved a local funding agreement with the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) regarding the construction of an intersection improvement at State Road 52 and Sunlake Boulevard/Rhombus Court.

The Pasco County Commission approved the agreement, as part of the consent agenda, during the board’s Sept. 15. When an item is on the consent agenda that means there is no public discussion and it is voted on along with a number of other agenda items, in a single vote.

The intersection improvement is part of the State Road 52 reconstruction project, from east of the Suncoast Parkway to east of U.S. 41, according to the board’s backup materials.

The intersection improvement project cost is $709,460, the agenda packet says.

Under the approved local funding agreement, the state transportation department will construct the intersection improvement, but the work will be paid for by the county.

The FDOT is constructing the widening improvements on State Road 52, from east of the Suncoast Parkway to east of U.S. 41.

The developer for State Road 52 Industrial LLC, will require access from State Road 52 to their future development, on the north side of State Road 52, west of U.S. 41, according to the board’s agenda packet.

This access will be provided through Rhombus Court, which is located on the north side of State Road 52, and aligns with North Sunlake Boulevard on the south side of State Road 52.

The developer has prepared design plans for the improvements that will be needed on State Road 52 at the connections of North Sunlake Boulevard and Rhombus Court.

These plans were reviewed and accepted by the FDOT.

Since the widening project on State Road 52 is already under construction, the FDOT has agreed to include the intersection improvements as part of its construction project, if the county provided funding for the intersection project.

The improvements include a full median opening, eastbound and westbound left and right turn lanes, pedestrian improvements, and additional lighting.

The contractor for the State Road 52 widening project (D.A.B. Constructors Inc.), has been found in default and the FDOT is in the process of rebidding the project, the agenda packet says.

The construction of the intersection improvements was already included and scheduled as part of the State Road 52 widening project prior to the default and will be included in the new bid package.

The estimated cost of the improvements is $709,460.00. The developer for State Road 52 Industrial LLC and the county have entered into a funding agreement, in which the developer paid it a proportionate share of the cost of improvements, in the amount of $199,205.80.

The county has agreed to fund the balance of $510,254.20.

Under the agreement with the FDOT, the county will pay a lump sum to enable construction to proceed.

This payment is due to the FDOT by Oct. 4. If the cost is less than estimated, the funds will be returned to the county.

Published September 29, 2021

Considering options to ease traffic

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Three alternatives are being considered to improve traffic flow through one of Pasco County’s busiest intersections.

A community workshop was held last week for the public to weigh in on three proposed alternatives, as well as a no-build option, at U.S. 41 and State Road 54, in Land O’ Lakes.

The intersection carried about 124,000 vehicles per day in 2019 and is projected to carry 176,000 vehicles per day in 2045, according to the Florida Department of Transportation’s District Seven presentation materials.

Charts of various configurations of traffic patterns piqued the interest of many attending a workshop regarding alternatives being considered to improve the intersection of U.S. 41 and State Road 54. (Fred Bellet)

State Road 54 runs east-west through Pasco County, providing connections to several regional north-south routes, including U.S. 19, the Suncoast Parkway, U.S. 41, Interstate 75, U.S. 301 and U.S. 98.

Meanwhile, U.S. 41 is a north-south road that traverses the entire length of Pasco County.

The roads are part of the regional transportation network, are used as hurricane evacuation routes, and are designated as regional freight mobility corridors.

They also play a role in the daily lives of commuters.

Motorists use U.S. 41 to travel from Hernando County through Pasco County to Hillsborough County.

When the traffic stacks up at the intersection of U.S. 41 and State Road 54, traffic is impeded on both major arterial roads.

The situation has been a source of frustration for motorists, who have complained for years about being stuck in traffic through repeated light cycles, and there’s been considerable talk, too, about the need to fix the problem.

Besides being inconvenient, the crash rate at the intersection is higher than the state average, according to FDOT materials.

Paul Ketchum, who lives in the Oasis development off State Road 54, makes a point regarding one of the proposed plans to improve the flow of traffic through State Road 54 and U.S. 41, where Land O’ Lakes meets Lutz.

The options being considered are:

  • Alternative 1: A single-point urban intersection (SPUI), providing an interchange with State Road 54 elevated over U.S. 41.

This alternative would affect 62 parcels and would require 28 business relocations.

The anticipated need for right of way is 55.3 acres. The estimated present cost for this alternative is $222 million.

  • Alternative 2: A parallel flow intersection (PFI), providing displaced left-turns, in all four approaches, at grade.

This alternative would affect 30 parcels and would require 17 business relocations. The anticipated need for right of way is 22.2 acres. The estimated present total cost for this alternative is $108.9 million.

  • Alternative 3: A continuous flow intersection (CFI), with elevated lanes of State Road 54 over U.S. 41, providing displaced left turns in all four approaches.

This alternative would affect 65 parcels and would require 34 business relocations.

The anticipated need for right of way is 54.5 acres. The estimated present day total cost is $246.3 million.

Leslie Bush, of Tampa, used an electronic device to take notes regarding the proposed alternatives.

All three of the options would involve three residential relocations and would impact eight contaminated sites. None of them would have an impact on archaeological or historical sites.

There also is a no-build alternative, which will be dropped if and when an alternative is selected.

The workshop drew 94 people, with 49 coming to the workshop at Keystone Community Church, off State Road 54, in Lutz, and 45 taking part virtually, according to figures provided by Kris Carson, spokeswoman for the District 7 office.

The session included a video, that ran continuously, explaining the alternatives.

Those attending could check out displays and learn details about options being considered.

Representatives of the DOT were there, too, providing information and fielding questions.

A closer look at a proposed plan, showing a change of elevation on State Road 54.

Besides having the chance to become more informed, the workshop offered the opportunity for the public to fill out comment cards offering their views on the various alternatives and to address such issues as traffic patterns, project design, and the social, economic, and environmental effects of the proposed improvements.

The need for this project has been established based on future traffic demands, future population and employment growth in the area, according to FDOT background materials.

In evaluating alternatives, the state looks at the improvements based on such issues as traffic operations, safety, right of way needs and environmental impacts, among others.

Based on additional analysis and consideration of public comment, the project team will select a preferred alternative and complete the feasibility study.

The next phase is resuming the Project Design & Environmental (PD&E) Study phase, which will be done in 2021 and 2022; then the design phase, 2023 and 2024.

Right of way acquisition is expected to take place from 2022 to 2026.

This project is not yet funded for construction.

Published September 22, 2021

Governor wants to end Florida’s high-stakes testing

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Gov. Ron DeSantis has announced a legislative proposal that will eliminate the Common Core- based, end-of-year Florida Statewide Assessment (FSA), according to a news release from his office.

Instead, the governor is proposing a new accountability measure known as the Florida Assessment of Student Thinking (F.A.S.T), which will monitor student progress and foster individual growth, according to the Sept. 14 news release.

By creating F.A.S.T., Florida would become the first state in the nation to fully implement progress monitoring, instead of end-of-year standardized testing.

“Florida’s education focus should be students’ growth and how we restore the conversation between parents and teachers in support of students’ growth,” DeSantis said, in the release. “In this final step to eradicate Common Core from our assessments, our administration is implementing the lessons learned from progress monitoring both during the state’s recovery and from our districts and schools that were already showing how we can better support students reaching their own unique growth goals.”

DeSantis made this announcement with Florida Education Commissioner Richard Corcoran, and was joined by several teachers and students from High Point Elementary School who have already benefited from utilizing the progress monitoring approach.

“Each year, Governor DeSantis’ administration has been committed to a data-driven approach to constantly improving how Florida provides supports to its teachers and turns the focus of education to how we impact our students, especially those representing achievement gaps,”  Commissioner of Education Richard Corcoran said, in the release.

The new approach calls for:

  • Minimizing the stress of testing to three much shorter tests in the Fall, Winter and Spring that will inform students, teachers and parents about students’ growth.
  • Reducing testing time an average of 75% through progress monitoring, increasing time for teaching and providing more timely, usable feedback to help students reach their unique goals.

At the Pasco County School Board’s Sept. 14 meeting, Don Peace, president of the United School Employees of Pasco, applauded DeSantis’ push regarding state testing.

“Earlier today, we did get some good news delivered by the governor. The Department of Education has decided that this will be the last year for the high-stakes FSA testing.

“This will go a long way of relieving teachers of the stress that has been born for years, related to these tests.

“This is something that educators and unions have advocated for, for many years.

“Other methods of assessment will be in play, so there will still be accountability, but this is a historic event in Florida education,” Peace said.

Published September 22, 2021

Port Tampa Bay’s impact is far-reaching

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If you live in the Tampa Bay region, there’s a high likelihood that your life has been touched by the activities that occur at Port Tampa Bay.

The port —  also known as the Port of Tampa and the Tampa Port Authority — is located near downtown Tampa — but its impacts are far-reaching.

“Port Tampa Bay is the largest port in the state of Florida,” Greg Lovelace, the port’s senior director of business development, told members of the North Tampa Bay Chamber of Commerce, through a Zoom meeting last month.

Hope Kennedy, the chamber’s president and CEO, told those listening: “I don’t know if we all realize what a huge asset the Port of Tampa is to our entire region. Not every community has a wonderful port, deepwater port.”

About 33 million tons of cargo moves across the port’s docks each year, and the port is made up of about 5,000 acres — making it Florida’s largest port both in terms of tonnage, and in land mass, Lovelace said.

Port Tampa Bay handles imports and exports, and has an excellent location in a supply chain that delivers goods for both domestic and international markets. (Courtesy of Port Tampa Bay)

Wondering if the port has an impact on your life?

If you drive a car, take an Uber or fly in an airplane, chances are the gasoline, diesel or jet fuel used to run them came through the port of Tampa.

“Over 40% of the energy products in the state of Florida come through the Port of Tampa,” Lovelace said.

If you buy a couch at a furniture store, shop at a Big Box store or order on Amazon — your purchase probably came through the port.

“The port business —which is products moving in or out by ship — is driven by the local market. In our case, that’s the I-4 corridor,” Lovelace said.

Nearly 1,000 people are moving into the state each day, he added.

“That translates into a lot of consumption for housing, appliances, groceries, furniture, etc.

“Whatever you see on the store shelves, that’s ultimately what comes through the port,” Lovelace said.

“There’s over 380 million square feet of distribution space along the I-4 corridor.

“You can see what a significant market this is, with all of the distribution centers and all of the population there, which consume products. That’s really what drives our business from a cargo standpoint, is the consumption,” said Lovelace, who has been with the port for 25 years and lives in Wesley Chapel.

“This area is considered the 10th largest economy in the U.S., with a GDP (gross domestic product) of more than $300 billion.

The port handles containers, refrigerated cargo, and cargo that is rolled onto and rolled off of a ship, referred to in the trade as RORO.

One of the port’s key exports is fertilizer because a chief ingredient, phosphate, is mined in Central Florida. But producing the fertilizer requires other raw materials, which are imported, Lovelace said.

Other imports include steel coils, lumber, and other materials used by the building and construction industry.

Recently, the port expanded its import trade to include fresh fruit from Guatemala and Honduras, through Dole Fresh Fruits, on a weekly service into Tampa.

“We’re excited about the service, which is operated by their sister company Dole Ocean Cargo Express, and what it means for the local community.

“Not only will Dole produce have a more efficient way to reach the market here in Central Florida, but the ships going back and forth are open to third-party cargo interests, meaning that companies in this area that are trading with Guatemala and Honduras have access to a ship to get there,” Lovelace said.

Location, location, location
Tampa’s port has a competitive advantage because it is less than a mile away from the I-4 connector, allowing trucks to quickly jump on and off of I-4.

“Accessing the interstate system is very important for companies to efficiently transport goods inland,” Lovelace said.

It makes sense for shippers to come to Tampa to serve the Central Florida market because of time and trucking-cost efficiencies, he said.

Tampa also is a logical choice for those wanting to move goods to the Atlanta or Charlotte markets, he added.

A summary of some of the key facts regarding the port’s core market.

The federal Department of Transportation limits the number of hours that truck drivers can drive in a day, Lovelace explained.

Trucks leaving Tampa can reach Atlanta or Charlotte within the DOT’s rules, but those departing from South Florida cannot, he said.

“We look for those types of advantages to provide efficiencies in the supply chain,” Lovelace said.

While many industries and businesses have suffered during COVID-19, Port Tampa Bay has been on a roll.

“Our container business is really booming. It’s up by almost 50% compared to the last year.

“We are expanding. A lot of new services coming in,” he said. “We’re pretty excited about that.”

So, with the exception of the cruise industry, Port Tampa Bay has flourished, he said.

Of course, the port is part of the larger supply chain, which, because of COVID, has experienced a huge backlog.

The port executive explained it this way: “If you order something on Amazon, a lot of times you’ll get a message now that says something like, ‘Due to extenuating circumstances, your order might be delayed … .

“That’s happening all over the country,” he said.

In short, when COVID initially hit, workers at plants in Asia were told to stay home and production halted.

With no cargo to move, ocean carriers laid up their vessels.

Then, everything came to a screeching halt.

Meanwhile, demand was building because people in the U.S. were working from home and thinking about things they could do around the house, such updating the kitchen, redoing the bathroom, buying a new chair or desk for their office, and so on, he said.

They began buying stuff online.

“So, now you have all of the plants shut down, all of the shipping lines down, but then all of sudden you started having all of these orders starting to come in,” Lovelace said.

Plants began producing again, but were months behind. Shipping lines began reintroducing vessels, but there wasn’t enough capacity.

The lack of capacity, coupled with the high demand, drove up ocean freight rates.

“And, they’re still struggling to catch up with some of the demand that has happened with all of the online ordering,” he said.

Some are projecting this situation will continue until sometime in 2022, he said.

Published September 22, 2021

Pasco approves apartments off Wesley Chapel Boulevard

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Pasco County’s moratorium on multifamily applications continues, but the county board approved 400 new apartments off Wesley Chapel Boulevard at its Sept. 15 meeting.

The approved development is planned for 43 acres at the intersection of Wesley Chapel Boulevard and Hay Road.

The request had received recommendation of approval with conditions from county planners and the Pasco County Planning Commission.

No one signed up to speak on the issue.

The request was approved 4-1, with Commissioner Mike Moore voting no.

“It’s in the (temporary) moratorium area (for new multifamily applications), but they obviously submitted before the moratorium,” Moore said.

“I will say this, you know previous to the last hearing, a number of residents, people in the community had reached out in concern. But nobody is here to speak today.

“If you don’t come and speak, it is very difficult to convince a board of five why something should be denied,” Moore said, adding that those reaching out to him should show up, sometimes, too.

On another item, the county board approved spending $70,000 to purchase 4.25 acres from J.L. Tucker Inc., to add the property to its Environmental Lands Acquisition and Management Program.

The Environmental Lands Acquisition Selection Committee recommended the purchase, according to the county board’s agenda backup materials.

The property is in Shady Acres along Triple J Ranch Road and is adjacent to the ELAMP-owned Martinez and DeAngelo property.

The property is not within an Ecological Corridor nor an Ecological Planning Unit, but its acquisition would extend the more than 1,700 contiguous acres of conservation land, which extends along the North Pasco to Crossbar Ecological Corridor. Acquisition of the property would also include eliminating an ingress/egress easement, thereby reducing potential future access and land use conflicts, the agenda backup says.

The county board also approved a change order with Blackwater Construction Services LLC, in connection with the Hugh Embry Branch Library renovation. The change order is for the amount of $71,358.11 for fiscal year 2021, bringing the new cumulative not-to-exceed amount to $1,575,939.

The bids for this project were received on Oct. 20, 2020, with seven months elapsing between the receipt of the bid and the award of the contract. The time delay is beyond the required 90-day hold period for prices, and during that time, there were significant increases in the prices for both labor and materials, resulting in the request for the additional funding.

“This has been considered a unique case and does not apply to any other projects being procured by the county,” the agenda backup says.

In other action, board members:

  • Heard a report on a proposal to increase mobility fees in some categories and decrease them in others. The fees are charged to help pay for impacts that growth has on roads and other aspects of the transportation network. A final adoption on the new fee schedule is set for Sept. 28.
  • Found a proposed Property Rights Element to be consistent with the county’s comprehensive plan and authorized transmittal to state agencies for review. Adoption of the element is scheduled for Oct. 26.
  • Continued to a date uncertain a request for master-planned unit development called Dayflower, seeking 1,469 single-family, villas and townhomes on approximately 1,014 acres, north of Wesley Chapel Boulevard and Lexington Oaks and west of Old Pasco Road.
  • Continued until Dec. 7 a request from Acorn LLC, for a rezoning to allow general commercial development on 9.2 acres, on the south side of State Road 54, west of the intersection of River Glen Boulevard and State Road 54.
  • Approved an increase of $515,355 for medical examiner services due to an increased number of autopsies being performed. The increase will cover the final months in this fiscal year’s budget.
  • Appointed Joseph Ward and Rocio Rosie Paulsen to the county’s Jobs and Economic Opportunities Committee.
  • Approved an increase of $13,787.50 in a professional service agreement with Rainey Leadership Learning, to provide leadership coaching and development for the executive team in the public infrastructure branch. The additional funding brings the total not-to-exceed amount to $63,412.50.
  • Accepted a donation of hand sanitizer retailing at $34,524.62 from Joseph Di Sano. Di Sano, of Wesley Chapel, delivered 3,400 bottles of HYGN brand hand sanitizer to the administrative offices of the Parks, Recreation and Natural Resources department in July. Each 12.6-ounce bottle retails at $9.56.

Published September 22, 2021

Diverging Diamond work resumes

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Superior Construction Company Southeast LLC began working on the completion of the Diverging Diamond Interchange (DDI) last week, at State Road 56 and Interstate 75.

Work activities in the first few weeks will involve cleanup, surveying, and other tasks needed to safely resume construction. The project is expected to be completed in summer 2022, according to information on the Florida Department of Transportation’s website.

Pipes await a crew on the south side right of way, along State Road 56. Construction starts up again in the creation of the diverging diamond road design. (Fred Bellet)

Activities last week were expected to include mobilization of labor, equipment and materials, erosion control, survey, jobsite cleanup of debris and office setup, according to an update provided by Kris Carson, spokeswoman for the District 7 office of the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT).

Minor pothole and erosion control repairs were completed last week by the interim maintenance contractor, the update adds, with maintenance responsibility expected to be fully transitioned to Superior by Sept. 20.

The project will reconfigure the I-75/State Road 56 interchange between County Road 54 and Cypress Ridge Boulevard, in Pasco County.

The existing diamond interchange will be modified and converted to a DDI.

The main change will be to diverge, or cross, State Road 56 traffic to the left side of the road through the interchange, and then cross vehicles back over to the right side of the road on the opposite side of the interchange.

The changes will help to alleviate traffic congestion at this interchange to reduce travel time for motorists in this rapidly growing area, according to information posted on FDOT’s website.

Crews again have begun work on the diverging diamond road design at State Road 56 and Interstate 75. Here, crews work on 1-75, under the State Road 56 overpass. Heavy equipment can be seen moving dirt.

A DDI was chosen for the I-75/State Road 56 interchange because of the proven ability of this traffic configuration to increase safety and capacity while using a large amount of the existing interchange footprint, including the existing bridge, according to FDOT.

The DDI also was chosen because of its ability to handle heavy left-turn volumes, such as the westbound to southbound movement from State Road 56 to southbound I-75.

The new interchange at State Road 56 will reduce vehicle delays by allowing traffic to enter the interstate without waiting at a left-turn signal. To do this, traffic is redirected from the right side of the bridge to the left side.

Signalized crossovers are positioned at each side of the interchange, and are designed to cross eastbound and westbound State Road 56 traffic with no turning movements at these two intersections. This design allows for more efficient signal timing, which reduces delay times, minimizes conflict points, and enables the interchange to more effectively handle higher volumes of traffic while eliminating the more serious crashes associated with a conventional interchange.

These types of interchanges operate under two-phase signal control, which reduces lost time, delays and queue lengths at traffic signals.

Safety features include lower design speeds between ramps and a reduction in the number of conflict points. The lower speeds result in less severe crashes.

The design also fosters increased safety for pedestrians and bicycles, and better sight distance at turns.

The expected benefits for the interchange are an increase in capacity and pedestrian safety while reducing vehicle delays and crashes. These benefits will be achieved by an increased number of lanes, improved pedestrian facilities, more efficient signal timings and reduced vehicle conflict points, the FDOT says.

Future project updates on the diverging diamond will be provided at FDOT’s website, at FDOTTampaBay.com/.

Carson also provided updates on other projects that were halted when DAB Constructors ceased operations.

State Road 52, Suncoast Parkway to U.S. 41
The surety has received bids from prospective completion contractors on Sept. 9 and is evaluating the bids.

Quail Ridge requested additional delineation at entrance; additional barrels were placed on Sept. 17.

New Beginning Family Ministry requested additional mowing at their entrance, which was performed on Sept. 16.

Work continues on necessary pothole and silt fence repairs throughout the site.

State Road 54, from Curley Road to Morris Bridge Road
The surety responded to questions from prospective bidders, posting those responses on Sept. 14. Bids are expected to be received the end of September.

The surety’s subcontractor has been mowing, performing litter control and filling potholes at side streets and driveways throughout the project.

Emerald Striping is receiving school ahead sign panels to be installed by early next week. The flashing beacons for the signs are expected to be installed within three weeks to five weeks.

Also, FDOT maintenance crews have been onsite filling in washouts behind sidewalks project-wide.

Driveways and side streets milling was scheduled to begin on Sept. 18, with paving scheduled to begin this week.

Published September 22, 2021