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Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

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Pasco County Schools proposes $1.7 billion budget

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The Pasco County School Board has proposed a $1.7 billion budget for fiscal year 2022-2023.

The general operating budget increased from $734.5 million to $848.6 million. The capital budget of $455 million represents an increase of $116 million over the current fiscal year.

Superintendent Kurt Browning outlined some key expenses that are part of the proposed budget.

Browning said the district will receive additional state funding of $57.2 million, to accommodate projected growth of 3,588 students and also for recurring expenses.

Pasco Schools Superintendent Kurt Browning said there’s misinformation on social media chatter relating to how much money the school district has available to provide raises for district employees. (File)

That $57.2 million includes:

  • $4.9 million for retirement increases
  • $3 million for health insurance increases
  • $3.2 million for voluntary prekindergarten expansion, and increasing costs for utilities, fuel, materials and supplies, and an increase in its costs for School Resource Officer contracts
  • $7.7 million for an increase of 115 school staff positions
  • $1.4 million for allocations needed for the opening of Kirkland Ranch Academy of Innovation and for allocations associated with Angeline 6-12 Academy, now under construction
  • $6.8 million to continue to increase the minimum base salary for full-time classroom teachers • $9.8 million to raise minimum district salaries to $15 per hour
  • $2.3 million for guest teachers; and, other funds for employee salaries to be negotiated with the union

No new district-level staff allocations are included in the budget.

The capital budget includes:

  • The renovation of Hudson High
  • The construction of a new Gulf High School
  • The construction of Angeline 6-12 Academy
  • A new classroom wing at Starkey K-8
  • Cafeteria renovations, replacement of HVAC systems and infrastructure upgrades at various schools

Funding up, but required spending up, too
Before requesting the board to approve the tentative budget, Browning addressed what he described as “some recent social media chatter regarding excess funds, or funding the district has received over last year’s budget.”

The issue is important because the school board is asking voters for a yea or no vote on whether to levy an additional tax, not to exceed 1 mil, beginning July 1, 2023 and ending no later than June 30, 2027, to support increased salaries for teachers, bus drivers and other non-administrative district employees.

Voters will decide the issue during the Aug. 23 Primary Election.

Browning asked Kevin Shibley, assistant superintendent for administration, “to provide our board and the public with some additional, factual, information that will bring clarity into these recent, misleading, statements.”

Shibley responded: “We know that there has been some comments on social media about the district having plenty of excess, recurring funds, to provide salary increases — not needing a referendum for salaries.”

In essence, Shibley said, the claims are that the district has about $114 million in new money it could use for employee salary increases and would not need a referendum to increase pay.

“I wanted to take a minute to kind of walk the board through this, because I think it’s a perfect example of when $114 million is not $114 million,” Shibley said.

He then broke down the numbers, addressing the categories of expenditures the district must make based on state mandates; increasing costs the district must fund; and expenses the district will need to assume because federal funds provided for COVID-19 relief no longer will be available.

Whenever the district receives increased funding from the state, “a big chunk of that” must be spent for specific purposes, known as categorical spending, Shibley said.

Also, some money comes through the district, but immediately goes back out again, in the form of scholarship payments required by the state, he said.

He cited the example of Family Empowerment Scholarships.

“This is something that hit the district really hard. Last year, the state changed the way that they processed private and homeschool scholarships for students. Instead of paying those scholarships out of a separate bucket at the state level, they are funneling those scholarships through the district.

“So, you will see that we are paying out almost $34 million in scholarships. So, it’s basically the money is coming in on the right hand and immediately it’s going out the door with the left hand,” he said.

Also, while the district received funding increases in some categories, the increases fall far short of the district’s actual expenses, Shibley said.

For instance, there was a $2.9 million increase in transportation funding, he said.

But, according to Betsy Kuhn, the assistant superintendent for support services, state funding for transportation services is roughly half of what it costs to transport the district’s students.

Each 1% in employee raises costs $4.7 million
While the district received more money, most of it cannot be spent to increase employee salaries, Shibley said.

Specifically, the district is facing a state requirement for increased retirement contribution rates for all employees; it must pass along growth dollars to charter schools; and, it has to pay higher costs for software licenses, utility bills, fuel costs and so on, Shibley said.

Other costs include meeting the $15 minimum wage requirement and hiring additional teachers to abide by class size requirements.

Plus, the district will absorb about $10 million in costs that had been paid through the federal government’s COVID relief funds, he said.

In essence, the required spending and increasing costs add up to about $100 million, leaving the district with about $14 million for additional salary increases for employees, Shibley said.

“When you consider that it costs about $4.7 million to give a 1% salary increase to the district’s employees, that means after the teacher salary increase and the minimum wage, we do have enough for an additional 3% increase,” he said.

“I think you’re seeing that the board is budgeting and they’re planning for moderate salary increases for employees, but it is nowhere near the level that is going to catch us up with our surrounding districts,” Shibley said.

Browning told the board: “I thought it was important that we would share publicly, what the real numbers are. A huge portion of what’s on this list that he provided to you is what the state tells us we will and we shall spend, out of money they send to us.”

School board chairwoman Cynthia Armstrong thanked district staff for presenting the numbers, which she said offers transparency to the public.

The school board will have its final public hearing on the budget on Sept. 12 at 6 p.m., in the school board meeting room at the district’s administrative complex, 7227 Land O’ Lakes Blvd., in Land O’ Lakes.

Pasco County Schools budget
Total budget for 2022-2023: $1.7 billion; an increase of $251.8 million, or 17.1%
General fund operating budget: $848.6 million
Capital projects budget: $455 million.
Total tax millage for the 2022-2023 fiscal year: 5.516 mils, a decrease of .294 mils
Under the proposed rate, the homeowner of a $175,000 home, assuming a $25,000 property tax homestead exemption, would pay $44.10 less per year than last year.

Source: Pasco County Schools

Published August 03, 2022

Pasco Clerk’s office warns of fake checks

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Pasco County Clerk & Comptroller Nikki Alvarez-Sowles has issued a warning to the public to be on the lookout for fake checks that appear to be coming from Pasco County government.

Crooks are creating checks that look like they’ve been issued by the county, according to a posting on the clerk’s website.

If you think you’ve received a fake check from the county, the clerk’s office asks that you do not try to cash or deposit it. Instead, recipients of such checks should contact the clerk’s office at 352- 521-4566, Option 3, or 727-847-2411, ext. 4566.

Pasco’s Sheriff’s Office named state Agency of the Year

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The Pasco County Sheriff’s Office has been named the Agency of the Year by the Florida Association of School Resource Officers.

The Pasco County School Board took a few minutes at its July 26 meeting to celebrate the accomplishment.

Michael Baumaister, the school district’s chief of safety and emergency operations, said: “It’s no surprise to me that they were selected, due to the incredible partnership we have with our sheriff’s office and we have with our local police agencies.

“I know there are counties in the state of Florida that cannot say that. I know that for sure.

“What impressed me the most was when the Pasco Sheriff’s Office was going up to the podium to get their award and get their recognition, the Pasco (Sheriff’s) Command insisted that we, from the school board, walk up with them to bask in the honor.

“Col. (Jeff) Harrington gave an eloquent speech and pointed out that this honor was not only for them, but for all of us.

“We really appreciate that.

“This speaks volumes about why we have the best program in the state. It’s not about the egos. It’s really what’s best for our students, our staff. And, we can have honest conversations with each other, which leads to policy change and innovation — that creates a safer environment for our schools.

“We don’t wait for a law to change. We do what’s right, and we do it now,” Baumaister said.

Pasco County Sheriff Chris Nocco also praised the partnership that’s been developed.

“We hear across the state about the friction that can go on between the district and the sheriff’s office, and who’s going to be in charge of what. The good thing about all of us is that it’s about the kids, first. The kids are the priority. It doesn’t matter who gets credit because it’s about helping those kids,” he said.

The sheriff also noted that open lines of communication between the sheriff’s office and the school district can help the district respond when students are in need of mental health counseling or some other kind of support.

Lt. Troy Ferguson of the sheriff’s office also was singled out during the statewide awards celebration when he received a lifetime achievement award.

Assistant Superintendent Betsy Kuhn shared some of her prepared remarks for that celebration with the school board.

Kuhn said: “Lt. Ferguson has been a true partner to Pasco Schools since he became our School Safety Lieutenant in 2015. Lt. Ferguson recognized the need to enhance our school safety plans and took on the project of completely revamping them, at a time when school safety best practices that were needed, were controversial.

“He designed and wrote a comprehensive, safety-focused, yet age-appropriate and sensitive active threat safety plan and prepared it for implementation, well before it was legislatively required.

“Lt. Ferguson is sought out by law enforcement agencies across the country to share his expertise and experience around school safety best practices. He has been a leader in many large-scale changes in the district’s safety efforts,” she said, citing active threat plans and the  See Something, Say Something programs.

He’s involved in threat assessment and recognizes the role of a school resource officer (SRO) is so much more than a law enforcement officer, Kuhn added.

She continued: “He encourages his staff to be involved in their school communities and values mentoring and supporting our students.

“Lt. Ferguson understands and relates to our school culture and district culture so well that we often tease him about being a district employee, as well as a deputy, because he works so well with us.

“He’s hard-working, smart, resourceful and fun to work with, and our district is safer and better because of his vision and leadership,” Kuhn said.

Sheriff Nocco concurred with Kuhn’s remarks. “Troy does a phenomenal job,” he said.

He noted that the school district and sheriff’s office have a true partnership.

“When they started the guardian program, we were the first ones that got it kicked off. We got it running and going.

“People from across Tampa Bay and across the state said, ‘Can we have your training plans?’

“That’s because we were working together.

“There’s no two separate agencies. The guardians are on the same plan we are. We’re all in it together. We’re training together, we’re working together. That makes a huge difference,” Nocco said.

Superintendent Kurt Browning said he’d be remiss if he didn’t express his gratitude.

“When I attend superintendent’s meetings across the state, there are still districts — it’s like sandpaper with their law enforcement folks. I can tune them out because we don’t have that, never did, from Day One,” Browning said.

“Thank you. Thank you for what you do every day in our schools, to keep our students and staffs safe,” the superintendent said.

Don Peace, president of the United School Employees of Pasco (USEP), also offered words of appreciation.

“USEP would like to thank all of our SROs and SSOs (school security officers) for the job that they do each day in protecting and working with our students. They do an outstanding job and they deserve all of the credit that they get,” Peace said.

Published August 03, 2022

Camping for code

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You might call it coding chaos.

At least that’s how it felt at times, when 15 middle schoolers convened at Saint Leo University for a week of coding camp.

From left: Jackson Bryant, Liev Vapner, Gerardo Velez Ruiz and Eric Joseph race the Lego robots they built during Saint Leo University’s School of Computing, Artificial Intelligence, Robotics and Data Science (CARDS) coed robotics camp held on campus in July. (Mike Camunas)

Officially, they were attending the university’s School of Computing, Artificial Intelligence, Robotics, and Data Science (CARDS), a coed robotics camp.

The session, which ran July 18 through July 22, is geared toward youths who are interested in learning about robotics and programming.

Dr. Monika Kiss, interim chair of the Mathematics Department in CARDS, led the camp, which featured campers working in pairs and using Lego Education SPIKE Prime sets.

Campers built “robots” of varying size, shapes and colors and then, after learning the proper coding, programmed them to race, run mazes, and even do a little battle royale.

Dr. Monika Kiss, interim chair of the Mathematics Department in the School of CARD at Saint Leo University, works with Matthew Longshore to help him write code during the coed robotics camp held in July.

All in all, it was one crazy-fun camp.

“I love the craziness — I love the creativity (the kids) have with what they build and design,” Kiss said. “This is not an opportunity they usually have on their middle school campuses, so, hopefully, they get a taste of what they can do, whether with engineering science or coding math, or all of the above.

“They’re trying to come up with something new and innovative, and they’re trying to come up with something to impress their parents, especially after spending a whole week at camp on it. I love it!”

Kiss uses the camp to work with younger kids and to give back to the community. Once the camp starts, the kids learn the basics and use their critical thinking skills to “think outside the box,” and to focus on different types of problem-solving.

Austin Taylor handles his robot during Saint Leo University’s coed robotics camp.

It involves teamwork, as they and their partner determine what they want to make the robot do, then set out to make it happen.

Several campers said they were there to learn coding.

Dezirae Gardner, an 11-year-old Wesley Chapel resident heading into sixth grade at Weightman Middle, said she’s been interested in coding for a long time and jumped at the chance to attend the camp.

“Robotics has a lot to do with math, and I’m pretty good at math,” Gardner said.

“I wanted to learn coding so I could do the math to program robots. I plan to either go into aero (aeronautics) or astronautics once in college.”

Dezirae Gardner, of Wesley Chapel, directs her Lego robot she helped build with a teammate during a coed robotics camp offered by Saint Leo University in July.

Gardner and her partner, Rosalyn Fletcher, built a robot that could navigate a color-coded maze.

“We programmed it to turn whenever it saw the color blue and speed up whenever it sees the color red,” she said.

Twelve-year-old Gerardo Velez Ruiz, of Tampa, also was there to learn to code, but he enjoyed every aspect of the camp.

“I was able to make new friends, stepped up my coding, and the teachers are very nice and the food is awesome! The materials are extremely advanced and new, too, so it has been a great camp,” he said.

He also said he hoped the camp would help him learn the coding system, Python, which is a high-level, interpreted, general-purpose programming language — and easily one of the most popular.

“I like coding myself, but I’m no expert,” Velez Ruiz said. “This was a good place to start.”

Reanna Collins, a second-grade teacher at West Zephyrhills Elementary, assisted Kiss at the camp. Collin has been helping at the camp since 2018.

“I think it’s great for teaching critical thinking,” Collins said. “They learn how to work together and that it takes patience. It’s definitely a different type of camp than something outdoors or more traditional.”

The camp, held in a fourth-floor lab on the university’s campus, encourages campers to explore possibilities.

“They come in, excited and almost take over (the camp),” Kiss said. “They’ll ask, ‘Can I try this? Can I try that?’ Well, yes! That’s the whole point! Go! Try. Experiment. … There’s no instruction book that can teach them exactly what to do, and they learn through trial and error, which is just like any other robotics programming. It’s not a classroom where you’re graded, it’s much more hands-on and innovative and experimental, and it’s clear kids who attend a camp like this, that’s how they thrive and grow and learn.”

Published August 03, 2022

Local health departments monitoring monkeypox outbreak

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County health departments in West Central Florida are monitoring and responding to the nationwide outbreak of monkeypox, according to a news release from the Florida Department of Health-Pasco.

As of July 22, there were cases of monkeypox in at least 43 states and Washington D.C., and no deaths had been reported outside of the endemic countries.

If a case is discovered within the West Central Florida region, the health department will conduct epidemiological investigations to notify possible exposures and offer potential post-exposure prophylaxis.

Health departments in West Central Florida will offer the monkeypox vaccine to high-risk groups, as doses become available from the federal government, the release says.

Current information on monkeypox is available at FloridaHealth.gov.

Case data for monkeypox, as well as other reportable diseases, can be found on FLHealthCharts.gov.

Health care providers who suspect a possible case of monkeypox, should immediately contact their local health department or the 24/7 disease reporting hotline at 850-245-4401.

Local county health departments can help providers obtain monkeypox virus-specific real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing.

Human-to-human transmission generally requires prolonged, face-to-face contact, direct contact with lesion materials, or indirect contact with lesion materials through contaminated items, such as contaminated clothing.

Health care providers should remain vigilant of information related to monkeypox:

  • Monkeypox symptoms, especially among individuals with relevant travel history
  • Transmission and incubation periods
  • Specimen collection
  • Infection control procedures in the home and hospital settings
  • Clinical recognition, and the characteristic rash associated with monkeypox
  • Prophylaxis and possible treatments for monkeypox
  • Monitoring of those exposed to monkeypox

The public also should remain vigilant of the current meningococcal outbreak

Demographic impacts are similar among meningococcal and monkeypox cases. The release says.

The meningococcal vaccines are available for free to high-risk populations at every county health department.

For more information or questions, contact your county health department.

Published August 03, 2022

Metropolitan Ministries seeks help to stock its pantry

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Metropolitan Ministries is turning to the community to help address the critically low inventory at its food warehouse, according to a news release.

The organization is having trouble stocking the food markets in its family support centers, and providing nonperishable food boxes to families who are struggling and counting on the organization for hunger relief.

Metropolitan Ministries is asking the community to help replenish dwindling supplies. (File)

The Ministries has been attempting to purchase food in bulk, but all its traditional vendors and partners are equally strapped, and are delayed in fulfilling orders, or are unable to do so.

“We have faith that between community donations and food purchases, this setback will be resolved. Until then, we are preparing for the situation to get worse before it gets better,”  James Dunbar, associate vice president of outreach and prevention services, said in the release.

Since March 2020, the community has helped to provide 270,000 nonperishable food boxes, 10.9 million meals, and more than $5 million in rent assistance paid directly to landlords to prevent homelessness, the release said.

Metropolitan Ministries recognizes that these are tough times for everyone, but it is asking those who can help to get involved in a grassroots effort to provide nonperishable food donations.

The most needed items are canned meat, peanut butter, boxed cereal, canned vegetables, canned fruit, rice, beans, pasta/sauce, soup, and baby food and formula.

The donation drop-off in Pasco County is on weekdays from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., at 13703 17th St., in Dade City, or at 3214 U.S. 19 in Holiday.

In Hillsborough County, drop-offs are Monday through Saturday from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., at 2101 N. Florida Ave., in Tampa.

Donations also can be made online at MetroMin.org.

Published August 03, 2022

Hillsborough County breaks record on property appraisals

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Hillsborough County continues to report soaring property values, according to a news release from the office of the county’s property appraiser.

These homes are in Heritage Harbor, a community located off Lutz Lake Fern Road, in Lutz. (Mike Camunas)

The average sales price per square foot in 2021 was $200 for residential properties, up from $167 in the prior year. Gross sales for Hillsborough County residential was a record-breaking $12.94 billion, the release said.

Notice of proposed property taxes has been tabulated and will be sent to all Hillsborough County residential and commercial property owners in August.

Ahead of the notices going out, Property Appraiser Bob Henriquez presented figures to the Hillsborough County Commission that provide insight into the Tampa Bay real estate market’s current state and expected county revenue.

“The 2021 figures show a healthy real estate market with soaring property values leading to an uptick in government revenue,” the release said.

“We have observed strong year-over-year growth in building permit activity, sale prices, and transaction volume in all property types. For our taxing authorities, revenue is up 15%, which means more money going back to the communities served,” Henriquez said, in the release.

Under state law, county property appraisers must make annual assessments on the value of the properties within their individual counties.

“While the appraised value is lower than the actual market value, a hot market like Tampa Bay’s still drives an increase in appraised values,” the release said.

Published August 03, 2022

Pasco County continues making progress on jail takeover

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Pasco County is continuing to make strides toward the planned transfer of county jail operations.

The Pasco County Sheriff’s Office has been in charge of the jail, but plans call for switching it over to county administration in fiscal year 2022-2023.

Toward that end, the Pasco County Commission has appointed Stacey Jenkins as chief correctional officer.

It also has provided notice to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) regarding its intent to assume operation and control of the Pasco County Jail.

The county board took those actions at its July 12 meeting, as part of the board’s consent agenda. That means the board voted on those agenda items as part of a packet of actions, without discussion, as part of a single vote.

The board notified the FDLE in a transmittal letter signed by Board Chairwoman Kathryn Starkey.

Background on the issue was detailed in the county board’s July 12 agenda packet.

According to that information, the board certified to the U.S. Department of Justice on Jan. 4, 1998 that the sheriff was the county’s chief correction officer, with full administrative control and responsibility for the county jail.

On April 6 of this year, Pasco County Sheriff Chris Nocco notified the board that he intended to transition the management of the jail to the county.

There have been discussions of an Oct. 1 transfer date, but the county and sheriff must approve the transition in an interlocal agreement.

In another action related to the jail, the board authorized the issuance of not-to-exceed $41 million in bonds to finance the expansion of the county jail and to pay the transactional costs.

Published August 03, 2022

Changes recommended in Villages of Pasadena Hills

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The Pasco County Planning Commission favors changes to the county’s land use plan, to allow greater flexibility within two villages in the Villages of Pasadena Hills (VOPH).

The planning board voted unanimously at its July 7 meeting to recommend approval of the request to the Pasco County Commission, which has final jurisdiction.

Initially, the request had been on the board’s consent agenda, meaning it would be approved as part of a bundle of items without discussion, unless someone objected or had questions.

Planning Commissioner Jonathan Moody asked for the item to be pulled so he could learn more about the request.

The Villages of Pasadena Hills is a special planning area, with its own financial plan.

The district was formed with the aim of creating an orderly way to develop a large area of land in East Pasco, through the creation of a series of specific types of villages.

The proposed changes would apply to Village L and Village M, which are east of Curley Road and north of the Zephyrhills Bypass, according to a memo in the planning board’s agenda packet.

The purpose of the amendment is to provide greater flexibility in the land use mix within each of the villages, and allow more opportunity for more compact areas of development in and around village centers, the memo says. The amendment is necessary to achieve the proposed density for Village L and Village M that is assumed in VOPH’s financial plan.

The current Type 3 Village requirements also would effectively prohibit the build-out of the two villages to their planned density and frustrate the ability to design the villages in accordance to the land use vision plan, the memo adds.

Attorney Clarke Hobby, representing the applicant, told the planning board: “The only reason this plan amendment is before you is when we started working on this project, we realized that we think there was an error in the village typology,” he said.

A Type 3 Village requires a neighborhood edge, which is not more than two units per on 70% of the entire village, Hobby said.

That limitation would result in being able to achieve roughly 40% less than the village entitlements, which amounts to about 1,800 units, Hobby said.

“That’s about a $20 million hit on the VOPH financial plan,” the attorney estimated.

The change that’s being requested would “keep the same entitlements, but allow us to have a more neighborhood general, neighborhood core area as opposed to just a sprawling area of not more than two units per acre, which is not efficient,” Hobby said.

There was no other public comment at the meeting.

The land use change is the first part of the process. The land also would need to be rezoned before it could be developed. A rezoning request is being pursued for the designation of a  master-planned unit development.

Published August 03, 2022

Project at I-75 and State Road 52 moves closer to approval

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The Pasco County Planning Commission has recommended approval of a rezoning request to clear the way for a project known as Pasco Town Center, on roughly 1,000 acres at the southeast quadrant of Interstate 75 and State Road 52.

Pasco County will seek to build a project known as Pasco Town Center at the southeast quadrant of Interstate 75 and State Road 52. (MIKE CAMUNAS)

The request now goes to the Pasco County Commission, which has final jurisdiction on land use and zoning matters.

This won’t be the first time the county board considers the project.

It approved an economic incentive deal on June 7, with Columnar Holders, relating to the proposed project, which includes 4 million square feet of industrial space; 725,000 square feet of office space; 3,500 housing units; 400,000 square feet of retail and 300 hotel rooms.

The agreement terms provide a $55.8 million package for Columnar, funded mostly through property tax rebates, as specific milestones are met.

The development company also will install key roads and utility connections beyond the Pasco Town Center Property – providing $70.1 million in public infrastructure, with no direct cost to taxpayers, David Engel, the county’s director of the office of economic growth, said at the June 7 county board meeting.

Pasco Town Center is within the Employment Center area of Connected City.

Joel Tew, attorney for the applicant, described the project to the planning board at its July 21 meeting.

“We’re talking about thousands and thousands of jobs,” he said.

“We must use at least 55% of the land — in this case, we’re talking over 1,000 acres of land, so we’re talking about over 500 acres of land must be allocated and used for corporate business park, targeted business or industrial use,” Tew said.

“We then must use at least 20% for residential uses, but they can’t be single-family detached. So, everything has to be multifamily or townhomes to support the employment center.

“Then, finally, we have to use at least 5% for support commercial uses for the employment center,” he said.

Planning Commissioner Chris Williams, who also is the director of planning for Pasco County Schools, noted that the residential entitlements are double what had been previously proposed.

That raises the issue of the potential need of a school site within the project site, Williams said.

Tew responded: “For the record, we understand that concern.”

He also noted that there’s still a significant amount of land that has not yet been committed to a particular use, so he is confident that a suitable site could be identified.

At the planning board’s meeting, Engel explained the significance of the Pasco Town Center project.

“It’s vitally important for our economic future because it is the heart of our economic development area, on I-75 and (State Road) 52, employment node,” he said.

It will provide infrastructure — the public spine roads and the master utility lines—for the employment center area, as well as to areas to the east, he said.

The Office of Economic Growth wanted to ensure the elements of the economic development agreement were carried through to the master-planned unit development (MPUD) level, so it has worked closely with the county’s planning department to ensure that happened, he said.

County planners recommended approval of the request.

Neighbors seek to protect their tranquility
Carol Roth, who lives on McKendree Road, appeared before the planning board, along with her daughter and granddaughter. All three women raised concerns about the impacts the sizable project will have on their way of life.

“When we came into this area, it was beautiful and serene,” Roth said.

“I feel it is the obligation of Pasco County government to protect me and my environment and my land, as you allow for growth for business and other people. I’ve lived there over 50 years, I built that home and I’ve enjoyed what I have.

“I’ve enjoyed its inherent beauty. I don’t know if people are familiar with rural Pasco, but it’s a distinct beauty,” she said.

She also noted that her property has a variance for an air strip and wanted assurances that wouldn’t be affected, if future plans call for a new school nearby.

Roth said she’s not against development, she’s against the impacts that come with this type of development.

“What happens to the little people who own 20 acres right across the street?” she said.

Her granddaughter noted that the family built their home “with their own sweat and blood.”

She expressed concerns about impacts on wildlife in an area where gators walk across their property, dozens of turkeys hang out there, and there’s sandhill cranes and other creatures.

Safety is an issue, too, she said.

Roth’s daughter noted that all of the development will create light pollution, resulting in a loss of access to the night sky, and the sense of stillness and awe they currently enjoy.

Brad Tippin, the county’s development manager, said the county doesn’t anticipate any conflicts with the landing field from future development. He also noted that plans call for realigning McKendree Road, which would push traffic further away from the family’s home.

Tew said that whenever development occurs, it will be required to meet buffering, setback and landscaping requirements.

Planning Commissioner Jon Moody observed: “We can’t stop Tampa from extending northward. I don’t think there’s anything we can do to stop that kind of growth. The population continues to grow, the people up North keep coming. And, from the looks of things, it looks like it’s going to keep coming.”

Moody said he understands the family’s concerns, noting he won’t pay for streetlights in his neighborhood because he enjoys the night sky, too.

“But I can’t guarantee that the next 100-acre tract over or the one after that is not going to get built on; I don’t own it,” he said.

He also noted this project is “going to bring a lot of jobs, probably desperately needed  jobs.”

Planning Commissioner Jaime Girardi agreed: “Growth is coming. It’s inevitable.”

At least now, both Girardi and Moody said, the county is planning for growth.

Planning Commissioner Williams added: “My family has been here for five generations, here in Pasco County.”

He, too, enjoys the rural nature of where he lives, Williams said.

But he added: “I can’t dictate what my neighbor decides they want to do with their property.”

Planning board chairman Charles Grey added: “We’re aware, keenly aware, of growth and how it affects areas that we once thought were going to be that way forever.”

This project has been thought out and will have considerable benefit, Grey said.

“There’s going to be a downside as far as you’re concerned because of the growth, but the upside is, at some stage, you may want to sell that property, and when you do, it’s going to be worth a lot more money, because of it,” Grey said.

Published July 27, 2022