The Laker/Lutz News

Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

Local News

Planning board urges county to speed up reviews

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As the Pasco County Planning Commission considered a request for a special plan reviewer for the Villages of Pasadena Hills (VOPH), planning board members took the opportunity to encourage the county to find ways to speed up its development review process.

The VOPH asked the county to dedicate a specific planner to handle plan reviews within the special district, which county staff resisted.

“I think their general thought was since they’re paying an extra fee that is not paid throughout the rest of the county that that entitles them to their own reviewer,” said David Goldstein, chief assistant county attorney.

But Nectarios Pittos, the county’s director of planning and development, and Ernest Monoco, manager of special districts, said having a specific planner to handle those issues is not a viable solution.

The planning board ultimately agreed with the staff, to recommend to the Pasco County Commission that it rejects the request for the dedicated VOPH planner. But they also urged county staff to find a way to shorten the amount of time needed to complete the county’s development review process.

Planning Commissioner Jaime Girardi put it like this: “I know it’s unprecedented times for the county, and this isn’t obviously the forum for the discussion. But I know there’s a lot of developers out there that are getting extremely concerned with lengths of review time, lengths of pre-application times. Because they see the fees that they’re paying and they know those fees are getting collected, yet there’s not allocation to hire additional staff to support the workload.

“Everybody here understands the problem, and it’s a great problem to have, but it’s out there. I just want to make sure that it’s getting taken care of.”

Girardi continued: “You have great staff here, but I feel they’re under more and more stress every single day, from everybody. I worry for the people here, as much as anything.”

Planning Commissioner Peter Hanzel added: “Is there a possibility you could contract with a vendor out there who could do some of the work, and therefore kind of catch you up? There’s got to be a corporation or a business or a private entity that can bring in some people, do the work — you contract that work out for a short period of time. You only need that manpower for a short period of time anyway.”

But Monoco explained: “The review is more than just the planner. You distribute the review to various entities within different departments. There’s a lot of coordination. It’s bigger than just a particular division within the planning department.”

Richard Tonello, representing the Pasco School Board on the planning board, said the school district takes part in those reviews.

“It’s a huge undertaking. People have to know the county. They have to know the land use. The land development code. There’s a lot to learn. You just can’t farm that out. It’s very difficult,” Tonello said.

Goldstein added:  “In my experience, consultants are best utilized for specific tasks, for specific projects.

“I would say that normal standard review of zonings and MPUDs (master-planned unit developments) is probably still best handled by internal staff.”

Board Chairman Charles Grey said “I think it’s important, Jaime, that you brought that to everyone’s attention. I think we all know it. Sometimes it’s a good idea to just vocalize it.”

Planning board members, Grey said, have been hearing complaints about how long it takes to go through the process.

“Of course, they (those complaining) don’t realize how much work goes into it,” Grey said.

The chairman also acknowledged Goldstein’s comment that “you can’t just necessarily hire somebody off the street to do certain functions of the review process because it takes a lot of expertise, a lot of background information.”

Planning Commissioner Chris Poole noted: “This is not unique to Pasco. All of the surrounding counties are experiencing the same thing. The county immediately to the south is much worse.”

Pittos said there are proposed initiatives in the 2022 Pasco County budget to help planning and development to obtain more resources and more people, but final action on the budget won’t be taken until September.

Meanwhile, Planning Commissioner Roberto Saez said the City of Clearwater and Pinellas County are outsourcing engineering services and it has sped up their reviews.

Published July 07, 2021

Input needed for New Tampa park

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Hillsborough County is asking residents for their input into what will become a regional destination park in the New Tampa area.

Branchton Park, 15504 Morris Bridge Road, currently includes a small parking area, shelter, playground and a basketball court.

The improvement plan will create new amenities for the community.

Depending on the suggestions from residents, features in the park could include small and large dog parks, multiple playgrounds, more shelters, a splash pad, walking trails, pickleball and multi-use courts, and gathering spaces.

The improvements would be built on land south of the park.

Enhancements will be implemented in phases, with work on the first phase expected to begin later this year.

An estimated 45,000 residents live within a 10-minute drive to the park.

Those interested in filling out the survey can visit PublicInput.com/BranchtonRegionalPark_Media.

Published July 07, 2021

Officials praise Pasco’s progress

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Pasco County Tax Collector Mike Fasano has personally witnessed how the area where he grew up and now governs has evolved over the past several decades.

Case in point: When Fasano moved with his family to the Holiday area some 50 years ago as a 12-year-old boy, he recalls seeing signage advertising homes selling for just $6,999.

That’s quite the far cry from today, with billboards promoting $300,000 to $500,000 residences along State Road 52 and 54.

“It’s just absolutely amazing where we’ve come over time,” said Fasano, speaking during an East Pasco Networking Group breakfast meeting earlier this month, at IHOP in Dade City.

Pasco County Tax Collector Mike Fasano, left, stands alongside East Pasco Networking Group chairman Nils Lenz. Fasano was the featured guest speaker during a group breakfast meeting earlier this month, at IHOP in Dade City. (Diane Kortus)

The area’s reputation also is changing, Fasano said.

“Pasco has changed over time, not only politically, but also as far as the businesses in Pasco County.

“We’re no longer the stepchild to Pinellas and Hillsborough (counties), if you will. We’re now looked at as a leading community, and you can see it, especially in the Wesley chapel area, the Land O’ Lakes area,” he said.

The emerging growth in Pasco and surrounding Tampa Bay area is being felt at the local tax collector’s office, too.

Fasano said the agency sees roughly 60,000 in-person customers per week across its five branch offices — in Dade City, Gulf Harbors, Land O’ Lakes, New Port Richey, Wesley Chapel — not including additional services handled via phone, mail or website.

This is up from around 40,000 customers per week at only four branches when Fasano first was appointed to the role in 2013 by then Florida Gov. Rick Scott, and following 18 years served as a legislator in the Florida House and Senate.

Anticipating a forthcoming population boost, the agency swiftly opened a new branch back in August 2014, in Compark 75 at 4610 Pet Lane, just off Wesley Chapel Boulevard.

When it first opened, the office in southeast Pasco was serving just 50 customers per day, Fasano said.

It’s now averaging anywhere from 600 to 800 customers daily, and is the tax collector’s second-busiest office, he said.

With that, the agency also is considering opening up yet another office somewhere along State Road 54 or State Road 52 near the Suncoast Parkway “because that area is growing,” said Fasano.

“All you need to do is drive up, especially (State Road) 54, it’s luxury apartment complex after luxury apartment complex — a lot of them are younger families needing services, driver’s licenses, (because) they’re moving in from out of state,” he explained.

Busy offices are not just a byproduct of the county’s residential and business growth, however.

Some partly is due to word spreading that the Pasco Tax Collector doesn’t require appointments for service (except for road tests) and also welcomes out-of-county residents from surrounding Hernando, Hillsborough and Pinellas counties.

Helping non-Pasco residents mitigates financial losses the agency takes on handling motor vehicle-related services, Fasano said, noting it’s Florida Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles that takes in most of those fees, and not the county.

The blanket, come-all service is something Fasano takes pride in — noting tax collectors in adjacent counties oftentimes require appointments two or three weeks in advance, while only serving their respective county residents.

“We welcome everyone,” Fasano said, proudly. “We have people that come up from Hillsborough County, pleading us, ‘Please don’t change it, please don’t change it,’ because they come up there, and wait maybe 30 minutes, 40 minutes or 45 minutes, and they’re able to get the service. It’s either wait 35 or 45 minutes, or you wait three weeks with Hillsborough County to get an appointment.”

Conversely, Fasano pointed out even the Hillsborough County Tax Collector’s Office (and its eight branches) appreciates Pasco shouldering the workload.

“Hillsborough County loves us,” Fasano said.

“They’re happy that we’re taking their customers because it’s less people that have to make these appointments and yell at them down there.

“They, in fact, say to people, ‘Hey look, if you need something done right now, go up to Pasco.’”

The Pasco Tax Collector is open all five days a week from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., while 4 p.m. onward is reserved for Pasco residents only.

Pasco residents also can get service on Saturdays, from 8:30 a.m. to noon, at the branches in Gulf Harbors and near Wesley Chapel.

“We wanted to make sure that Pasco residents have a day to themselves and that’s what happens on Saturday, and I will tell you that Pasco residents love it,” Fasano said.

He added: “I’ve got to make certain that we take care of our Pasco residents. They’re the ones that pay our salary, my salary, and the rest of our employees.”

The Pasco Tax Collector is mandated for a number of responsibilities, including providing driver licenses, auto registrations, property taxes, hunting and fishing permits, concealed weapons permits, birth certificates, fingerprints, vehicle identification checks, business receipt taxes and other services.

Fasano said the agency recently has witnessed an “an enormous amount” of title transfer on cars and boats, speculating it could be a result of stimulus dollars and returns on income taxes coming through.

The Gulf Harbors office recently handled over 800 boat titles in just one business day, he said.

“My staff tell me, after seeing all this title work on boats, they wonder if there’s boats out there to buy anymore, you know,” Fasano quipped.

Issuing concealed weapons permits also is bourgeoning, with Fasano pointing out the county leads in the state in terms of providing or renewing such permits: “It’s way ahead of every other county,” he said.

He then joked, “I think our office has armed everyone in Pasco.”

Prioritizing tax collector employees
One of Fasano’s more notable undertakings has been increasing wages and promotional opportunities for its some 200-plus employees at the tax collector’s office.

Starting salary was around $9 per hour when Fasano first arrived to the constitutional post.

“We had employees who were employed at our tax collector office for over 10 years collecting food stamps. Unacceptable. We changed that immediately,” he said.

Now the starting wage for an entry-level customer service representative is $16 per hour.

“Our employees are making a decent salary where they don’t have to reach out, and probably not need a second job any longer,” he said.

“I’ve had employees come to us and say they are now buying homes,” he added.

Fasano underscored the necessity to increase wages — to keep governmental effectiveness, reduce office turnover and otherwise “to let our employees know that they are important, that they are the key to keeping our county going.”

He observed, “Let’s remember this, we collect the taxes, and we provide those dollars to our board of county commissioners, to our school board, to mosquito control, to water district, to CDDs (community developmental districts), to paying those at the county collecting the street lights services and the road assessments, and the list goes on.

“If we’re not around, nobody can collect those dollars, so we needed to stay open to make certain that people were able to pay their taxes, and we could collect them and turn those dollars over to the taxing entities, and we’ve been successful in doing that.”

Meanwhile, Pasco County Chief Deputy Tax Collector Tim Couet has developed a leadership program where lower-level employees within the organization are identified by branch managers and directors for training for future advancement opportunities.

“We have made it a goal that when a new position of leadership opens up, we do not go outside our offices to hire someone,” Fasano said.

“If I have to go outside to Ohio or New York or wherever to hire somebody for a management position, for a director’s position, or for a supervisory position, I haven’t done my job.

“Two-hundred nine (employees), there has to be someone in there that’s qualified to take that job, and we’ve been successful over the past seven years. We’ve made it our policy that we will hire within.”

Published June 30, 2021

Tampa International Airport is ‘recovering aggressively’

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There’s no doubt that Tampa International Airport — like airports across the country — took a major hit from the COVID-19 pandemic, but the airport is taking steps toward an aggressive recovery.

That was a key point shared by Veronica Cintron, the airport’s vice president of communications, during a Zoom presentation in early June to members of the North Tampa Bay Chamber of Commerce.

Veronica Cintron is the vice president of communications at Tampa International Airport. (Courtesy of Tampa International Airport)

As more Americans are getting vaccinated — and with summer vacation season here — air travel is experiencing an uptick.

The Tampa airport, known as TPA for short, saw about 62,000 passengers on the Monday of Memorial Day weekend — making it the second busiest day of the pandemic. The only day that had been busier to date was Wrestlemania Sunday, which recorded 66,000 passengers in a single day, Cintron said.

“Leisure is recovering far more aggressively than business,” she told North Tampa Bay Chamber members.

Initial expectations were that it would take two years to three years for business travel to return.

But, Cintron said: “I am telling you, in being at the airport, you’re starting to see those folks who are wearing their logo shirts, they’re wearing company clothes. They’re coming with their carry-ons and you know they’re business travelers. We were not expecting to see that now.”

Business travel is now expected to resume quicker than initially thought, she said.

“We are recovering aggressively,” she said. The airport expects to be back to pre-pandemic seat capacity as early as September, Cintron added.

While traffic is picking up now, the bottom dropped out in 2020 because of COVID-19.

The airport was coming off 22 million passengers in 2019, leading up to the pandemic. It expects to be at 16 million passengers for fiscal year 2021.

“Early on, we got hit. Think about the impact when you see, at your worst, in this pandemic, we saw maybe 1,500 passengers in one day. In one day, for an entire airport complex. Think about that,” she said.

Passengers are still required to wear masks in the nation’s airports, including Tampa International Airport.

“It was eerie. It was like a ghost town.

“So, for our retailers and our restaurants, and the different concessionaires that operate out of the airport, many of them had to close. It was not sustainable to be open, when nobody is coming,” Cintron said.

The airport’s projected revenue losses exceeded $300 million, Cintron said, which is amplified because the airport is a regional economic driver.

“During shutdowns all over the country, people were still flying here. They wanted to be outside. They wanted to enjoy those outdoor attractions,” Cintron said, and they wanted to enjoy the area’s beautiful beaches.

TPA also was one of the first to develop a comprehensive safety program. It installed acrylic barriers, instituted social distancing for seating and required masks.

“We led the nation in doing so, really creating a model for other airports to follow, at a time of great uncertainty,” Cintron said, and the airport’s efforts led to international recognition.

The financial well-being of the airport has a spillover effect on the region.

As the nation’s 28th busiest airport, TPA supports 10,500 jobs directly and 121,000 jobs indirectly. It has an estimated $14 billion impact on the economy.

The three largest airlines, by market share at TPA, are Southwest, American and Delta. The most popular markets for passengers flying from TPA are New York, Chicago and Atlanta, Cintron said.

There are about 500 daily flight operations at TPA, including 90 nonstop destinations. The airport has about 30 international destinations.

Tampa International Airport used a number of approaches to keep passengers safe during COVID-19. Here, passengers are shown social distancing at airport shuttles, which are used to get to the gates.

As TPA looks ahead, it is always seeking to enhance its services, Cintron said.

Recently, Breeze Airways chose TPA for its inaugural market with nonstop flights from Tampa to Charleston, South Carolina. The airline plans to operate 10 inaugural routes from TPA, mostly to cities not currently served, including Louisville, Kentucky and Richmond, Virginia.

“When there’s competition, it benefits all of us,” Cintron said.

TPA’s international travel is beginning to pick up, but that’s happening gradually, Cintron said.

Copa Airline, which serves Panama City, Panama, returned to the airport in early June, and British Airways was expected to return later in the month. Grand Cayman expects to return this fall.

All of those plans are subject to change, however, because of the uncertainty about international travel at this point in the pandemic, Cintron said.

TPA continues planning for the future.

“Airport expansion is a key thing to make sure we are prepared for more passengers,” she said.

“Whether we’re a 22 million passenger a year airport, or a 25 million passenger a year airport, we are going to have the infrastructure to support that kind of traffic and demand.”

And, regardless if it’s building a new airside, adding an office tower, expanding parking or increasing shopping and dining options — the focus is on the customer experience, Cintron said.

“If our customers are happy, we’re doing our jobs and we take a lot of pride in doing that.

“We didn’t get the title of America’s favorite airport because we were offering three-star service. Everything we do at Tampa International Airport, we do as a five-star service for our customers,” Cintron said.

Tampa International Airport Accolades
No. 1 Medium-size Airport in U.S., 2019, Wall Street Journal
No. 2 Large Airport in North America, J.D. Power
No. 2 Best Large Airport, USA Today
Top 3 Airports in North America; Top 5 Airports in the World, Airports Council International
No. 4 Best Airport in U.S., Travel and Leisure
Source: Tampa International Airport

Tampa International Airport By the Numbers

  • Four airsides/58 gates
  • 70 shops and restaurants
  • 23,000 parking spaces
  • 500 daily flight operations
  • 90-plus nonstop destinations
  • 30 international destinations

Revised on June 30, 2021

Zephyrhills golf course to stay open, for now

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A roomful of passionate golfers could be seen holding up signs reading, “Save, Save, Save Our Course,” at a June 14 Zephyrhills City Council meeting.

The showy display of activism inside City Hall chambers came in response to recent reports of the Florida Army National Guard scouting the Zephyrhills Municipal Golf Course as a prime spot for a new $25 million armory development.

Turns out, these residents need not worry about the future of the longstanding 18-hole, par 68 course, after all.

The Florida Army National Guard is considering various parcels throughout Zephyrhills to develop a $25 million armory, including a 14-acre tract on the northside of the Zephyrhills Municipal Airport. (Courtesy of Florida Army National Guard)

That’s because the National Guard has all but changed course — instead evaluating a number of other would-be armory locations, so as to not impact the golf facility, located at southwest quadrant of the Zephyrhills Municipal Airport, at 39248 B Ave.

This includes strongly considering a 14-acre tract on the northside of the municipal airport, Zephyrhills City Manager Billy Poe said during the meeting.

“We’re trying to find another location (for the armory),” Poe said. “Nothing has been finalized yet, but we are working on that.”

State lawmakers recently approved allocating the substantial appropriation to the military organization, for a future training ground in Zephyrhills. (Armories are used for

equipment storage, recruiting, personal training, educational training, and general administration offices.)

While an armory location has not yet been finalized, the city manager assured council members and residents the city golf course more than likely will stay in operation.

Said Poe, “I can’t say that it’s completely off the table until everything’s signed, but the serious conversations are on the other (14-acre) parcel, because the guard realizes that they don’t want to take over an existing golf course; they’ve made that comment.”

Poe also made clear that he’ll keep the community abreast on any changes in conversations between the city and the guard.

“It’s not a decision that’s made in the dark, in a vacuum by staff,” he said.

“It has to come back before council, so right now, the guard is evaluating if that 14 acres is sufficient for their needs.

“The last conversation we had (with the guard), it appeared to be, so that is the direction we’re moving — the golf course will remain, and the guard will land on another property.”

The municipal golf facility was established in 1957, then opened in 1978.

It’s regarded as a low-cost alternative compared to surrounding courses, where snowbirds, seniors and others flock to during the year.

It’s also been described as veteran-friendly, accommodating to beginners, slower players and individuals with physical disabilities.

Zephyrhills City Councilman Charles Proctor (File)

Course management staff have stated the facility can average upwards of 1,500 players per week and some 6,000 rounds per month, during the busy winter season between October through February.

The course’s future has been a hot topic over the last several council meetings, given the guard’s armory situation and questions surrounding the golf facility’s upkeep and overall value to the community.

Even with Poe’s well-received revelation, several town residents still felt the need to stress the importance of the outdoor recreational staple.

Tom Darby, who lives in Tropical Acre Estates, said the airport golf course is “one of the best courses for senior citizens,” given its shorter yardage and lack of hills compared to other nearby offerings.

Darby also suggested if the golf facility was to shut down to make way for an armory — “the worst-case scenario,” he said — the city should develop another municipal course somewhere else in town to accommodate an area “full of senior citizens.”

Meanwhile, Zephyrhills resident Valerie Snell questioned why city administration would bring the golf course issue to the fore during a time many snowbirds who play the course have already left the area to spend summer up north.

Snell observed, “The population of this city drops by 75% in the spring, because of all the snowbirds that go back home, and I know that there are a lot of people that use that course, and before any decisions are made, I would hope that you would let them be heard, also.”

Regarding this statement, the city manager acknowledged wintertime would’ve created “perfect timing” for snowbird residents being in town to comment in person.

However, state appropriations being at stake is “why the conversation started now” compared to delaying the task for several months, Poe responded.

“It wasn’t to eliminate or prohibit citizens from coming in and speaking, it’s just the circumstances dictated the timing of it,” he said.

“Unfortunately, circumstances sometimes dictate when we have to make decisions and when we have to have the meetings, and this is one of those times, where conversations have to take place now and can’t wait until the wintertime, so that’s the reasons why the conversations started a few weeks ago.”

Snell then asked if these part-time Zephyrhills residents, among others, could send letters of support for the golf course.

The Zephyrhills Municipal Golf Course is designed to provide a public, low-cost alternative compared to other courses in the area. The 18-hole, par 68 course is known as a haven for snowbirds and beginners alike. The Florida National Guard initially was eyeing the course for a new armory, but is evaluating other parcels. (File)

In response, Poe encouraged the community involvement on all fronts: “That’s perfectly acceptable, to have them send letters of support. I’ve received a couple in the last couple weeks, so if there’s individuals that want to send letters of support, that’s perfectly fine, and those can be entered into the record, just the same as you are here today.”

Toward the end of the meeting, the course’s pro shop manager Craig Sexton submitted a stack of hard-copy petitions from local golfers pleading the council to keep the facility in play.

He also made some brief comments addressing council members: “I’d just like to leave (these petitions) with you, and I’d just like to simply say, ‘Thank you.’ It takes a lot of stress off us.”

The municipal course has at least one ardent legislative champion in Councilman Charles Proctor.

He made it clear he would not support any development project that would jeopardize the links — a position which drew rounds of applause from those seated in attendance.

“I would just like to let the people know that are involved with the golf course that I would never vote to take away your golf course,” Proctor said.

“I know you all enjoy it, you get a lot of use out of it, so I can’t speak for the rest (of the council), but I would never vote to take away your golf course. It’s been a part of Zephyrhills for a long time, and I wouldn’t even attempt to try to take it away.

“Nothing is ever in stone in life, we all know that, but I believe our city manager and our city employees are working hard to make this work for both parties.”

Discussion about the course’s future originally came up during an early May meeting to approve a lease agreement with Under Par Inc., to continue to serve as course management operators.

Poe at the time disclosed how the guard had targeted the golf course property for purchase — likely to be a substantial offer — among other site alternatives and parcels throughout the city, following the wave of expansion funding from the state.

Armed with that information, council members tabled the lease renewal for future discussion, as the city’s present agreement with Under Par doesn’t expire until April 2022.

Published June 30, 2021

Barbecue and classic car event planned for July 4 weekend

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A Backyard BBQ and Classic Car Show has been set for Independence Day weekend, in downtown Zephyrhills.

The Zephyrhills City Council cleared the way for the event, by granting a special event request from the Zephyrhills chapter of the Fraternal Order of the Eagles.

The downtown event, set for July 3 from 1 p.m. to 9 p.m., will require the closure of some downtown streets.

The streets that will be closed from noon to 10 p.m. are:

  • Fifth Avenue, from Seventh Street to Ninth Street
  • Eighth Street, from Fourth Avenue to Sixth Avenue

Alcohol will be available in a designated area, with off-duty Zephyrhills Police Department officers on hand throughout the event.

The event on July 3 will feature barbecue contests and a classic car show. (Courtesy of Zephyrhills Eagles #3752 Facebook Page)

City staff recommended approval of the request, which council members approved unanimously at their June 14 meeting.

An online flyer of the event promotes vendors, hot rods, prizes, live bands, barbecue contests, a full bar and more.

While council members expressed enthusiasm for having the event during the Independence Day weekend, they also advised event organizers that in the future they must coordinate downtown events in advance through Main Street Zephyrhills Inc., and the Zephyrhills Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA).

Such coordination is intended to help prevent scheduling conflicts with other downtown events and to control the closure of roads, which could affect surrounding businesses and properties along Fifth Avenue, they said.

Council Vice President and CRA Board President Jodi Wilkeson made those issues clear during the meeting.

But she added: “I think this is a great opportunity for the Eagles to promote the downtown community.”

City Manager Billy Poe addressed the councilwoman’s concerns directly.

He explained now that Main Street has just filled its director position with the hiring of Faith Wilson, staffers will be more insistent with local organizations wishing to host downtown events to follow proper communication channels.

“That conversation’s gonna ramp up a little bit more,” Poe said. “I think as we move forward, we’ll have some more communication about different events and how do we coordinate everything together.”

That said, Poe suggested the council go ahead and approve this latest request from the Eagles.

“What the Eagles are putting on is what we want downtown,” Poe said, noting their prior events have attracted visitors from Lakeland and other locales.

Council President Alan Knight added he’s “very happy” to see the downtown barbecue and car show come about.

But Knight wanted assurance from the organization that attendees limit alcohol consumption to a specified block, and not throughout the entire event.

“We just don’t want (drinkers) wandering around or running through town,” Knight said.

Zephyrhills Eagles representative Reed Sutton said the group is amenable to each of the council’s requests and accommodations.

“We are a nonprofit organization, and we are here to help downtown Zephyrhills to grow back up and be something exciting,” Sutton told council members.

“We will do whatever we have to do to work with you city members…and whatever you need from us, we’re here, and we’ll back ya’ll and do whatever we have to do,” Sutton added.

The Zephyrhills Eagles run their charity operation out of a two-story former bank brick building, at 38421 Fifth Ave., in Zephyrhills

Their regular events and programming include bingo, darts, pool, card games, karaoke, live music, line dancing instruction, and more.

The international nonprofit organization was founded “on a premise of proud, caring, people helping people with a passion for community service.”

Published June 30, 2021

Dade City library closed for remodeling

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The Hugh Embry Library, 14215 Fourth St., in Dade City, as of June 26 is closed for remodeling.

The library’s new look will include a complete floor-to-ceiling renovation, with updated technology, new furnishings, high-efficiency air conditioning and high-speed internet.

The Hugh Embry Library in Dade City will get a new look, with extensive work expected to start soon. (Courtesy of Pasco County Libraries)

The modernized interior will offer new spaces for adults, teens and kids, meeting spaces, and a central service desk.

The extensive work is expected to begin soon.

To see a rendering of the proposed library updates, visit PascoLibraries.org/hugh-embry-library-remodel/.

“Most of the libraries were built in the 1980s, and we’re excited to completely reimagine the library experience for everyone in Pasco County,” said Bob Harrison, libraries program manager, in a news release.

The renovations are part of the General Obligation Bond (GO Bond) Referendum that Pasco County voters passed in November 2018.

The library is expected to reopen in the spring of 2022.

Patrons can continue to check out books and other materials at open library locations throughout the county, including the newly renovated New River and Centennial Park branches.

The South Holiday Library also remains closed for remodeling.

Published June 30, 2021

Gas station rezoning requested delayed in Lutz

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A rezoning request that would clear the way for a gas station, car wash and convenience store in Lutz has been delayed — again.

The issue was set to be heard on June 14, but has been pushed back until Aug. 16 to allow the applicant to make a correction on the site plan for the project.

Cami Corbett, with the law firm of Hill Ward Henderson, represents the applicant RKM Development.

“We realized late last week that we had an error on our site plan, with respect to screening along U.S. 41 and that is a change that by code must be made prior to the site plan deadline,” Corbett said.

The applicant failed to meet the deadline, necessitating a continuance, she explained.

“We are also hoping to have an opportunity to meet with some of the members of the community who have filed letters of opposition in the last couple of weeks. They came in sort of in the last two weeks and we haven’t had time to meet with them, so we’re hoping we can utilize this time to meet with them,” Corbett said.

Lutz resident Michelle Parks wanted to know the likelihood of the request actually being heard on Aug. 16, given the fact it has been repeatedly continued in the past.

She also asked how the applicant plans to get in touch with interested members of the community.

A zoning official said there is a time limit regarding continuances, but he wasn’t able to immediately identify when that would expire, if for some reason the hearing is continued beyond Aug. 16.

Corbett said: “We will be sending out a notice, not only to our notice list and the HOAs (homeowner associations) on our notice list, but also to anyone who has registered an objection into the record.”

She said anyone who is not yet part of the record but who wants to be contacted, can ask the county staff for her information and contact her directly.

“We would be happy to meet with anyone who wants to meet,” Corbett said.

The new hearing date is set for Aug. 16 at 6 p.m., in the Robert W. Saunders Sr. Public Library, 1505 N. Nebraska Ave., in Tampa.

The applicant is seeking to rezone the 2.6-acre parcel at 18601 U.S. 41, to allow a 4,650-square-foot convenience store and 16 gas pumps, as well as a car wash.

The parcel is adjacent to an existing Walgreens store.

The land, owned by Lutz Realty and Investment LLC, currently is zoned for agricultural and single-family conventional use. The request calls for rezoning the site to become a planned development zoning.

The request has attracted opposition, with opponents voicing objections in emails, which are included in the application’s case file.

The request also was discussed during a community meeting on June 2 at the Lutz Train Depot.

Opponents claim that the request is contrary to the Lutz Community Plan.

They also cite concerns about increasing traffic at the intersection of Sunset Lane and U.S. 41, which they said already poses dangers for motorists.

Concerns also were expressed about potential water contamination, negative impacts on property values, noise and possible negative impacts to the environment.

Those objecting also say another gas station isn’t needed, and some said they won’t patronage the business, if it is built.

While opponents are calling for denial of the request, planners from Hillsborough County’s Planning Commission have found the request to be consistent with the county’s long-range plan.

“Overall, Planning Commission staff finds this proposed use and intensity to be compatible with the surrounding area,” according to a report by Planning Commission planner David Hey.

“The proposed development also fulfills the intent of the Lutz Community Plan,” Hey added to the report that’s included in the application case file.

After the zoning hearing master considers the request, the hearing master’s recommendation will go to the Hillsborough County Commission, which has final jurisdiction over land use and zoning issues.

Published June 30, 2021

Worth The Trip

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Cross Creek: Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings’ spiritual home
Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings followed an unlikely path from Rochester, New York, to a rustic farmhouse in the woods of Cross Creek in rural central Florida.

Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings, author of ‘The Yearling,’ is seen here picking Gerbera daisies in her garden at Cross Creek. )Courtesy of Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings Papers, Special and Area Studies Collections, George A. Smathers Libraries, University of Florida, Gainesville)

She went from writing unpopular Gothic stories to endearing tales of life at the Creek and catapulted to international fame as the author of “The Yearling,” a story of a boy, Jody, and his deer, Flag. The novel won the Pulitzer Prize in 1939 and was made into a movie starring Gregory Peck.

Sight unseen, she and her then-husband, also a writer, took a risk in 1928 on an orange grove and farm with 1,635 fruit-bearing trees and 150 “good” chickens. There, she found her spiritual home and a sense of belonging.

A sandy path leads to her farmhouse, now the centerpiece of the Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings Historic State Park. Chickens roam the yard, pecking the dirt. Laundry flutters from a clothesline, near a kitchen garden and orange and grapefruit trees.

Guided tours start at a rustic barn. Otherwise, visitors can roam on their own to see a yellow 1940 Oldsmobile like the one Rawlings drove, or stroll on woodsy trails looping from farmhouse to tenant quarters.

Visitors sense what Rawlings felt about the place. “It’s what she writes about. It’s peaceful. It’s restorative. It’s Old Florida. It’s essentially the same as when she was here,” says tour guide Rick Mulligan.

Rawlings lived in the house 25 years. She died in 1953 at the age of 57 of an aneurysm. Now, 23,000 faithful visit each year. Some know bits about her life, gleaned from her books and movies. But some come as pilgrims to pay homage to a writer they have loved since childhood, when they first read “The Yearling,” and her other works.

Farmhouse furnishings are hers, and rooms look much like she just left them. So does her front porch, where she wrote on a Remington typewriter at a table with a palm base.

She loved to walk in her groves to watch sunlight streak through the shaded jade leaves. That vision, she wrote, “is the essence of an ancient and secret magic.”

Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings Historic State Park
Where: 18700 S. County Road 325, Cross Creek
Hours: Open daily 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; guided farmhouse tours from October through July, Thursday through Sunday, except Christmas and Thanksgiving. Make a tour reservation at the barn. Due to Covid-19, at this time tours are limited to two groups of 10 people and masks are required inside the farmhouse. (Check before going to see if that has changed.)
Cost: $3 per group in one vehicle; tours, $3 for adults and $2 for children ages 6 to 12. Credit cards are not accepted and no change is given, so be sure to take exact cash.
Info: Visit FloridaStateParks.org, or call 352-466-3672.

By Kathy Steele
Note: This is a condensed and updated version of a story originally published in The Laker/Lutz News on June 1, 2016.

Visit the Green Swamp to glimpse Florida’s ancient past
Living on Florida’s overly populated coast, it’s hard to believe that a 37,350-acre wilderness exists an hour inland. Known as the West Tract of the 110,000-acre Green Swamp Wilderness Preserve, this protected land offers glimpses of what Florida used to look like.

Everywhere you look along trails in the Green Swamp, you’ll likely see ponds and pools of water, some tea-colored and some brown. (Karen Haymon Long)

This natural treasure is a vital recharge area for the Florida Aquifer and contains the headwaters of four Florida rivers – the Hillsborough, Withlacoochee, Peace and a fraction of the Ocklawaha. It reaches into Pasco, Polk, Lake, Sumter and Hernando counties.

The west tract offers 65 miles of trails for hikers, bikers and horseback riders. Visitors can walk a half-hour from the parking lot on an unpaved road to get to a section of the Florida National Scenic Trail, which traverses through dense woods overshadowed by giant oaks, soaring slash and longleaf pines, and mature magnolias.

Hikers may see deer, hogs, bobcats, turkeys, turtles or gators. Part of the trail is a section of the Great Florida Birding and Wildlife Trail, so birds abound. So do cypress domes, grasses, palmettos and cabbage palms, Florida’s state tree.

The trail is easy to follow, thanks to orange slashes on trees. Just around every turn are ponds or pools of water.

The area’s watery beauty and magnificent oaks make it the perfect escape to “Real Florida.”

The Green Swamp Wilderness Preserve West Tract
Where: 13347 Ranch Road (off U.S. 98 Bypass), about 5 miles from downtown Dade City.
Hours: Sunrise to sunset. Maps are on the above website and at the tract entrance.
Cost: Admission is free and trails are open daily, except when hunting is permitted. For hunting dates, see tinyurl.com/y6m2wtsa.
Details: Picnic tables, portable toilets and campsite also are in the West Tract. Kayakers and boaters can put into the Withlacoochee River down the road from the tract entrance.
Info: Visit the above website, or call 352-796-7211, ext. 4470.

By Karen Haymon Long
Note: This is a condensed and updated version of a story originally published in The Laker/Lutz News on Feb. 20, 2019.

Paynes Prairie: An awe-inspiring place for nature lovers
To see “Real Florida” at its best, visit Paynes Prairie, stretching 2 miles on both sides of U.S. 441 in Micanopy, a hamlet south of Gainesville.

The 50-square-mile prairie is protected within Paynes Prairie Preserve State Park. Blue skies and billowy clouds arch high over tawny grasses swaying in the breeze. Fish leap from ponds. Shorebirds stand tall in swampy marshes.

A palm overlooks Paynes Prairie, formed by the collapse of limestone bedrock and the merging of sinkholes. (Karen Haymon Long)

The sun rises on one side of the prairie and sets on the other. If you are lucky, you may see migrating sandhill cranes, grazing bison and wild Spanish horses.

The 22,000-acre park offers a world of exploration, whether you hike, fish, bird-watch, horseback ride, camp or boat. It’s a photographer’s paradise, with 300 species of birds, river otters, bobcats, Florida black bears, wild pigs and hundreds of other critters.

Trails wend through forests of palms, giant oaks, pines, magnolias and palmettos bordering the prairie.

The great naturalist William Bartram, who visited in 1774 when it was called the Alachua Savanna, wrote about seeing those same types of trees. He said emerging from the dark forests to the wide open prairie made him feel “on the borders of a new world! On the first view of such an amazing display of the wisdom and power of the supreme author of nature, the mind for a moment seems suspended, and impressed with awe.”

The best way to see the prairie is to enter at the park’s main entrance at its southern end, where you’ll find the Visitor Center with exhibits and a video, an observation tower, hiking trails, the campground, picnic area, playground, boat ramp and Lake Wauberg.

Farther north, off U.S. 441, look for a sign for the 3-mile, roundtrip La Chua Trail, a boardwalk/grassy trail around the Alachua Sink and marshes to an observation platform. Some trails may be partially closed due to flooding.

The prairie is so vast and changing, you’ll likely want to spend a few days here, or plan a return trip. It’s a wondrous place to see some of the best views along U.S. 441 in Florida.

Paynes Prairie Preserve State Park
Where: 100 Savannah Blvd., Micanopy
Hours: 8 a.m. to sundown daily; Visitor Center open 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., daily
Cost: $6 per car with two to eight passengers; $4 for one passenger, and $2 for walkers and bikers.
Info: FloridaStateParks.org, or call 352-466-3397.

By Karen Haymon Long
Note: This is a condensed and updated version of a story that first appeared in The Laker/Lutz News on March 24, 2020.

Published June 30, 2021

Pasco County offices closed July 5

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In observance of Independence Day (July 4), the Pasco Board of County Commissioners’ offices will be closed July 5. The offices will reopen on July 6.

The five Pasco County Tax Collector Offices also will be closed on July 5, and will reopen at 8:30 a.m., on July 6, for normal business.

The Pasco County Parks, Recreation, and Natural Resources offices, recreation complexes and community centers will be closed July 5; however, the parks and beaches will stay open to the public from dawn to dusk.

Pasco County Public Transportation will be closed, and bus and paratransit services will not run on July 5.

Other closures for July 5 include all Pasco County libraries, and the Pasco County Animal Services administration office, adoption center, intake/reclaim shelter, and its field services. An animal control officer will be available for emergencies only.

The Pasco County Resource Recovery Facility, West Pasco Class III, and the East Pasco Transfer Station also will be closed on July 5; however, both will be open to Pasco County licensed commercial haulers.

Published June 30, 2021