The Laker/Lutz News

Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

Local News

Super Bowl project seeking donations

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Community partners are teaming up with the National Football League, the Tampa Bay Super Bowl LV Host Committee and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for a Super Bowl project that will put books, sports equipment, school supplies and games into the hands of local children.

The Super Kids-Super Sharing campaign is looking to put sports equipment, books, school supplies and games into local children’s hands.

The project, called Super Kids-Super Sharing, has been implemented in every Super Bowl host community for the past 22 years, according to an NFL Green news release, and area residents are being invited to help.

Super Kids partners will host collections through Dec. 18 at their facilities, and donated items will be shared with the children the organizations serve, and with Repay Tampa Bay, and Boys and Girls Clubs of Tampa Bay.

Participating partners include the YMCAs of Tampa Bay, the Hillsborough Education Foundation, Hillsborough County Parks and Recreation, City of Tampa Parks and Recreation, the City of Tampa, Keep Tampa Bay Beautiful, and numerous schools in the Diocese of St. Petersburg.

New and very gently used books appropriate for schoolchildren, sports equipment of all types, school supplies, and board and video games can be dropped off at these locations:

  • Hillsborough Education Foundation, 2306 N. Howard Ave., Tampa: Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.
  • Keep Tampa Bay Beautiful Environmental Education Center, 4398 N. Riverside Drive, Tampa: Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
  • New Tampa Recreation Center, 17302 Commerce Park Blvd.: Monday through Thursday from noon to 7 p.m., and Saturday from 9 a.m. to noon
  • East Pasco Family YMCA, 37301 Chapel Hill Loop, Zephyrhills: Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
  • New Tampa Family YMCA, 16221 Compton Drive, Tampa: Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Gently used donated items should be in excellent condition; new items also will be accepted.

For more details and complete list of participating partners and locations, visit tinyurl.com/y5pgafe3.

Published December 09, 2020

Pasco land development code changes are coming

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Changes are coming to Pasco County’s land development code — but most of them are minor fixes to the regulations that govern the way land can be used in the county.

One of the biggest changes in the proposed amendments involves the way requests for package sales and on-premises consumption of alcohol are approved.

Previously, the changes went to the Pasco County Planning Commission for a recommendation, and then to the Pasco County Commission for approval.

Under the amended land development code, the changes would go to the county’s administrative staff for approval, and to the planning commission for variance requests.

The county has rules about the minimum distance for alcohol sales from schools, parks and churches. If someone wants a variance from those rules, that request will be considered by the planning commission.

That process change is being made by staff, at the county commission’s request.

These are among the other changes being recommended:

  • The side setback can be reduced to no less than 5 feet for R-4 subdivisions developed after Dec. 8, 2020, as long as they meet drainage requirements and do not allow side entry
  • In neighborhood commercial districts: Adds fitness centers as a permitted principal use; adds sale of alcoholic beverages as permitted principal use, subject to administrative approval
  • In general commercial district: Adds sale of alcoholic beverages as permitted principal use, subject to administrative approval
  • In section regulating fraternal lodges and social and recreational clubs: Clarifies that lot area and setbacks for fraternal lodges and social and recreational clubs do not apply in such clubs proposed in certain locations and zoning categories. Also clarifies buffering and landscaping requirements
  • Amends a section regarding the County Commission’s jurisdiction to indicate that the board reserves the jurisdiction and authority to review and revoke Special Exception, and

Conditional Use, and Administrative Use Permit for the Sale of Alcoholic Beverages approvals.

  • In the section relating to mobile food operations, the requirement for a county permit is deleted, since that is now handled by the state.

No one spoke during the county board’s first public hearing, held on Nov. 17, on the proposed changes. Final action is expected during the 1:30 p.m. public hearing on Dec. 8, in New Port Richey, after The Laker/Lutz News press deadline.

Published December 09, 2020

KRATE begins taking shape at the Grove

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An attraction that will offer a new and unique retail and restaurant experience is beginning to take shape — as crews set down shipping containers that will house the businesses at KRATE, in the Grove at Wesley Chapel.

This shipping container is being maneuvered into place at the Grove at Wesley Chapel. (Courtesy of the Grove at Wesley Chapel)

While crews work at the site, the developers also are proceeding with a unified sign plan for the district, with the Pasco County Planning Commission reviewing those plans at its Nov. 19 meeting.

The county’s planning staff found that the signs detailed in the plan “are consistent with the urban industrial theme’s uniform and cohesive design based upon color, texture, materials, and architectural features.”

The first 17 containers at KRATE will be home to nine businesses, according to a news release from the Grove at Wesley Chapel. They will be occupied by tenants offering diverse dishes and items like Asian noodles, Puerto Rican fare, desserts, and charcuterie boards, according to the news release.

When completed, which is expected around the end of the year, KRATE will feature 94 containers and 55 units, comprised of 70% restaurants and 30% retail.

This is what KRATE, a container park planned in the Grove at Wesley Chapel, is expected to look like when it’s finished.

Other restaurants at KRATE will feature international foods, including cuisine from Colombia, Peru and Germany.

The retail shops will include a music store and a Lego product superstore.

The overall design includes plenty of outdoor seating, string lights, and speakers throughout the property – touches that contribute to a sense of community.

Many tenants moving into KRATE are entrepreneurs coming from cities such as Tampa, Miami and Chicago — looking to start businesses in an unique concept, the release says.

KRATE also will feature a stage with daily live entertainment, a dog park and a playground.

Local muralists have been commissioned to create Instagrammable wall art, the news release adds.

“There is nothing like this in the world,” Mark Gold, partner in Mishorim Gold Properties, said in the release.

Mishorim Gold Properties purchased the Grove for around $64 million in September 2019. Gold invested more than $110 million into the renovation of the property, which includes a movie theater of the future, a miniature golf course and a water park.

Published December 02, 2020

Is Dade City poised for a marketing rebrand?

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The City of Dade City is in midst of an evolution that undoubtedly will alter the community’s aesthetic  — perhaps for decades to come.

The charming town in East Pasco is poised to see some 14,000 new homes on the books within the next five years, plus a slew of exciting downtown amenities and other unique, adventurous hotspots on the outskirts of town, just outside the city limits.

Drawing attention to Dade City’s past, while embracing it’s future is likely a challenge as the community looks to define its marketing identify. It’s an exercise that’s similar to how Pasco County in 2019 rebranded itself as ‘Florida’s Sports Coast,’ which is intended to capitalize on the county’s wave of youth and amateur recreation facilities. Shown here is The Dade City Heritage and Cultural Museum, housed within the Dade City Atlantic Coast Line Depot. This was the first site in Pasco County that was be placed on the National Register of Historic Places. (File)

It’s longtime moniker, “Proud Heritage and Promising Future,” may no longer be quite apt — because, as it turns out, the future is happening now.

So, city leaders face this looming question: How does Dade City go about rebranding itself as a tourist destination, and what specifically does it want to promote, to best encourage visitors and foster economic growth amid an unprecedented period?

Melanie Romagnoli, the city’s community and economic development director talked about those issues during two city commission workshops, held in October and November.

“We need to decide who we are and what we want to be,” Romagnoli said, addressing the Dade City Commission. “I think the whole thing about the brand is actually having our vision of what we want our future to be and sticking to it. How can we market the city as a destination, like Clearly Zephyrhills, like Florida’s Sports Coast?”

Following the monthly workshops and three-plus hours of discussion, at least one conclusion is apparent —  much more brainstorming is needed, before the city become serious and throws thousands of dollars to a branding consultant to develop an image profile (photos, videos, graphics, logos) to best promote the town’s features.

Built into the city’s budget for this year is $40,000 toward a marketing and advertising plan, promotional activities and other contractual services.

Before that money (and possibly much more) gets allocated, however, commissioners believe additional input is needed from the community and the public, including local businesses, residents and other stakeholders.

The input could take form in charrettes, surveys, monthly forums, and even door-to-door visits.

Commissioners also agreed that it may be prudent to wait until some new amenities throughout the city are established.

In other words, don’t put the cart before the horse.

“I do think branding right now is a little premature,” Mayor Camille Hernandez said. “There’s a lot of things happening, but I think what we need to do is go back to this community (for input).”

She also added: “I think we’re just a few steps away. It’s right under our noses.”

Mayor Pro Tem Jim Shive likewise was vocal about fostering grassroots community feedback on branding the city for the future.

“I don’t think we have actually talked about a real vision of what we want, or expect from the future, when it comes to development, when it comes to growing the city,” he said. “I think we need to have the public on board with this, especially when you’re talking about branding.”

Commissioner Normita Woodard, too, pointed out that some of the best ideas or designs may first come from a talented local volunteer, which may yield some cost savings instead of hiring an outside branding firm. Woodard also added she’s in “a reserved state” about spending thousands of dollars just yet, as the city is in a transitional period and still navigating the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

First things first
In the meantime, sprucing up the city’s downtown is necessary before doubling down on a full-scale rebranding effort, commissioners agreed.

Commissioners expressed concerns on proceeding with a full-on rebrand until noticeable improvements are made along the city’s Community Redevelopment Area (CRA) district in the form of wayfinding signage, speed limit and lighting fixtures, façade improvements and filling commercial property vacancies.

Some solutions could come via a commercial minimum maintenance standards ordinance, which staff is drafting — based on a consensus reached by commissioners to proceed in that direction.

If a maintenance standard is approved, it would require upkeep from property owners and business tenants on building paint, signs, window coverings, dumpster enclosures and fencing or security upgrades. Besides the CRA, standards would likely apply to the city’s main thoroughfares along U.S 301, U.S. 98 Bypass, State Road 52/21st Street intersection, and Meridian Avenue.

Emphasizing the importance of cleaning up the city, the mayor said: “Nobody wants to go to an icky, dirty place.”

Also before spending thousands on branding and marketing, another pressing issue is solving the city’s sizeable commercial building vacancy rate.

It presently exceeds 40% just in the downtown area, Romagnoli said.

“What are the vacancies telling our visitors: That there’s not anything going on. You walk down a street and you see a long wall of nothing but empty,” she said. “What makes them want to go to the next store?”

Commissioner Knute Nathe said it’s a “chicken-and-egg” dilemma that can’t quite yet be fully quantified: “You know, it’s kind of hard to market a place as a destination, without a ton of stuff already there; but it’s hard to bring businesses into town when people aren’t going there,” he said.

One way to create more consistent foot traffic is to have the city retain an event coordinator, Romagnoli suggested. The coordinator could host artisan and craft vendors somewhere downtown each weekend.

Commissioners expressed optimism with that idea.

Branding options abound
Aside from blighted areas, Dade City is beaming with opportunity on the horizon.

The city is in the midst of developing a 2-plus acre downtown park on Church Avenue, slated to include a multi-use water splash pad, bike-share shelter, amphitheater, ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act)-accessible playground, open space, concession area and other amenities.

Just a stone’s throw away is a forthcoming event and entertainment center on Seventh Street, known as The Block.

The site of a former car dealership, and spearheaded by development partners Larry Guilford and Melanie Armstrong, The Block will include a wedding and event venue, outside patio, brewer, catering business, space for food trucks and a CrossFit gym.

Also on Seventh Street is the Dade City Center for the Arts, which has begun making inroads to facilitate community art events, as well as indoor and outdoor arts and cultural exhibits.

Other imaginative and creative marketing and branding possibilities seemingly abound.

Possibilities include leveraging the fun, family friendly experiences at Treehoppers Aerial Adventure Park and Snowcat Ridge, the state’s only snowtubing park, off St. Joe Road. Those attractions are just outside of city limits, but have a Dade City address.

The city also may be able to capitalize on another niche: Its budding reputation for rural, rustic destination weddings.

There are about nine such spots in East Pasco, including several with a Dade City address, Romagnoli said.

The city could consider a branding campaign that hypes local wedding spots, while encouraging other activities nearby, whether it’s biking the local trails and roads, shooting at West Armory’s indoor range, strolling the downtown shopping and dining scene, touring Pioneer Florida Museum, and so on.

The city’s economic director said another opportunity to piggyback on the destination wedding angle, includes attracting photographers, caterers and wedding planners to lease one or multiple empty building spaces downtown.

Yet another branding concept? Promoting the city as a wholesome place to raise a family.

In any case, a challenge going forward will be fighting through some established perceptions and misconceptions, Romagnoli said.

A case in point: Forbes magazine once listed Dade City among “The Best Places to Retire.”

That label no longer fits, or is appropriate, Romagnoli said.

The city’s median age is around 36.

“We’re no longer the best place to retire, but we’re a great place to raise a family,” she said.

Published December 02, 2020

Florida is closing in on 1 million COVID-19 cases

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Experts are predicting that Florida will hit the 1 million mark in positive COVID-19 cases this week, and there are concerns nationwide about the impacts from potential spread that may have occurred during the Thanksgiving holidays.

The Florida Department of Health had recorded more than 992,660 positive cases of COVID-19, including 976,944 positive residents, according to health department figures available on the morning of Nov. 30.

The death toll stood at 18,500 for Florida residents and 236 for non-residents, according to the same report.

Hillsborough County had 57,673 positive cases, involving county residents, and 419 cases involving non-residents. The county has recorded 929 deaths related to COVID-19.

In Pasco County, there were 14,643 positive cases involving residents, and 140 involving non-residents. The death toll stood at 271.

The latest figures for the Pasco and Hillsborough public school districts had not yet been updated, since the districts were out for the Thanksgiving break.

The most recent figures from those districts show that there had been 475 student cases and 177 staff cases in Pasco County Schools. The positive cases affected a total of 8,265 students and 719 staff, who had to be quarantined.

In Hillsborough Public Schools, there was a total of 1,585 positive cases, including 640 staff members and 945 students.

Across the country, millions of Americans stuck to their plans to travel over the Thanksgiving holidays, despite pleas from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for them to stay home.

At Tampa International Airport, 40,000 passengers streamed through checkpoints on the Sunday before Thanksgiving — the greatest number since air traffic plunged in late March and early April, due to the pandemic, according to Emily Nipps, the airport’s manager of communications.

“To put it in perspective, we saw around 80,000 passengers on our busy days this time last year. So we’re still barely seeing about half of the traffic we saw this time in 2019. However, we’re way up from the few thousand daily passengers we saw at our low point in April,” Nipps said, via email.

She also noted that “the Saturday and Sunday after Thanksgiving are always our busiest – we ‘think’ we’ll see between 40,000 and 50,000 passengers on those days, though our projections are not as accurate as they’ve been in years past because of the uncertainty of travelers, COVID, cancellations, etc.”

Meanwhile, the state health department, the Florida Hospital Association, the Florida Medical Association and health insurance companies are urging the public to get flu shots. The groups want to help prevent severe illnesses and to keep Florida’s health care system from being overwhelmed by flu and COVID-19 cases.

While Florida’s positive cases approach the 1-million mark, the national figures for positive cases surpassed 13.1 million cases and the national death toll exceeded 265,000 as of the morning of Nov. 30, according to the CDC.

Internationally, the number of positive cases is approaching 62.2 million, with a death toll nearing 1.5 million, also as of the morning of Nov. 30, according to the World Health Organization.

Also, in national interviews, numerous health experts have said there may be a lag time before the extent of the impact is known, regarding the spread of COVID-19 related to Thanksgiving traveling and festivities.

Help prevent the spread of COVID-19
Avoid these high-risk activities:

  • Shopping in crowded stores
  • Attending large indoor gatherings with people from outside of your household
  • Using alcohol or drugs that may alter judgment and make it more difficult to practice COVID-19 safety measures.

Follow these safety protocols:

  • Stay 6 feet away from others
  • Wear a mask when social distancing isn’t possible
  • Wash hands frequently

Source: Florida Department of Health

Published December 02, 2020

Connect to seniors during the holidays

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Across the state, local Area Agencies on Aging (AAA) are working together to promote mental health resources and programs for seniors through the “Together Apart: Holidays at Heart” campaign. While many older adults choose to stay safer at home and isolate themselves to prevent exposure to the coronavirus, the Area Agency on Aging of Pasco Pinellas (AAAPP), in partnership with the Florida Department of Elder Affairs (DOEA), wants to ensure that no senior feels alone during the holiday season.

“AAAPP provides seniors with many services all year long, but the upcoming holidays and continuing rise of COVID-19 cases makes it even more important to connect with those who need us most,” said Executive Director Ann Marie Winter, in an AAAPP news release.

“We must do our part as a community to promote the mental health of our most vulnerable seniors by engaging with them in the safest ways possible,” said Winter.

Locally, AAAPP is offering its Silver Santas program, which provides holiday gifts to 600 local area seniors who do not otherwise have any family to celebrate the holidays with. More information about the program can be found online at BLSpinellas.org/silver-santas.

“This year has presented numerous challenges for everyone, but we know Florida’s older population has been disproportionately affected,” said DOEA Secretary Richard Prudom. “We want to make sure the holidays remain a time of joy and connection for our seniors by reminding them that even though they might be apart from loved ones, there are many ways to reach out and stay connected.”

For information about “Together Apart: Holidays at Heart,” visit HolidaysAtHeart.org.

To learn more about AAAPP, visit AgingCareFL.org.

If you or a loved one are living with feelings of depression and loneliness this holiday season, please call the Elder Helpline at 800-963-5337.

Published December 02, 2020

Planning commissioners recommend land use changes

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The Pasco County Planning Commission has recommended a change to the county’s long-range land use map that would permit a greater intensification of development on a tract in a central area of Pasco County.

It also is recommending changes to policies affecting future development in the Villages of Pasadena Hills, in eastern Pasco County.

The recommendations will be considered by the Pasco County Commission, which has final authority over county land use and zoning matters.

The proposed change in Central Pasco involves increasing the maximum density from three dwellings per acre up to six dwellings per acre, on 77.21 acres on the south side of Tower Road, south of Bexley Village Drive.

The new land use designation would allow a maximum of 325 dwelling units, in a combination of single-family detached homes and townhouses.

The acreage is surrounded by a planned development called Bexley South, to the north; the Suncoast Meadows, to the south; Ballantrae, to the east; and Sapphire Village, to the west.

County planners recommended approval of the request, determining that the proposed plan amendment “is an appropriate location for the change in land use.”

Barbara Wilhite, an attorney representing the applicant, said plans call for 325 single-family dwellings.

No multifamily is proposed, she said, noting the specific plan will come back in a separate request for a rezoning to create a master-planned unit development.

On the issue involving the eastern Pasco development, planning commissioners agreed with a recommendation from the Villages of Pasadena Hills Property Owners Group to reduce the required wetlands buffer from 100 feet to 25 feet.

In supporting that recommendation, planning commissioners rejected a recommendation by  the VOPH policy committee that would have changed the requirement to match the requirement in the rest of the county.

The Planning Commission also rejected a recommendation by the parks, recreation and natural resources department that would have required a more extensive buffer. The county’s planning staff supported the parks and recreation department’s recommendation, but planning commissioners supported the property owners’ recommendation.

Pat Gassaway, representing Heidt Design, told planning commissioners the goal is to take a look at the rules and update them to today’s market.

The current rules, he said, “require preservation of upland habitat without bound,” Gassaway said.

The update also includes myriad of other changes in the VOPH plan, with the goal of the changes to create a more level playing field between regulations required in this planning area and others, and to make the Villages of Pasadena Hills “more market friendly and more competitive,” Gassaway said.

The county has undergone significant changes since the Villages of Pasadena Hills was adopted in 2008, Gassaway said.

Published December 02, 2020

Zephyrhills to update stormwater master plan

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The City of Zephyrhills is updating its stormwater master plan for the first time in more than 20 years — an undertaking that will pinpoint the city’s most prone flooding areas and provide recommendations for addressing drainage issues.

The Zephyrhills City Council on Nov. 9 unanimously approved a project work order with planning/engineering firm Kimley-Horn Associates, for the master plan.

This is a graphic from the city’s last stormwater master plan in 2000, which shows reported flooding and initial inundation assessment. (Courtesy of City of Zephyrhills)

The contract calls for the work to be done in 11 months, and provides a lump sum fee of $249,820. The project is being paid for with city revenues and with Penny for Pasco dollars.

The finished master plan will create a tool to determine flood risk, evaluate the level of service, and develop best management practices to reduce flooding and improve water quality.

The update also will include a GIS-based schema that will facilitate a plug and play approach for future updates.

More specifically, the plan includes these components:

  • Conducting an inventory of the primary drainage infrastructure throughout the watershed with detailed analysis of infrastructure in the vicinity of identified flood-prone areas
  • Developing a detailed hydrologic and hydraulic model to characterize runoff responses throughout the watershed and flood conditions in the vicinity of identified flood-prone areas
  • Developing updated floodplain maps
  • Conducting a surface water quality assessment
  • Identifying and evaluating alternatives for improving flooding and water quality in the watershed

Kimley-Horn representatives discussed the scope of work during the council’s session.

Of note, they mentioned the industry standard is to complete a stormwater master plan update every five years, particularly for municipalities like Zephyrhills, which has undergone numerable land annexations over time.

The master plan won’t do much in the way of full-blown construction plans or permitting through SWFWMD (Southwest Florida Water Management District). But, it will identify which particular basins are in greatest need of being fixed, how to do so, and an educated estimated cost for remedies.

From there, city staffers can go to the drawing board and begin to set aside design and construction funding for those particular fixes in future budgets.

The City of Zephyrhills is updating its stormwater master plan for the first time in over 20 years. The $249,820 project is being facilitated by planning/engineering firm Kimley-Horn Associates.
The plan seeks to identify the city’s most prone flooding areas and recommendations to best remedy those issues. (File)

“It’ll give us a map of how to move forward,” Zephyrhills Public Works Director Shane LeBlanc said. “Right now we’re just kind of spinning our wheels, because we don’t have the funding and we don’t have a plan.”

LeBlanc said the updated stormwater is “long overdue.”

Technology has improved significantly since the last update was done between 1999-2000, he said.

“A lot of the technology in modeling that we have now — GIS (geographic information system), LiDAR, all that type of technology — wasn’t around in 1999 when we did out last stormwater study,” LeBlanc said.

Zephyrhills City Manager Billy Poe said the plan update could prove useful should the city ever impose a stormwater assessment fee in the future because it will give the city a clearer understanding of what it would cost to resolve potential flooding problem areas.

However, Poe noted, a stormwater assessment is not on the city’s radar yet.

The city manager also said an updated stormwater plan is useful when pursuing grant dollars or state or federal appropriations for various infrastructure projects.

Having an up-to-date, detailed, organized plan with clear objectives gives the city “extra points” in the eyes of those funding sources, Poe explained.

“You can show them the plan, ‘This is what we’re trying to do,’ so that helps being a step closer to grant dollars,” he said.

Although council members initially questioned what they perceived as a hefty price tag for the master plan, they ultimately came around to moving forward with the project.

Councilman Lance Smith, for one, called the plan’s cost “a difficult bite to swallow,” but said he understands the need for updated recommendations for each basin within the city limits.

“It’s a lot of money, but we need to know where to start,” added Council President Charles Proctor. “I do like the fact that it’s going to possibly help us, when we go to Tallahassee (Florida Legislature) to possibly bring back some funding for the city.”

Meanwhile, Councilman Ken Burgess went on to label the plan “a real useful tool” to help the city prioritize its most pressing stormwater projects “instead of just throwing darts at it and getting kind of willy nilly.”

Time to start thinking about legislative requests
In other business, the city manager advised council members to begin considering some state appropriation project requests, in advance of the 2021 legislative session.

A deadline hasn’t been set yet for submittals, but it’s not too early to start identifying priorities, Poe said.

Discussions at the staff level, Poe said, have centered around securing state funding for the following municipal projects:

  • Funding for a 30,000-square-foot multipurpose indoor sports complex at the Sarah Vande Berg Tennis & Wellness Center (that would be large enough for four tennis courts, among other sports and recreation activities, such as lacrosse and soccer)
  • Additional funding for runway extension 1-19 at the Zephyrhills Municipal Airport
  • Seventh Street improvements to make it a “complete street”

In other news, Poe reported that dirt is moving on the U.S. 301/Pretty Pond Road intersection — signaling construction has begun on the much-anticipated project.

“Barricades are there. Signs are there. Station markers are there. The message board is up,” the city manager said.

The $2.3 million project, being completed by BRW Contracting Inc., of Land O’ Lakes, calls for the relocation of an existing signalized intersection from the shopping plaza entrance to Pretty Pond Road, a signalized intersection at Medical Arts Court, and all other required roadway improvements.

The addition of signalized intersections at these locations is designed to improve the mobility, and serve as an economic driver for the northeast and northwest corners of Pretty Pond, officials say. The area is expected to be home to a Chick-fil-A, Aldi, and a national hotel chain, among other businesses.

Published December 02, 2020

Neighbors object to proposed house near wetlands

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A property owner’s request for a variance to front-yard setback requirements has attracted opposition from nearby neighbors.

Sachin K. Shah appeared before the Pasco County Planning Commission on Nov. 19, seeking a variance to the front yard setback requirements for the property on the east side of Raintree Road, about 1,350 south of Rainbow Lane, in Lutz.

The normal setback requirement is 50 feet, but Shah is requesting that be reduced to 30 feet.

Shah told planning commissioners the smaller setback is needed to reduce potential impacts on the wetlands behind the house.

But, several neighbors appeared before the planning commission raising objections to the request.

They said the property that Shah wants to build on has been known to be an unbuildable lot for decades because of its proximity to wetlands and the flood zone.

They said building on the lot will worsen the area’s flooding problems.

The lot is surrounded by single-family detached homes, in the Meadowbrook Estates and Sierra Pines subdivisions.

One neighbor told planning commissioners that he had told Shah that the lot was not a buildable lot, but that warning did not sway Shah.

Shah told planning commissioners that a drainage solution will need to be engineered, but he said the setback variance will reduce the impacts to the wetlands.

Will Poon, a senior engineer for Pasco County, said the property poses “a lot of physical challenges,” in terms of handling runoff, and the placement of a septic tank.

“Right now, what I see, is you’re very limited in uplands,” Poon said.

Brad Tippin, a development review manager for the county, agreed with Poon’s assessment: “This is absolutely going to be a challenging site to develop.”

Planning commissioners, however, said their role is to rule on the variance request, not whether a house should be built on the lot, and they voted to grant the variance.

Shah now will be required to meet the regulatory requirements of various agencies, in order to proceed with his plans.

Published December 02, 2020

New River Library upgrades to be expanded

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The Pasco County Commission has approved a change order for the county’s New River Branch Library renovation project that will enhance the project.

The library will be reopened, as planned, in January, but additional improvements are being made through the change order, according to County Commissioner Mike Moore.

This is the updated entrance to the New River Branch Library, at 34043 State Road 54, at the edge of Wesley Chapel and Zephyrhills. (File)

Moore’s comments came during the board’s Nov. 17 meeting, when it approved a change order in the amount of $381,067.49.

The agreement includes the construction of a new Community Garden and expanding the audio-visual equipment monitoring distribution system at the library.

Renovations to the New River Library include construction of an outdoor covered area and storage space on the east side of the building. These improvements necessitate relocating and reestablishing the garden area to continue providing the associated makerspace experience at this location, according to the backup materials in the board’s agenda.

Makerspaces are do-it-yourself centers that foster hands-on discovery and stimulate imagination. They are places where visitors can create, learn, design, experiment and build. The reestablished garden makerspace will include enhancements intended to maximize the visitor experience, according to the agenda materials.

Native and seasonal plantings will complement community garden beds, allowing for a multi-sensory experience, to be enjoyed as part of hosted and self-directed programs and workshops. The garden learning center will be defined by accessible pathways and offer multi-height activity zones to encourage the love of gardening among community members of all ages.

Renovations include a monitoring distribution system to integrate its audio-visual equipment. The plan called for the Meeting Room, Children’s Room, and Teens Room to be integrated. Upon consideration, the team would like to expand the scope to include those rooms, and also add the service desk area, community room and adult reading room.

Even though the change order cites a completion date of Feb. 17, 2021, Moore said the library will be open to patrons sometime in January.

The total contract cost, including the change order, is $2,128,945.52.

The total project cost is $2,642,541.40, including the design, construction and furnishings.

The library project is being funded through a general obligation bond approved by voters.

Published December 02, 2020