The Laker/Lutz News

Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

Local News

Pasco adopts new rules for car dealerships

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Pasco County has adopted new regulations relating to motor vehicle dealerships.

Pasco adopted new rules for car dealerships, which was approved by the County Commission with a 5-0 vote, at its Aug. 24 meeting.

The new ordinance addresses concerns expressed by the Pasco County Commission about the overstocking of cars on-site, posing potential safety hazards and making it difficult for consumers to access sites.

The new regulations address general standards for sites approved or established before Jan. 25, 2005, when the vehicle dealership ordinance was established. In that section, the changes are mostly cleanup language, resulting from a change in the Type H Buffer. That buffer used to be a 75-foot buffer and now it is anywhere between 20 feet and 40 feet. It was changed on May 3.

The ordinance also provides additional design standards for sites approved after Aug. 25, 2022.

Those address:

  • Employee and customer parking: There are four methods to choose from.
  • Vehicle inventory and vehicle storage: This section specifies that surface-level inventory and display, combined with ground floor area of buildings/structures are not to exceed 50% of the developable acreage.
  • Vehicle inventory and vehicle storage: These cannot occupy required parking spaces.
  • Vehicle inventory and vehicle storage: These cannot encroach into right of way, landscape buffer, wetland upland buffer, or drainage pond. They also must be delineated on site plans.
  • There also is allowance of triple tandem rows, or quadruple, under certain instances.
  • There also are requirements for pedestrian connectivity.
  • There also is flexibility in landscaping standards, allowing substitutions when required trees have potential for causing damage to vehicles.

Pasco County Commission Chairwoman Kathryn Starkey advocated the updated rules — noting that some dealerships had far too many vehicles on their lots, making it difficult for people to even access the businesses.

She and county staff had several meetings with vehicle dealerships to address the issues.

“I want to thank staff and all our dealerships that were involved in this. We had great representation,” Starkey said, noting representatives from both new and used car dealerships were involved in the discussions.

“I think this will go a long way to help to clean up some of that blight and to make sure we have a fair process going forward,” Starkey added.

The board approved the updated rules on a 5-0 vote, at its Aug. 24 meeting.

Published September 14, 2022

Beware of these government-related scams in Pasco and Hillsborough

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Officials in Pasco and Hillsborough county governments have recently put out the word regarding scams involving the government that have been occurring in the area.

Pasco County Clerk & Comptroller Nikki Alvarez-Sowles is warning people about a scam involving jury duty.

It works this way, Alvarez-Sowles said: “An individual is called and they are told that they missed jury duty and there is a fine out for them, and if they don’t pay the fine immediately, then they’ll get arrested.

“The individual is told to go and buy gift cards, scratch off the back of the gift card, read out the number over the phone and then that satisfied their paying of the fine,” the clerk said.

“Also, I’ve heard from my customers that they require them to remain on the phone, while they drive to the store to pick up the cards.

“They obviously must be very good at threats over the phone to get people to do that,” she said. “It must be serious threats over the phone. We would not do that,” the clerk said.

Pasco County Clerk & Comptroller Nikki Alvarez-Sowles is alerting the public to a scam that requires people to pay a fine, using gift cards, for allegedly missing jury duty. (FILE)

“I just want to state, in public, that my office will never call you to ask you to pay in the form of the cards. That is not a form of payment that we would request from you.

“That is a scam,” she added. “Don’t fall for it.’

Meanwhile, Hillsborough County residents also are being warned to be mindful of text scams.

There are fake text messages circulating that purport to be from Hillsborough County.

“As fraudulent campaigns become more and more sophisticated, residents are urged to use caution when responding to messages claiming they are from Hillsborough County,” a county news release notes.

While text messages and push notifications have become important ways for the county government to share urgent information and offer residents opportunities to provide feedback, there’s also opportunities for scams.

At this time, the county wants residents to know that it is not conducting surveys via texts.

“If you receive a text, delete it and do not click the link,” the county says.

It also notes: Messages from Hillsborough County will always come from 88911 and will be formatted without logos.

Residents who think they have been scammed or taken advantage of by someone pretending to represent the county may visit Hillsborough County Consumer Protection Services online to report the incident, or call the department at 813-635-8316.

Published on Sept. 14.

A cause that is good for the ‘sole’

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Scores of shoes were collected during the 2021 Two Good Soles campaign, a collaborative effort between Pasco County government and the school district, now in its seventh year. (FILE)

The Pasco County Tax Collector’s Office once again is participating in the new shoes and socks collection drive, Two Good Soles, to assist local students and families in need.

The campaign, now in its seventh year, is a collaborative effort between the Pasco County government and the school district.

The goal of the drive is to collect as many new pairs of shoes and socks as possible.

“It is heartbreaking to know that children come to school without socks or shoes in good repair,” said Pasco Tax Collector Mike Fasano in a news release.

“I am pleased that our office is once again part of this county-wide effort to collect as many pairs of footwear as possible. …Every item will go to a Pasco student in need,” said Fasano.

The need for shoes is primarily at the middle school and high school level, although shoes for elementary students also will be accepted.

The sizes most in need are children’s shoes size 9 and bigger, adult shoes of all sizes, and socks of any size. It is recommended that sneakers, shoes and socks be of a neutral color. However, no flip-flops or open-toed shoes, please.

Donations will be accepted through Oct. 21, the final day of the drive, at the labeled collection box near the door, at these sites:

  • New Port Richey, 8731 Citizens Drive, Room 120
  • Gulf Harbors, 4720 U.S. 19, New Port Richey
  • Land O’ Lakes, 4111 Land O’ Lakes Blvd. (U.S. 41)
  • Wesley Chapel, 4614 Pet Lane, Suite 109 (Lutz)
  • Dade City, 14236 Sixth St., Room 100

For information about the Two Good Soles drive, call Greg Giordano, assistant tax collector for communications and special projects, at 727-847-8179.

Published September 14, 2022

Morris Bridge Road, at State Road 54, to close temporarily

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Morris Bridge Road will be temporarily closed at State Road 54, from Sept. 17 through Sept. 22.

An around-the-clock detour of Morris Bridge Road is scheduled to begin after midnight on ay, Sept. 17.

Motorists are asked to follow the detour signs along State Road 54, U.S. 301, State Road 56, and Morris Bridge Road, according to a news release from the Florida Department of Transportation.

Weather permitting, the detour is expected to be active from Sept. 17 to Sept. 22.   Detour Map

The closure is needed for the contractor to construct the southern side of the intersection of State Road 54 and Morris Bridge Road.

Published on Sept. 14.

Pasco County has redesigned its website

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Pasco County has redesigned its website and invites the public to check it out.

The website has been upgraded, with the aim of creating a user-friendly experience, as well as improved navigation and functionality, according to a county news release.

Here are some of the changes:

  • The site has been consolidated from more than 1,500 pages to 650 pages
  • The drop-down menu features popular web pages and customer tools
  • There’s a department director with contact information
  • The county’s social media icons are prominently displayed on the website’s homepage
  • The news, videos and spotlight sections are in one location

The Pasco County Commission meetings are streamed live on the website’s homepage.

The county calendar has been redesigned, too.

Pasco County Commission Chairwoman Kathryn Starkey offered this assessment of the new website, in the county’s news release: “This is our first website upgrade in five years, and we couldn’t be happier with our new look. Our customers can easily find information on services, events and news items – with a simple click.  We wanted to make the site faster, with an intuitive layout, and that’s exactly what we’ve done.”

Pasco County’s information technology and media relations teams collaborated to design the new layout.

To check out the new site, visit MyPasco.net.

Published on Sept. 14.

Go ahead, cave in for this adventure

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What if I told you that you could go spelunking nearby?

Well, you can, sort of.

Plus, you won’t even need a helmet flashlight or fancy repel gear.

Found within the Citrus Tract area of the Withlacoochee State Forest in Lecanto, Dames Caves is a hidden gem that’s become a popular site — considering there aren’t many caves in Florida. This cave, the biggest and most colorful, is aptly named Vandal Cave. (Mike Camunas)

With the Dames Caves complex in south Lecanto, there are 37 discovered caves, several of which are safe and wide open to explore. You can take selfies in them and climb back out of one of the more gorgeous holes in the ground this state has to offer.

Dames Caves is located on the Citrus Tract area of the Withlacoochee State Forest. It is somewhat popular, but also has some natural-rock formation that is a must-see for any avid hiker or adventurer.

Besides, it won’t take you all day, or be as dangerous as deep-cave diving, such as in other states, or Florida’s springs and underwater caves.

With its shaded areas, several steep climbs for entries and exits, and picturesque views, it is definitely Worth The Trip.

Watch your step
First and foremost, Dames Caves, while in a state forest, is not maintained or monitored by the parks service. Are there a few guard rails? Yes, however, unofficial markers — a few spray-painted rocks and tree trunks — guide the way. There are foregone warning signs, so enter at your own risk.

The entrance to Vandal Cave is somewhat hidden, and guarded, but clearly is marked by unfortunate graffiti.

Yet, the risk is never that great. You will need to be surefooted and most likely be wearing boots.

The semi-steep climb down into Vandal Cave — the largest and most colorful cave of the bunch — requires some maneuvering.

Once down there, take in all the graffiti, then realize where the cave got its name. There’s not a bright color to be missed.

The nature of this cave is still a sight to behold — so be sure to gaze up.

It is a good 30 feet to 40 feet deep, has some alcoves and the landscape is dominated by karst landforms.

This is a view of Vandal Cave, is at it appears from the bottom, looking up.

Geologically, the caves are among the oldest in Florida.

If you happen to go when it’s not raining or even after a shower, listen closely and you just might hear the underground rivers flowing beneath you.

Exit Vandal Cave and feel free to explore, at your own risk, other nearby caves such as Danger Cave, Peace Sign Cave and Sick Bat Cave, all of which are aptly named, though Bruce Wayne might not approve of the last one.

In Search of Dames
Getting to the Dames Caves system is not hard, however, it is not an exact location. There is no sign or parking lot, but most GPS apps will be able to take you to the “Unofficial Parking Lot,” which is on County Road 491, about 12 miles south of State Road 44. The entrance near the gate has several yellow posts almost directly across the street from West Lone Court.

Looking down into Vandal Cave, it’s obvious to see where it got its name … and popularity.

Once there, it is less than a half-mile to reach the biggest grouping of the caves. Peace Cave is about another quarter-mile from Vandal Cave, but can easily be found thanks to a big spray-painted peace sign. Groovy, baby.

Recommendation: Use the AllTrails app available for free download to your smartphone. Not only does it have thousands of trails, their locations and informative data, it works as a GPS tracker and can help you find your way.

Loop it, Lizzie
If you can’t spend all day exploring these caves (which you probably can’t), then definitely walk past them just a little further until you find the Lizzie Heart Sink Loop trail. It’s a nearly 4-mile, moderately-challenging trail, tucked under a tree canopy for plenty of shade and even includes some slight elevation.

Toward the bottom of the loop will be water runoff, or sink, but depending on the time of the year, it could be dry and it lets you cut the loop. Another recommendation, stay on the trail and enjoy the lush vegetation and some wildflower surprises. It’s worth the nearly 90 minutes it takes to complete it.

Besides, if you’re lucky, you might have it all to yourself for a nice serene and peaceful hike, while other adventurers are still spelunking in the caves.

Dames Caves and the Lizzie Heart Sink Loop
Where: 10701 S. Lecanto Highway (Note: this is an unofficial parking lot)
Details: Dames Caves is a set of 37 discovered caves in the Citrus Tract area of the Withlacoochee State Forest in Lecanto. There are several to climb into, including Vandal Cave and Peace Cave. These caves are situated on the Lizzie Heart Sink Loop, a nearly 4-mile trail that’s considered a moderately challenging route, takes an average of about 90 minutes to complete, and is a popular trail for hiking, biking and even a little motocross. The trail is open year-round and leashed dogs are welcome.
Cost: There is no charge to visit Dames Caves.

Published September 07, 2022

The Lutz Branch Library reopens

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The Lutz Branch Library has reopened, with limited services, after being closed for a month because of plumbing problems.

The Lutz Branch Library reopened on Aug. 30, after being closed a month due to plumbing problems. However, the new library now needs minor repairs and is without restroom services to patrons. (File)

The library, at 101 W. Lutz Lake Fern Road, reopened on Aug. 30.

It was closed temporarily after experiencing septic tank and plumbing problems on July 27.

The problems caused a backup of sewage into the library, causing a small amount of damage and leaving the facility without working plumbing.

The library posted to its social media and on its website that limited service will be available Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and that restrooms will be unavailable.

During that time, the library still had curbside service available, and will continue to offer that to patrons.

In the meantime, the Hillsborough County Library System suggests the Jimmie B. Keel Regional Library, at 2902 W. Bearss Ave.

All of this comes after the Lutz Branch Library underwent a six-month, $790,000 renovation that gave the interior a fresh, bright new look — from more natural lighting, to new flooring, to new paint and walls, and even new furniture and installations. Those renovations, which also featured new glass walls and a self-checkout hub, were finished in late 2021.

Additionally, the library announced in July that its Friends of the Lutz Branch Library book collection program had returned to providing an array of affordably priced books for patrons’ reading pleasure. The Friends were inactive for some time due to the COVID-19 pandemic and hiatus during the six-month renovation.

Published September 07, 2022

Passage of Pasco school tax is a very big deal, district leaders say

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When someone writes the history of Pasco County Schools, the date Aug. 23, 2022, likely will be remembered.

That’s the day that Pasco County voters approved a referendum allowing up to a 1-mil increase in annual property taxes to pay for wage increases, to recruit and retain non-administrative personnel who work for Pasco County Schools.

For Don Peace, president of the United School Employees of Pasco (USEP), the voters’ decision marked the culmination of five years of pursuing an additional source of revenue to support employee pay.

The union leader characterized the tax initiative’s passage as “probably the biggest thing to happen to Pasco County public education in the last 20 years.”

These students are making their way to the first day of classes at Kirkland Ranch Academy of Innovation. A new tax passed by Pasco County voters is intended to support the district’s educational efforts for students like these, by providing increased revenues to pay for higher wages for teachers, bus drivers, kitchen workers and other non-administrative personnel. (File)

Peace also expressed his gratitude to everyone who helped make it happen, during remarks he made at the Pasco County School Board’s Aug. 30 meeting.

He thanked the community for voting yes. He thanked Superintendent Kurt Browning and the school board for getting the initiative on the ballot.

The USEP president also thanked Lift Up Pasco, a group of retired district employees, as well as employees who volunteered their own time, to help generate support for the tax.

Peace singled out Pasco County Tax Collector Mike Fasano and former state Sen. John Legg, who provided written support for the cause.

“FEA (the Florida Education Association) and Stephanie Kunkel are also to be commended, as they worked to get information out to voters, through mailers,” Peace said.

In essence, the union leader thanked anyone who had anything to do with approval of the new tax.

Browning also characterized the Aug. 23 Primary Election Day as “a great day for the Pasco district.

“It is a game-changer,” Browning said.

The superintendent said the reelection of school board incumbents Cynthia Armstrong and Megan Harding, as well as the approval of the millage referendum, “sent a strong message that our parents are happy with the direction that this district is moving.

“I think they (voters) want to support our teachers, and I think, most importantly, they want to support our students.

“This was a huge thing for us because what it’s going to do is it’s going to put us at even, if not above, our neighbors to the south, when it comes to pay,” Browning said.

The superintendent also noted there’s already been an increase in the number of applicants wanting to work in the Pasco district.

“I think it’s just the beginning of things to come.” Browning said.

While delighted by the outcome, Browning added: “We need to be accountable. We need to be transparent and we need to do what we said we were going to do with those dollars. And, we will do just that.”

The school district leader also thanked the union for its involvement on the tax issue and thanked the school board “for having the courage to place that issue on the ballot.”

School board members expressed gratitude, too.

“I’m so thankful for the community voting yes for our students and for all of the support we had on that issue. That was just a big win for our district,” said Cynthia Armstrong, the board’s chairwoman.

Board member Megan Harding put it this way: “On Aug. 23, you voted yes for our Pasco County students because you believe in public education.

“I truly believe this is going to help us retain our teachers and staff, and recruit teachers and staff to help us be competitive with our surrounding counties.

“Our students deserve to have certified teachers in front of them, teaching them.

“Our teachers and staff deserve to be compensated appropriately for all of their hard work, they do every single day.

“Good schools are created when you have certified teachers teaching our amazing students, and when you have good schools, communities thrive,” Harding said.

Like the others, she voiced appreciation for the work done by Lift Up Pasco, USEP members and district volunteers to support passage of the tax.

Harding praised the efforts of board colleague Colleen Beaudoin, in particular. “She worked really, really, really hard on that, so thank you Miss Beaudoin for all of your support.”

Beaudoin, for her part, began by thanking the Pasco community.

Beaudoin was a fierce advocate for the referendum, reasoning the district had no other way to provide the pay necessary to recruit and retain employees.

“Our students deserve to have high-quality, certified teachers in front of them. This referendum, in addition to our commitment to permanent salary increases, will go a long way toward Pasco County school employees being the best-paid district in the area,” Beaudoin said, during the board’s Aug. 30 meeting.

She, too, expressed appreciation for everyone who pitched in.

“The additional income will be significant for our employees, but I must also say that knowing that the majority of the community supports public education and our educators and staff is a big morale boost to our team.

“I know that this was a big ask for our community in difficult economic times, and I appreciate our voters supporting our schools.

“This is a big win for Pasco students,” Beaudoin said.

Published September 07, 2022

School board urges more sidewalks

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Conversations had already been happening between Pasco County Schools and Pasco County government about the need for the county to build more sidewalks — but school board members want to ratchet up the urgency level.

They agreed during their Aug. 30 meeting to send a letter to the Pasco County Commission asking that sidewalks to be made a priority.

The issue has become more pressing because the school district has dropped “courtesy” bus rides this year for sixth- through 12th-graders who live within 2 miles of school.

A bus arrives on the first day of school at Kirkland Ranch Academy of Innovation. While this bus arrived on time, the school district continues to struggle with late buses because of a shortage of bus drivers. (File)

Pasco Schools Superintendent Kurt Browning said the district was forced to take that action because of a shortage of bus drivers and increasing enrollment.

Last year, the district changed its school start and end times, in a shift aimed at getting students to school and home on time.

Browning characterized that as “an extreme step” but said he hoped it would result in students arriving to school and at home on time.

It helped, but did not solve the problem, he said.

“The second initiative we put in place was the elimination of courtesy ridership for secondary schools for this school year.

“This, too, was an extreme step to take, but one that was necessary,” Browning said.

He said he’s received emails from parents who are asking that empty seats on buses be filed by courtesy riders.

But the superintendent said exceptions cannot be made because that would lead to inequities in the district.

He also told the board that district buses are more filled than ever before.

“We’ve eliminated (more than) 100 routes from the beginning of last year, despite the growth that this district has seen. We continue to combine routes this school year to adjust to the numbers of students that we’re required to transport, and we do not have enough drivers to get this work done today.

“At the beginning of the 2020-2021 school year, we had 436 bus routes. Today, we have 333 bus routes. We’ve grown by approximately 6,000 students in that time,” Browning said.

The Pasco County School Board is urging the Pasco County Commission to put a higher priority of building new sidewalks. Many sixth- through 12th-graders who live within 2 miles of school must walk to school now because the school district dropped its ‘courtesy’ bus rides for secondary students. (Mike Camunas)

Parents have raised safety concerns about their children having to walk to school on streets without sidewalks or lighting.

But Browning is holding firm: “The elimination of courtesy riders for secondary schools will remain in effect.”

Even with the steps the districts has taken, there are still late buses, Browning said.

He attributes that to the district’s 57 driver vacancies.

“I think it goes without saying that our transportation staff is working many, many hours, addressing the issues of parents and students,” Browning said.

School board member Megan Harding said she wants to know how many seats on the bus are vacant.

“I would like some kind of count. We make our decisions based on data, so I think I have the right to have some of that data.

“I believe there are empty seats. You talk about equity and you talk about fairness. It’s not fair if we have empty seats on the bus and we have kids that are walking an hour in the dark to school,” Harding said.

Browning told her the district has rosters of students assigned to buses, but doesn’t keep a running count of how many seats are occupied.

School board chairwoman Cynthia Armstrong noted that parents of students who qualify sign up their children for buses and are entitled to that bus service, whether they use it or not.

In some cases, parents transport their children on most days of the week, but occasionally use the bus, when they’re not able to take the child to school.

Harding said she understands the district is in a crisis, relating to the bus driver shortages, but she added, at the same time: “I do have families reaching out to me, still daily, about their children waiting an hour at their bus stop because the bus is late.”

She said she’s personally written the Pasco County Commission, but asked if the board would support sending a letter, too, which it did.

“I feel that they’re dragging their feet and it’s a huge safety issue,” Harding said.

Deputy Superintendent Ray Gadd said, “I think in the coming months, we’re going to have some commission members who are going to take up the charge for us on sidewalks.

“I think they’re sympathetic toward our cause.”

Meanwhile, Armstrong suggested parents may want to consider the old-school approach of carpooling.

With the availability of today’s social media tools, it might be easier to organize a carpool than it was in the past, Armstrong noted.

Published September 07, 2022

Pasco approves 2 million-square-foot corporate business park

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After months of back-and-forth between two adjoining landowners, the Pasco County Commission has approved a master-planned unit development for a corporate business park on State Road 52, in Land O’ Lakes.

The project, known as Eagle II, is entitled for up to 2 million square feet of corporate business park, targeted businesses and light industrial uses, as well as 150,000 square feet of commercial/office uses on 321 acres.

The site is on the south side of State Road 52 about a half-mile west of Bellamy Brothers Boulevard.

The property is within the Central Pasco Employment Village, which was designated years ago by the county board to create a coordinated vision among a group of landowners.

As adopted, the plan envisions a mixed-use employment village on more than 2,400 acres, located along the south side of State Road 52, roughly between the Collier Parkway Extension and Bellamy Brothers Boulevard.

The employment village is expected to contain commercial, residential and industrial uses.

A system had been developed to allow landowners to swap entitlements among themselves, under the county’s supervision.

But it became clear in this case that those swaps don’t always go smoothly.

During a Pasco County Planning Commission hearing on this request, the planning board voted 3-1 to recommend denial of the request, after it appeared that the applicant in this case, George Southworth, of 3KS Family LLLP, could not reach an agreement with Andy Joe Scaglione, of D&D Ranch, who owns the adjacent property.

During the county board’s Aug. 24 public hearing, Cynthia Spidell, a professional planner with the law firm of Stearns, Weaver, Miller, testified that the issues had been worked out between her client and his neighbor.

“The road alignment was changed, which the neighbor is fine with,” Spidell said.

Commissioner Mike Moore said: “the road alignment needed to get worked out.”

Scaglione said he no longer opposes the proposed connection between Eagle II and his  D&D Ranch.

“It’s a shame this wasn’t done at the planning commission, that it had to come to this point,” Scaglione said.

Moore agreed a quicker resolution would have been nice.

Meanwhile, another aspect of the application involves a proposed alignment for a portion of the proposed Orange Belt Trail.

Spidell said her client has agreed to provide 30 feet of the right of way for free, with the county having the option to buy an additional 30 feet of right of way.

The cost of the additional right of way would be based on the average of costs in the area, she said.

Commission Chairwoman Kathryn Starkey said Tampa Bay Water has control of a portion of the right of way and the county is seeking an agreement to use it for the trail.

Sam Beneck, a project manager with the county’s engineering services, has been working to secure an easement from Tampa Bay Water.

He said it appears that Tampa Bay Water is amenable to granting the easement, along with some reasonable conditions.

If that happens, the trail will be going through a beautiful area, Starkey said. But if it doesn’t, the county can purchase the additional land from Southworth.

Moore said he’d prefer to avoid that option.

“You’re going to pay a pretty penny for that,” Moore said, noting the current land values are inflated.

The price tag would be around $465,000 based on the 5.7 acreages needed at a current average cost $81,122, Moore said.

“I’d be concerned paying that high of price for a trail,” the commissioner said.

Starkey is confident the ongoing negotiations with Tampa Bay Water will be successful and the county won’t need to purchase Southworth’s land.

Published September 07, 2022