Local News

Putt-putt golf course opens at the Grove

April 25, 2023 By Special to The Laker/Lutz News

Though it took a little while longer than expected, the Grove at Wesley Chapel now has a new attraction to play through.

Grove Mini Golf, 6201 Wesley Grove Blvd., is the newest attraction to come to the Grove at Wesley Chapel and features a traditional, 18-hole putt-putt course with a tropical feel and is family friendly. (Mike Camunas)

Grove Mini Golf finally opened its doors on April 15, with a soft opening for the 18-hole mini golf course located near the B&B Theatres Wesley Chapel.

Opening on the heels of PopStroke — the two 18-hole putting and entertainment attraction co-owned by Tiger Woods now in Lutz — Grove Mini Golf is a family owned and family friendly amenity.

The golfing attraction’s completion was delayed by supply chain and permitting issues, among other things, according to Ryan Mortti, its owner.

However, it opened to light crowds over its first weekend and during the Chalk Art Festival and Market on April 16.

While PopStroke and Grove Mini Golf aren’t too far from each other, the courses are quite different.

Grove Mini Golf is a more traditional course, but with a tropical feel of volcanoes, lots of fountains and waterfalls, sea creature statues and Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)-compliant bridges and paths. Each hole also has LED strips that light up each hole with different programming.

Grove Mini Golf also is available for parties and fundraising and corporate events, and has a small snack bar at the front desk.

Prices per golfer start at $16.99 for adults and $13.99 for children under age 10, military and seniors over age 60. There also is an unlimited play option for $24.99.

The attraction is located at 6201 Wesley Grove Blvd.

For more information, call 813-815-7888, or visit GroveMiniGolf.com.

Published April 26, 2023

Splash Pad, new park coming to Dade City

April 25, 2023 By Special to The Laker/Lutz News

A ceremonial groundbreaking marked the beginning of a new project aimed at giving Dade City children a new place to play, as well as more park space in the city’s downtown. (Mike Camunas)

Dade City officials, staff members and even kids from local elementary schools took part in a ceremonial groundbreaking on April 10, kicking off the construction of a family-friendly splash pad and park.

The new amenities are coming to downtown Dade City, next to the beginning of the Hardy Trail, near the town’s visitor center at 37800 Church Ave.

The new park also will include some new trails, restrooms and an amphitheater.

The project will be built by Borregard Construction.

The 2,500-square-foot splash pad will include an Aqua Dumping Bucket, Aqua Water Castle, aqua features such as jellyfish, a crab and butterfly, and even an Aqua Kumquat Tree, as a nod to the city’s fruit — which is celebrated in an annual festival.

The $1.2 million project has been allocated through American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding. The splash pad cost is estimated at $800,000. The adjoining restroom and mechanical room is estimated at $557,720.16.

The splash pad is expected to be done in the latter part of January next year.

Published April 26, 2023

Pasco County breaks ground for new fire station

April 25, 2023 By Special to The Laker/Lutz News

This sign proclaims the latest Fire Rescue project being paid for through general obligation bonds approved by Pasco voters. (Courtesy of Pasco Fire Rescue)

Pasco County Fire Rescue broke ground on April 6, on a new fire station coming to Zephyrhills.

County officials and representatives were on hand for the late morning ceremony. Station No. 18 will be located at Chancey Road and Yonkers Boulevard, just across the street from the Samuel Pasco Recreation Complex.

The state-of-the-art, four-bay fire station is designed with firefighter health, safety and wellness in mind, and includes hot, warm and cold zones designed to help reduce firefighter cancer rates by allowing firefighters to clean carcinogens off their bodies before entering the fire station’s living quarters.

The station also will include larger bays to accommodate specialty apparatus, a built-in 16-member training classroom to support multi-station training, a flex room to house additional firefighters during a significant emergency, and advanced station alerting to improve firefighter health and wellness.

The groundbreaking marks the fifth new station to be paid for by the G.O. (general obligation) bond approved by Pasco voters to pay for fire rescue improvements.

Published April 26, 2023

Ukulele Brand’s in Land O’ Lakes reopens

April 25, 2023 By Mike Camunas

A local staple is back.

Ukulele Brand’s, the long-standing, lakeside restaurant and bar at 4805 Land O’ Lakes Blvd., reopened on April 18, after a nearly three-month closure.

The restaurant, which has been serving loyal patrons for 25 years, welcomed back crowds and live music while returning back to full service and its regular hours.

The popular dining spot sustained extensive damages on the night of Jan. 25, when an SUV and food truck plowed into an exterior wall, leaving a large hole, knocking into kitchen equipment and essentially forcing the business to shut down.

The incident required the restaurant to turn off the power, which resulted in food spoiling. It also needed to shutter its doors, while repairs were made.

“How no one died — I don’t know. No clue,” Ukuleke’s manager Jennifer Fischer told The Laker/Lutz News in February. “Our dishwasher flew 10 to 15 feet into my kitchen area, where there were staff members — it was horrible. When I watched the video, my heart was in my throat, and I don’t know how it wasn’t worse.”

Fischer said it was around 8 p.m., when the accident occurred. At the time, the dining room was filled with patrons and staff was busy in the kitchen.

Repairs took three months.

Now, it’s hard to see that it ever suffered damage.

The kitchen is fully restored. There’s no evidence of the hole in the exterior wall, and that wall has been repainted its teal color. The restaurant’s signature mural remains.

During the closure, the community demonstrated an outpouring of support during a Feb. 18 support-the-staff fundraiser organized by local businesses and the Rotary Club of Land O’ Lakes.

The more than $20,000 raised went to help the temporarily unemployed 42 employees of Ukulele Brand’s.

“It’s amazing that (the locals and regulars) are looking out for us, that Ukulele’s means something to them,” said MacKenzie Dadroga, a long-time bartender and server told The Laker/Lutz News during that February fundraiser. “We’re still here and people are still supporting us, because it’s not about the place — it’s about the people. They care about us.”

Ukulele Brand’s
Where: 4805 Land O’ Lakes Blvd., Land O’ Lakes
When: Open Tuesday thru Sunday from 11 a.m until 11 p.m.
Details: Casual “Old Florida” lakeside full-service restaurant and bar, with both indoor and outdoor seating and live music year-round.
Info: Visit UkuleleBrands.com or the restaurant’s Facebook page.

Published April 26, 2023

Planning board rejects setback variance on a split vote

April 25, 2023 By B.C. Manion

What’s a few feet, give or take?

In the case of a new house in East Padgett Estates — the difference of a few feet is proving to be a costly mistake.

The house, at 4537 Victoria Road, in Land O’ Lakes, was built with improper setbacks.

The violation of county regulations has sparked neighborhood disputes, led to lengthy public hearings and caused a substantial loss of money for the builder.

The fate of this house in East Padgett Estates remains uncertain. The Pasco County Planning Commission denied a request for a variance that would have allowed it to be occupied. The builder now has the option to appeal the decision to the Pasco County Commission. (Mike Camunas)

The Pasco County Planning Commission voted 4-3 on April 6 to reject SoHo Builder’s request for a variance to the side yard and front yard setback requirements.

If the request had been granted, the county could have issued a certificate of occupancy. Since the variance was denied, the house can’t be occupied.

The applicant now has the option to appeal the planning board’s decision to the Pasco County Commission.

The zoning district where the house is located requires a 10-foot minimum side yard setback on each side and a 25-foot minimum front yard setback.

But the house is 73-feet wide on a 90-foot-wide lot, meaning that it fails to meet the side yard setbacks by a total of 3 feet.

The structure also was built with a 20-foot front yard setback, instead of the required 25 feet.

Patrick Plummer, a representative for the builder, appeared before the planning board twice, seeking a variance.

The board denied it in January and did so again on April 6.

Plummer acknowledged that he erred during the process, but he also pointed out mistakes made by the county.

Plummer said once the setback error was discovered, a new site plan and set of building plans was submitted — for a 70-foot-wide house.

But county officials said there’s no evidence in the county’s records that the new plans were submitted.

Still, the county shares in the blame, according to Scott Carley, chief field inspector for Pasco County’s building construction services.

He said the county uses a system that allows different departments to see the same plans simultaneously.

In this case, zoning flagged the setback issue, but that didn’t prevent electrical, mechanical, plumbing and building from proceeding, Carley said.

“Forty percent is on us,” Carley said, noting this case has been a learning experience for the county.

Plummer asked the planning board to grant the variance.

“This was a bona fide error. We did not intentionally build a larger house. We did not try to circumvent anything,” he said.

But a former president of the area’s homeowner’s association said the buyer should have known the long-established required setbacks for the house.

Planning board member Jaime Girardi said he understands that the builder isn’t the only one at fault, however, he added: “You built something out there that’s drastically different from the rest of the neighborhood.”

Girardi also raised concerns about drainage issues and the insufficient landscaping plan.

County planning staff recommended denial of the request, saying that substantial evidence had not been submitted to justify a variance.

The planning board was divided.

While noting the builder should have spotted the error and stopped the building process to avoid having a completed house that failed to meet requirements, they also acknowledged that errors within the county’s process contributed to the problem.

Planning board member Jon Moody made a motion to support staff in its recommendation for denial and was joined by board members Peter Hanzel and Chris Poole.

Board Chairman Charles Grey and board members Derek Pontlitz and Girardi voted against Moody’s motion.

That left a 3-3 vote, requiring board member Chris Williams to break the tie.

Williams voted in favor of the staff’s recommendation to reject the variance.

In casting that vote, Williams said it was a tough call, but added: “It’s a big mistake. It’s going to be there a long time.”

Williams, planning director of Pasco County Schools, normally only votes on planning requests that involve school district issues. However, he’s also the designated tie-breaker, in the rare events that the planning board is evenly divided.

Published April 26, 2023

Bus driver shortage persists in Pasco County Schools

April 25, 2023 By B.C. Manion

The Pasco County School Board has adopted school starting and ending times for the 2023-2024 school year, and despite tweaking and tightening bus routes, the district still has some schools beginning after 10 a.m.

While adopting the schedule for next school year, school board members said they realize that some of the starting and ending times pose difficulties for families.

It boils down to not having enough bus drivers to allow the school district to have more routes, which would reduce the amount of time it takes for buses to make their rounds — and thus be available for another run.

Pasco County Schools — like other school districts across the nation — continues to struggle to fill its bus driver openings. That shortage affects the starting and ending times for schools. (Mike Camunas)

School board member Colleen Beaudoin told her colleagues and district staff: “I heard from a number of concerned parents about the bell times.”

She said she received the greatest number of concerns relating to Wiregrass Elementary, but said she also heard from families in New River and Seven Oaks.

The approved 2023-2024 start times for those schools are: Wiregrass Elementary, 9:40 a.m.; New River Elementary, 10:10 a.m.; and, Seven Oaks Elementary, 9:40 a.m.

“I know this is due mostly to the bus driver shortage,” Beaudoin said. But she added: “I feel for the families. I know this is extremely disruptive. It’s challenging for families. I want to acknowledge that.”

Betsy Kuhn, the school district’s assistant superintendent for support services, said many of the bell time changes being made this year are within either 10 minutes or 20 minutes, and many of those are being welcomed.

Still, she wishes the district did not have any 10:10 a.m. start times.

The schedule has been set up with the goal of getting students to school on time.

“If we lose a bunch of drivers, we could be in a very different position,” Kuhn said.

The school district has 319 routes and currently has openings for 45 bus drivers and 60 relief drivers. It also has schools of varying sizes and different programs.

Plus, it has six bus compounds and four bell tiers.

All of that adds up to a complicated scheduling system.

Beaudoin noted that trying to change the bell times for one school has a domino effect on other schools, so there are no easy solutions.

School board member Cynthia Armstrong said she’d received lots of emails from parents at Starkey Ranch K-8. The approved start time there for 2023-2024 is 8:10 a.m.

Armstrong said she thinks part of the issue is the lack of consistent bell times from year to year.

But Pasco County Schools Superintendent Kurt Browning responded: “I wouldn’t get too wed to consistency anytime soon. We’re growing so fast, we’re adding a school a year.”

“As long as it grows, we’re going to have challenges with transportation,” Browning said.

Published April 26, 2023

Creativity with chalk draws up temporary art

April 25, 2023 By Mike Camunas

No chalkboards were needed here.

Instead, these artists each used a parking spot — just a small strip of asphalt — to create works displaying their talents and creativity.

Venice resident ‘Scary’ Carrie Phillips works on her asphalt chalk work during the Chalk Art Festival on April 16 at the KRATE at the Grove in Wesley Chapel. (Mike Camunas)

At the Chalk Art Festival, on April 16 at the KRATE at the Grove in Wesley Chapel, a group of about 10 local and out-of-town artists got close to the ground to create art that festival-goers could check out and admire.

The free event also offered a chance to do some casual Sunday afternoon shopping, grab a bite to eat or enjoy a drink, and listen to live music from Phoenix 5.

“This was my first time doing chalk art,” Holiday artist Danielle Ostolaza said. “I wasn’t sure how it would come out, but I think it came out great and it ended up being a lot of fun.”

Some artists, from as far as Venice, used chalk and some washable paint to draw up some very visual artwork that even seemed like it was part of the asphalt.

Some artists shared works featuring original designs, while others created cartoon characters, such as Pokemon’s Pikachu, to entertain the children.

The Harvest Market was held at the same time, offering patrons a chance to purchase items from a variety of vendors.

Florida Penguin Productions put on the event.

For a list of its upcoming events, visit FloridaPenguinProductions.com/upcoming-events-list.

Published April 26, 2023

Danielle Ostolaza, of Holiday, uses sidewalk chalk to draw one of her four sectionals of murals during the Chalk Art Festival at the KRATE at the Grove on April 16. Ostolaza, along with a handful of other local artists, were given the chance to show off their artistic styles and creations during the festival. The Wesley Chapel shopping and entertainment district also was the venue for The Harvest Market, which featured dozens of vendors.

The Chalk Art Festival also featured a Harvest Market at the Grove at Wesley Chapel. Dozens of vendors and exhibitors were there to sell goods, wares, gifts and more.

Hilary Frambes, of Ellenton, sits on the asphalt at the KRATE at the Grove to work on her chalk art drawings.

The Chalk Art Festival, held at the KRATE at the Grove in Wesley Chapel, gave about 10 artists the chance to show off their talents — and imaginations — through works of chalk art on parking spots.

Artist Hilary Frambes, of Ellenton, works diligently to share her creativity through her chalk art at the KRATE at the Grove on April 16.

Wesley Chapel artist Sienna Biagi is all smiles as she takes her time drawing her artwork on the asphalt during the Chalk Art Festival on April 16.

Pasco assumes operations of Wiregrass Ranch Sports Campus

April 25, 2023 By B.C. Manion

The Pasco County Commission and RADDSports Pasco Wiregrass LLC have reached a mediated settlement, which turns over the operation of the Wiregrass Ranch Sports Campus to Pasco County, and results in over $3 million in payments to RADDSports Pasco Wiregrass LLC.

The Pasco County Commission approved the settlement as part of its consent agenda on April 18. The consent agenda includes a number of items that are approved in a single action, unless someone pulls an item for discussion.

RADDSports had been operating the Wiregrass Sports Campus under a sports park operations and maintenance license agreement approved by the county on Aug. 15, 2017.

A look from a lofty angle at the Wiregrass Ranch Sports Campus, in Wesley Chapel. It plays a key role in Pasco County’s sports tourism marketing efforts, and under a settlement agreement with RADDSports Pasco Wiregrass LLC, county staff will be assuming management of operations and marketing for the facility. (Mike Camunas)

Disputes arose between the county and RADDSports, and the county issued the Notice of Default on Nov. 4, 2022, informing RADDSports that the county planned to take over the operations.

RADDSports subsequently filed a lawsuit against the county on Nov. 18, 2022, “seeking declaratory relief, injunctive relief, and damages for the county’s alleged violations of the Florida Public Records Act and breach of the Sports Park Agreement,” according to materials in the county board’s agenda packet.

The parties met in a mediation session Nov. 28, 2022 and, while not reaching a settlement, made progress and agreed to take part in another mediation on Feb. 8, 2023. Meanwhile, the lawsuit was put on hold.

At the continued mediation session, County Administrator Mike Carballa and RADDSports reached a full settlement and entered into an agreement, subject to the county board’s approval of the settlement.

The settlement approved by the board directs the Pasco County Clerk & Comptroller to issue a check to RADDSports for $1,094,000, which will be held in escrow until pre-conditions of the settlement have been met.

The clerk’s office also has been directed to issue four additional checks, in the amount of $500,000 each, with payment dates of April 18, 2024; April 18, 2025; April 18, 2026 and April 18, 2027.

Those checks will be held in escrow by the county attorney’s office and delivered to RADDSports on the first, second, third and fourth anniversary dates of the turnover — after the county attorney’s office has confirmed that RADDSports is complying with the settlement agreement, according to the agenda materials.

The county’s $3 million in payments are being made to “buy out” the remaining term of the Sports Park Agreement from RADDSports, providing the company complies with the settlement’s conditions.

The Wiregrass Ranch Sports Campus, at 3021 Sports Coast Way, in Wesley Chapel, plays a significant role in Pasco County’s sports tourism efforts.

The county board and RADDSports opened the 98,000-square-foot facility in the summer of 2020 to attract tournaments and talent from around the country and the globe. The sports campus features volleyball and basketball courts, a dedicated cheer zone, outdoor fields and other amenities.

The county’s sports marketing experts and its parks and recreation managers now will oversee the facility, according to a Pasco County news release.

“The Florida’s Sports Coast team will focus on booking outside events and attracting outside visitors to our county,” according to the release.

Pasco’s sports partners will continue to enjoy events and activities, with an existing pipeline of economic impact-generating events already on the books, the release adds.

Despite the legal dispute with RADDSports, the county expressed appreciation to RADDSports.

“We thank RADDSports for helping design this amazing facility, which essentially serves as the centerpiece of Florida’s Sports Coast, and for its cooperation to allow the county to bring in-house the going forward operation of the facility,” the release says.

“Pasco County and RADDSports are working together to ensure a seamless management transition to minimize disruptions of Wiregrass Ranch Sports Campus programming and events. Pasco County Parks, Recreation, & Natural Resources is honoring all prior event contracts, making sure local sports enthusiasts continue to have access to our world-class facilities,” the release adds.

The county built the $29 million sports campus with tourist development tax dollars on land donated by the Porter family, which has had a hand in shaping much of the development of Wesley Chapel.

Acreage once owned by the Porters now is occupied by a multitude of developments, including The Shops at Wiregrass, Pasco-Hernando State College’s Porter Campus at Wiregrass Ranch, AdventHealth Wesley Chapel, and public schools, neighborhoods and businesses.

Published April 26, 2023

Dade City has commission opening

April 25, 2023 By Special to The Laker/Lutz News

Dade City Commissioner Knute Nathe has resigned from his Group 4 position to serve as a Pasco County Judge, according to an announcement from the city.

The city is now accepting applications to fill the vacancy created by Nathe’s departure.

Nathe, a longtime Dade City resident, was elected as the Group 4 commissioner for Dade City on June 30, 2020 for the term ending in April 2024.

He was unanimously elected Mayor Pro Tem by his fellow commissioners in April 2022.

According to the city charter, the office of a commission member shall become vacant upon the member’s death, resignation, or removal from office or forfeiture of office in any manner authorized by law.

The charter also states that if the vacancy occurs with 60 days or less left in the member’s term, then no appointment shall be made until the next regular municipal election.

However, should a vacancy occur with more than 60 days left in the unexpired term, that vacancy shall be filled by the City Commission within 30 days of the date of the vacancy with any qualified resident so appointed to serve until a successor is elected at the next regular municipal election.

Additionally, if a vacancy is not filled by the City Commission within 30 days after the vacancy occurs, a special election shall be held within 60 days after the vacancy and the person elected shall serve the remaining unexpired term.

According to the City of Dade City website, Nathe is a descendant of Casper Joseph “C.J.” Nathe, who moved the Nathe family to St. Joe in the late 1800s and Nathe’s family has been designated a Founding Family of Pasco County. After working for the Hillsborough County State Attorney’s Office as a County Court prosecutor, Commissioner Nathe joined the firm of McClain Alfonso, P.A. as an associate attorney in Nov. 2014.

Applications can be filled on the City of Dade City website at www.dadecityfl.com. Applications are due before 5 p.m. on May 1.

For more information, call the City Clerk at 352-523-5052.

Published April 26, 2023

Pasco granted longer scallop season for 2023

April 25, 2023 By Special to The Laker/Lutz News

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) has temporarily modified the 2023 open season for the harvest of bay scallops within the Pasco Zone, extending the 10-day season to 37 days on a trial basis, according to a Pasco County news release.

The recreational bay scallop season for this area opens July 1 and closes Aug. 6, allowing harvest to begin during the weekend in advance of the Fourth of July holiday. These season dates also support a fun recreational opportunity for families as they occur before students return to Pasco County schools for the 2023-2024 school year, the release notes.

Pasco County has been angling for a longer scallop season for some time and this year, the county got it — albeit on a trial basis. (File)

“Extending the season will increase the economic benefits from this popular recreational fishery to local communities in the region,” Jessica McCawley, director of the Division of Marine Fisheries Management, said in the release.

“We will continue these efforts by exploring long-term season options for future years via the formal rulemaking process,” McCawley added.

Between 2017 and 2020, FWC took a pilot approach to establish regionally specific bay scallop regulations while also maintaining the sustainability of local scallop populations. As part of this effort, the allowable harvest area for scallops was extended to include Pasco County waters starting in 2018, the release says.

The Pasco Zone for bay scallop management includes all Florida waters south of the Pasco-Hernando county line and north of the Anclote Key Lighthouse (approximately 0.37 miles south of the Pasco-Pinellas county line).

The daily bag limit in this area is 2 gallons of whole bay scallops in the shell or 1 pint of shucked bay scallop meat per person, with no more than a total of 10 gallons of whole bay scallops in the shell or 1/2 gallon (4 pints) shucked bay scallop meat per vessel, the release says.

Throughout the season and region-wide, vessel limits do not allow an individual to exceed their personal bag limit.

It is important to note that scallops may be collected by hand or with a landing or dip net, and no commercial harvest allowed for bay scallops in Florida.

For information on bay scallop regulations, visit MyFWC.com/Marine and click on “Recreational Regulations” and “Bay Scallops” under the “Crabs, Lobster and other Shellfish” tab.

Published April 26, 2023