The Laker/Lutz News

Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

Local News

Rezoning would allow 400 apartments

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The Pasco County Planning Commission and the county’s planners have recommended approval of a rezoning that would allow 400 apartments on approximately 43.42 acres at the southeast corner of Wesley Chapel Boulevard and Hay Road.

Denise Hernandez, the county’s zoning administrator, detailed the request at the planning board’s July 22 meeting.

The proposed multifamily project would be located between the recently approved Hay Road Townhomes project to the west and Compark 75, to the east.

“Multifamily apartment uses create a transition from the industrial uses to the townhomes,” Hernandez said.

The request is consistent with the county’s land development code and its comprehensive plan, Hernandez added.

The site is currently zoned for agricultural and light industrial uses.

In addition to the rezoning, the applicants also are requesting a variance from the county land development code requirements relating to parking and park space, Hernandez said.

The planning board and county staff recommend approval of those variance requests.

The planning board voted unanimously to recommend approval of the rezoning, with the exception of Planning Commission Roberto Saez, who was absent.

No one raised objections about the request during the public hearing.

The Pasco County Commission is expected to take final action on the land use plan amendment, which is required for the rezoning, and on the rezoning itself, during its Aug. 24 meeting, according to Joel Tew, the attorney representing the applicants.

Although the request has the support of the planning board and county staff, it has faced opposition in the past.

Commissioners were divided on the land use plan amendment, voting 3-2 to transmit the request to state officials for review.

Commission Chairman Ron Oakley, and Commissioners Kathryn Starkey and Christina Fitzpatrick voted in favor of the transmittal, while Commissioners Mike Moore and Jack Mariano were opposed.

Moore who ultimately persuaded his colleagues to allow a six-month moratorium, which affects only his district, has urged commissioners to ease up on rezonings for multifamily developments.

If it doesn’t, Moore predicts there will be a heavy price to pay in the future, when a glut of apartment buildings leads to high vacancy rates and buildings that fall into disrepair.

Published July 28, 2021

Zephyrhills city manager earns solid performance marks

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The verdict is in: Zephyrhills City Manager Billy Poe is doing a pretty bang-up job.

That’s the general consensus of the Zephyrhills City Council in its performance review of Poe, shared during the council’s July 12 meeting.

Poe earned a combined 4.21 on a rating scale of 1 to 5, with 1 meaning needs improvement and 5 meaning exceeds expectations.

Zephyrhills City Manager Billy Poe (File)

Here’s how the scores for Poe broke down:

Council President Alan Knight: 4.84
Councilman Ken Burgess: 4.68
Councilman Charlie Proctor: 4.27
Councilman Lance Smith: 3.82
Council Vice President Jodi Wilkeson: 3.43

The 12-page evaluation covered a period from June 2020 to June 2021.

The review consisted of 10 key performance measures — personal, professional skills and status, relations with elected members, policy execution, reporting, citizen relations, staffing, supervision, community, and fiscal management.

The evaluation also gave council members an opportunity to respond to specific questions and include comments pertinent to the rating period. Those specifics could include the city manager’s strengths, performance areas needing improvement and constructive suggestions.

The results were submitted to Lori Hillman, the city clerk; Sandra Amerson, human resources director; and, Pasco County.

After the results were shared, several council members offered remarks about the city’s operations under Poe’s management.

Smith and Burgess each simply stated the city manager is “doing a good job.”

Burgess added: “I think everything is running along pretty good right now.”

Knight was more effusive in his praise. He said Poe is “doing a great job.”

Knight elaborated: “Things that are being done for this city and the growth and all, I’m just real proud of everything. Once again, Mr. Poe, we’re very proud. I know I’m very proud of the job you do.”

Poe’s evaluation period coincides with several noteworthy changes for the municipality. Those include consolidation of the city’s longstanding fire department into Pasco County; the opening of the multimillion-dollar Sarah Vande Berg Tennis & Wellness Center; progress on the U.S. 301/Pretty Pond Road signalized intersection project; the launch of the city’s first social media accounts; and, the hiring of its first public information officer.

Poe became Zephyrhills’ city manager during a period of massive residential growth in the city — with over 2,400 homes under construction, not including the numerous developments currently in the negotiation stage. As a result of the growth, an estimated 6,000 people could move into the city within the next two years to five years.

He previously served as city manager in Dade City in 2008, a position he held for over a decade.

He left Dade City to become the assistant city manager in Zephyrhills, in November 2018, then stepped up to replace retiring city manager Steve Spina in July 2019.

Published July 28, 2021

Zephyrhills tax rate to stay the same

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Zephyrhills property owners won’t see an increase in their ad valorem tax rate for fiscal year 2021-2022.

The city council on July 12 unanimously voted to set the tentative millage rate at 6.35 mills — a rate the municipality has maintained for several years.

Public hearings on the proposed property tax rate have been scheduled for Sept. 13 and Sept. 27, both at 6 p.m.

The City of Zephyrhills set its tentative property tax rate at 6.35 mills for fiscal year 2020-2021; it is the same rate as it has been for the past several years. (File)

Under state law, once a tentative millage rate has been set, the city cannot raise it before the start of the fiscal year, which begins Oct. 1. The council does, however, have the option to reduce the rate before then.

A mill represents $1 in tax for every $1,000 worth of a property’s taxable assessed value.

In Zephyrhills, maintaining a rate of 6.35 mills would levy about $6,011,395 in property taxes — a revenue increase of $690,420 compared with last year, according to city records. (Aiming for a 95% collection rate, that’d be $5,710,925 compared to last year’s $5,054,922.)

The figures are based on the total city’s property value of $946,676,382, an increase of $103,363,254 over last year, according to the Pasco County Property Appraiser’s Office. Of that increase, $50,282,764 is attributable to new construction.

Zephyrhills Finance Director Ted Beason summarized the details during the meeting.

In other news, City Manager Billy Poe reported there was “very little impact” to the municipality when Hurricane Elsa touched down, aside from a lone city police vehicle that suffered flooding damage.

“We had one police vehicle that got flooded, unfortunately, but that was the only damage that was incurred. No trees were down, which was shocking,” Poe said.

Meanwhile, councilman Smith credited Zephyrhills Police Chief Derek Brewer and Zephyrhills Public Works Director Shane LeBlanc for being well-organized and prepared for the impending tropical storm.

Smith said of the two city department heads: “You already have your plans in place, you already know what you’re going to do, that’s why nobody was panicking. I knew you had already done this many, many times before, so thank you for your planning on it.”

Published July 28, 2021

Office development zoning sought in Lutz, on State Road 54

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The Pasco County Planning Commission is recommending approval of proposed office development on a 1.67-acre site at the southwest corner of State Road 54 and Meadowbrook Drive, in Lutz.

The site is the same one where neighbors vigorously resisted a proposed gas station and convenience store.

That pursuit was dropped after the Pasco County Commission denied a request to amend the county’s comprehensive plan to allow general commercial uses to be considered at that location.

The county board’s action then prompted the applicant, Kiddie Campus University Inc., to change its previously filed companion rezoning request from one seeking commercial uses to one that allows a professional office use.

A land use amendment is not needed to accommodate the office request.

Attorney Barbara Wilhite, representing the applicant, told the planning board that her client has amended the rezoning request to office, in reaction to the county board “not wanting to see commercial uses at that location.”

She continued: “We heard over and over and over at both (previous) public hearings that office would be compatible, commercial would not.

“I think there was a recognition that this property is on State Road 54, at a signalized intersection, and it’s not appropriate for residential use,” she said.

Her client is seeking the least intense office use, Wilhite said, adding that in previous public hearings involving the site, the neighbors remarked that “what’s nice about office is, it’s occupied during the day, it’s not occupied at night, generally speaking, or on weekends.”

While previous hearings on the proposed gas station attracted a sizable number of opponents, only two people spoke at the planning commission’s July 22 hearing.

Jennifer Robertson, who lives on Riverstone Drive, told the planning board: “I don’t object to it, only because I know something will go there.”

However, she voiced concerns about flooding and also asked that the neighbors be able to weigh in on what the development looks like.

“We do want something that looks nice for our neighborhood, since it’s within our neighborhood,” she said.

Douglas Grant, who also lives in the area, said he doesn’t object to the portion of the rezoning that abuts State Road 54.

However, the southern lot, which is also part of the rezoning, represents a commercial intrusion into a residential neighborhood, he said.

He said he would drop his objection if the southern property was used as an area for a retention pond, or if the development met a number of other conditions.

Attorney Wilhite said her client is seeking a “low-intensity office” use.

She added: “We will be a good neighbor. We have worked with the neighbors before.”

The planning board voted unanimously, with Planning Commissioner Roberto Saez absent, to recommend approval of the rezoning.

Published July 28, 2021

Help quench firefighters’ thirst; get a free sub

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Firehouse Subs restaurants once again will host its bottled water collection drive through its ninth-annual H2O For Heroes campaign, on Aug. 7, nationwide, according to a news release.

Firehouse Subs has donated more than 4.1 million water bottles since the inception of its H2O For Heroes campaign. (Courtesy of Firehouse Subs)

The drive aims to help to hydrate local first responders during the record-breaking summer heat.

Guests are asked to bring in an unopened 24-pack of bottled water, any brand, to any of the Firehouse Subs franchises. In return for the donation, patrons will receive a free medium sub of their choice.

The collected water will benefit local fire and police departments, emergency victims, senior and community centers, and more, to aid those in need of water when hydration and other heat-related illnesses are most threatening.

The event returns after being canceled in 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Since the campaign’s inception, H2O For Heroes has provided more than 4.1 million water bottles across the country.

For information and restaurant locations, visit FirehouseSubs.com.

Published July 28, 2021

Mixture of uses proposed at Roaches Run, U.S. 41

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A 35-acre site at the southwest corner of Roaches Run and U.S. 41 could become home to a project with an array of commercial and residential uses.

The Pasco County Planning Commission and the county’s planners have recommended approval of the request, which would allow the site to be used for retail, office/medical office; health care-related uses; light industrial; distribution; multifamily; single-family attached residential; senior retirement/assisted living; and public/institutional uses.

Denise Hernandez, the county’s zoning administrator, said the request allows a maximum of 275,000 commercial square feet.

The zoning also includes a land use equivalency matrix, meaning an assortment of uses can be allowed within the project, with the matrix determining the maximum allowable density within the project.

Conditions of approval also spell out that the minimum square footage for commercial retail is 100,000 square feet, Hernandez said.

Plus, “residential will only be allowed on the parcels abutting (U.S.) 41, if they are part of a vertically integrated mixed-use building,” she said.

In addition to the zoning change, the request includes a variance from the land development code’s parking requirements — based on the ability of different uses within the project to share parking.

The planning board recommended approval of the request, with Planning Commissioner Roberto Saez absent.

The request next goes to the Pasco County Commission, which has final jurisdiction over land use and zoning decisions.

Published July 28, 2021

Healthy snacks to enjoy on the road

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Taking a break from daily routines doesn’t mean you have to abandon your healthy eating habits.

It just takes a bit more planning to pull it off.

I recently went on an eight-day trip to New York, splitting the week between the city and upstate.

During that time, my body could definitely tell that I was eating foods outside of my routine.

Chickpeas have protein and fiber, along with mostly healthy fat from canola oil, making hummus a filling snack that’s easy to eat on the go. (Courtesy of Pixabay.com)

As someone who is accustomed to cooking at home most days each month — and who hasn’t gone on an extended vacation in almost two years — it was hard initially to become accustomed to all the restaurant food (though I admit, I did enjoy it).

I indulged at an Italian bakery while in Manhattan — it was part of the New York experience, right? But then I remembered to choose some healthier options later.

It’s all part of keeping a good balance.

In New York City, it’s easy to get anything at any time, so a fresh banana or orange was practically available at every intersection.

My stay in upstate was with family who had a fridge full of healthy options.

But not all vacation destinations are as “healthy-friendly,” and extra planning may be required.

For example, when traveling on a road trip in the car or an RV, you can avoid taking snack breaks at a gas station or rest stop’s vending machine by having healthy snacks that are prepared and packed in the vehicle.

Besides avoiding weight gains, healthy snacks are easier on your vacation budget, too.

So, what can we pack for our travels that will be healthy and convenient?

To stave off hunger in between long bouts of driving, focus on foods with protein.

Protein takes longer to move through the stomach, so you feel fuller for longer.

Fat provides 9 calories per gram of food, while protein and carbohydrates provide 4.

Adding a healthy fat will make the snack more filling because of the extra calories.

But, be mindful if you’ve been snacking on other high-calorie foods. If you have,  go easy on the fat to avoid excessive calories.

Here are some ideas to try.

Some require some meal prep in advance, others you simply throw in the bag.

Also, remember the cooler and ice — and be sure to bring a thermometer, too, so you can check that the cooler has stayed below 40 degrees.

Here are some healthy snack options:

  • Popcorn trail mix: mix in popcorn with pretzels, peanuts, cereal, raisins and so on
  • Hummus to serve with celery sticks, carrots, bell peppers and other vegetables
  • Dried fruits
  • Mixed nuts
  • Peanut butter or other nut butter, to enjoy with whole-wheat crackers or vegetables. (Many peanut butter brands come in easy to-go snack-sized packaging.)
  • Jerky (beef, turkey or salmon with seasoning). There’s also plant-based jerky, such as mushroom jerky.
  • Hard-boiled eggs
  • Yogurt, mixed with fresh fruit
  • Granola bars (Be sure to choose one with the least amount of sugar)
  • Canned tuna on whole-wheat crackers (Get the pull-tab cans so you don’t need a can opener).

Grapes, which can be pre-washed and placed in a container, make a good snack to take along while traveling.

But avoid fruits that can easily bruise, and use care when eating fruit or drinking juice because the fruit can become a sticky mess, and juice can leave stains on your car.

Also, be sure to bring along hand sanitizer, wet wipes, napkins, utensils, cups (if needed) and a bag for trash.

Enjoy your vacation — and yes, enjoy the special and unusual foods you’ll encounter.

But remember, just because you’re away from your kitchen, doesn’t mean all healthy eating has to go out the window.

You put the right type of fuel in your car so it drives well, so use that same mindfulness when fueling your body.

After all, that will help keep you in tip-top shape, for many road trips to come.

By Shari Bresin

Shari Bresin is the Family & Consumer Science agent for the University of Florida/Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Cooperative Extension Pasco County.

Recipe
Hummus
(Hummus offers a healthy choice for on-the-road snacking. Remember: Keep it in a cooler until you’re ready to eat it.)

Ingredients
1 clove garlic
1 large lemon
1 (15½-ounce) can garbanzo beans
½ cup warm water
2 Tablespoons low-fat plain yogurt
2 Tablespoons canola oil
1 teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper

Optional ingredients:
1 fresh red pepper, or 3 roasted red peppers from a jar
Pinch of ground cumin, ground cayenne pepper, or red pepper flakes

Instructions:

  1. Peel and chop garlic. If using fresh red pepper, rinse, remove core and seeds, and mince now. Or, mince jarred roasted peppers.
  2. Rinse lemon and cut in half. In a small bowl, squeeze juice. Discard seeds.
  3. In a colander, drain and rinse beans.
  4. Add garlic, lemon juice, beans and remaining ingredients to blender. If using optional spices, add now. Blend until creamy and well-mixed.
  5. If using, top hummus with minced red pepper.

Published July 28, 2021

Protect yourself from red tide effects

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As efforts continue to remove dead fish from regional waterways, officials from Hillsborough County have compiled some pointers from the Florida Department of Health, to help reduce the risks posed by red tide.

(www.freepik.com)

Here are those pointers, shared in a news release from Hillsborough County:

  • When possible, stay away from water bodies and beaches where red tide or fish killed by the toxic algae is present.
  • Don’t touch or swim near dead fish.
  • Wear shoes to prevent injuries from stepping on fish carcasses.
  • Keep pets away from water, sea spray, and dead fish affected by red tide.
  • Don’t harvest or eat shellfish from an affected area.
  • People with chronic respiratory problems should avoid a red tide area.
  • If breathing difficulties do not subside after leaving a red tide area or going indoors, contact your health care provider.

For more information on the status of red tide in Hillsborough County and how to report fish kills, visit HCFLGov.net/RedTide.

Published July 28, 2021

Input sought on Sunset/U.S. 41 improvements

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Hillsborough County wants to hear the public’s thoughts on a proposed improvement at the intersection of U.S. 41 and Sunset Lane, in Lutz.

The county is conducting a two-week public comment period, through a virtual engagement process, according to a county news release.

The feedback runs until Aug. 2.

The proposed improvements at U.S. 41 and Sunset Lane would add a turn lane and updated traffic signals.

The $1.6 million project is expected to begin in the summer of 2022 and be complete in the summer of 2023.

The project also calls for pedestrian and bicycle safety enhancements, including sidewalks that comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act, otherwise known as ADA.

Residents and commercial property owners can review the proposed changes and are invited to give feedback.

To learn more and share your thoughts, visit HCFLGov.net/HCEngage at any time through Aug. 2.

Published July 28, 2021

New retail popping up along busy highway corridor

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Total Wine & More kicked off its grand opening at Cypress Creek Town Center in celebratory fashion — with giveaways, a live band and a festive atmosphere.

The wine and beer emporium is the newest retail at the expanding town center, off the Interstate 75 interchange at the State Road 54/State 56 corridor.

The commercially vibrant corridor is a magnet for economic development in the heart of Wesley Chapel and Land O’Lakes, stretching over through Odessa to Trinity.

Retail and restaurants are chasing the booming rooftop construction — with residential growth in Pasco County breaking records.

Total Wine & More is now operating out of a space formerly occupied by Earth Fare. The atmosphere was festive during the store’s grand opening. (Kathy Steele)

As the pandemic recedes, established residents and newcomers alike are eager to be out and about.

And, they’re finding plenty to do.

Plus, more options are on the way.

County permits, signs planted on the roadside and company websites provide a snapshot of what’s under construction and what’s on the future horizon.

An ale house, a fitness studio; fast-food and dine-in restaurants; a Krispy Kreme; and two specialty car washes are among the new and coming attractions.

Established shopping meccas such as the Tampa Premium Outlets, The Shops at Wiregrass, and Cypress Creek Town Center are expanding their store directories, as new tenants take up residence.

Total Wine & More slipped into a spot at Cypress Creek Town Center that was once occupied by the specialty grocer Earth Fare.

Troy Rice, chief operating officer for Total Wine & More, said the former grocery store space was a good fit for his company.

The plumbing and electrical work had been done, and Total Wine knew it had a gap in its coverage area, Rice said.

An appreciative crowd of wine and beer aficionados packed the store’s grand-opening festivities.

Other new developments coming to Cypress Creek Town Center include Carrabba’s Italian Grill, and new apartments that will be built near the Hyatt Place hotel.

A Harley-Davidson dealership is coming to the area, too. It will be on Wesley Chapel Boulevard, across from the town center’s entrance at Pondside Drive.

Meanwhile, there’s new activity at the Tampa Premium Outlets.

Miller’s Ale House is coming to an outparcel along the Wesley Chapel Boulevard entrance into the mall. And Zaxby’s Chicken Fingers & Buffalo Wings, and Chicken Salad Chick will settle into parcels bordered by Wesley Chapel Boulevard and Sun Vista Drive.

Fazoli’s Italian Restaurant is among the shops that will be settling in, at the Shoppes at Cypress Creek, on State Road 54, west of Cypress Creek Town Center.

The Shops at Wiregrass, near the intersection of State Road 56 and Bruce B. Downs Boulevard, has recent new tenants that include Sephora, Optimal Wellness, Perfume Palace and Gold Mine jewelers.

The mall’s coming-soon list includes JABZ, a boxing gym; Sky Jewels; Spirit, a Halloween costume store; and Fresh Produce Market, a produce stand in the parking lot of Dillard’s.

A shopping center next to Florida Avenue Brewing — at State Road 56 and Arrowgrass Drive — has attracted Green Market Café; Fyzical Therapy & Balance Center; and Lufka, an environmentally friendly health and beauty shop.

New development is coming to Land O’ Lakes, too.

Grand openings aren’t planned yet for the Shoppes at Cypress Creek, but construction is underway on State Road 54 next to the Circle K convenience store, west of the town center and outlet mall.

Signs tout Fazoli’s Italian Restaurant and Woodie’s Wash Shack at 24749 State Road 54. Additional tenants are anticipated.

Woodie’s car wash promises a “fun and funkie” experience, according to a marketing video. The beach-themed car wash acquired 11 sites in the Tampa Bay area, with expectations of turning on all its washing spigots by the end of 2021.

Beach vibes, coconut smells and a light show inside the car wash add up to family fun, with a final touch of vacuuming and sweeping out car trash at “Muscle Beach.”

Heading west along State Road 54, Krispy Kreme has planted a sign in a vacant parcel, just west of Camp Indianhead Crossings shopping center. So far, though, no permits have been filed.

The Shoppes at Ballantrae — west of State Road 54 and U.S. 41 — is expanding its commercial offerings, with a Valvoline shop on Aprile Drive, and another Woodie’s Wash Shack at 17322 State Road 54.

Santander Consumer USA and Rasmussen University are locating in the space previously occupied by the Super Target store, at Suncoast Crossings, off State Road 54.

On a vacant parcel opposite from the Shoppes at Ballantrae, there’s an Aldi sign staked in the ground.

Matt Thon, Haines City division vice president for Aldi, didn’t provide details on the chain’s plans in Land O’ Lakes.

However, in a written statement, he reported that Aldi has “secured property in Pasco County with hopes to service more customers in the area.”

First Watch, Starbucks and AutoZone are settling in, near the intersection of State Road 54 and Sunlake Boulevard.

Starkey Ranch Business Park, which opened last year with fare such as The Wicked Pour, Tropical Smoothie Cafe, and Encore Nail Salon, is adding Capriotti’s Sandwich Shop and Butcher’s Mark Fresh Meat & Marinades, at State Road 54 and Heart Pine Avenue.

The sandwich chain’s website currently shows no restaurants in Florida.

The Preserve Marketplace at South Branch and State Road 54 will add Chipotle Mexican Grill and Lin China restaurant. The shopping center is anchored by Publix GreenWise, and last year opened with tenants that included CVS Pharmacy and Panera Bread.

Suncoast Crossings, which lost an anchor store when the Super Target closed more than four years ago, is undergoing a revival.

First Watch and Starbucks have new locations, near the intersection of State Road 54 and Sunlake Boulevard.

The approximately 115,000-square-foot building is being remodeled for two tenants – Santander Consumer USA and Rasmussen University.

Santander anticipates adding about 875 jobs. Rasmussen will bring in hundreds of students.

Shoppes at Crossings Boulevard is a new strip mall built on outparcels of Suncoast Crossings shopping complex.

Tenants will include Touch Nail Spa; Beyond 2020 Vision Specialists; PT Solutions, a physical therapy clinic; Jimmy John’s Sandwich Shop; Smoothie King; and Hot Worx, an infrared/sauna fitness studio.

Hot Worx, set to open July 15, is a new venture for Debbie Upright, a former pharmaceutical representative and her husband, Scott, a retired dentist.

The infrared-heated fitness studio will be open 24/7. Memberships and walk-ins are welcome for a variety of isometric workouts, yoga, Pilates and spinning.

Upright said she and her husband considered various sites, but said the area’s robust activity was a key consideration, in selecting where to set up shop.

“This is a prime location,” she said.

By Kathy Steele

Published July 21, 2021