The Laker/Lutz News

Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

Local News

Pasco EDC will host its first BizBlast event

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The Pasco Economic Development Council Inc., will host its inaugural BizBlast this week — offering an array of resources aimed at helping businesses of all sizes to be more successful.

The event will be on April 6 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., at Baymar Solutions, 1515 Gunn Highway, in Odessa.

BizBlast is organized to give Pasco business professionals an opportunity to visit 21 resource partner stations — allowing those in attendance a chance to learn more about resources that are available that may be helpful to them.

These partners may be able to assist with funding, help establish long-term talent pipelines, create new talent connections, assist with new business programs, offer upskilling opportunities, provide business connections, and more, according to a Pasco EDC news release.

The participating resource partners, in no particular order are: SMARTstart, WorkforceCONNECT, Baymar Solutions, Pasco County Schools, Spherion Nature’s Coast, Rasmussen University, Florida SBDC at the University of South Florida (USF), USF Corporate and Professional Training, Hope Services and Arc Nature Coast.

Other participating partners are: AmSkills, BayCare – Employer Solutions, Boley Centers, Ultimate 3D Printing Store, JMI Resource, Keiser University, Pasco-Hernando State College, Pridestaff, Pasco County Sheriff’s Office, Saint Leo University and CareerSource Pasco Hernando.

Businesses of all sizes are invited to send representatives to find out what resources are available and to plug into existing programs.

Attendees can come and go as they please, throughout the event.

Those planning to attend are encouraged to pre-register by going to PascoEDC.com, and clicking on the events tab.

Published April 05, 2023

Lutz author wants to preserve stories of industrial America

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Jim Kissane began writing stories decades ago, but he didn’t publish his first book until last year.

Now, the Lutz man is wrapping up a second book and is planning to write a total of 13 books in his independently published series called “The Story of Industrial America, 1850s to 1950s.”

The first book, “Railroad Stories Volume One,” is a collection of short stories covering a broad range of topics.

(Courtesy of Jim Kissane)

The accounts range from the exploits of a gentleman train robber, to the creation of Swanson TV dinners.

He shares poignant stories. One tells the tale of a young mother and her baby, who froze to death after getting off at the wrong stop. Another shares the desire of a repentant criminal who wants to return to his mother, but can’t because law enforcement is looking for him.

The historical fiction book is arranged by stand-alone chapters.

The stories offer a human touch — while mixing in facts from the news of the day. Many stories provide descriptions of equipment found on trains and in rail yards and paint a picture of the overall role trains have played in moving people and freight.

One story offers a detailed account in the crucial role the milk trains played in bringing fresh milk to market. Another describes the meticulous nature of the work of a trail walker — who walked miles each day seeking out any potential hazards to keep the tracks safe.

Kissane said the stories aim to preserve a part of history he doesn’t want to be forgotten.

His planned series of books on Industrial America is also motivated by keeping alive stories that he heard in his youth from relatives and family friends, who often did dangerous work in railroads, mining, steel mills and construction.

He plans to include 13 books in his industrial America series, plus another book on America’s westward expansion.

He’s loved railroads since he was a kid
Kissane grew up in Elmira, a city in upstate New York that was a hub for five major railroads.

His dad worked for the Delaware Lackawanna & Western (DL&W) and his grandfather worked for the Pennsylvania Railroad (PRR).

They took Kissane to visit the rail yards, giving him an up-close view of the railroad life.

Because of his dad and grandfather’s connections, Kissane enjoyed rides in the cabs of steam and diesel locomotives, and got to ride in cabooses. He met conductors and brakemen on the trains, and hobos in the rail yard.

One of his early jobs involved working for the General Railway Signal Company, a 100-year-old manufacturer of railroad signaling and switching equipment — used by all of the railroads.

Later on, as a volunteer with the Railway Historical Society, he had a chance to help restore vintage locomotives and rolling stock.

He was involved, as well, in the restoration of an abandoned rail line running through the heart of Pennsylvania’s historic Oil Creek Valley, which culminated with the creation of the Oil Creek and Titusville Railroad (OC&T).

Plus, he and his wife, Nancy, served as conductors on steam locomotive excursions, helping people to enjoy a railroad experience that in today’s world, is not easy to find.

All of this serves as a backdrop, to explain Kissane’s deep desire to preserve the history of those early railroad days, as well as share stories about other industrial sectors that influenced the shape of America.

He began working on his books before he realized what he was doing.

“I’m a first-time author. I really didn’t know what it was that I was setting out to do,” Kissane said.

Nevertheless, when the pursuit began to publish a book, he’d already written hundreds of stories.

“Several years ago, I started writing a little collection of anecdotes and short stories, and I felt this was information that was too important to let pass after my lifetime,” he said.

“I wanted to record it for posterity, exposing some of the amazing and interesting people and events and ideas that occurred during that period, 1850s to the 1950s,” Kissane said.

Of course, writing the accounts was just a start.

The work also involves editing and rewriting, deciding which stories should go in which book, additional research and so on.

He praised his wife, Nancy, for being vital in his writing pursuits.

He expressed that gratitude in the introduction to Volume One, when he wrote: “I could not have created this book without her guidance, encouragement and assistance in editing it and putting it together.”

He credited Robin Moore, a self-publishing consultant, who helped put him on the pathway of publishing for a worldwide readership, on the Amazon platform.

The twin goals of Kissane’s work are to share history and to create human connections.

He said he wants his stories “to make you laugh, or cry, or make you say, ‘Oh, my!’” 

He also hopes to stimulate readers’ imagination, encourage conversations and activate people to talk about things they hadn’t realized before, he said.

The accounts he writes welcome readers into a bygone era — revealing what people were like at that time, and offering a look into what they were doing.

“A lot of this is based on the stories that are still very memorable to me, that I heard when I was younger,” Kissane said. Other stories involve people he’s met along life’s path, or that he learned about during his research.

If you want to be a writer, write
Kissane is new to publishing, but he’s no stranger to hard work.

He belongs to a writing accountability club — where writers help each other keep focused. He estimates he writes 4,000 words  to 6,000 words every week.

When it comes to marketing though, well, he put it this way: “I will be the first person to admit, I am the world’s worst marketer.

“This is a whole new venture for me. I am just throwing myself on the mercy of the market and hoping that by word of mouth, people want to have me show up for museum events, or historical societies, or things of that nature,” Kissane said.

His measure of success won’t be the number of books he sells.

“I have had in my heart the desire to have my work published, ever since I was a kid,” Kissane said.

“I’ve always wanted to be a storyteller. I always wanted to write a book.”

If it’s not the number of books he sells, how does Kissane define success?

“It is the reality that I undertook something that’s been sitting on my heart for a long time, and I accomplished it and I did it well,” he said.

Author Jim Kissane is engaged in writing a series of books about Industrial America, from the 1850s to the 1950s. He set about the task because he was worried this history would be forgotten and lost forever, and he wants to do his part to be sure it isn’t.
The series is titled “The Story of Industrial America, 1850’s – 1950’s.”
The first volume, (Railroad Stories, Volume One) is available on Amazon.com. It costs $15 for paperback and is also available on Kindle.
Kissane is  planning 12 other books in this series, plus one about America’s westward expansion.
Kissane welcomes the opportunity to share stories about Industrial America, about his path to independent publishing, or both, for clubs or organizations seeking a guest speaker.
You can reach him at .

Published April 05, 2023

Should future Pasco transportation planning efforts include ‘Vision Trails?’

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The Pasco County Metropolitan Area Planning Organization’s transportation planning needs tend to focus mostly on needed roads and on ways to improve bicycle and pedestrian safety.

But at the board’s meeting last month, discussion turned to a potential way to better plan connections between trail systems.

Pasco County already has a Vision Roadway map, which indicates where the county may want to build new roads, to link parts of the existing network, or extend existing roads to establish better connections.

Pasco County already has a fair number of trails, but elected leaders would like to see better connections between trails, and to communities nearby. (Mike Camuans)

Now, the Pasco MPO board is talking about the value of creating a similar “vision” map for trails.

This particular focus would be on “stand-alone” trails because trails already are included as part of the plan for new roads.

Carl Mikyska, the transportation planning organization’s executive director, prompted the discussion about trails at the board’s March 9 meeting.

As the county works on its comprehensive plan update, it will be charting its course for the future, he noted.

“We have vision roads, currently. Do we want to expand that concept to other transportation facilities, whether it be trails, transit, or so forth?” Mikyska asked the board.

The idea would be to identify and protect corridors the county may need in the future, he explained.

Commissioner Kathryn Starkey — who is a passionate advocate for trails — consistently pushes developers to either include trails through their developments, provide ways to link up to existing trails, or both.

Obviously, she likes the Vision Trails idea.

Commissioner Ron Oakley supports it, too.

He’s especially interested in expanding links to equestrian trails, particularly in the Northeast Rural Area.

“We want to be sure that those are included in that map, so that can go out to the Green Swamp and those areas, so they can be used by horseback riders, and (for) all, not just for walkers,” Oakley said.

He added that people who are riding horses or pedaling bicycles should be able to connect to other parts of Pasco County.

Dade City Commissioner Scott Black said there should be a checklist to make sure that trails are being considered, as part of future transportation plans.

Starkey said the stand-alone trails ultimately need to connect to other parts of the network.

Pasco County Commission Chairman Jack Mariano threw in his support for developing a Vision Trails plan, too, characterizing it as “a great idea.”

Besides taking a break from everyday routine, a hike along a trail through the woods can yield glorious views of the marvels of nature.

In other discussion relating to trails, Starkey urged the county’s road planners to provide more space along roadsides, to allow trails to meander, instead of being stuck up right next to the road.

She also asked transportation planners to plan for trees, between the trail and the road, which would provide shade and help protect trail users.

“My problem with that is that there’s no room for any plantings to shade a trail, to shade a path,” Starkey said.

“The other thing that a tree will do, if you put it between the street and the path, is protect you if a car goes off,” she said, reminding her colleagues of the deaths that occurred when a couple riding a tandem bicycle was killed when a vehicle went off the road.

“Most counties are putting much more space between their curb and the multi-use path,” Starkey said, listing Leon, Sarasota and Manatee counties as examples.

“I think we could do much better,” Starkey said.

Black said Starkey’s suggestions make sense.

Besides providing additional safety for users, adding trees along the trail would make them more attractive for users, he said.

Mariano noted that care must be taken, if planting trees next to the street and the trail — to prevent future root damage from the trees.

Black agreed: “I understand, you do have to be careful about that.”

Pasco board members also said they’d like to explore whether it makes more sense to put 12-foot trails on both sides of a road, instead of a 12-foot-wide trail on one side and a 5-foot trail on the other.

If it’s not considerably more costly, the board may want to make that its new policy, Mariano suggested.

Staff members said it would take some time to research the costs and other details. They plan to bring a report back to the board.

Published April 05, 2023

Helping veterans to stand tall

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One Community Now will host its free veterans-only event, Operation Stand Down, from April 21 to April 23, at The Concourse Rotary Pavilion, 11919 Alric Pottberg Road in Shady Hills.

The annual event offers free services, workshops and resources to help homeless and at-risk veterans overcome the barriers they face.

Providers will be on site on April 21 and April 22 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., with services that include: legal advice; housing assistance; VA benefits/SSDI/SSI; education/trades; gift cards/donations; dental/dentures; medical/immunizations; personal hygiene/haircuts; food stamps; employment opportunities; hot meals, and more. Workshops focusing on whole health and community resources will be offered from 2:15 p.m. to 5 p.m., followed by dinner.

Transportation and overnight accommodations will be provided for veterans in need.

One Community also is seeking these donations for Operation Stand Down:

  • Gently used items: towels/washcloths; men’s jeans and shorts, sizes 30 to 44; and men’s and women’s T-shirts, all sizes. All clothing items need to be clean and free of stains or holes. No dress clothes will be accepted.
  • New items: packaged men’s boxers, size small to 3XL; and packaged women’s underwear, size small to 2XL
  • Miscellaneous items: $5 to $10 gift cards to fast food restaurants, Walmart, Wawa or grocery stores; bike locks, bike lights; solar-powered phone chargers; glasses; backpacks; and sleeping bags.

Donations can be dropped off at the One Community office, 5841 Main St., in New Port Richey, Monday through Friday, between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m.

For information, call 727-849-4724, email , or visit OCNStandDown.org.

Published April 05, 2023

A new church has been planted in Odessa

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A new church has been planted in Odessa, and Pastor Tony Owens has faith that it will grow into a flourishing place for worship, spiritual growth and community involvement.

Church Experience Odessa has been operating for about a month, through small get-togethers in the pastor and his wife’s apartment.

Efforts have begun to find a larger meeting place, so the church will be able to accommodate those joining the church, as it continues to create a new worship experience in the area, Owens said.

Currently, Church Experience Odessa meets on the first and third Saturdays of the month at 7 p.m.

Owens expects to continue operations as they are for about the next year, but then expects to have  a big grand opening for the church.

The church isn’t just about a worship experience, Owens said.

“Sometimes, we’ll have a movie night or a game night, just different small events,” he said.

It also will get involved by volunteering in community projects, he said.

Owens said he was involved in planting a church in Brandon and also has been involved in advising church planners and other pastors.

Church Experience is based in Dunedin, but has churches that are affiliated with it in Florida, Pennsylvania and North Carolina, he said.

He said he belonged to the church in Dunedin, helped with the church planting in Brandon and then came back to the central church in Dunedin.

Next, he and his wife moved to Orlando, but then returned to the Tampa Bay area.

“I felt the tug by God to plant a church in Odessa,” he said.

The church’s goal “is to help more people experience a full life in Jesus, not just a Sunday worship experience.”

To find out more about Church Experience Odessa, you can reach out to the pastor by calling 813-474-0665 or emailing .

Published April 05, 2023

Steinbrenner band headed across the pond

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It’s time to pack the passports inside their instrument cases.

For members of Steinbrenner High’s band, The Marching Warrior Brigade, they’ll need to have their international travel affairs in order come Dec. 27 when the band heads across the pond to England.

Duncan Sandys, the great-grandson of Winston Churchill, came to Steinbrenner High on March 22 to invite The Marching Warrior Brigade to perform in the 2024 London New Year’s Day Parade. (Mike Camunas)

The 136-member band has been invited to be in the massive 2024 London New Year’s Day Parade, which will feature nearly 10,000 performers.

The streets of London, from Piccadilly Circus to Downing Street, will be packed with more 500,000 spectators. It also will be broadcast to millions, including viewers in the United States, on PBS.

“This is the biggest trip this band has probably done in a while, at least since COVID,” said sophomore Will Gilleland, who plays the clarinet. “In my time in the program, the furthest we’ve gone on a trip is Orlando, so going to a crazy, new place we’ve never been before — it’s incredible!”

Marcos Aquino, left, and Connor Wood, right, cheer during the assembly where Steinbrenner High’s band was invited to perform in the 2024 London New Year’s Day Parade.

This is the second time the Brigade has been invited to this particular parade, as the band was invited to the 2021 edition, though that was canceled due to COVID.

On March 22, Steinbrenner was reinvited, this time with a lively ceremony.

Bob Bone, founder and chair of the parade, came to the campus in Lutz, accompanied by Duncan Sandys (pronounced Sands), who is the great-grandson of Winston Churchill.

“I know there is a parade you have here on Thanksgiving, which I think is named after a department store,” Bone told the band, tongue-in-cheek, eliciting laughter from the crowd. “They’re half as big and think they’re a big deal, but we take a look at Macy’s every year to get an idea of what NOT to do!”

Sandys, who now resides in Georgia as ambassador to the parade, told the band about the history and expansiveness of London. He also went over the parade route and briefly talked about his great-grandfather, the United Kingdom’s legendary prime minister in World War II.

“Enjoy every sight you can while there,” he said. “There is just so much history on every corner.”

The Marching Warrior Brigade, Steinbrenner High’s band, listens in excitement as Duncan Sandys, the great-grandson of Winston Churchill, invites the ensemble to perform in the 2024 London New Year’s Day Parade on Jan. 1. The band will travel to London in late December and perform in front of a crowd of hundreds of thousands.

Chip Wood, Steinbrenner’s director of bands, said the international band trip is an exciting and huge undertaking. To help avoid any last-minute disappointments, he’s making sure everyone who is traveling is getting their passports now.

“It’s an extremely well-attended parade,” Wood said. “I wanted to give these kids, and my own son, who is a junior in the band, an epic event with some travel — and I’ve never been to London! … But (passports), the process takes way longer than it used to, so I want to make sure everyone has theirs or updated so they can pack it and go!”

Wood has previous experience leading a band to large-scale events, including taking a band twice to the Rose Bowl Parade in California, the Macy’s parade in New York and even being part of the taping of the Disney World Christmas “parade” in Lake Buena Vista.

At the ceremony, junior piccolo player Meghan Betancourt, was “awarded” being the ceremonial keeper of the official British umbrella. Sandys gave her a small, white umbrella.

Anniak Futo, left, and Katie Cozie anxiously watch a video presentation about the annual London New Year’s Day Parade in which their band, The Marching Warrior Brigade, will perform on Jan. 1.

It’s a relatively new tradition of the parade, but Bone and Sandys present the umbrella to one lucky band member, who must keep the umbrella in his or her personal custody until the parade.

Failure to do so could result in it raining on the parade.

Betancourt’s fellow band members and friends are encouraged to help her be vigilant in protecting the umbrella —  through the threat of an Instagram post, if she slips up on her duty.

“I will feel bad if it rains on the parade,” Betancourt said. “I think they’re all ready to blame me (laughs), ready to post on instagram, if it rains because of me.

“(But) I’m super excited, because I love traveling and I really like playing in front of people,” she added. “Playing in a big parade makes me really happy because I like seeing other people get happy from our performances. And we get performance experience without competition experience — we just get to perform and that will be really good for our program.”

As for what the band’s musical set will be, that decision is an ongoing process.

But one thing is certain, the band leader said. “Whatever it is, they’ll be playing it in London!”

London New Year’s Day Parade
Details: The parade first took place in 1987 as the Lord Mayor of Westminster’s Big Parade, but was renamed in 1994, and for 2000 only it was called the Millennium Parade. More than 500,000 spectators attended the 2023 parade, with even more expected in 2024. Performances from the nearly 10,000 musicians and artists will be screened live on network television on PBS.
For more information on the parade, visit https://lnydp.com/. For more information on the Steinbrenner band, visit HillsboroughSchools.org/steinbrenner.

Published March 29, 2023

What if Hurricane Ian had made a direct hit on Pasco?

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In the days leading to Hurricane Ian’s landfall in Fort Myers, officials across Tampa Bay called for evacuations and warned those sticking around to stock up on essentials and brace for impact.

The hurricane tracking path had shown Ian heading straight toward Tampa, and weather experts predicted that hurricane-strength winds, record storm surge and heavy rainfall would combine to create a worst-case scenario for Tampa Bay.

Instead, it veered to the south and flattened downtown Fort Myers. It knocked out the bridge connecting Sanibel Island to the mainland.

Hurricane Ian caused destruction and death, as it made its way through Florida and continued its destructive path across several states. Tampa Bay officials had feared a direct hit, but the hurricane veered south, making landfall near Fort Myers. (Courtesy of National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA))

It caused deaths, ravaged properties and resulted in billions of dollars in damage.

But what would have happened if it made a direct hit on Pasco County?

Andrew Fossa, the county’s emergency management director, recently laid out a scenario of what could have happened, during the Pasco County Commission’s March 21 meeting.

“Basically, what we did is, we took (Hurricane) Ian from Lee County and put it on the same course, same speed, same trajectory and inlaid the surge that would have happened in Pasco County,” Fossa told the county board. “The results are astronomical and devastating.”

The scenario he described involved a Category 4 hurricane, with a north by northwest trajectory, traveling at a speed of 10 mph and making landfall at peak high tide, with the center of the storm striking near Gulf Harbors.

Coastal areas in Pasco County would have experienced a storm surge of 20 feet above ground level, not sea level, he said. There would have been devastating flooding along the U.S. 19 corridor and extensive flooding, west of Little Road, he said.

People would have died and property losses would have been massive, Fossa added.

Other expected impacts: Destruction of critical infrastructure, serious environmental damage and significant tax revenue losses, the director of emergency management said.

Fossa shared video footage of the powerful storm surge that began hitting Fort Myers Beach six hours before Hurricane Ian’s eye crossed Lee County.

He told board members to pay attention to a red house in the video, which, as storm surge intensified, was lifted and carried away.

He pointed to a camera — attached to a pole 8 feet up in the air — being slapped by waves.

He showed palm trees engulfed by water.

A direct hit on Pasco
If Hurricane Ian had landed in Pasco, massive flooding would have occurred along the U.S. 19 corridor, from Aripeka to Anclote.

In some areas, the wall of water would have reached 21 feet, and “that’s not including the wave action on top of the surge,” Fossa said.

Between Aripeka and Bayonet Point, the flooding would average about 14 feet, but would top 21 feet in some places, he said.

“We would lose Bayonet (Point), which is a very key hospital in Pasco County. It’s a Level II trauma center. It’s a 320-bed facility,” Fossa said.

Here’s a look at some of the devastation caused by Hurricane Ian, in a Fort Myers’ business district.

Floodwaters there would reach 17 feet — but Bayonet Point Hospital is just 15 feet above the ground, he said. The hospital’s evacuation plan calls for evacuating up, not out, he added.

“But with a storm like this — and we have talked to them — the recommendation would be to evacuate out because of the sheer wind force that would be behind that storm,” Fossa added

North Bay Hospital would have to evacuate, Fossa said.

“North Bay, it’s a 141-bed facility, it’s an acute care facility. They would have water up to their first floor and up, and higher,” Fossa said.

Floodwaters along the western coastal areas would range from about 13 feet to 21 feet; there would be inland flooding, too, according to a map contained in Fossa’s presentation.

Floodwaters near Little Road could range from 6 feet to 8 feet, causing millions of dollars in damage, Fossa added.

To further illustrate the dangers, Fossa showed video capturing dramatic scenes of destruction in Fort Myers.

He witnessed much of it first hand when he went to the area to help with emergency management operations.

Fossa saw a fire truck that had been picked up and pushed by floodwaters, into a building.

If a hurricane like Ian hit Pasco, “in essence, we would lose all of our fire stations on the west side of the county, along the U.S. 19 corridor,” Fossa said.

Hurricane winds and storm surge likely would wreak havoc with Infrastructure, too, he said.

“When I was in Lee County, the barrier islands were the worst hit, when it came to infrastructure. They lost sewage. They lost water. And they lost all communications.

“I was there three weeks and when I was leaving there, they still did not have water, sewage or communications.

“Fort Myers Beach, it was the same way. The infrastructure was all torn out. They lost generators, pump stations and all sorts of assets,” Fossa said.

Pasco didn’t get hit, but it is vulnerable
With a hurricane like Ian, the Anclote Electrical Plant would get about 20 feet of water — and, if that plant were destroyed, the disruption of services wouldn’t be days or weeks, it would be months, Fossa said.

Lengthy cleanups also would be required for environmental damages, Fossa said.

Some homes withstood Hurricane Ian’s fury, others were scattered, like matchsticks.

“When I was down there in Lee County, there was so much debris. The county couldn’t fathom how they were going to get all of this debris out of the water. Not only the boats, but the cars that were in there. There were buildings in there. Parts of houses in there. There was garbage in there.

“When I left there after three weeks, they hadn’t even thought of starting that process yet.”

Besides all of the destruction and disruption, Pasco’s revenues would take a hit, too, Fossa said.

He estimated lost revenues could mount up to about $140 million in lost revenues, annually.

County Administrator Mike Carballa said the county is keenly aware of work that needs to be done to put the county in a better position to reduce risks and to quicken recovery efforts.

“We are undertaking a vulnerability assessment currently. So that involves the cities, that involves the counties — in looking at those critical pieces of infrastructure that are vulnerable. “That kind of sets the stage for us to kind of chase after larger (grant) dollars.

“At the end of the day, protection of your critical infrastructure is super important because we can have great building codes, but Mother Nature can always out-design us on any type of storm.

“And so it turns into a recovery operation and how quickly the county can bounce back. Hence, resiliency and why you are seeing a lot more focus on that.

“We are forging ahead in this area because it’s important,” Carballa said.

Published March 29, 2023

Keeping safe from dangerous flood waters

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The Florida Division of Emergency Management has shared information to help educate the public about flood hazards and some suggestions to help reduce risks of injury or death.

Flooding is one of Florida’s most frequent hazards and is a coast-to-coast threat that occurs on a yearly basis, according to a news release issued by the emergency management division.

Do not drive through an area when you cannot see the bottom of the road; deaths have been known to occur when a driver couldn’t see the bottom of the road and wound up driving into a canal. (File)

Here’s a condensed list of suggestions from the state’s emergency management experts:

  • Know the types of flood risks in your area.
  • If you are told to evacuate, do so immediately. Prior to any threatening weather, be sure you have an evacuation plan, know the evacuation routes and have a plan on where you will shelter.
  • Keep important documents in a waterproof container or store them on a password protected digital drive.
  • When possible, move valuables to higher ground.
  • Do not walk, drive,or swim through floodwaters. Just six inches of water will reach the bottom of most passenger cars and can cause loss of control and stalling; 12 inches of water can make a vehicle float away.
  • If you are trapped in your car in rapidly moving water, stay inside. If the water begins rising inside the vehicle, get on the roof.
  • If you are trapped in a building, move to higher ground or a higher floor.
  • Do not return to your home until it is deemed safe to do so. Avoid driving unless it is an emergency.
  • Stay out of floodwater in your home which can be contaminated with dangerous debris or live wires.
  • Wear protective clothing when cleaning up and do not touch any wires.

Visit FloridaDisaster.org/hazards/Floods to learn more about flood safety and protecting yourself before, during, and after a flood.

For weather updates and safety tips, follow the Division on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter @FLSERT.

Published March 29, 2023

Thousands of homes proposed on 2,900 acres of ranch land

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A new development is being proposed in Land O’ Lakes that would transform 2,900 acres of ranch land into roughly 3,800 homes and 300,000 square feet of retail and office uses.

The Pasco County Planning Commission has recommended approval of a proposed land use change requested in the name of 4G Ranch PD.

Attorney Clarke Hobby, who represents the applicant, said a separate request also has been filed for a rezoning, which also must be approved for the project to proceed.

Planner Amy Tull detailed the land use request during the planning board’s March 16 public hearing on the request.

A new development is being proposed in Land O’ Lakes that would transform 2,900 acres of ranch land into roughly 3,800 homes and 300,000 square feet of retail on State Road 52, about 2.25 miles east of U.S. 41. (Mike Camunas)

The site is off State Road 52, about 2.25 miles east of U.S. 41, in an area designated as a rural transition area on the county’s long-range planning map.

The request calls for changing the site’s designation from agricultural and  agricultural-residential to a planned development. 

The subject property is bisected by a Critical Linkage Ecological Corridor, in the name of Connerton to Crossbar. The applicant proposes amending the map to reduce the size of the corridor from about 830 acres to about 595 acres.

The county has no objections to the proposed changes in the eco-corridor because even after the changes, it would meet the intent of providing a connection between ecological conservation areas and supporting necessary habitat, according to materials in the planning board’s agenda packet.

Hobby told the planning board that 4G Ranch is owned by the Phillips family, which “does quite a bit for the community and hosts fundraisers out there quite a bit, so many people in the community have been there over the years.”

He said the site is in an area that the county designated years ago as a transition area from higher densities from the west and the south.

The area north of State Road 52 was basically made up of about four ranches that covered the area between Bellamy Brothers Boulevard to Pasco Trails, Hobby said.

But in the past few years, there have been increased development approvals in the nearby area, including the Palmetto Ridge Master-Planned Unit Development (MPUD) and Faircloth MPUD, Hobby said.

“The (State Road) 52 project is now in the (Florida Department of Transportation) DOT work program, and it’s my understanding that it’s to commence in about two or three years, so that’s radically changing the area that’s just been more of a rural-flavored, two-lane road.

“This is going to be a major growth area for the county, both in residential and non-residential, over time,” Hobby said.

The attorney added: “We’ve worked with staff to set the framework for the ultimate negotiations for the eco-corridor and the county’s acquisition of it, over time. That will be addressed concurrently with, or prior to, a second MPUD, which would be in Area 2, on the east side of the conservation area that you see on the map, which is the eco-corridor.

“What you are going to see in a couple of months — we only have one MPUD proposed at this time on Area 1, and that will be following this, like I said, by a couple of months.

“The family’s intention is to hold Area 2, where they have their large family compound, where the fundraisers are typically held, for an indefinite amount of time. We’re thinking it could be some period of time before that is dealt with.

“The subarea policies deal with the (elementary) school (site) and infrastructure issues that are important.

“We have a condition that requires the dedication of a school (site), once we have approval of above 1,500 units, on Area 2,” Hobby said.

“We have met with the Pasco Trails HOA several times and we’ve made some changes to our concept plan, which will find its way into the MPUD conditions — do a few things design-wise to make it more palatable for them. Feel like we have a good relationship with those folks, and we plan on continuing to be good neighbors,” Hobby said.

During the public comment portion of the planning board’s hearing, one couple, who lives next to the proposed land use change, voiced concerns about losing the oak and pine trees that currently provide a buffer between their property and the site. They would prefer the trees remain.

But Shawn Roark, president of Pasco Trails Homeowners Association, said the majority of people within the HOA would prefer ponds be used to buffer the property.

“We’ve met multiple times with 4G Ranch and they’ve been very gracious and open to our input. They’ve made changes,” Roark said, referring to a planned MPUD rezoning, which is a separate request.

Roark said using the ponds as buffers will help direct the drainage flow to the north, where it needs to go. He also thinks that approach will help preserve the area’s rural flavor.

Another speaker at the meeting represented a couple who has 10 acres nearby.

The speaker said the couple’s primary concern relates to what kind of buffering will be used and whether the new development will have any negative impacts on existing residents.

Published March 29, 2023