Kathy Steele

Business Digest 04/06/2016

April 6, 2016 By Kathy Steele

Sunlight Realty LLC colleagues Brittany Miller, left, Winifred Turgeon and Sam Turgeon bring food donations to Atonement Lutheran Church on March 21, as food bank volunteer Paul Weil weighs them in. (Courtesy of Sunlight Realty) — Sunlight Realty LLC colleagues Brittany Miller, left, Winifred Turgeon and Sam Turgeon bring food donations to Atonement Lutheran Church on March 21, as food bank volunteer Paul Weil weighs them in.
(Courtesy of Sunlight Realty)

Realtors hope to inspire others
Sunlight Realty LLC, in Wesley Chapel, is taking a leadership role in encouraging local businesses to become active in collecting food for those in need.

Real estate broker Sam Turgeon, his wife and real estate agent Winifred Turgeon, and real estate agent Brittany Miller are organizing collections of canned goods and other food items on behalf of the Atonement Lutheran Church Food Bank.

For information, or to become a collection drop-off site for food donations, call Sunlight Realty at (813) 990-0205, or email .

Food also may be dropped off at Sunlight Realty, at 8913 Regents Park Drive, Suite 610, in Tampa.

Business expansion
Thomas Giella is relocating his start-up business, Gear Spinners, to 25344 Wesley Chapel Blvd., Suite 104, in Lutz. The company offers website design for small- and mid-sized businesses. Nearly two years ago, Giella began as a one-man operation at the SMARTstart Pasco Business site in Dade City.

Giella will continue as an off-site member of SMARTstart.

He now has five employees and has added two divisions, one offering complete IT services and another – Tampa Bay Installs – offering audio and visual installations to residential and commercial customers, including wireless speakers and WiFi systems.

For information, call (813) 235-0554, or visit CompleteIt.io.

One-year anniversary
Land O’ Lakes Winery celebrated its one-year anniversary with a party to launch its own wine brand on March 26. Owners Sue Hardy and Corey Kempton entertained guests with live music, a food truck, winery tours, wine and gift giveaways.

The winery, at 3901 Land O’ Lakes Blvd., in Land O’ Lakes, teaches courses in how to make wines. The handcrafted brand of wine – Super Tuscan – is made, bottled and labeled at the winery.

For information call (813) 995-9463, visit LandOLakesWinery.com, or become a follower on Facebook at LandOLakesWinery.

Zephyrhills chamber breakfast
The Greater Zephyrhills Chamber of Commerce will have its monthly breakfast April 7 from 7 a.m. to 8:30 a.m., at the Golden Coral, at 6855 Gall Blvd., in Zephyrhills. The guest speaker will be State Rep. Danny Burgess.

The breakfast sponsor is Ron Oakley, and Bahr’s Propane Gas and A/C.

For information, contact the chamber at (813) 782-1913, or email .

Network shindig
The Pasco Economic Development Council will host its 2016 NetFest on April 7 from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m., at the Starkey Ranch Welcome Center, at 2500 Heart Pine Ave., in Odessa. This is a chance to connect with Tampa Bay area business and community leaders at Pasco County’s largest, annual networking shindig.

The cost is $45 per person, or $35 for Pasco EDC investors and their guests. Enjoy a barbecue buffet, including two drink tickets and country music entertainment.

For information, visit PascoEDC.com, or call (813) 926-0827.

Membership meeting
The Central Pasco Chamber of Commerce will have a general membership meeting on April 12 from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., at Harbor Terrace Restaurant, at 19502 Harbor Heritage Parkway, in Lutz.

Guest speakers will be Kelly Mothershead and Celeste Kellar of Pepin Academies in Pasco County. Learn about this charter school, its services and how the community and business can partner to help.

RSVP by April 8 and the lunch cost is $20. After that, the cost is $25. Members and guests are welcome.

Oasis Pregnancy Care Center is this month’s sponsor.

For information, call the chamber at (813) 909-2722, or email .

Breakfast network
Business Link will have its monthly networking breakfast on April 13 from 7:30 a.m. to 9 a.m., in the Saint Leo University board room in the Student Community Center, at 33701 State Road 52 in the town of St. Leo. Come for tips and networking to strengthen your business. This monthly gathering, held at various locations, provides networking an an information-sharing platform for the small business community. A complimentary breakfast will be provided.

The guest speaker is Ali Walter of Ali Ann & Co., Your Profit Boss.

Please RSVP to Rebecca Gaddis at (352) 588-2732, or email .

New restaurant to take Hot Rods’ spot

March 30, 2016 By Kathy Steele

A lawsuit shuttered Hot Rods Country BBQ in 2013.

Two weeks ago, the quirky Lutz restaurant, locally famous for ‘swamp bat’ and hot sauces, met the wrecking ball.

Hot Rods Country BBQ, a Lutz landmark, closed in 2013. The restaurant recently was torn down to make way for a new, unnamed restaurant at Sunset Lane and Livingston Avenue. (Kathy Steele/Staff Photos) — Hot Rods Country BBQ, a Lutz landmark, closed in 2013. The restaurant recently was torn down to make way for a new, unnamed restaurant at Sunset Lane and Livingston Avenue.
(Kathy Steele/Staff Photos)

County records show the property changed hands in December 2015 when Sunset Livingston LLC bought Hot Rods from Champor Corp Inc., for $525,000. Winter Park-based Alton Lightsey is listed as the registered agent for Sunset Livingston; Lutz real estate broker Jerry Shaw is manager.

Plans are to build a new restaurant with an outdoor patio. The as-yet-unnamed restaurant will serve beer and wine, and could have a few barbecue items.

Co-owner Jerry Shaw said, “It’s going to be home-cooked, family style food.”

The beer and wine license received approval in January.

Next comes settling on a restaurant name, drawing up construction plans, and getting the building permits, Shaw said.

No ribbon cutting is set, but Shaw hopes to open the restaurant within six months or so.

“It’s a matter of getting the drawings completed and approved,” he said.

A dirt lot is all that is left of Hot Rods Country BBQ. The restaurant was torn down to make way for a new restaurant from owners Sunset Livingston LLC.

Hot Rods became legendary in Lutz for its offbeat menu items and rustic décor.

It opened in 1998. A lawsuit over debt led to the restaurant’s closure in May 2013.

Rod Gaudin started Hot Rods with a barbecue pit, next to a country store he had at Sunset Lane and Livingston Avenue. He later converted a wood-frame house into the restaurant. Customers walked onto the porch and opened the front door with a water-spigot handle.

Hot sauces tantalized with names such as “Scorned Women,” “Endorphin Rush,” and “Mosquito Blood.”

Typical dishes were barbecue and cornbread. Atypical dishes were ‘swamp bat,’ ‘lizard tail’ and ‘armadillo eggs’ — known respectively as quail, beef steak and cheddar cheese poppers.

State inspectors revealed the swamp bat secret to a Tampa Tribune reporter, though Gaudin’s lips were sealed on the subject.

Published March 30, 2016

Special events eligible for tourism grants

March 30, 2016 By Kathy Steele

Every year, thousands of tourists flock to festivals in Pasco County, spending money and getting to know the county’s best features.

They dine on kumquats, browse through arts and crafts booths, immerse themselves in Native American culture, listen to old-time music, and learn about the environment.

But, putting on those special events takes cash.

Thousands flocked to Dade City to enjoy the activities and displays at the 2016 Kumquat Festival. Events hoping to secure support through Pasco County’s tourism grants have until April 13 to apply. (File Photo) — Thousands flocked to Dade City to enjoy the activities and displays at the 2016 Kumquat Festival. Events hoping to secure support through Pasco County’s tourism grants have until April 13 to apply.
(File Photo)

Each year the Pasco County Office of Tourism Development and the Tourist Development Council award $80,000 in grants to organizations staging special events.

For fiscal year 2016-17, applications for the grants will be accepted through April 13.

Staff members at tourism development will review the application packets and make recommendations to the council members. All applicants will then make presentations to the council on May 18.

“We look for unique events that can really draw people to the event,” said Pasco Tourism Manager Ed Caum, in a press release. “We also recognize that event success doesn’t happen overnight, so we look for the potential growth as well.”

Grants can be spent on promotions, marketing, paid advertising and media buys.

The Kumquat Festival, the Suncoast Arts Fest, Rattlesnake Festival and Chasco Fiesta are among past recipients.

The Pasco Eco Fest, which staged its first event in 2015, also got some seed money for the event through the county’s special events grant program.

Last year, about $69,000 of the $80,000 in grants was awarded. The remaining $14,000 was spent by Pasco tourism on marketing efforts for each of the recipients.

Some of the funds paid for advertisement buys on Facebook. One ad drew about 33,000 visits to the page, Caum said.

“We’re trying to show them the power of online ways to attract people from outside of the county,” he said. The ad reach doesn’t have to go far. Even those people who come from surrounding counties are tourists – known as day trippers – once they cross into Pasco, he said.

Once the Tourism Development Council makes it recommendations for grants, the Pasco County Commission will have final say, probably in July or August.

Funds will be available Oct. 1, with the start of fiscal year 2017.

To apply, call the Pasco County OTD at (727) 847-8129. Forms and requirements are available at PascoCountyFl.net.

Published March 30, 2016

Governor slashes some budget items

March 30, 2016 By Kathy Steele

Pasco County had some hits and misses in the 2017 state budget.

Gov. Rick Scott signed a statewide budget bill of about $82 billion on March 17. But not before he slashed about $256 million in vetoed items, including $11 million sought for the proposed performing arts center at the Pasco-Hernando State College.

However, he spared some Pasco projects including $450,000 for repairs and upkeep at the Baldomero Lopez Memorial Veterans Nursing Home in Land O’ Lakes and $53,500 for the Pioneer Florida Museum & Village in Dade City.

Gov. Rick Scott vetoed a proposed $750,000 grant to help restore the Capt. Harold B. Jeffries House in Zephyrhills. (File Photo) — Gov. Rick Scott vetoed a proposed $750,000 grant to help restore the Capt. Harold B. Jeffries House in Zephyrhills.
(File Photo)

The performing arts center is planned for joint uses between the college and Pasco County Schools. It likely will be built on property near the Pasco-Hernando State College’s Porter Campus at Wiregrass Ranch.

In two prior years, requests of $10 million each made it through safely. This is the first rejection for a project expected to cost as much as $60 million.

“It’s disappointing, but we understand it’s a complex statewide budget,” said Lucy Miller, spokeswoman for the state college. “There’s always another year we can vie for funds. It’s a fact that we have to look at other options and see what’s out there.”

Miller noted, however, that it’s unlikely to be a private donor with deep enough pockets to foot such a large bill.

Planning for the project will move forward, she said.

The college currently operates a performing arts center in a 620-seat theater on its West Campus in New Port Richey. The proposed facility would have up to 3,000 seats, and could serve as training ground for college and high school performing arts’ students.

It also has potential for conferences, conventions, trade shows and high school graduation ceremonies.

A 2013 study by the Urban Land Institute found that Pasco lacks sufficient cultural and arts venues, and should consider using revenues from the Penny for Pasco program to support such projects.

Scott also rejected some other Pasco projects.

He cut $250,000 to help reopen the Moore Mickens Education Center in Dade City and $75,000 to restore the historical Capt. Harold B. Jeffries’ house in Zephyrhills.

The Moore Mickens school was Pasco’s first school for black students. In more recent years, the school provided adult education, a Cyesis program for pregnant teenagers and an early childhood education program for child care workers.

School officials closed Moore Mickens in 2015 and transferred its programs to other sites.

The request for the Jeffries’ house in Zephyrhills landed on the annual “turkey watch” list issued by Florida Taxwatch.

Built in 1912, the structure is the original home of Jeffries, the Civil War veteran who settled Zephyrhills in the hopes of bringing other war veterans with him.

The private, nonprofit Taxwatch group doesn’t judge a project’s worthiness, but singles out projects for a lack of transparency and accountability.

According to Taxwatch, the request for the restoration funds didn’t go through the historical properties grant process.

Another project on the turkey list escaped the veto pen: Scott led stand a request for $750,000 for a multi-modal trail across U.S. 19 in New Port Richey.

Other winners in Pasco are the STEM aeronautics academy at Sunlake High School and other locations, with $750,000; Dade City, with $400,000 for a storm water project; Pasco Sheriff’s child protective unit, with $400,000; Lighthouse for the Blind in Pasco and Hernando counties, with $100,000; and $250,000 for a new kitchen for the Senior Elderly Nutrition Program in Land O’ Lakes.

Sometimes persistence pays off.

Last year, Gov. Scott vetoed a similar request for the kitchen. He also scuttled a larger request of $1.9 million for Dade City’s storm water initiative.

Published March 30, 2016

Task forces ready to make choices on transportation

March 30, 2016 By Kathy Steele

Two task forces are grappling with critical decisions on the future of State Road 54 and State Road 56.

The final meeting of the West Task Force was scheduled for March 28, after The Laker/Lutz News’ press deadline.

The East Task Force is scheduled to meet on March 31 at 5:30 p.m., at Rasmussen College.

An 18-wheeler moves through the intersection at State Road 54 and U.S. 41. A task force is looking at ways to improve the intersection, and ease congestion. (File Photo) — An 18-wheeler moves through the intersection at State Road 54 and U.S. 41. A task force is looking at ways to improve the intersection, and ease congestion.
(File Photo)

Eighteen transportation alternatives for the state highway corridors are expected to be whittled down to five alternatives, along with a no-build option.

The Pasco County Metropolitan Planning Organization is the sponsoring agency for what is a three-part review of how to address growing transportation needs on one of Pasco County’s busiest thoroughfares.

The second phase of the review will be a “drill down” into the selected alternatives, said James Edwards, transportation planning manager for the MPO.

The goal is to focus on options that appear reasonable and feasible, Edwards said.

But, the next phase likely won’t get under way until mid- or late-summer.

The task forces will remain in place, but Edwards said there will be additional public meetings in the second phase to gather input from the community at large.

The task forces had the first of three meetings for each group in September.

The West Task Force focused on State Road 54 from U.S. 19, in west Pasco, to U.S. 41 in Land O’ Lakes. The East Task Force looked at State Road 54/State Road 56, from U.S. 41 to Bruce B. Downs Boulevard, east of Interstate 75.

Task force members are from the MPO’s Citizens Advisory Committee, local chambers of commerce, community leaders, developers or their representatives, and residents from east and west Pasco.

In preparation for the upcoming meeting, task force members completed surveys giving their views on the 18 proposals.

Much of the East Task Force discussion has centered on the intersection of State Road 54 and U.S. 41, where state highway officials are proposing to redesign State Road 54 as a flyover crossing above U.S. 41. Toll lanes also are being considered.

Some favor the design, but others strongly oppose the plan as harmful to the businesses that could be displaced.

“I just want to see them stay at grade as much as possible,” said Sandy Graves, chairwoman of the East Task Force and a member of the Central Pasco Chamber of Commerce.

At a prior meeting, some task force members pushed for at-grade solutions and greater use of frontage roads to ease congestion at the intersection.

Suggestions also have been made that the CSX railroad tracks could be adapted for commuter stops.

All options are being looked at, including public transit, Edwards said.

About $150,000 in federal grants funded the initial phase, but the cost could double for the next phase.

Edwards said the county hopes to share costs with the Florida Department of Transportation.

“It’s a state highway,” he said. “What we’re doing will benefit DOT.”

But, final decisions are a long way off, and presently no construction funds are available.

“There’s time to sit back and reflect,” Graves said. “It’s important to get State Road 54 and U.S. 41 correct.”

Published March 30, 2016

Free outdoor movie set for Land O’ Lakes

March 30, 2016 By Kathy Steele

Good times and summer are coming together at the Land O’ Lakes Community Center, at 5401 Land O’ Lakes Blvd.

Family movie night is back — after major renovations at the park temporarily put the park out of commission for users.

A ribbon cutting in August 2015 signaled the completion of a $2.4 million makeover that added new ball fields, a concession building with restrooms, two shelters, new parking lots and a remodeled patio.

And now, at 7 p.m., on the first Friday of every month, families again can grab blankets, lawn chairs and picnic baskets for an evening with their favorite Hollywood stars.

The April 1 feature is “Shrek the Third,” the last installment in the adventures of Shrek, Princess Fiona and Puss ‘n Boots.

The movies are hosted by the Land O’ Lakes Community Center and the nonprofit Heritage Park Foundation.

The movie screenings have been upgraded from an inflatable giant screen to a Jumbotron, with crisper, sharper images.

“It’s a good family thing to do,” said Sandy Graves, the foundation’s president. “It takes advantage of the open space there, without being sports oriented. It’s a nice little venue.”

Graves said there are ongoing discussions about having the local Rotary Club offer concessions. For now, though, movie-goers need to bring their own treats.

No alcohol, however, is permitted.

Movie night officially kicked off on March 4 with a showing of “Ice Age.” About 100 people flapped open blankets and clicked lawn chairs into place.

Parking is no problem with the upgraded lots at the center, Graves said.

If there’s a big turnout, there’s plenty of room to park on a county-owned parcel, off School Road, across from the community center, Graves said.

For information, call (813) 929-1229.

Published March 30, 2016

Business Digest 03/30/2016

March 30, 2016 By Kathy Steele

Brenda Minton featured speaker
Brenda Minton, event coordinator for the Pioneer Florida Museum in Dade City, was the guest speaker at the March 15 monthly breakfast meeting of The Greater Dade City Chamber of Commerce.

The sponsor for the breakfast, held in the Citrus Room of Kafe Kokopelli, was Premium Title, which was co-founded in 2000 by Sharon Sumner and Jeanie Germain. The women credit their success to Sharon’s father and former Pasco County Clerk of Court, Stanley Burnside, and real estate attorney, Robert Sumner. Premium Title supports area nonprofits and organizations including Sunrise of Pasco. Habitat for Humanity, and the Pioneer Florida Museum.

The Pioneer Florida Museum in Dade City holds many special events each year.

For information about events in the Dade City area, contact the chamber at (352) 567-3769 or .

Bakery opening
7 Layers Bakery had a grand opening and ribbon cutting on March 24 at 26306 Wesley Chapel Blvd. The locally owned bakery offers New York-style Italian cookies and cakes among its baked goods and pastries that “taste like home.” Free delivery provided within a 20-mile radius.

For information, call (941) 706-5220, or visit the Facebook page at Facebook.com/7LayerCookieCakes.

Women in business seminar
Local businesswomen will host a free seminar, “Woman Entrepreneurs,” on March 31 from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m., at the Land O’ Lakes Recreation Complex, 3032 Collier Parkway. They will offer advice on empowering women to become their own bosses. Jeannie Holliday, a financial advisor with Raymond James Financial Services, will lead the seminar. Other presenters are Angie Carter, senior team leader and mentor at Origami Owl; Jessica Fogarty, an independent consultant at Princess House; Beth Reed, executive director at Thirty-One Gifts; Erin Green, a 5-star team leader at Jordan Essentials; and Melanie Green, owner of Triassic Media Group.

For information, email Angie Carter at .

Eye center ribbon cutting
Infinity Eye Care Center will have a ribbon cutting on March 31 from 4:30 p.m. to 6 p.m., at 5420 Land O’ Lakes Blvd., in Land O’ Lakes. Those attending will be able to see the new clinic and meet with vendors.

For information, contact the eye center at (813) 803-4515, or visit InfinityEyeCareCenter.com.

Ribbon cutting
Big Frog T-shirts and More of Wesley Chapel will have a ribbon cutting on April 1 from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m., at 24830 State Road 54 in Wesley Chapel. There will be a meet-and-greet with two authors, drawings and giveaways. The free event is open to the public.

For information, call the Greater Wesley Chapel Chamber of Commerce at (813) 909-9235, or visit WesleyChapelChamber.com.

Women-n-Charge lunch
Join the ladies of Women-n-Charge on April 1 from 11:30 a.m. to 1:15 p.m., at Pebble Creek Country Club, at 10550 Regents Park Drive in Tampa. The meeting includes lunch and time to network. The guest speaker will be Barbara Brekke, founder of Go Beyond Your Dreams. She is a certified life coach, and her presentation will be “Living an Extraordinary Life.”

The cost is $15 for members and $18 for guests.

To register, visit Women-n-Charge.com.

For information, call (813) 600-9848, or email .

Wesley Chapel breakfast meeting
The Greater Wesley Chapel Chamber of Commerce will have its monthly breakfast meeting on April 5 from 7:30 a.m. to 9:15 a.m., at Pasco-Hernando State College, in the third floor conference center, Room B-303, at the Porter Campus, 2727 Mansfield Blvd., in Wesley Chapel. Guest speaker is Rick Homans, president and chief executive officer of Tampa Bay Partnership.

The cost for chamber members is $15 in advance. Register online by April 1 at 3 p.m. At the door, the cost is $20 for members and non-members.

For information, call (813) 994-8534, or visit WesleyChapelChamber.com.

Breakfast network
The Wednesday Morning Networking Group will meet April 6 at 7:30 a.m., at The Lake House at Hungry Harry’s Family B-BQ, at 3116 Land O’ Lakes Blvd., in Land O’ Lakes. Each attendee will be able to present a 30-second pitch. The $7 cost includes breakfast. The sponsor for this meeting is Copperstone Executive Suites. Sponsorships for future meetings are available.

For information, call the Central Pasco Chamber of Commerce at (813) 909-2722, or email .

Breakfast sponsor is Ron Oakley, and Bahr’s Propane Gas and A/C.

For information, contact the chamber at (813) 782-1913, or email .

Animal Services wants higher fees

March 23, 2016 By Kathy Steele

A program to spay and neuter pets, and to educate the public on the value of the surgeries, is facing a financial crunch.

Reserve funds to keep the program afloat could be depleted within three years — unless new revenues are found, and some expenses cut.

Pasco County Animal Services frequently seeks the community’s help to give pets at the shelter a permanent home. (File Photos) — Pasco County Animal Services frequently seeks the community’s help to give pets at the shelter a permanent home.
(File Photos)

Pasco County commissioners got a preview of recommendations to add money to the coffers of Pasco County Animal Services at a March 15 workshop.

Those recommendations include a mandatory $5 fee for a cat license, an increase in an unaltered dog license from $35 to $40, and adoption fees of $85 for small breed dogs and puppies. Kittens younger than four months could cost $55.

Other adoption fees would be unchanged, with dogs costing $70 and cats, $40.

No fee increases are anticipated for the county’s low-income program for reduced-cost sterilizations for qualified applicants. Those rates are $10 for cats and $20 for dogs.

No decisions were made.

Pasco County staff members are expected to bring the issue back to commissioners later.

In some ways, Animal Services is suffering from too much success.

Since 2012, more than 10,000 dogs and cats have been sterilized.

“That’s pretty significant,” said Mike Shumate, the county’s animal services manager.

The county currently contracts with the nonprofit Spay Pasco to manage the spay and education program, as well as the trap-neuter-return program to sterilize feral cats.

That contract expires in February 2017.

Animal services is recommending that the county takes over the programs, estimating potential savings of $18,000 annually.

Over the years, the growing demands for sterilization, and for educational presentations at schools and elsewhere, have strained finances, and drained reserve funds.

Deficit spending for the program is ongoing annually, and the coffers could be empty by 2019.

As an example, the trap-neuter-return program cost about $48,000 in 2013, but two years later cost more than $136,000.

One solution would be to renegotiate contracts Pasco has with area cities, and increase fees for the surgeries.

The current contracts are with Dade City, Zephyrhills, New Port Richey, Port Richey, San Antonio, the town of Saint Leo and Safety Harbor.

Animal services also is recommending that the county adopt an ordinance to codify rules for trap-neuter-return programs.

“We want to make sure people participating in community cat programs have some standards,” Shumate said.

The cat licenses could add about $68,000 to the department’s revenues, based on an estimate of cat-owner households of more than 13,600.

Cat owners can get a license currently, but it is offered by local veterinarians to clients on a voluntary basis.

“We’ve always had the voluntary cat license program,” said Shumate. “It just really hasn’t taken off.”

Pasco is one of only a few counties that doesn’t have mandatory cat licenses.

Pasco County Commissioner Ted Schrader wondered how the license would be enforced.

Pasco County Commissioner Jack Mariano said raising fees too much could have consequences.

“If you do this, are people going to get rid of the cats?” he asked.

It would be a gamble, Shumate said. But, he added, “We’re really asking those of us who can afford it to give the $5.”

Published March 23, 2016

Crusading for sidewalk safety

March 23, 2016 By Kathy Steele

Leonard Road is drawing a lot of attention, but not the kind that most residents want.

Developers have ambitious plans for large tracts of wooded land along the curvy two-lane road that winds from U.S. 41, almost to State Road 54. More than 300 single-family homes, an assisted living facility, medical office and retail are on the drawing board.

Though Leonard dead-ends just shy of State Road 54, the road eventually will be paved and extended, according to site plans on file with Pasco County. Area residents in this Lutz neighborhood are bracing for a future as a cut-through road from U.S. 41 to State Road 54.

Leonard Road residents want the county to build a sidewalk to protect pedestrians and bicyclists. On a recent afternoon, a motorist in a car drove past, from left, Mike Benjamin, David Haynes and Ed Klaameyer. (Kathy Steele/Staff Photo) — Leonard Road residents want the county to build a sidewalk to protect pedestrians and bicyclists. On a recent afternoon, a motorist in a car drove past, from left, Mike Benjamin, David Haynes and Ed Klaameyer.
(Kathy Steele/Staff Photo)

To local residents, the coming development is a warning flag for more traffic, and added dangers to pedestrians and bicyclists who already share the road with motorists who navigate Leonard Road’s curves.

Residents have lobbied for years to get a sidewalk on the north side of Leonard.

“We’re not asking for an amenity,” said Mike Benjamin. “This is a safety issue. There’s going to be substantially more traffic, and it already is way dangerous.”

On a recent afternoon, a couple walked along the road’s shoulder toward U.S. 41. A man trudged in the opposite direction, toting a plastic bag filled with items purchased at a local store.

And, a young boy pedaled his bicycle as cars passed by in each direction.

That is a daily trek for many residents.

Benjamin knows of three residents, in motorized wheelchairs, who hang close to the edge of the pavement as they head to U.S. 41.

Two years ago, David Haynes landed in the gully with banged up knees when he fell from his bicycle, as two vehicles nearly collided along a curve in the road.

“There was no place to get off the road,” he said.

When traffic comes around the corner, Benjamin said, “People can’t see them in advance.”

In winter months, the woods on the south side of the road are bare. But, once spring arrives, trees will bloom, and Benjamin said, “It will further impede anyone’s vision going around the curve.”

The worst stretch of Leonard is from U.S. 41 to Cot Road at the entrance into Lake Como Family Nudist Resort. Speed limit signs warn motorists heading west to slow to 20 miles per hour as they enter the first curve, a short distance from Lake Como. The posted speed falls to 15 miles per hour in front of Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, which operates the Little Lambs Preschool. A second curve swings past Lake Como before the road straightens on its path toward Henley Road, and Leonard’s dead-end before State Road 54.

Nearly 110 children attend the church’s preschool. Drop-offs and pick-ups add up to about 107,000 annual vehicle trips, according to Ed Klaameyer, property director on the church’s board of directors.

“That’s a lot of potential issues,” he said.

Two years ago, residents gathered more than 190 signatures on a petition asking for a sidewalk. Last year, they were hopeful when the county planted surveying stakes. But, nothing happened.

In October, more than 20 residents of Leonard Road came to a town hall meeting, held by Pasco County Chairwoman Kathryn Starkey and county officials. They hoped to plead their case publicly, but landed at the bottom of the agenda list.

The meeting ran long, and sidewalks never came up.

“We were all disappointed,” Benjamin said. “Our voice was never heard.”

Benjamin has sent some 50 emails and made numerous phone calls to keep pushing for help.

Starkey is a frequent recipient of emails and phone calls from area residents. She is sympathetic to their cause.

“I’m working on it,” she said. “I’m trying to find a solution.”

Leonard Road is on the county’s priority list of alternative transportation projects, but it sits just one position above last place on a list of 23 priorities. It is a list updated every year and given to the Florida Department of Transportation as a guide in what projects to fund in Pasco with federal dollars.

Leonard won’t be funded in 2016 and likely not in 2017, said Allen Howell, the county’s senior planner for bicycles and pedestrians.

In an email sent to Benjamin about two years ago, Howell cited the estimated sidewalk cost at about $176,000. As of June 2015, the cost was pegged at about $250,000.

Projects for new sidewalks and trails start with requests from citizens, county staff and county commissioners. They are ranked on a point system for criteria such as safety, connectivity to existing sidewalks and trails, accessibility to schools and transit stops, and improved mobility in low-come and minority neighborhoods.

Roads with faster speeds, such as 45 miles per hour, get more points than roads with slower speeds of 30 mph or lower.

“I really feel sorry for them out there, but the hard reality is it’s one of hundreds of areas that are unsafe because of no sidewalks,” Howell said. “It’s tough selecting the priority to see which gets a sidewalk first.”

But, Benjamin said federal money isn’t the only option, since Pasco residents supported renewal of the Penny for Pasco program.

“We elected people to go and figure out how to get these things built for us,” he said.

The neighborhood has done some things on its own for safety. Holy Trinity handed out bright orange safety vests to residents who are frequent walkers or bicyclists on Leonard.

“You really have to have your wits about you to deal with traffic,” said Klaameyer.

Haynes never leaves home without his when he hops aboard his bicycle.

“I’m trying to keep from getting hit,” he said.

Published March 23, 2016

County and state team up on land deal

March 23, 2016 By Kathy Steele

Pasco County and the state of Florida have teamed up on a $6 million land deal to designate a large swath of a former cattle ranch in Land O’ Lakes as a conservation easement.

The county and the state each will pay $3 million for two parcels totaling nearly 620 acres, located west of Old Pasco Road about a half-mile south of State Road 52.

Pasco County Chairwoman Kathryn Starkey held out on a land deal to be sure that a swath of land could possibly be used as the right-of-way for a planned trail that will generally follow the old Orange Belt Rail Line. (File Photo) — Pasco County Chairwoman Kathryn Starkey held out on a land deal to be sure that a swath of land could possibly be used as the right-of-way for a planned trail that will generally follow the old Orange Belt Rail Line.
(File Photo)

The purchase is an acquisition for the county’s Environmental Lands and Acquisition Management Program, also known as ELAMP. That program is partially funded with revenues from the Penny for Pasco program.

There’s a provision in the deal that could result in a portion of the northern half of the site being used as the right-of-way for a planned trail system that generally will follow along the former Orange Belt Rail Line.

Pasco County Chairwoman Kathryn Starkey persuaded commissioners to postpone a vote on the contract until after their lunch break at the March 8 meeting in Dade City. She wanted to add language to the contract that would clear the way to negotiate the trail’s easement and public access through the site.

Without that provision, Starkey said the county could be forced to eventually negotiate a separate, costly deal to buy privately owned land for the trail.

“This is one of our most important trails in the county,” Starkey said. “We need to be able to build a trail there. This should have been part of the discussion before it was brought to us.”

The initial deal struck between sellers, the state and the county didn’t allow public access.

Four generations of the McKendree family operated the cattle farm. Sellers of the conservation easement are Neil Mathis and Christine Phillips.

Negotiations took about two years for an agreement that is the first partnership between Pasco and the state to buy conservation land. The state usually strikes such deals with federal agencies, said Keith Wiley, the county’s natural resources manager.

Members of the Florida Cabinet are scheduled to approve the deal on March 29.

With time a factor, Pasco County Commissioner Ted Schrader didn’t want to continue the vote to the next commission meeting. “I don’t want to jeopardize the state’s participation. I’m confident we’ll secure this (easement). This is a win-win for everyone,” he said.

But, after a representative for the property sellers agreed to the contract’s new stipulation, commissioners gave their approval to a revised agreement.

The exact route of the trail isn’t determined, but it generally will run diagonally across the county from Lacoochee through Land O’ Lakes to Odessa.

The county owns portions of the rights-of-way for the trail along Old Pasco Road and State Road 52, near the conservation easement site, according to Pasco County Administrator Michele Baker.

The Florida Department of Transportation also is building a bridge as part of its widening and realignment project along Interstate 75 and State Road 52. State officials said there would be an underpass below the bridge for the county to build a trail connector.

Starkey envisions the trail as a redevelopment tool for the Land O’ Lakes area, similar to a walking and bicycle trail established through Dunedin in Pinellas County.

“It has great potential to be an economic draw in Land O’ Lakes,” she said.

Published March 23, 2016