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400 apartments proposed on Wesley Chapel Boulevard

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The Pasco County Planning Commission has recommended approval of a change to the county’s comprehensive plan that would allow consideration of up to 400 apartments to be developed on 28.2 acres, at the intersection of Wesley Chapel Boulevard and Hay Road.

Planning commissioners recommended approval, despite objections from commissioners Peter Hanzel and Roberto Saez.

The proposed change of the comprehensive plan is the first step in the process to permit the proposed development. A zoning change would be required, too.

The Pasco County Commission has final jurisdiction over land use and zoning changes.

The current land use designations on the property allow up to six dwellings per acre, and also light industrial uses. The proposed change would allow up to 24 dwellings per acre.

County planners recommended approval of the request, which they say will yield about 13 dwellings per acre on the land because it has a significant amount of wetlands.

The county’s comprehensive plan does not have a category between RES-12, which allows up to 12 units per acre, and RES-24, which allows 24 units per acre.

In this case, the applicant has agreed to cap the density at 400 units, as a condition in its  planned request for a master-planned unit development rezoning.

In the agenda background materials, county planners said the request is supported by the comprehensive plan as “an appropriate transitional land use between the single-family residential development to the north and zoned multifamily district to the west.”

They also noted that a proposed employment center use abuts the property, and that generally encourages higher densities to support that type of use.

Joel Tew, an attorney representing the applicant, said “this site is entirely appropriate for multifamily development.”

Hanzel objected.

“We have an overabundance of apartments in that area. There is no need for another apartment complex out there,” Hanzel said.

He voiced concerns about the county having an oversaturation of apartments, creating the prospect for problems down the road, when “huge apartment complexes will begin to deteriorate.”

Planning Commissioner Michael Cox said: “I personally think there are plenty of apartments right now.”

But, he added: “The fact is that this request is consistent with the comp plan. Ultimately, a decision to deny would have to be defensible in court.”

Planning Commission Charles Grey agreed: “When we deny something like this, we need a leg to stand on.”

Pasco County Commissioner Mike Moore frequently has pressed for less apartment development in the county, contending that Pasco already has more than enough.

Cox said if the county wants less apartment development, it needs to change its comprehensive plan to reflect that.

Published January 13, 2021

Law enforcement memorial receives donations

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Tax Collector Mike Fasano’s office raised $8,727.38 to support the construction of a permanent law enforcement officers memorial on the grounds of the Historic Pasco County Courthouse, in downtown Dade City.

The tax collector’s five offices highlighted the Pasco Fallen Law Enforcement Officers Memorial as the charity of the month in November.

The campaign had been begun pre-COVID, but was rescheduled to November because of the pandemic, according to a news release from Fasano’s office.

Staff and leaders from the Pasco County Tax Collector’s Office, the Pasco Sheriff’s Office, the Fallen Law Enforcement Officers Memorial and Pasco’s Back the Blue. (Courtesy of Tax Collector Mike Fasano’s Office)

Pasco County holds a memorial service each year to honor law enforcement officers killed in the line of duty.

However, Pasco County is the only county in Florida without a permanent memorial that can be visited year-round.

Local attorney Craig LaPorte has been heading up the effort to raise funds to build a permanent memorial, and he asked Fasano to help bring the fund drive to the finish line, the news release adds.

A check presentation was held in December, with Fasano joined by members of the Pasco Sheriff’s Office, and Bob George and members of Pasco’s Back the Blue, an organization created to help support law enforcement officers.

“On behalf of the board of directors of the Pasco County Fallen Law Enforcement Officer Memorial and Benefit Foundation we want to extend our sincerest thanks to Mike Fasano and his entire staff for making our foundation the beneficiary of the Pasco County Tax Collector Charities,” LaPorte said, in the release. “He was kind enough to select us for the April 2020 Charity of the Month, but unfortunately as COVID-19 jumped into our lives, he was forced to close in-person office visits for a time. So, in order to help us realize our goal of constructing a permanent memorial to Pasco’s Fallen Law Enforcement Heroes, he put us back on his queue for November. Thanks to the generosity of Pasco’s citizens, and Mr. Fasano and his charity, we raised enough funds to put us “over the top.” As a result, we are now in the process of the final stages leading to the construction of the memorial in front of the Pasco County Historic Courthouse in Dade City.”

“It has been such an honor to work with the fine men and women of our law enforcement community to help raise the funds that will help construct this long-needed memorial,” Fasano said, in the release. “For any one law enforcement officer to die in the line of duty is one too many. Unfortunately, many good officers have been killed in Pasco over the years. This memorial will honor their sacrifice and the good work they did protecting our county from lawbreakers of every sort. A very generous community stepped up to show their support for the members of our law enforcement agencies.”

Another local group also helped to put the fundraising efforts for the memorial over the top, according to Sandy Graves, president of the Land O’ Lakes Rotary Club Charities Inc., a charitable arm of the club.

The club’s charitable group contributed $2,000 for the permanent memorial.

Published January 13, 2021

New community planned along State Road 56

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The new Two Rivers community proposed to rise along State Road 56, between Morris Bridge Road and U.S. 301, is a step closer to reality.

The Pasco County Planning Commission has recommended the approval of changes to a highway vision map and to the text of the county’s comprehensive plan — to bring the envisioned project closer to fruition.

The Pasco County Commission has final jurisdiction over land use and zoning decisions, so the project still needs additional approvals before any work can commence.

But, plans for the area envision a 3,405-acre community that offers a mixture of housing types, work opportunities, shopping, recreation and schools.

The Two Rivers project has been in planning stages — off and on — for more than 10 years, and there have been a number of ownership changes, according to Craig Lohmiller, a group leader for Ardurra, who has been involved with the project for more than a decade.

Current plans call for creating Two Rivers as a master-planned development in Pasco County, which would tie into a community under the same ownership that is south of the Pasco-Hillsborough line, according to attorney Clarke Hobby, co-counsel on the project along with Attorney Joel Tew.

Background materials in the agenda packet detail that planning for the project site includes:

  • 246 acres of conservation area
  • 3,875 single-family homes
  • 1,400 multi-family homes
  • 1,125 age-restricted homes
  • 1.3 million square feet for a targeted industry
  • 630,000 square feet retail

The plan also includes schools for elementary, middle and high students, on property that would be next to an 80-acre county park.

The plan calls for an extensive trail system that provides connectivity within the community, Hobby said.

It emphasizes walkability and also encourages the use of alternate modes of transportation, such as golf carts, to get from place to place, Lohmiller said.

The plan also calls for numerous recreational amenities, including recreational complexes, multipurpose fields, ball diamonds, an aquatics center, playgrounds, a dog park, tennis and basketball courts, and open spaces, Lohmiller said.

“We’re really excited about that,” he said.

There’s a large boulevard loop within the community, which will create a way to get around, without disrupting major wetland features, Lohmiller said.

Plus, there will be areas along the loop that “will support neighborhood retail, restaurants, other commercial opportunities, coffee shops, things like that, to really engage the community.

“When you complete the loop, with the southern piece of the property, it’s about 6 ½ miles,” he said.

Lohmiller envisions community activities, such as farmer’s markets, runs and festivals.

Hobby told planning commissioners that the project has had starts and stops since the mid-2000s.

Now that the extension of State Road 56 has been completed, he said, the project “is really ready to take off.”

State Road 56 was extended through this project and two others, Hobby said, and the county was able to build the road as a four-lane road, instead of two lanes, through a state infrastructure bank loan, through the Florida Department of Transportation.

“The county and the applicant owner worked together with two other big projects, to make (State Road) 56 happen, all at once. It’s been a collaborative deal for a number of years, and the county needs those mobility fee surcharges to pay back the state infrastructure bank loan that the county took out,” Hobby said.

The county’s transportation staff resisted two changes to the highway vision map, proposed by the applicant.

One involved reclassifying a road and the other involved removing a road.

The applicants explained their rationale, and planning commissioners supported their request.

Another proposed change initially called for removing an extension of County Line Road from the map because there are plans to extend it to the south, on land owned by the same property owner in Hillsborough County.

But David Goldstein, Pasco’s chief assistant county attorney, suggested a different option. He said the road should be kept on the map, along with a note to indicate it would not be needed, if a parallel road was built in Hillsborough County.

“Hillsborough County has been known to threaten us, if we don’t give them something they want on a different road. If for some reason they try to hold us hostage and not allow construction of the network to the south, I don’t want us to be stuck without any east-west road,” Goldstein explained.

Tew and Hobby agreed with Goldstein’s solution.

This request will now go to the Pasco County Commission for consideration.

If the proposed changes are approved, the applicant’s next step will be to see a rezoning to a master-planned unit development, which is expected in coming months.

Published January 13, 2021

Pigz in Z’Hills festival postponed until April

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Like so many other major events throughout the Tampa Bay area, the 11th annual Pigz in Z’Hills BBQ & Blues Fest will be forced to make many adjustments in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The largest annual event in Zephyrhills — which was slated for Feb. 27 — has been tentatively postponed until April, in the name of health and safety. Exact dates, times and a location are still to be determined, as are ticket and parking prices.

The Greater Zephyrhills Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors agreed on the postponement in mid-December, after consulting with medical professionals and event partners, according to a chamber news release.

This year’s Pigz in Z’Hills BBQ & Blues Fest may feature a socially distanced car drive-in concert format with local or Florida-based bands only. But, there won’t be the other usual frills like a prized BBQ team competition, car show, cornhole tournament, business expo, or kids fun zone. (File)

The BBQ festival’s reboot will take on a different flavor in 2021 compared to past years — possibly focusing on just a drive-in concert and drive-thru BBQ meal pickup.

More concrete details will be hammered out following another board meeting in late January, where final event recommendations will be agreed upon, Greater Zephyrhills Chamber of Commerce Director Melonie Monson told The Laker/Lutz News in a recent interview.

Multiple proposals already have been discussed with Pigz in Z’Hills committee members and chamber leaders on the best approach.

One general concept that has been floated includes having attendees simply “drive through a line and pick up their BBQ, and then park and stay in their cars and listen to a concert,” Monson said.

But even this plan and its logistics have been questioned, as Monson said organizers “really struggled with some of the concept and the concern, so I think we’re back to square one of how we can do this in a COVID world and ensure safety.”

“The board really wants to be extra cautious, for sure,” she added.

Much concern from the board lies with the hundreds of volunteers who help make the event possible, Monson said. A point already has been made to excuse any youth and elderly helpers for this year’s festival, she said.

Said Monson: “That’s where a lot of it plays out — is can we guarantee safety to the people volunteering all day? You know, that’s the bottom line when it comes to things.”

Should a makeshift food and music show go on in some way or another, only local or Florida-based bands would be showcased for the event, Monson said.

Meanwhile, a final menu is being completed.

To do this, the chamber is collaborating with three of its regular cooking teams to serve up various offerings for attendees, perhaps an entrée choice of ribs, barbecued chicken or pork with various sides and drinks.

Aside from heaps of food and live music, Pigz in Z’Hills typically features a prized BBQ cookoff contest, car show, cornhole tournament, business expo, kids fun zone and tours of the Zephyrhills Military History Museum.

Those are off the table for the festival this year — though some type of combined car show and cornhole tournament may be organized through the chamber for sometime this summer, Monson said.

Event organizers have reached out to would-be BBQ competitors with information on refunds and to sponsors about being a part of the hybrid event.

A community staple and major fundraiser
Pigz in Z’Hills has not only been cemented as a community entertainment staple over the years, but also is a major fundraiser for student scholarships, and about a dozen nonprofits and community organizations, such as Boy Scouts, East Pasco YMCA, and Relay for Life of Zephyrhills, to name a few.

The chamber director acknowledged funds raised from this year’s BBQ event “is going to be very minimal,” but expressed confidence there’ll be enough in the coffers to continue the Zephyrhills Chamber of Commerce Scholarship Fund and Citizen of the Month programs.

To help make up for other anticipated funding shortages, Monson said the chamber in February is launching a campaign called “Love Your Non-Profit” that will showcase different organizations and solicit public donations for each.

Said Monson: “We’re going to spotlight the nonprofits that usually get the money (made from Pigz in Z’Hills) and really hope that the public will say, ‘Oh yeah, we recognize they’re not going to be able to get what they’re used to; we can help, too.’”

The BBQ shindig has grown substantially since its debut in 2011 — when it drew about 2,500 patrons.

Well over 10,000 people have attended in recent years at its usual staged location of 5200 Airport Road, across from the Zephyrhills Municipal Airport — including a record-high of about 13,500 attending in 2019.

The momentum carried into the event’s 10th anniversary celebration last January, drawing roughly 11,000 people.

The chamber had hoped to build on the string of successes and find a way to bring some normalcy to the area by holding the festival and all its familiar fixins’, but the recent rise in COVID-19 cases and vaccine delays forced organizers to pivot completely, Monson said.

Expected to be a much smaller turnout this year, the chamber director noted any hybrid festival would be considered “a huge success” if anywhere from 300 to 500 tickets get purchased.

“It’s real disappointing, but we recognize we’re not the only ones going through this, and we will rebound,” Monson said.

There’s confidence brewing that the BBQ extravaganza will get back on track by 2022, however.

That’s because next year’s Pigz in Z’Hills has been selected to host the Florida BBQ Association State Championship.

Monson said the showcase could draw upward of 65 top-notch BBQ teams from around the state, with a purse of at least $10,000 for the winner. The event is tentatively scheduled for Feb. 26, 2022.

“It will bring in competitors that we’ve never had before from throughout the state, which is exciting,” said Monson.

The chamber leader also noted that the event will be a solid marketing tool for Zephyrhills, at large.

She expects that television exposure and coverage of the event will offer a great opportunity “to showcase our little city.”

For more information, call 813-782-1913, or email .

Published January 13, 2021

COVID-19 vaccinations in high demand

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As the number of positive COVID-19 cases and deaths continue to rise, frustration is mounting among people eager to get vaccinated to protect themselves from the deadly virus.

So far, demand for vaccines is outpacing supply in both Pasco and Hillsborough counties — and when tickets are available to receive a vaccine, they are quickly snapped up.

Land O’ Lakes resident Jeff Cordover said he was finally able to get through, and he and his wife, Judy, were able to get their first dose of the vaccine.

Once there, the process went smoothly, Cordover said.

“The wait wasn’t bad. We had a 3 o’clock appointment, and we maybe waited 20 minutes or so,” Cordover said.

But his wife, Judy, said improvements are needed to make it less confusing to register for a vaccine.

“Getting the vaccine wasn’t the problem. The problem was getting into the computer to get the registration to get the vaccine,” she said.

The Florida Department of Health in Pasco County is offering vaccinations by appointment only to those age 65 and older.

Registering for the vaccine must be done through the department’s website.

Those wishing to obtain a vaccine are encouraged to check the website frequently for updates of when new registrations are being accepted. The sign-ups are based on vaccine supplies.

No new registrations were being accepted on the morning of Jan. 11.

Pasco County residence is not required, but snowbirds must remain in Pasco County for their second round — which is 28 days after the first appointment, the website says.

The health department’s current drive-thru vaccination clinic is at Sears in the Gulfview Square Mall, at 9409 U.S. 19 in Port Richey. However, efforts are underway to add a site in East Pasco, according to the health department.

To find out specifics for registering for a vaccine, check the website’s section on frequently asked questions.

Also, keep checking the website to find out if more vaccines have become available and more registrations are being accepted. The website is Pasco.FloridaHealth.gov.

Registration for vaccinations is free.

Pasco health department officials have issued a warning to make sure that people sign up on Eventbrite, using the link from the health department’s website.  Someone has set up a fake account, in an attempt to scam people, the website says.

Hillsborough County, in partnership with the Florida Department of Health in Hillsborough County, will begin a second round of COVID-19 vaccinations this week for residents age 65 and older. Hillsborough has allocated 9,000 doses of the vaccine to be administered at three distribution sites from Jan. 13 through Jan. 15.

Appointments will be scheduled online by CDR HealthPro™ portal and by phone on Jan. 12. Residents age 65 and older can only make their appointments during the designated time frame specific to their age group.

Residents can visit HCFLGov.net/vaccine for additional information and updates.

Hillsborough has been using four distribution sites.

The two closest to The Laker/Lutz News coverage area are at: Ed Radice Sports Complex, 14720 Ed Radice Drive in Tampa, and at the University Mall parking lot, 2200 E. Fowler Ave., in Tampa.

While vaccination efforts continue, concerns are rising over the increased spread of COVID-19, and the rising number of deaths.

The Washington Post reported last week that the United States had marked another milestone in the pandemic, recording more than 4,000 deaths in a single day. It also reported that research suggested that people who have no symptoms transmit more than half of cases of COVID-19.

CNN, reporting data from Johns Hopkins University, said it took about 90 days for the United States to reach its first 2 million cases of coronavirus in 2020; this year, it took just 10 days to hit 2.2 million cases.

While Americans were warned about avoiding indoor gatherings, officials said they did just the opposite during the holidays — gathering with friends or extended family, which has resulted in packed hospitals across the country, according to CNN’s report.

COVID statistics, available as of Jan. 11, 10:30 a.m.

United States: Positive cases – 22,102,069; deaths – 371,084
Florida: Total cases: 1,477,010; including positive residents, 1,450,620; Florida resident deaths, 22,912; non-resident deaths, 349
Pasco County: 24,712 positive residents; 230 positive non-residents; 406 deaths
Hillsborough County: 85,784 positive residents; 725 positive non-residents; 1,121 deaths
Pasco County Schools: 1,067 student cases (13,251 students impacted); 506 staff cases (1,153 employees impacted)
Hillsborough County Schools: 3,341 positive cases, including 1,265 employees and 2,076 students.

Sources: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; Florida Department of Health; Pasco County Schools and Hillsborough County Schools.

Published January 13, 2021

Zephyrhills seeking state funding for four projects

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The City of Zephyrhills is pursuing state funding for four projects, although ongoing financial impacts from the COVID-19 pandemic may hamper some, or all of the requests, from being included in the state’s budget.

Zephyrhills City Manager Billy Poe explained the requests during a regular Zephyrhills City Council meeting last month. They call for:

  • Transforming Seventh Street into a complete street, generally from U.S. 301 to South Avenue and C Avenue
  • Building sewer line and sewer capacity expansions and improvements on the north end of town to make way for additional development around the Zephyr Commons Publix Super Market on Gall Boulevard
  • Paving and taxiway improvements at the Zephyrhills Municipal Airport
  • Phase II of the Sarah Vande Berg Tennis & Wellness Center, which calls for a 30,000-square-foot indoor multi-use complex on the northeast portion of the 10-acre property on Simons Road — large enough for four tennis courts, but could also be converted to accommodate soccer, weddings, concerts and other community events or sports

The deadline to submit requests to the state is Feb. 2. Final project submissions and prioritization will come before a formal council vote, likely at a Jan. 11 regular meeting.

Monies would be made available to Zephyrhills in July, should one or more of those projects be approved by the Florida Legislature and signed off on by Gov. Ron DeSantis.

The city manager said each of those projects should be “shovel-ready” for construction by the summer time frame, except for the sewer line initiative, which first needs to be designed.

Published January 13, 2021

Bridging Freedom is charity of the month

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Pasco County Tax Collector Mike Fasano has named Bridging Freedom, an organization dedicated to ending human trafficking and assisting survivors of that crime, as its charity for the month of January.

Bridging Freedom aims to combat sex-trafficking of minors by bringing restoration to those who have been rescued. And, the organization educates the community and works with partners to increase awareness of this “pervasive and often ‘invisible’ criminal operation,” according to a news release.

During the month of January, all tax collector office locations will be accepting donations to help Bridging Freedom in its mission to assist as many victims as possible, and to educate the public, local businesses and others about the importance of recognizing human trafficking for the crime it is.

“Children, both girls and boys, have their childhoods stolen from them by traffickers and buyers. Bridging Freedom, a safe campus, restores those stolen childhoods with a safe environment, therapy, life skills and a caring community,” Alan Wilkett, retired Pasco Sheriff’s law enforcement officer, said in the release.

For information about Bridging Freedom and its services, contact Wilkett at 813-474-4673.

For more about the tax collector’s charitable campaigns, call Assistant Tax Collector Greg Giordano at 727-847-8179.

Pasco County approves $205,000 for work on comprehensive plan

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The Pasco County Commission has approved an agreement to pay HDR Engineering up to $205,000 during fiscal year 2021, for the company’s assistance on updating the county’s comprehensive plan.

Pasco adopted its original comprehensive plan in response to a state law passed in 1985.

Pasco’s first comprehensive plan took effect in 1991. It was last updated in 2006, with a 2025 horizon year.

The current plan has 50 goals, 216 policies and 917 objectives. Many of these are duplicated within several of the plan’s 12 elements.

The update is needed to streamline the plan, align it with market conditions, and to improve its responsiveness to current trends, according to materials in the board’s agenda packet.

The county estimates it will take up to five years for the comprehensive update, with each year having its work task order.

Updating the comprehensive plan is a substantial undertaking and will involve such activities as developing a project schedule, doing best practices research, developing an outreach and engagement plan, analyzing land use, researching development and demographics and completing myriad other planning activities.

The comprehensive plan is an important document because it sets the stage for the county’s future direction.

Published January 13, 2021

Street hockey rinks open in Wesley Chapel, Holiday

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Perhaps someday a future hockey star will be able to say he or she first learned to play hockey on the streets of Wesley Chapel and Holiday.

Pasco County has added to its assorted sports and recreational profile with yet another outdoor activity in check — street hockey.

Two new outdoor street hockey rinks have opened at Wesley Chapel District Park and the J. Ben Harrill Recreation Complex in Holiday. The rinks were created through a public-private partnership between Pasco County and the National Hockey League’s (NHL) Tampa Bay Lightning. The rinks are approximately 60 feet by 120 feet, with a full dasher-board system. (Courtesy of Pasco County)

Two public outdoor ball hockey rinks are now available for use at J. Ben Harrill Recreation Complex in Holiday and Wesley Chapel District Park, 7727 Boyette Road in Wesley Chapel.

The concrete rinks — approximately 60 feet by 120 feet, with a full dasher-board system — are part of a public-private partnership between the county and the NHL’s Tampa Bay Lightning, the defending Stanley Cup champions.

Designed with the idea of growing the game of hockey throughout local communities, the rinks will allow young hockey players in the area a place to train, whether it’s the grass roots level or in organized leagues and tournaments.

A virtual ribbon-cutting ceremony of the rinks was held Dec. 10, with several representatives on hand from both the county and Lightning, respectively.

“We are very proud to open these two rinks today as part of our pledge to build 10 ball hockey rinks across the Tampa Bay area,” Lightning CEO Steve Griggs said. “These two rinks that we opened will give local youth the opportunity to get outside and play the great game of hockey. The Lightning would like to thank Pasco County for their enthusiasm and support in helping us make this a reality for everyone in Pasco County.”

Pasco County Commissioner Kathryn Starkey tabbed the rinks “just one more wonderful thing that we’re bringing to Pasco County, to give our residents a really high quality of life.”

“This is another unique sport for kids to be involved in and learn all the good, life lessons you learn when you’re a part of a team,” Starkey said. “These rinks are a real value to the county and to the communities we serve.”

She also noted: “When (the Lightning) mentioned that they were going to put one (rink) in, knowing how large our county is and how much need that we have here, I asked them if they’d be kind enough to put in two.”

Count former Tampa Bay Lightning captain Dave Andreychuk among those “super, super excited” to witness outdoor ball hockey ramping up in Pasco.

“This place will be loaded with kids every night,” said Andreychuk, who serves as the franchise’s vice president of corporate and senior affairs. “As we know, having kids, giving them an activity, something to do, is a great thing.”

The county was responsible for laying out the rink concrete slabs, while the Lightning built out the remainder of the project, including the dasher boards, goal nets and electronic scoreboards. The pro hockey franchise also will be supplying equipment, such as sticks, balls and protective gear.

Lightning community hockey manager Josh Dreith, too, figures the rinks will be a score on both the east and west sides of Pasco: “I love Pasco County. There’s a ton of Lightning fans in Pasco County, and there’s a ton of engaged kids, as well.”

The Holiday and Wesley Chapel locations are part of 10 rinks being funded and constructed in the five-county Tampa Bay area — via a $6 million grassroots hockey development initiative from the Lightning’s Build the Thunder 2.0 and Connect the Thunder programs, and the NHL’s Industry Growth Fund. The other rinks are situated in Hillsborough, Manatee, Pinellas and Polk counties, respectively.

The rinks in Pasco are available upon request for open play now. There’s hope to have league play begin by March, depending on the COVID-19 situation, officials say.

Programming at the new rinks will eventually include:

  • Clinics run by Lightning alumni
  • Ball hockey leagues
  • Adult ball hockey
  • Ball hockey lessons

All essential equipment for teams playing ball hockey will be provided by the Lightning, including hockey sticks, balls and goalie protective equipment. Pasco County Parks, Recreation and Natural Resources will manage all programming and maintenance of the rinks.

Keith Wiley, the county’s parks department director, explained: “We’re going to have a combination of free play, obviously open to the public. And then, in coordination with the Lightning, we will be working on actual league play, where we can create some structured programming, depending on (the) season.”

With the partnership, the county contributed property and $240,000 toward the cost of the underlying concrete pads at the two outdoor rinks. From there, the Lightning have built out the remainder of the infrastructure, with dasher boards, scoreboards, penalty boxes, goalie nets, and more.

Engineering design on the rinks began in February. Construction began in August with the county’s portion of the work completed in late October.

Contracting through the Lightning, EnvironBuild LLC finished the dasher boards and scoreboards on Dec. 10.

Some minor improvements do remain, such as sheds, bleachers, and scoreboard electrical connections. Those touches are expected to be complete around March or so.

Published January 06, 2021

Dade City approves modified CRA plan

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The City of Dade City has finally gotten around to revising its Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) plan —  a document which hadn’t been updated since its original formation back in 1998.

The Dade City Commission in December unanimously approved a modified CRA plan — which looks to address conditions of blight in the core of the city and, according to the new 118-page document, “seeks to position the city for renewed economic success in the 21st century without compromising on the city’s character by leveraging existing physical, cultural and natural resources to encourage private sector investment.”

Dade City’s 137-acre CRA (Community Redevelopment Area) district primarily encompasses the city’s downtown corridor east of the U.S. 301/U.S. 98 bypass, stretching south from Coleman Avenue to north of Whitehouse Avenue. (Courtesy of City of Dade City)

Work to revise the original CRA plan began in late 2016, with the help of North Carolina-based consulting firm S&ME Inc.

Though a modified plan was completed in 2018, the commission tabled approval until a new city manager was hired, which occurred in April 2019.

Since then, the plan has further been updated to encompass the latest available socioeconomic demographic information, which revealed an even younger profile compared to just two years ago, officials say.

Dade City’s 137-acre CRA district primarily encompasses its downtown corridor between Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard and the U.S. 301/U.S. 98 bypass, stretching south from Coleman Avenue and north of Whitehouse Avenue.

The five-year plan encompasses a wide range of background information on the city, plus community surveys, and various goals and objectives to focus on in the near future.

The following four strategic goals for the CRA were established out of the new plan:

  • Increase awareness of Dade City and its amenities
  • Establish Dade City as a leisure, cultural and ecotourism hub
  • Improve quality of life for current and future residents, and visitors
  • Establish Dade City as an entrepreneurial destination for those seeking access and opportunity for new businesses

The plan also summarized various viewpoints on wants and needs within the CRA limits, based on a series of stakeholder interviews conducted by local officials and input collected from the city’s Resident Advisory Committee, Downtown Merchants Association and Dade City Chamber of Commerce, among other groups.

Some of the outlined priorities and other thoughts from stakeholders include:

Emphasize bricks and mortar

  • The CRA could benefit from a renewed focus on pedestrian improvements: increasing mid-block crossings, repairing sidewalks and alleyways
  • Focus on increasing trail connections and expanding infrastructure surrounding the Hardy Trail
  • Increase accessibility of downtown buildings through ADA improvements

Grants (proposed new grants topics)

  • Provide grants for ADA improvements
  • Provide residential painting grants
  • Rental subsidies program
  • Historic structure plaque grant

Opportunities for Dade City

  • Increase coordination with advertisement for events
  • Catering to cyclists with targeted businesses in downtown
  • CRA frontage on U.S. 301 to signal presence of downtown (gateway)
  • Expand CRA boundaries to include more residential and commercial areas
  • Moving the farmer’s market downtown
  • Proximity to Saint Leo, and ability to attract and retain millennials
  • Cultivating a relationship with local hospital system and Pasco-Hernando State College

Threats to Dade City

  • Attorney general opinions regarding use of agency funds for contracted services
  • Grant program criteria: project and applicant eligibility, performance criteria and measurement
  • High downtown rents
  • Downtown flooding
  • Not enough family friendly activities
  • Downtown businesses not staying open past 5 p.m.
  • Matching requirement on grants makes them unattainable for businesses with fewer resources
  • Pass-by traffic along U.S. 301/U.S. 98

Commissioner/CRA wish list

  • Gateway signage
  • Splash pad for kids
  • Bring back a movie theater
  • Get a community/youth center
  • Create a business incubator
  • Consistent streetscapes
  • Clean up entryways to downtown
  • Highlight areas of historical interest
  • More duplex housing
  • Grocery store
  • Evening programming

The comprehensive plan also included details on the city’s ever-changing demographic profile, which reads:

The Dade City CRA strives to address blighted conditions generally in the downtown corridor, through a combination of reinvestment, grants and other programs.

“While Florida is historically known as a state comprised of a primarily older demographic, the median ages for the top five tapestry segments (traditional living, hardscrabble road, social security, down the road, old and newcomers) present in Dade City are below 44.2 years of age. Albeit lower income, the tapestry segments reveal a younger, family oriented demographics than traditionally present within Florida. …More than half of the city’s population is white (67.3 percent) with an almost equal share of Black and Hispanic residents, 20.4% and 20.6%, respectively.”

  • Current population just over 7,500
  • Approximately 2,600 households
  • Median household income is $31,497 (compared to Pasco County’s $45,064)
  • Nearly 7% of Dade City households make more than $100,000

The CRA plan is a living document of sorts, meaning it can be adjusted as needed depending on the city leader’s objectives, said Melanie Romagnoli, the city’s community and economic development director.

With that, she recommended the city — given the CRA has two newly elected board members in Knute Nathe and Normita Woodard — do another check-up on the plan in a year “to see if anything needs to be modified, or it’s still the same path that this existing commission wants to go on.”

“We can modify this as many times as we’d like, we just have to provide notice to the county and the state of any modifications that we make,” explained Romagnoli.

Estimated budgets for the CRA across the next five years are as follows: $246,361 (2021), $253,752 (2022), $261,365 (2023), $269,206 (2024) and $277,281 (2025).

Romagnoli indicated at least one issue that needs to be addressed is revisiting some arbitrary timelines for getting certain action-level steps and projects accomplished in the next handful of years.

“Some of them are very unrealistic with current staffing conditions and financial constraints,” said Romagnoli.

“The current CRA does not gather as much money as what’s required for all these things to get accomplished, so we definitely need to revisit it and make sure it’s realistic for us to be able to implement and prioritize and figure out what this commission and CRA board wants to do in the next five years.”

There’s also been discussion about possibly expanding the CRA district beyond its current boundaries, she said, which likely will require many in-depth workshops.

Dade City Mayor Camille Hernandez agreed that additional workshops are needed to perhaps further refine the plan and gather input from Nathe and Woodard, first-term commissioners and board members elected back in July.

“I know it’s important to all of us,” Hernandez said of the CRA plan. “It has been a long time in the making and processing. Hopefully we can move forward with the next steps.”

Published January 06, 2021