Flotilla 11-1 Clearwater of the United States Coast Guard Auxiliary will participate in National Safe Boating Week, running from May 18 to May 24, by offering complimentary vessel safety checks at Seminole Boat Ramp on May 18 from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. They also will offer free hot dogs. The flotilla also will conduct its Boat America safe boating course on May 18 and May 19, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., at 510 North Ft. Harrison Ave., Clearwater. Geared for both new and seasoned boaters, this course meets the Florida requirement for operating a boat, particularly for those born on or after Jan. 1, 1988, according to a news release. For more information visit USCGAuxClearwater.com, call 727-469-8895, or register for a safe boating class at CLWBoatingSafety.com.
Arc Nature Coast Fun Run
The Arc Nature Coast will host the Spring Lake Memorial Classic 10K, 5K and 2 mile Fun Run/Walk on May 25, at The Arc Nature Coast Campus, 5283 Neff Lake Road in Brooksville. Registration begins at 6:30 a.m. The entry fee is $40 for the 10K, $35 for the 5K and $25 for the 2 Mile Fun Run/Walk. Prizes will be awarded to first-, second- and third-place finishers in various age groups, and various additional awards will be handed out. The three courses will be held along shaded tree-draped roads and over challenging hills. All proceeds will benefit The Arc Nature Coast, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that provides support and services for more than 300 local individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families. Runners, sponsors and volunteers are needed for the event. For information or registration, contact Nancy Stubbs at or 727-619-0700, ext. 0694, or visit tancinc.org and runsignup.com.
Dollar golf for kids at Ace Golf
Ace Golf is offering $1 summer golf practice for kids age 4 to 15. Kids can sign up to receive a $1 small bucket of range balls or a $1 round of miniature golf each day, between June 1 and Aug. 31, available at Ace Golf locations in Riverview and Land O’Lakes. The offer is redeemable Monday through Thursday until 4 p.m. Kids should bring a golf club with them or may rent one, and a parent must accompany all children using the program at all times. No other purchases are necessary. Ace Golf Range in Riverview is at 12910 Boyette Road. For more information, call 813-672-7750, or visit Ace-golf.com. Ace Golf’s Plantation Palms Golf Club is at 23253 Plantation Palms Blvd., Land O’ Lakes. Call 813-996-4653, or visit PlantationPalms.net.
National Archery Tournament winners
The National Archery in the Schools Program (NASP) State Tournament was held on April 6 at the Alachua County Sports and Events Center in Gainesville, hosted by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC). NASP is an in-school program sponsored by the FWC that is designed to teach international-style target archery in physical education classes for grades four to 12, according to a news release.
The top-scoring male and female received a $5,000 scholarship from the Fish & Wildlife Foundation of Florida and NASP. They were Daniel Thompson from Choctawhatchee High School who scored 286 and Adrienne Rambis from Tampa Bay Home Education Activities Team who scored 289, per the release.
USF’s new stadium
The University of South Florida will hold a groundbreaking ceremony for its new on–campus stadium during the university’s Homecoming Week, Oct. 14 to Oct. 19, according to a news release. The university has selected Manhattan Construction Company, H.J. Russell & Company, and DuCon LLC to oversee the construction. The new stadium is expected to open in time for the fall of 2027.
Tennis and pickleball courts to be resurfaced
The city of Temple Terrace has passed a resolution to spend $71,000 to resurface the public tennis courts at 10901 Richlyne St. All six courts will be resurfaced for tennis, while three will additionally have lines for pickleball, according to a news release. The resurfacing is expected to begin sometime later this month or in May and will take a few weeks to complete.
Day with the Rays
The Pasco County Schools’ Day with the Rays Spirit Night is scheduled for May 25 at 4:10 p.m., at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, when the Tampa Bay Rays take on the Kansas City Royals. Tickets are $28 (lower level seating) and a portion of every ticket purchased will benefit the Pasco Education Foundation. All tickets are mobile, and subject to availability. To purchase, visit Fevo-enterprise.com/event/PascoSchools.
Annual Freedom Run in Pasco
The 8th Annual Freedom Run, The Race Against Poverty, is scheduled for May 4, at Wesley Chapel District Park at 7321 Boyette Road in Wesley Chapel. The event features a 5k/10k run aimed at raising awareness about extreme poverty and funding housing projects for families in need, according to a release. Previous Freedom Runs have contributed to building homes in various countries including the Dominican Republic, Costa Rica, the Philippines and El Salvador. Registration fees for the 5k and 10k runs are $35 and $45 respectively, with participants receiving a finisher medal and athletic performance shirt. First-place trophies will be awarded in each age group, and the event welcomes both runners and walkers. Check-in for the event starts at 6:30 a.m., with races commencing at 7:30 a.m. Registration is available at http://www.thefreedomrun.org.
Business Digest 04/17/2024
Speed networking event
The Starkey Ranch Theatre Library Cultural Center, 12118 Lake Blanche Drive in Odessa, will host a Professional Speed Networking event on April 26 from 9 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.
Each round will last 6 minutes, with each business/organization talking one-on-one with another for 3 minutes each about what they do and how they serve their community. Get to know more than 20 other local businesses in the area. Pens and paper will be provided if needed. Refreshments also will be provided.
This event is for individuals who own, or work at/with/for a local business, organization or nonprofit in the Greater Pasco area.
Registration required. Call 727-815-7126.
Zephyrhills Career Fair
A career fair for the City of Zephyrhills will be held on April 19 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., at Zephyrhills City Hall, 5335 Eighth St., in Zephyrhills. The city’s hiring team will be on-site — attendees will be able to complete applications, and are encouraged to bring resumes and wear proper attire, according to a news release.
For more information, call the Zephyrhills Human Resources Department at 813-780-0013, or email .
Open positions can be found online at https://www.ci.zephyrhills.fl.us/Jobs.aspx.
Suncoast Credit Union expands partnership with Rays
Suncoast Credit Union has reintroduced the “Every Hit is a Win with Suncoast” program. For every base hit by a Tampa Bay Rays player during games, Suncoast will donate $90 to honor its 90th anniversary, with donations capped at $10,000 per month, according to a news release.
Two nonprofit organizations will compete monthly for votes via a Facebook poll to receive a percentage of the total donation, at Suncoast.com/Rays. The Humane Society of Tampa Bay and ZooTampa are the first nonprofits eligible for donations.
Additionally, Suncoast will donate $590 to the Randy Arozarena International Foundation for every base hit by Randy Arozarena during Friday home games, with the amount doubling to $1,180 for home runs. The Randy Arozarena International Foundation supports youth in underserved communities through sports, education, and wellness, aligning with Suncoast’s mission.
Employers invited to career fair
Hernando and Pasco County employers are invited to the Pasco-Hernando State College/CareerSource Job Fair on April 25 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., at the PHSC Porter Campus at Wiregrass Ranch, 2727 Mansfield Blvd., Building B-303, Conference Center, in Wesley Chapel.
Employers must register, and space is limited. For more information, contact Marianne Brawer 352-587-4388 or .
NTBC Precision Health Tampa Bay ribbon-cutting
Precision Health Tampa Bay celebrated its grand opening with a ribbon-cutting on April 11. The new location is at 17523 N. Dale Mabry Highway in Lutz.
Greater Pasco Chamber brochure exchange
The Greater Pasco Chamber of Commerce (GPCC) will host its next Land O’ Lakes brochure exchange on May 9 from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., at New Beginnings, 18935 Michigan Lane, which is located one-fourth mile north of State Road 52, along U.S. 41.
This is an in-person business card and brochure exchange and networking event, with barbecue lunch from Hungry Harry’s. It’s held on the second Thursday of each month. The event is sponsored by Architectural Signage & Printing. The event is free for GPCC members and $10 for non-members. The cost of food is additional.
More information can be found at https://members.greaterpasco.com/events/details/land-o-lakes-brochure-exchange-05-09-2024-14399.
Pasco’s conservation area expands
More than 300 acres of property in southwest Pasco County have been designated as a conservation area.
The zoning of the nearly 318-acre parcel near Lutz was changed from RES-1 (Residential-1 Du/Ga) and AG-R (Agricultural/Rural) to CON (Conservation Lands) by a 3-0 vote of the Pasco County Board of County Commissioners on March 26.
The vote, made by commissioners Jack Mariano, Kathryn Starkey and Seth Weightman, was unanimous.
Mariano, who represents District 5, was appointed as the acting chairman of last week’s meeting in Dade City. He is the longest serving member of the board. The designation was necessary because both Ron Oakley, the chairman who represents District 1, and vice chairman Gary Bradford, who represents District 4, were reportedly unable to attend the meeting due to illnesses.
The nearly 318-acre parcel newly designated conservation area contains approximately 50 acres of Category 1 wetlands.
Funds from the Environmental Lands Acquisition and Management Program (ELAMP) were used to purchase the property that is north of State Road 52 and between the Suncoast Parkway and U.S. 41.
Starkey praised the board’s decision, saying this represents an addition of 318 acres to Pasco County’s Wildlife Corridor. She represents District 3 in which the new conservation property is located.
This is in addition to the approximately 6,255 acres of property that had been purchased by the ELAMP program since it was created in 2004 by Pasco County.
A decision on whether to opt out of the Live Local Act was continued until the board’s April 10 meeting in Dade City.
The act would grant tax exemptions to units in multifamily projects that are used to house natural persons or families whose annual household income is between 80% and 120% of the median annual adjusted gross income for households within Pasco County.
The county is within the Tampa- St. Petersburg- Clearwater metropolitan statistical area.
Officials previously said the county could lose out on $38 million in tax revenues over a 35-year period if a pair of properties that was considering using the Live Local Act received tax breaks.
County Attorney Jeffrey Steinsnyder recommended the continuance because he said Florida’s governor, Ron DeSantis, had not signed the measure into law as of the date of last week’s meeting.
In other business, commissioners:
- Approved a zoning amendment requested by Ja-Mar Palms MPUD Master Planned Unit Development and Caleb and Angela Miller that will allow for the maximum development of 250 platted townhomes and villas on approximately 42.8 acres located on the east side of U.S. 19 south of Krysher Lane. Some area residents were concerned about the development of town homes on this parcel.
Dr. Marc Yacht, the former director of the Pasco County Health Department, told commissioners he was opposed to the zoning change. “This project will ruin the rural nature of our community. There will be a significant increase of traffic in the area because the 250 townhomes/villas could result in a population increase of 1,000 people in the area,” said Yacht, who is an area resident.
Before the zoning was changed the property could have been used for a mobile home park containing a maximum of 499 units according to county records.
“This will be an improvement over what could have been there,” Starkey said. “I think this is a good plan.”
- Approved a zoning amendment that allows a homeowner association in Beacon Woods to use 25 acres of property as a park or for other passive purposes. The property that was gifted to the HOA is part of the former Links Golf Course that closed in June 2019. Several people representing the HOA spoke to commissioners prior to the 3-0 vote in favor of the zoning amendment. The HOA will now be responsible for the maintenance of the property.
- Also, commissioners agreed 3-0 to have six plats recorded, provided that the developers or property owners provide letters of credit to the county to cover the expenses of infrastructure, landscaping and other requirements that had not yet been met. Four of the plats were in District 1, Oakley’s district. The four plats are:
- An application by CR Pasco Development Company LLC and CRCG Two LP for a 143-lot residential subdivision in Mirada Parcel 8C on 33.28 acres on the Northeast Corner of Tyndall Road and Teak Follow Boulevard.
- An application by CRCG Two LP for Mirada Active Adult Phase 2G consisting of 44 residential lots for single-family detached housing units on 37.44 acres on the southwest corner of Mirada Boulevard and Teak Follow Boulevard, approximately 1.45 miles south of State Road 52.
- An application by ICI Homes of Tampa LLC for the proposed development of West Hill Estates consisting of 55 residential lots on which single-family detached housing units could be constructed on 68.67 acres on the south side of St. Joe Road, approximately 1.15 miles north of State Road 52, by Promenade Retail LLC. The applicant wants to be able to use four nonresidential lots for commercial purposes. The property is located on approximately 4.322 acres in Promenade Business Centre North Parcel 1B on the northeast corner of Overpass Road and Curley Road, approximately 2.62 miles east of Overpass Road.
- An application by Promenade Retail LLC to permit the use of four lots for commercial purposes. The property is located on approximately 4.322 acres in Promenade Business Centre North Parcel 1B on the northeast corner of Overpass Road and Curley Road, approximately 2.62 miles east of Overpass Road.
Two additional plats were recorded in other districts:
- In District 4, commissioner Bradford’s district, made by Burcom LLC for the proposed Hidden Ridge development that would consist of 70 single-family residential lots on 63.841 acres on the north side of Ridge Road. approximately 2.5 miles east of Little Road
- In District 5, commissioner Mariano’s district, made by State Road 52 Industrial LLC for the development of five nonresidential lots in an industrial park located at Crossings at Sunlake. The property is on the north side of State Road 52, approximately 1.25 miles east of the Suncoast Parkway. The applicant plans for the lots to be used for commercial purposes.
Published April 3, 2024