The Laker/Lutz News

Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

Kathy Steele

All aboard for a bus tour of Pasco development

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A bus tour through Pasco County connected the dots, and highlighted both new development, and notable educational institutions, such as Saint Leo University.

The Central Pasco Association of REALTORS sponsored the tour to offer professionals in real estate and area residents an up-close look at what’s happening in Pasco. The bus tour on June 7 was the first, but CPAR officers say they plan for more in future.

Dr. Jeffrey D. Senese, center, president of Saint Leo University, welcomed bus tour visitors to the university’s campus.
(Kathy Steele)

“We’re looking to introduce people, to say, the (Florida Hospital Center Ice) rink,” said Jack Buckley, who is chairman of the CPAR committee that organized the tour. “Not everyone knows it’s here. We want to make them aware of activities in the area.”

About 60 people boarded the bus at the Hilton Garden Inn Tampa Suncoast Parkway. The all-day tour visited nine locations, including stops at Florida Hospital Center Ice, Saint Leo, and the historic Pasco County Courthouse in Dade City.

Other locations were the master-planned communities of Bexley by Newland Communities, Epperson and Mirada; the Dade City Business Center; the business park, Compark 75; and Tampa Premium Outlets.

A lunch break at Florida Hospital Center Ice included a tour of the ice rink facility, off State Road 54.

The CPAR bus tour also was about forging closer ties between Central Pasco and Dade City business and chamber of commerce communities.

Dade City Mayor Camille Hernandez arranged a police-escorted drive through downtown Dade City, and touted its historic, small town charm.

“This is my little piece of heaven that I call home,” the mayor said.

The real estate organization will be supporting Dade City officials for “Discover Dade City,” an economic summit on Sept. 27 at the Pasco-Hernando State College.

“We’re feeding off one another, so residents and businesses get the benefits from our associations,” said Buckley.

The tour offered opportunities for networking, and getting to know new people, said Hernandez. “I’m excited about that.”

Jo Easton, a certified residential specialist, said the tour provided new experiences in getting to know not only about new development but well-established places such as Saint Leo.

She had driven by the university many times, but the tour was her first visit to the campus.

Florida Hospital Center Ice was new to her, too.

“This is really helpful to us,” Easton said.

John McCabe, a vice president and Small Business Administration lender with CBC National Bank, was also glad to get to know the area better.

“You see these places driving by, but to do a deep dive, it’s terrific,” he said. “I think the tour is a great thing.”

McCabe works out of Tampa but services the Tampa Bay area including Pasco.

For more information, visit CPARFl.com.

Published June 13, 2018

Review board recommends family homeless shelter

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The Pasco County Planning Commission has recommended approval of a program to temporarily house homeless families in a former Boys & Girls Club building.

Planning commissioners reached that recommendation during a public hearing on June 6.

The Coalition for the Homeless of Pasco County wants to operate the temporary shelter on Youth Lane in Port Richey. The coalition also wants to open administrative offices in a second building, designated as the Housing Services Center. Individuals and families would be able to receive a range of social services at the center, with a primary focus on housing for the homeless population.

About 50 people attended a public hearing to oppose a program from the Coalition for the Homeless of Pasco County to operate a temporary shelter for families, and provide additional services at a Housing Services Center. (Kathy Steele)

The county owns the land, and has partnered with the coalition to get the program up and running.

About $700,000 in grants, and other funding sources, has been allocated for building renovations.

The Pasco County Commission is expected to make the final decision at a June 19 meeting in New Port Richey. Commissioners also will vote on an amendment to the county’s comprehensive land use plan to change the land use from open space/recreational to a public/semi-public use.

About 50 people attended the planning commission’s public hearing to show their opposition to the project. Most of the concerns, however, focused on the services available at the services center, not the temporary family shelter.

Area residents worried about increasing crime, a loss in property values, and overall public safety.

“The only good thing about this program is the good intentions,” said Suzanne Greene Taldone, who lives in the Crane’s Roost subdivision, off Little Road.

She thinks the coalition’s site will become a magnet for transients and will create “a cesspool of crime.”

Greene added: “Encampments flourish near these centers because they want to be first in line for services.”

The program was initially proposed in 2017 as a temporary shelter for adult men and women, with a focus on providing a one-stop center for social services and with a goal of placing people in permanent housing.

Amid strong opposition from residents, the coalition changed its purpose to instead help families only at the shelter. Coalition representatives also voluntarily limited the services that would be available at the Housing Services Center.

Under the proposal, the center would not have an emergency food pantry, clothes closet, showers, or scheduled visits for a mobile medical unit.

The coalition also agreed to other conditions.

Four to eight families would be housed temporarily, but no more than 36 people would stay at the shelter at any one time. The coalition estimates helping a minimum of 50 families annually.

Background checks would be done. There would be security cameras, and a curfew from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. Also, coalition staff members would be on-site 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Families could stay no longer than 180 days.

The goal, coalition officials said, would be for families to stay 30 days to 60 days, with most being placed in housing within 45 days.

“This is something that is very realistic,” said Don Anderson, chief executive officer of the homeless coalition.

Area residents remain skeptical.

Judith Bowes lives in the nearby subdivision of The Orchards of Radcliffe. She said more than 70 widows live there.

“They were scared. They had a lot of sleepless nights,” Bowes said. “The shelter that will house six to eight families is not the problem. The problem is (the Housing Services Center) will bring a lot of transients into the neighborhood. My neighbors are still having sleepless nights.”

But, Amina Ahmed said it made her sad to hear people making assumptions about people who are homeless.

“Not all of them are criminals,” Ahmed said. “People think if you’re homeless, you have to have a problem, which is not true. Let’s help people become valuable members of society.”

Attorney Robert Lincoln, who represents the owners of an adjacent shopping plaza, also spoke in favor of the coalition’s efforts.

The owners had found fault with the original plan but support the new direction, Lincoln said.

He said that eliminating such services as showers, medical care and clothes makes a difference.

“You take away those kinds of things, you take away the kinds of services that get people wandering in off the street,” Lincoln said.

Plus, he noted: “It’s much better to be working with (the coalition) and becoming engaged.”

Published June 13, 2018

Controversy continues over solar in Pasco

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The Pasco County Commission has adopted an ordinance that will guide future decisions on where and how solar farms are permitted.

But, the controversy over a proposed solar farm in northeast Pasco County continues.

Commissioners approved the ordinance relating to placement of solar farms at their June 5 meeting in Dade City.

Pasco County Commissioner Mike Moore, who supported the ordinance, said, “I feel not just as a county, but as a nation, we need to be less dependent on fossil fuel.”

The ordinance doesn’t settle what has been a controversial issue, however.

The county’s Planning Commission in April gave its stamp of approval to a special exception permit for Mountain View Solar Project. But, that decision is on hold until the county commissioners hear two appeals filed against the planning commission’s decision.

Tampa Electric Company, known as TECO, wants to install about 464,000 photovoltaic solar panels on about 350 acres, on both sides of Blanton Road. The solar farm would produce about 53 megawatts of power for TECO’s power grid.

The amended land use ordinance, adopted by the County Commission, codifies the county’s approach to regulating solar farms. Previously, the code did not deal directly with solar farms.

For the Mountain View project, county officials had to rely on a section designated for uncertain classification rules.

The newly amended ordinance permits solar farms as special exceptions in agricultural zones, and as permitted uses in some commercial and industrial zones. Future decisions on permitting would be left to county staff and the planning commission.

Many residents who live on and near Blanton Road, outside Dade City, are opposed to the solar farm.  They also spoke against the ordinance on June 5.

They told county commissioners they worried about impacts of photovoltaic solar panels on water and soil, about damage from panels swept up during hurricanes, and how fires would be handled on site.

“I think we’re just moving too fast with this,” said Margaret Woods. “I don’t think they’ve been around long enough to know what the long-term effect will be.”

TECO representatives in contrast cited research that has shown photovoltaic panels are safe, and typically are located on agricultural land.

“It’s a very compatible use with agriculture,” said Rich Kirkland, a certified appraiser from North Carolina. He said he had reviewed about 400 solar projects, including about 10 in Florida.

Pasco County Commissioner Ron Oakley said solar farms wouldn’t work for all agricultural lands. But, the Blanton Road site, with nearby transmission infrastructure, seems suitable, he said.

However, Commissioner Jack Mariano found some of the residents’ comments persuasive regarding safety issues, especially the disposal of old solar panels as waste.

“This is probably the most complex, difficult decision I’ve had as a commissioner,” he said. “I’m not sure we have done everything we should to make the best ordinance for the county.”

However, he voted in favor of the ordinance after receiving assurance that the county’s ordinance, as written, could be defended against legal challenges.

In future votes, residents raised concerns about the ordinance’s provision to place authority for solar permits with county staff and the planning commission. County commissioners would only be involved in the event of appeals.

Resident Judy Geiger noted that an appeal cost $2,500 to file. Additional fees for transcripts and attorneys would easily push the cost to $5,000 or more, she said.

“That’s huge to many Pasco county residents,” Geiger said.

Residents also said the county wasn’t paying attention to overlay district protections for rural areas that are part of the county’s land use plan.

“All of us bought homes in this area because of the beauty,” said Laura Myers, who lives on Blanton. “You’re going to take that away. I don’t understand who benefits. It’s going to be an eyesore we all have to live through.”

Published June 13, 2018

Business Digest 06/13/2018

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(Kathy Steele)

New shops at Willow Bend
A Flying Squirrel Trampoline Park is slated to open at Willow Bend Town Centre, at State Road 54 and Collier Parkway. The indoor trampoline park, which has a posted sign of its pending arrival, will move into the space vacated in 2016 by Kmart.

According to the company website, the park was expected to open in spring or summer of 2018.

Willow Bend also will have a new breakfast nook soon. Representatives for Keke’s Breakfast Café have applied for permits to renovate one of the shopping center’s vacant storefronts.

Current Keke’s locations are in Carrollwood and Citrus Park. Restaurant hours for all Keke’s are 7 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily.

Bexley bike shop opens
Suncoast Trailside Bicycles opened a second full-service location in Bexley in Newland Communities, next to the welcome center at The Bexley Club, according to a news release from The Leytham Group.

The shop offers sales and repairs to residents and the public. Bike rentals will be available in late summer or early fall. Customers also can buy cycling gear and clothing. Battery-powered e-bikes are available as well.

Suncoast Trailside Bicycles is located along the Bexley community’s lakefront amenity center, which includes the Twisted Sprocket Café.

The shop’s owner, Geoff Lanier, and his staff are planning cycling and BMX clinics for bikers of all skill levels at the Bexley shop, as well as Bike and Brew events in partnership with the Twisted Sprocket Café.

Bexley offers miles of trails for cycling, walking and jogging as well as a BMX pump track.

Suncoast Trailside Bicycles is open six days a week. Hours are Tuesday to Friday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

For information, call (813) 425-7555, or visit BexleyFlorida.com.

Business seminar
Pasco-Hernando SCORE will have a free seminar, “Using the Internet for Your Business,” June 13 from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., at the Hugh Embry Branch Library, 14215 Fourth St., in Dade City.

The seminar will demystify much of the “gobbledygook” relating to the Internet through an eight-step process of key activities. The seminar will explain how to leverage technology, and show various roles that a website can play in enhancing your business.

Space is limited.

For information and to register, visit PascoHernando.score.org.

North Tampa luncheon
The North Tampa Chamber of Commerce will have its June 2018 Momentum Thursday on June 14 from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., at Atria Lutz, 414 E. Chapman Road in Lutz.

Guest speaker will be Geoffrey Higgins, certified public accountant at Mary W. Simmons, CPA PA.

For early bird registration, RSVP online with credit card at NorthTampaChamber.com or by email to the chamber at by 5 p.m. June 13, at the discounted rate of $15 (whether you eat or not). After that date, the cost is $20 (whether you eat or not), payable at the door by cash, check or credit card.

For information, call the chamber at (813) 563-0180.

Coffee social
The North Tampa Bay Chamber of Commerce will have its Monthly Coffee Social on June 19 from 8 a.m. to 9 a.m., at Buttermilk Provisions, 2653 Bruce B. Downs Blvd., in Wesley Chapel.

The is a “no agenda” event with time for social networking.

For information, call Grace Martin at the chamber at (813) 994-8534, or visit NorthTampaBayChamber.com.

Zephyrhills mixer
The Greater Zephyrhills Chamber of Commerce will have a chamber mixer June 21 from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m., at Zephyr Health & Rehab Center, 7350 Dairy Road in Zephyrhills.

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

Keystone Place opens
Keystone Place at Terra Bella, an independent living, assisted living and memory care community, will have a ribbon cutting and grand opening June 21 from 4 p.m. to 6:30 p.m., at 2200 Livingston Road in Land O’ Lakes.

There will be tours, hors’ d’oeuvres, music, drawings and giveaways.

Please RSVP by June 18.

For information, call (813) 388-2121, or register online at KeystonePlaceAtTerraBella.com/VIP.

SCORE business seminar
Pasco-Hernando SCORE will have a free seminar, “Utilizing YouTube for Small Businesses,” June 26 from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m., at SMARTstart Dade City Entrepreneur Center, 37837 Meridian Ave., Suite 309, in Dade City.

The free seminar will teach attendees how to upload videos to YouTube, as well as how to design and develop YouTube videos. Information will be provided on social media strategy and integrating YouTube into social media efforts.

For information, email PascoHernando.score.org.

Central Pasco annual banquet
The Central Pasco Chamber of Commerce will have its 2018 Installation & Awards Banquet on June 29 from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m., at The Groves Golf & Country Club, 7924 Melogold Circle in Land O’ Lakes.

Meet the new board of directors, celebrate award winners and nominees, and greet the new Honorary Mayor.

Dress to impress or wear casual business attire. It’s your choice.

Tickets are $50 per person, or two for $90, through June 27. Thereafter, tickets are $60 per person.

Sponsorships, including tickets, are available.

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

Coldwell Banker Top Realtors
Coldwell Banker F.I. Grey & Son Residential Inc., announced the following Top Realtors for the month of May.

Top listing and producing agent by units and volume is Anita McCracken. Top selling agent by units and volume is Charles Pardee.

Wesley Chapel road study looks for traffic solutions

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Pasco County is moving forward with efforts to find consensus on easing traffic congestion in Wesley Chapel and building road connections between Pasco and Hillsborough counties.

About 100 people attended a public meeting to discuss the draft of the Wesley Chapel Road Connection Study.
(Kathy Steele)

Consensus appears elusive, however, on the proposed linkage between Mansfield Boulevard, in Pasco County and Kinnan Street in Hillsborough County.

Pasco residents don’t want more traffic whizzing down a boulevard that already is gridlocked at peak hours.

But Hillsborough residents want a more direct route to shops, restaurants, churches and jobs just across the county line.

About 100 people attended a public meeting on May 22 at Pasco-Hernando State College Porter Campus to discuss a 450-page draft of the Wesley Chapel Road Connection Study.

Pasco County Commissioner Mike Moore and consultants with AECOM presented an executive summary of the study’s findings.

The study looks at the pros and cons of four alternatives for road connections, without making a recommendation. A no-build option also is included.

“We don’t have any bias in this study,” said Ali Atefi, a transportation engineer with the Pasco County Metropolitan Planning Organization. “We looked at it objectively.”

The choices are no-build; linking Mansfield Boulevard with Kinnan Street; linking Mansfield and Kinnan, as well as extending Meadow Pointe Boulevard to Hillsborough County; and the final option calls for linking Mansfield and Kinnan, extending Meadow Pointe Boulevard and extending Wyndfields, also to Hillsborough County.

Moore said he favors the Meadow Pointe extension, which would link to a future road in K-Bar Ranch.

A count of residents’ preferences from a 2017 public meeting showed that road project had strong support.

“I’ve got to be concerned about my residents here in Pasco County,” Moore said.

Tampa City Councilman Luis Viera, who attended the May 22 meeting, said all three connections are necessary. His constituents in New Tampa especially want Mansfield and Kinnan connected.

“I understand it’s not a black and white issue,” Viera said. “It’s gray. But, that is a real potential game changer. Hillsborough County is a stakeholder in this.”

Hillsborough County commissioners in 2017 approved $250,000 toward linking the two roads.

There could be one point of agreement on Mansfield and Kinnan, which currently dead-end at the county line — roughly 30 feet to 40 feet apart.

A gate could be installed that would provide access to emergency vehicles only. The cost would be about $7,000 for each county.

But, the Mansfield and Kinnan connection remains a hard sell for many Pasco residents.

“Adding traffic is what I’m worried about now,” said Ray Kobasko.

The Meadow Pointe extension makes more sense, he said. “It’s been planned all along, All the people who bought over there were told that,” he said.

Mike Hanna also opposes a Mansfield-Kinnan link.

“Connections have to be made but not all three of these,” he said. “A lot of people drive Mansfield every day and have accidents now. I’d not be in favor of more traffic coming up there.”

Residents can comment on the study through June 15. A final study will be released in August or September.

A citizens’ survey also is planned in coming months, giving residents a chance to weigh in on potential projects. The MPO is scheduled to make its recommendation in October.

Pasco County commissioners will have the final say on which, if any, of the alternatives are selected for construction.

Published June 6, 2018

 

 

 

Lack of building permits halts work

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Pasco County issued a stop work order at Epperson, after a routine county fire inspection found 19 structures lacked building permits.

A 7.5-acre recreational pool by Crystal Lagoons is being built at Epperson.
(File)

The May 10 inspection came less than two weeks after Epperson kicked off the anticipated opening of the Crystal Lagoons amenity. The festivities, to mark the first development in the United States with this type of amenity, featured an appearance by Michael Phelps, the most decorated athlete in the history of the Olympics.

The massive pool, with a patented technology to keep its waters crystal clear, covers about 7.5 acres at Epperson.

Pasco County building officials were notified of the problem immediately, and the stop work order issued the same day, said Anthony Mastracchio, the county’s deputy building official.

County officials said most of the structures without permits were tiki bars and cabanas.

Representatives of Metro Development Group, which is developing Epperson, met with building officials about the permits on May 14, and permit applications are being pursued, Mastracchio said.

“This is a great project and the county wants it to move forward,” he said.

However, the county will assess penalties by doubling the cost of the permit fees.

Mastracchio said some of the structures weren’t placed on the initial site plan submitted a year ago but Metro Development has provided new drawings which include the structures.

Building inspections, including plumbing and electrical, are done by a private company, which then files reports with the county.

Mastracchio said the county only does the fire inspections.

“Our process actually worked,” he said. “He (fire marshal) alerted us immediately. Our concern is for life safety.”

Metro Development’s president, Greg Singleton, wasn’t available for comment.

Epperson officials did release this statement: “The Crystal Lagoon at Epperson unfortunately did not open as we all hoped on May 19th. Here’s why: This is the first-ever Crystal Lagoon in the United States, and while exciting, that means the review processes are all new, and that is requiring more certifications. We know this is disappointin

g, and we apologize. We are working closely with Pasco County partners, and we appreciate their diligence. Meanwhile, we are doing everything we can to welcome everyone to the lagoon as soon as possible.”

Published June 6, 2018

Business Digest 06/06/2018

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Hope Allen, president of the North Tampa Bay Chamber of Commerce, center, and about 200 attendees celebrated the chamber’s ribbon cutting at its new location.
(Courtesy of Stephen John Photography)

North Tampa Bay chamber grand opening
North Tampa Bay Chamber of Commerce recently celebrated the grand opening of its new office, at 1868 Highland Oaks Blvd., in Lutz, off State Road 54.

About 200 people attended the event, which included hors d’oeuvres, a wine tasting by Time for Wine, a cash bar, live music and a tour of the new office.

The North Tampa Bay Chamber of Commerce has about 830 members and is the largest in Pasco County. It serves Wesley Chapel, New Tampa, Lutz, Land O’ Lakes, Trinity, Odessa and New Port Richey.

For information, visit NorthTampaBayChamber.com.

Taylor Morrison groundbreaking
Taylor Morrison, a national homebuilder and developer, recently broke ground on Chapel Chase, a new single-family residential community in Wesley Chapel.

Chapel Chase will have nearly 90 homes built on about 40 acres, off Boyette Road. The community will be located a few miles from Interstate 75 and Bruce B. Downs Boulevard, with access to major employment corridors, medical facilities, local airports, shopping centers, restaurants and entertainment, according to a news release.

Chapel Chase also will be less than 1 mile from a regional park with baseball fields, soccer fields, a football field, tennis courts, basketball courts, a fitness trail, playground and a fishing area.

Homes at Chapel Chase will feature open-design concepts with large living spaces, designer kitchens, owner’s suites and other design options.

Taylor Morrison Home Corporation is headquartered in Scottsdale, Arizona, and builds two brands – Taylor Morrison and Darling Homes.

For information, visit ChapelChase.com and TaylorMorrision.com.

Swiftmud mapping
The Southwest Florida Water Management District, or Swiftmud, selected the private firm of Dewberry to collect and process mapping data in Pasco County, according to a news release from Capstone Communications.

The firm will provide services and products to assess, monitor, analyze and manage water quality, water distribution and flood control.

Dewberry also will collect ground control data, creating digital elevation models, and delineating building footprints and impervious features to support Swiftmud and Pasco County.

Lidar (Light Detection and Ranging) data was completed in January 2018. Lidar uses a laser pulse from a transmitter to collect measurements and other topographical data.

Dewberry is headquartered in Fairfax, Virginia. It has more than 50 locations nationwide.

For information, visit Dewberry.com.

Avalon Park West groundbreaking
Avalon Park West recently had a groundbreaking for its new amenity center, at River Glen Boulevard and Little River Way.

The center will have a pool, clubhouse, splash park, play lawn, tiki hut, spa, picnic area, playground and more.

Avalon Park West, at 33613 State Road 54, is about 7.5 miles east of Interstate 75. It has easy access to The Shops at Wiregrass and The Groves at Wesley Chapel.

At build out, the community is expected to have about 4,800 residences, including single-family houses and apartments, as well as a town center with commercial and office space.

Avalon Park Group is based in Orlando.

For information, visit AvalonParkWest.com.

Wiregrass sports groundbreaking
Wiregrass Ranch Sports Complex will have a groundbreaking June 7 from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m., at 3211 Lajuana Blvd., in Wesley Chapel.

Pasco County and RADDSports, which will manage and operate the sports complex, will host the free event.

The Pasco County Commission approved a public/private partnership in 2017.

The project will include a 98,000-square-foot indoor sports arena, outdoor sports fields, an amphitheater with an event lawn, trails, pavilions and a playground.

Pasco County has a ground lease for a Marriott Residence Inn that will be built with private funds at the complex.

The sports complex is expected to host sporting and recreation activities, including basketball, volleyball, cheerleading, dancing, wrestling, gymnastics, curling and badminton.

Zephyrhills chamber breakfast
The Greater Zephyrhills Chamber of Commerce will have its monthly business breakfast June 7 from 7 a.m. to 8:30 a.m., at the Golden Corral, 6855 Gall Blvd., in Zephyrhills.

The cost is $8 for chamber members and $10 for non-members.

For information, call the chamber at (813) 872-1913, or email .

General membership meeting
The Central Pasco Chamber of Commerce will have its general membership meeting June 12 from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., at the Hilton Garden Inn Tampa Suncoast Parkway, 2155 Northpointe Parkway, at Northpointe Village.

Guest speaker will be Joanie Sigal, of SJS Associates.

MIDFLORIDA Credit Union is the sponsor.

The cost for members is $20 if paid by June 7. Afterward, the cost is $25 for members and non-members.

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

Smart Business Series
The North Tampa Bay Chamber of Commerce will sponsor a seminar on “how a video can change your business” June 12 from 7:30 a.m. to 9 a.m., at Overnight Success Studios, 17743 Hunting Bow Circle, Lutz.

The seminar will offer tips and advice on videos, whether made on a cellphone or by a professional studio.

The presenter will be Miroslav Beck.

The cost for early registration is $20 for members, and $25 for non-members.

Walk-ins will be welcome, if seats are available. Costs at the door are $25 for members and $30 for non-members.

For information, email Beck at , or visit NorthTampaBayChamber.com.

Business seminar
Pasco-Hernando SCORE will have a free seminar, “Using the Internet for Your Business,” June 13 from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., at the Hugh Embry Branch Library, 14215 Fourth St., in Dade City.

The seminar will demystify much of the “gobbledygook” relating to the Internet through an eight-step process of key activities. The seminar will explain how to leverage technology, and show various roles that a website can play in enhancing your business.

Space is limited, so register early.

For information and to register, visit PascoHernando.score.org.

Decision coming on solar farm permits

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A decision on how and where to permit solar farms in Pasco County is headed for a vote on June 5 at 1:30 p.m., in Dade City.

Pasco County commissioners will consider an amended ordinance for the land development code on regulating solar farms. The ordinance had a first public hearing on May 22 in New Port Richey. No vote was taken at that hearing.

The matter has produced heated debate since plans for the Mountain View Solar Project were filed with Pasco County earlier this year.

Some residents in northeast Pasco County say they will lose scenic views if a solar farm is built off Blanton Road. (File)

Tampa Electric Company, known as TECO, is proposing to install about 464,000 photovoltaic solar panels on about 350 acres, on both sides of Blanton. The solar panels are expected to produce about 53 megawatts of power, which will be fed into TECO’s power grid.

Previously, the Mountain View Solar Project received approval from Pasco County Planning Commission for a special exception permit. However, a final decision from Pasco County commissioners is on hold after two appeals of that decision were filed in May.

The ordinance to be heard in Dade City, if approved, would codify the county’s future approach to permitting solar farms.

Currently, the land development code doesn’t specifically list where “solar electric power collection facilities” are permitted.  As a result, decisions regarding TECO’s proposal were based on a section dealing with uncertain classification rules.

The proposed ordinance would permit solar farms as special exceptions in agricultural zones, and permitted use in some commercial and industrial zones. Also, decisions on permitting would be left to county staff and the planning commission.

Pasco County commissioners wouldn’t directly vote on the permits, but would hear appeals.

At the May 22 hearing, about a dozen opponents spoke against the ordinance and the solar farm project, including two attorneys representing area homeowners.

Attorney Gordon Schiff represents Kathleen and Gordon Comer, who own a home and farm on property off Platt Road. Schiff filed the appeal of the planning commission’s decision on May 8, on behalf of the Comers.

Attorney Susan Johnson Velez represents a group of homeowners in northeast Pasco, including Sandra Noble. Noble filed an appeal of the planning commission’s decision, also on May 8.

Both attorneys raised objections to the county’s interpretation of sections of its land development code that were used to craft the proposed new ordinance.

Schiff said the county was treating solar farms as compatible with neighborhoods when they “are industrial in nature.”

TECO’s proposal should be held to tougher standards than the county is applying, he said.

The proposed facility “is not a substation, not commercial farming or agricultural activity. It’s a power plant,” said Schiff.

Johnson Velez said the county was ignoring its policies on protecting rural areas, including the natural views of rolling hills.

“I’m not sure how you protect scenic vistas from nearly half-a-million solar panels,” she said. “I think that should be addressed.”

Area residents also spoke in opposition. No one spoke in favor.

“Solar is a wonderful thing in the right place…but not in people’s backyards,” said Nancy Hazelwood.

If approved, the ordinance would apply countywide, not just in northeast Pasco, she said.

Some counties put solar farms in industrial areas, and others have created special districts for solar farms, she added.

Hazelwood asked that the county hire an outside consultant, not connected to the power industry, to study solar energy.

In the meantime, the ordinance would be put on hold, she said. “It’s too important to your citizens.”

Noah Kaaa, who lives on Platt Road, agreed.

What works in Hudson might not work in Trilby or Zephyrhills, he said.

“It’s too broad of a paintbrush to use across the entire county,” he said.

Denise Hernandez, the county’s zoning administrator, tried to address some of the resident’s concerns.

Research on other counties has been done, she said.

Hillsborough and Polk counties issue conditional use permits, and largely allow the decisions to be made at the staff level. Solar farms are allowed in agricultural zones in those counties, she said.

Applications for solar facilities would be handled on a case-by-case basis, said David Goldstein, Pasco’s chief assistant county attorney.

Because planning commission decisions can be appealed, he said, “Ultimately, the board of commissioners does have final say.”

Published May 30, 2018

Business park spurs talks on widening Old Pasco Road

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There is no disagreement that Old Pasco Road should be widened to four lanes.

But, the timing and funding for such a project got mixed reactions from Pasco County commissioners who approved a new business park on the mostly two-lane roadway.

Approximately 90 acres on Old Pasco will be the site for the county-initiated project, known as Overpass Business Park.

Intersection improvements will be made at State Road 52 and Old Pasco Road. County commissioners in the future want to see Old Pasco widened to four lanes.
(File)

Commissioners did include a condition to require developers to widen the road from the park’s entrance, north to Overpass Road.

The park is less than a half mile southeast of the intersection of Overpass and Old Pasco.

Pasco County Commissioner Mike Moore pushed to widen the entire length – nearly two miles – of Old Pasco. Or, at least, he said it should be widened as far as Oakley Boulevard.

“I’m by no means against the project,” Moore said.

But, Old Pasco “needs to widened all the way through before we move forward with any actual project.”

The vote to approve was 3 to 1, with Moore the dissenting voter.

Pasco County Commission Chairman Mike Wells Jr., was absent from the May 22 meeting in New Port Richey.

Other county commissioners worried that a requirement to widen the entire road would be too limiting.

“I just don’t see why we would force ourselves onto a condition when we don’t know what (project) will come before us,” said Pasco County Commissioner Kathryn Starkey. “We’re tying our hands.”

Pasco County Commissioner Jack Mariano agreed.

He said the county would lose flexibility in attracting projects.

“We want to be able to move quickly when opportunities come forward,” he said.

The park is part of a county-driven effort to diversify the types of businesses and industries that are attracted to Pasco.

The land will be made site-ready, and marketed to prospective developers who will pitch their proposals to the county.

Starkey had a suggestion on funding for the road widening.

She cited an article in the magazine, Florida Trend, about a federal grant to Alachua County for a road project, aimed at boosting economic growth.

County officials said they already were working on an application to submit for a state grant.

Two other road projects are on tap to enhance Old Pasco at its intersection with State Road 52, and with Quail Hollow Boulevard.

County commissioners recently approved about $2.2 million for pavement reconstruction starting about 1,450 feet south of State Road 52, a sidewalk, stormwater, pond construction, signage and turn lanes.

The Florida Department of Transportation is in the midst of a major road widening project at State Road 52 and the Interstate 75 interchange.

In 2019, the county plans to begin intersection improvements for Old Pasco and Quail Hollow Boulevard.

Published May 30, 2018

Zephyrhills, Lutz rents on the rise

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Rents are on the rise in municipalities and counties in Tampa Bay, with Wesley Chapel the fourth most expensive rental area for one-bedrooms, according to a report from Zumper.

In April, the median rent for a one-bedroom was $1,140. That’s more than a 15 percent increase in a year.

Lutz was in the eighth slot for one-bedrooms, at $1,060. But, that was a slight dip of about 1 percent from a year ago.

Zumper is an online source for apartment and home rentals.

In April, Zumper looked at 20 cities in the Tampa Metro area and compiled a list of the most and least expensive cities, and cities with the fastest growing rents.

In Florida, the median rent in April was $1,185.

Wesley Chapel is more in the middle of the pack on two-bedroom rentals, at $1,290 – a modest 1.6 percent increase from last year.

Lutz almost matches Wesley Chapel on two-bedrooms, at $1,260. But, that is nearly an 8 percent increase from last year.

New Port Richey and Zephyrhills had the cheapest one- and two-bedroom rentals in April. Renters in New Port Richey paid $730 for a one-bedroom, and $860 for a two-bedroom. That was a nearly 16 percent increase on one-bedrooms, but more than a 2 percent decline in two-bedroom rentals from last year.

In Zephyrhills, a one-bedroom was $680, and a two-bedroom, $850. The one-year increase for one-bedrooms was 11.5 percent, and nearly 15 percent for two-bedrooms.

By comparison, a one bedroom in Tampa in April was $1,130, an increase of more than 14 percent year-to-year. A two-bedroom was $1,370, also about 14 percent higher than last year.

Dunedin, in Pinellas County, had the priciest one-bedroom for April, at $1,130. That was more than a 6 percent decrease from last year, but a nearly 5 percent increase month-to-month.

Two-bedrooms in Dunedin were $1,490, an 11 percent increase from last year.

The priciest two-bedroom rentals in April were in Clearwater, at $1,640; and in St. Petersburg, at $1,630.

For information, visit Zumper.com.

Published May 30, 2018