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Zephyrhills economic summit highlights industrial hub

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It may now be famous for its crystal clear water and skydiving but, someday, the City of Zephyrhills also wants to be known for its industrial offerings and high-wage jobs.

The third annual Zephyrhills Economic Summit, held earlier this month, focused on the need to maximize both the use of the Zephyrhills Municipal Airport and the development potential of adjacent industrial property.

The event, at Zephyrhills City Hall, was presented by the Zephyrhills Economic Development Coalition (ZEDC) in partnership with the City of Zephyrhills and Greater Zephyrhills Chamber of Commerce.

The third annual Zephyrhills Economic Summit focused on the importance of developing an industrial corridor and cultivating high-wage jobs. Shown here speaking is Zephyrhills planning director Todd Vande Berg. (Kevin Weiss)

City officials are developing a 20-year master plan known as the Zephyrhills Industrial Corridor Plan.

The proposed industrial development hub encompasses approximately 9.76 square miles (6,248 acres) of land in the southeast portion of the city, around the Chancey Road corridor and municipal airport.

Roughly a third of the property is within city limits and the remainder in unincorporated Pasco County — representing the largest aggregation of industrial lands in the county.

Within that area is 442 divisible acres of what’s known as the Zephyrhills Airport Industrial Park, a build-ready site equipped with water, sewer and electric utilities, and accessible to natural gas.

While the corridor is still in preliminary stages, it ultimately will set the city up for long-term growth and economic sustainability, said Zephyrhills planning director Todd Vande Berg.

Possible targeted industries could include aerospace, aviation and defense; advanced manufacturing; light manufacturing; electronics and technology; logistics and distribution; life sciences and medical technology; telecom/data hosting centers; research and development; showroom; refrigeration/cold storage and other uses.

Vande Berg explained a built-out industrial corridor will yield more revenues for the city and create a better jobs-to-housing balance. He also noted industrial manufacturing uses less services — police, fire, water, sewer— compared to, say, residential or commercial land use.

All that, he said, will ultimately “raise the bar in quality of life” for Zephyrhills residents, allowing funds to be steered toward downtown redevelopment, recreational amenities and other community uses.

“We want to be economically diverse. We don’t just want to have family residential, we want to have a mix of uses,” Vande Berg said.

“If we bring in industrial, we’re going to be more fiscally solvent, and that ties in with being resilient. If we have the industrial there, we feel like we’re in a better position with the city.”

The city planner expressed confidence the corridor’s utility offerings and centralized proximity to Orlando, Lakeland and Tampa makes it an attractive spot for companies looking to relocate or set up shop.

“We’ve got a great location we feel like,” he said. “We have such an asset out there in the southeast quadrant of the city.”

The entire planning area is generally bound by Melrose Avenue to the north, the CSX Transportation railroad and U.S. 301 to the west, Pattie Road to the south, and Barry Road and the Upper Hillsborough Wildlife Management Area to the east.

Two CSX mainline railroads traverse the area and it is accessible to Port Tampa Bay and the CSX Central Florida Intermodal Logistics Center.

The local airport also is undergoing a $5.9 million runway extension and roadway improvements to accommodate larger commercial aircraft, and encourage aviation and industrial development.

Moving forward, Vande Berg said ongoing collaboration is vital between the city, county and state officials to have a coordinated plan on zoning and land use, and “to continue to improve transportation accessibility to this industrial corridor.”

He mentioned a more near-term priority is working with the Florida Department of Transportation to extend State Road 56 east of U.S. 301 to connect to Chancey Road. “Transportation’s huge, like anywhere,” he said.

Aside from transportation and infrastructure boosts to draw companies in, other speakers said the city needs more workforce development programs to develop skilled labor employees and then keep them in the area.

It’s already something holding back existing industrial businesses in the city, said Dr. Randy Stovall, president of the Zephyrhills chamber.

“They can’t find those people they want to hire,” Stovall said. “They want to hire them, but there’s not enough of them, so that is a challenge. We’ve had that (issue) for some time.”

Tom Ryan, economic development manager for Pasco Economic Development Council Inc.,  said having training programs and a baseline of skilled labor in place is “a huge component” for luring large companies to a particular area.

“We’ve got to have (workforce) inventory,” Ryan said. “We’ve got to have a plan to tell those companies, ‘Look, we want your jobs here, and we have a plan to help you bring those jobs here.’”

Pasco County Commission Chairman Ron Oakley pointed out that Zephyrhills and the East Pasco area are working to position the area to do just that.

Pasco County Schools plans to build a technical high school by 2022 near the intersection of Curley Road and Kiefer Road in Wesley Chapel that will hold nearly 900 students.

Meanwhile, Withlacoochee River Electric Cooperative (WREC) plans to construct a 4,000-square-foot facility for AmSkills to teach manufacturing jobs.

Also, local business owner Kevin Bahr of Bahr’s Propane Gas & A/C is starting a teaching school to train propane service and HVAC technicians.

“The county is working very hard for jobs,” Oakley said. “Our county’s growing. We need jobs, and we need to teach them (the necessary skills).”

Elsewhere during the summit, State Rep. Randy Maggard commended Zephyrhills “for thinking ahead of schedule” in regards to its future and planned industrial hub.

Maggard, a Republican representing District 38, specifically applauded city leaders for this year putting a $2 million septic to sewer project at the top of their state appropriations request list.

The project includes decommissioning existing septic tanks to a residential subdivision and homes along Sixth Avenue and Armstrong Street, with potential for sewer expansion to additional properties in the future.

The project aims to prevent springs from dying because of nitrates from septic tanks.

“At the end of the day, if we don’t have water, none of this matters,” Maggard said. “We can talk about infrastructure, we can talk about a lot of things, but if we can’t provide water, it doesn’t matter at all.”

The elected official also gave this piece of advice for the city going forward: “You need to tell us where you want to go, and we need to help you get there in the long-term planning, funding, whatever it takes for us to be able to do that.”

Other summit speakers included Mohsen Mohammadi, chief operations officer for American Infrastructure Development; David Gwynn, District 7 secretary for the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT); and Danielle Ruiz, economic development manager for Duke Energy.

Published October 23, 2019

When rural tranquility and Olympic dreams clash

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Dania Vizzi wants to use a private skeet shooting range, off Bellamy Brothers Boulevard, to perfect her skeet shooting skills so she can make the U.S. team for the 2020 Olympics.

But, her neighbors say her Olympic quest is causing harm to their agricultural and horse-breeding pursuits, as well as disrupting their rural tranquility and peace of mind.

Those were among the issues aired out at an Oct. 10 Pasco County Commission public hearing on a request filed by Arthur and Doree Vizzi, Dania’s parents.

The 53-acre property is on the west side of Bellamy Brothers Boulevard, about one-half mile east of Johnston Road, said Debbie Hernandez, Pasco County’s zoning administrator.

The skeet shooting range consists of a skeet field made up of shooting stations and two trap houses, Hernandez said.

The county has cited the Vizzi’s for developing the property without obtaining a permit for a conditional use, and the request is an attempt to address that violation.

County planners recommend approval of the request, contingent on several conditions.

During the public hearing, Dania Vizzi, of Odessa,  told planning commissioners: “I’m a four-time world championship medalist; two-time national champion; just medaled at the Pan American Games and, as of last week, I am halfway onto the Olympic team for 2020.

“I just really need it (the skeet shooting facility) to train. This is my passion. This is what I love to do. I want to compete for my country as long as I can. I would just love your help with it,” she said.

Matt Newton, an attorney representing the applicants, said before purchasing the property, his clients reached out to the county and understood that as long as the property wasn’t being used for commercial uses, they could practice on the property.

“She practices several hours a day and an interruption of practice can be devastating to her preparation for competitiveness,” Newton said.

Newton said his client would agree to provide more privacy screening to buffer the properties on the north and south, but said the condition for a 20-foot berm is too expensive.

He said based on his research, meeting that condition would cost between $65,000 and $112,000.

Arthur Vizzi told planning commissioners: “We can’t agree to conditions that are beyond our capabilities. They are cost-prohibitive for us.”

Newton said: “The best method of mitigation in our opinion would be to limit the hours.”

His client agrees to no shooting before 9 a.m. and after 4 p.m., and no shooting at all on Sundays, or on Good Friday, Easter, Thanksgiving or Christmas Day, the attorney said.

But, neighbors urged planning commissioners to consider the negative impacts they said have resulted from the skeet shooting facility.

“I’m not here to kill somebody’s dreams to be an Olympian. That’s not why I’m here,” said Glenn Stevenson, of 16653 Bellamy Brothers Blvd.

“I find it interesting that they can quote all of these awards, but they haven’t just happened. They happened before they purchased the property, as well. So this property isn’t key for her success as an Olympian,” Stevenson said.

“My business is being impacted negatively. I have lost people who boarded horses with me, that are very expensive brood mares. I run a breeding program. I have a reproduction lab on my farm,” he said.

“Originally, they told me it was going to be two hours a day. It was more like four to five hours, seven days a week.

“I can actually hear it in my house. I am the closest property to their property. I get all of the noise in my house,” he said.

He told planning commissioners he would like the use to be limited to five days a week, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., with no shooting on holidays.

Judy Geiger, of 16225 Bellamy Brothers Blvd., lives on the property due south of the Vizzis’ parcel.

“I don’t want this next door to me,” Geiger said.

Beyond noise, she’s worried about contamination.

“The lead stays in the ground,” Geiger said.

She’s worried, too, about a negative impact on property values.

“Who wants to live next to gunfire noise?” she said.

Philip and Robin Rhinesmith, both of 16833 Bellamy Brothers Blvd., were among others voicing  objections.

“There have certainly been quality of life impacts,” Philip Rhinesmith said. “It’s not the fact of the shooting. It’s the duration..”

They are also concerned about long-term impacts, he said.

“Typically, firing 250 rounds a day equates to about 15 pounds of lead on the ground. The accumulation over a year’s time could be 5,000 pounds a year,” he said.

Robin Rhinesmith added: “We have three generations of family living on our farm, which we’ve called home for about 50 years.”

The family lives among “beautiful live oak trees and pasture,” but they spend less time outside because of the constant gunfire.

“Using earbuds on the tractor doesn’t even drown it out,” she said.

She also noted that her daughter, a competitive equestrian for years, has stopped “because she doesn’t enjoy training on her own property.”

But, Doree Vizzi told planning commissioners that they bought the property to enable her daughter to train there.

“I do not want to cause problems with my neighbors.

“That’s not our goal.

“I go with my daughter 90% of the time to the range. I pull for her. She only shoots three or four hours by herself.

“There’s an over-reach and an over-exaggeration going on here right now,” she said.

David Goldstein, chief assistant county attorney, told planning commissioners: “The mere discharge of weapons is not something we can regulate because the Legislature told us we can’t. However, we can regulate gun ranges.”

Planning Commissioner Michael Cox said, “by going through this process and having at least some conditions, that would appear to me that it would be an improvement for the surrounding neighbors — specifically the hours of operation that they’re allowed to do it versus all of the time.”

Cox called for approval of the request, contingent on the planning staff’s conditions.

The motion passed and now the issue goes before the Pasco County Commission, which is slated to consider the request at a Nov. 5 public hearing.

Published October 23, 2019

Conserving water helps everyone

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Pasco County Utilities wants to urge people to conserve water whenever possible, bringing awareness to “Imagine a Day Without Water” on Oct. 23.

The day is meant as a reminder for how important water is to our daily lives.

Every drop counts when it comes to making sure clean water is available to all.

Most people cannot imagine a single day without water, or they expect that clean water will always come out of their faucets.

Access to clean water should never be taken for granted, as it contributes to the health and safety of everyone.

Pasco County Utilities encourages families to spend at least one day thinking about and tracking the amount of water used in a single day.

Conservation efforts, as a community, can ensure a future where clean water is available each and every day.

Pasco County Utilities offers these suggestions to help curb water consumption:

  • Use a dye test to check toilets for leaks.
  • Turn off the water while shaving, washing your face, or brushing your teeth.
  • Take shorter showers.
  • Plan ahead on thawing meats or frozen foods and don’t use running water to do so.
  • Scrape plates over the trash can instead of pre-rinsing.
  • Operate dishwashers only when they are fully loaded.
  • Repair dripping faucets.
  • Insulate water pipes.

For many more ways to conserve water, including water-saving tips for indoors, outdoors and businesses, visit bit.ly/SaveH2OPasco.

Published October 23, 2019

Hillsborough holds neighborhoods conference

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Registration has begun for Hillsborough County’s 16th annual Neighborhoods Conference.

The free event is set for Nov. 2 from 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., at the Sheraton Tampa East Hotel, 10221 Princess Palm Ave., in Sabal Park.

This year’s theme is “Reimagining Neighborhoods.”

Neighborhood and community leaders are invited to come to the conference to build on their leadership skills, hear new ways to make where they live safer, and learn how to navigate government processes and regulations.

Besides having a chance to learn, the event includes access to all exhibits, giveaways, the Neighborhood Recognition Awards luncheon, and conference workshops.

The workshop topics are:

  • Leadership development and techniques
  • Code enforcement: Questions and answers
  • NextDoor strategies, tips and tricks
  • How to write award-winning grant applications
  • Solutions to common challenges faced by neighborhood associations
  • Building resiliency within communities to help with disaster recovery
  • What neighborhoods can expect during the 2020 U.S. Census

For more information, or to register, call (813) 272-5860, or go to HCFLGov.net/Neighborhoods and click on 16th annual Neighborhoods Conference link.

Published October 23, 2019

Law seeks to reduce distracted driving

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For now, drivers caught using a hand-held phone while driving through an active construction or school zone, will be issued a warning.

But, at the beginning of the New Year, a citation can be issued with a $164 fine and three points against a driver’s license for the first offense.

The new restriction was included in a law that addressed texting while driving, passed by the Florida Legislature and signed into law by Gov. Ron DeSantis.

The texting portion of the law took effect July 1. It makes texting while driving a primary offense, and also applies to emailing and browsing on a phone.

Deputy Marc Lane, of the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office, keeps an eye out for motorists who may be talking on their phones while in an active construction zone on State Road 54. Florida has a new state law, which took effect Oct. 1, that prohibits talking on a hand-held device while driving through active school or construction zones. (Brian Fernandes)

Before July 1, driving while texting was deemed as a secondary offense, meaning that a driver couldn’t be pulled over for it, but could be cited for it, if the driver had been stopped for another offense.

The portion of the law relating to talking on hand-held devices in active construction or school zones took effect on Oct. 1, with a three-month grace period — meaning only warnings will be issued initially.

“The common theme is we want you paying attention to your driving, not your phone,” said Sgt. Dan Fenstemacher, of the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office.

“With everything that’s going on in vehicles, distracted driving is a major problem,” he said.

Tragic consequences can occur when drivers are distracted, said Fenstemacher, who is part of Sheriff’s Office’s Highway Interdiction Team division.

“Bad things can happen when you’re not watching where you’re going. You’re going off the road, you might hit a bicyclist, hit a kid on the sidewalk [or] go head on into a vehicle. We’re not out there to just write tickets, but we want people to drive safe,” he said.

Vehicular accidents due to “electronic communication devices” last year alone resulted in 48 crashes and two fatalities in Pasco County, according to statistics from the Florida Highway Patrol.

Fenstemacher’s team is assigned to patrol main corridors such as State Roads 52, 54 and 56.

Recently, Deputy Marc Lane of the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office observed motorists who may have been talking on their phone while driving. He was parked in an unmarked SUV, in a median near an active construction zone. Within about 30 minutes, he pulled over five motorists for speeding or using hand-held devices in the zone and issued them warnings.

The county’s sheriff’s office is working along with the Florida Highway Patrol and local police departments to enforce the new measure.

“Certainly we work collaboratively to try and cut down [on accidents],” Fenstemacher said.

Driving in school zones and construction zones while talking on a hand-held phone is prohibited only when those premises are active with people present.

A school zone is considered to be operational when there are speed limit signs with flashing lights, cross guards, and children crossing the street.

For construction zones, orange, diamond-shaped signs and cones along the road, are signals that work is being done in that area.

It is permissible to use a Bluetooth or an earplug in only one ear in restricted zones, as long as a device is not in the motorist’s hand.

This also can apply to a phone or a tablet.

If a vehicle is not in motion, whether at a stoplight or in congested traffic, texting is not considered an infraction, the Fenstemacher noted.

Signs that a driver is texting on the road may include delayed reaction time, slowing down below the speed limit, swerving outside of a designated lane or periodically taking eyes off the road to look downward, he said.

Published October 23, 2019

Planning Commission supports requested changes

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The Pasco County Planning Commission has given its stamp of approval for a number of requests that would affect property use in the central and eastern portions of Pasco County.

The Planning Commission makes the final decision on special exception requests, but its decisions can be appealed to the Pasco County Commission. The County Commission has authority over other land use and zoning matters.

At its Oct. 10 public hearing in Dade City, the planning commission:

  • Approved a special exception request by Gianna Mari Siervo Fragoso for a kennel for dog training on a 1.08-acre site on the east side of Boyette Road, about 650 feet north of Clearview Drive. The kennel, at 7242 Boyette Road in Wesley Chapel, will be used for dog training, boarding and breeding. Conditions limit use of the site to 30 dogs and specify that operating hours (open to the public) would be from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Saturday.
  • Approved a special exception request by Kelsey and Jeremy Whitmer to operate a bed and breakfast on a 10-acre site on the north side of Hanlon Terrace, about 1,100 feet west of Bellamy Brothers Boulevard. The site contains a two-story residence. The applicants propose to use the mother-in-law suite as their residence and to operate the bed and breakfast out of the remaining area of the existing structure. The applicants also wish to host events inside the bed and breakfast. The applicants note that the property can accommodate up to 10 guests at a time and the farmhouse provides a unique setting for nightly accommodations.
  • Recommended the County Commission approve a zoning request by Amanda M. Bray, aka Simmons, to change the zoning from a mobile home district to an agricultural residential district. The 3.78-acre property is at the southeast corner of the intersection of Hillbrook Avenue and Westbrook Street. The item now goes to the Pasco County Commission for a final vote, which is scheduled on Nov. 5 at 1:30 p.m., in Dade City.

Bilirakis helps Pasco secure $500,000 safe schools grant

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U.S. Rep. Gus Bilirakis has helped Pasco County Schools secure a $500,000 federal grant to help keep students and teachers safe.

The funding is part of the STOP School Violence Act, which Bilirakis supported and which became law last year.

Bilirakis advocated for Pasco to receive this grant after speaking with Pasco County Sheriff Chris Nocco, Pasco Schools Superintendent Kurt Browning, members of the Pasco County School Board, teachers and parents, according to a news release from the congressman’s office.

The funds will be used to enable Pasco Schools, law enforcement partners, and mental health providers to facilitate multidisciplinary threat assessments while developing behavioral threat assessment teams to intervene and mitigate potential risks, the release says.

Funding will build on current community engagement by supporting a dedicated school threat assessment coordinator and certified juvenile criminal intelligence analyst.

Pasco School Schools is the 10th largest, among the state’s 67 school districts.

In the release, Pasco County Sheriff Chris Nocco said “we want to thank Congressman Bilirakis for his leadership in protecting our children in Pasco County.

“Funding for threat assessments is one of the best methods for prevention and to help a child in distress before they become a threat to others or themselves.

“We look forward to further partnering with Pasco County Schools and Superintendent Browning on this important initiative,” Nocco added.

Pasco County is one of just eight school districts in the country to receive this competitive grant.

Bilirakis also is the author of the PROTECT KIDS Act, which would provide additional federal funding for School Resource Officers in the nation’s largest school districts, such as Pasco, Hillsborough and Pinellas counties.

Published October 23, 2019

Grants available to protect drinking water

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Tampa Bay Water again is offering mini-grants for community groups, nonprofits, schools and universities that are interested in preventing pollution, cleaning local waterways, and protecting the area’s drinking water sources.

Keep Tampa Bay Beautiful rceived $10,000 in grant funding last year to continue its Environmental Education Program for school and community groups. The program includes hands-on lessons at the Florida Learning Gardens, which Tampa Bay Water helped to build with previous grant funds. Keep Tampa Bay Beautiful is expanding the program with the Environmental Education Center at Reed Park in Tampa. (Courtesy of Tampa Bay Water)

The Tampa Bay region depends on water from the aquifer, rivers and desalinated seawater for its drinking water, and Tampa Bay Water works with the community to protect those sources.

Mini-grant projects are ideal opportunities for scouts to earn merit badges, students to fulfill volunteer hour requirements, and service clubs and organizations to get involved in supporting public health and safety.

The projects also can be great for educators looking to combine STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) concepts and lessons with hands-on experience, to supplement classroom learning.

The grants range from $2,000 to $10,000.

Last year’s recipients were:

  • Keep Tampa Bay Beautiful ($10,000)
  • Keep Pinellas Beautiful ($10,000)
  • Sickles High School ($2,000)
  • The Pasco Education Foundation ($5,000).

To qualify for a grant, applicants must submit an event or project plan related to source water protection in Tampa Bay Water’s service area that includes Hillsborough, Pasco and Pinellas counties. A plan for events or projects can include river cleanups, litter prevention projects, public education campaigns and conservation outreach events.

Those interested can download an application at TampaBayWater.org/grant.

Applications must be submitted by 5 p.m., on Nov. 15.

Organizations receiving a mini-grant will be notified in December, and the funds will be distributed in 2020.

Published October 23, 2019

Panelists suggest solutions

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Panelists at a discussion at Saint Leo University had some thoughts for ways to divert some offenders from the criminal justice system to mental health courts, instead.

That way they could get treatment for their issues, rather than jail or prison time.

Dr. Moneque Walker-Pickett, a panelist during an Oct. 7 session called “The Intersection of Law Enforcement and Mental Health,” advocates increased federal spending to expand available mental health treatment options.

Other panelists agreed more resources are need to provide mental health services.

Members of the law enforcement, social work, mental health, and education communities joined Saint Leo University students, faculty and staff for a panel discussion on the intersection of law enforcement and mental health. (Courtesy of Saint Leo University)

Florida’s mental health spending ranks 49th of 50 states, at approximately $40 per capita annually, said Dr. Christopher Cronin, a psychology professor at Saint Leo University.

“It’s hard to get a good dinner at a restaurant for $40,” Cronin said.

“So when you vote—and you should — find out what your candidate thinks about the mental health crisis and their record on funding for mental health.”

Cronin specifically called for an expansion in crisis intervention and de-escalation training, to better prepare law enforcement agencies to tackle mental health crises.

Some of these mental health training programs are offered by behavioral health volunteers pro bono, Cronin said.

“It’s a good start, but we need more funding,” he said.

Pasco County Sheriff Chris Nocco, also a panelist, expressed confidence that the county could  receive more funding from an ongoing multibillion dollar civil lawsuit against five opioid manufacturers.

He suggested those dollars be used to help set up “mental health ERs,” or quasi walk-in clinics, to serve people facing a mental health crisis.

Nocco put it this way: “If you broke your arm or twisted your leg, you know where to go. If you have a mental health crisis, what do you do? You call 911, but that’s not providing help.”

The sheriff also called for increasing both awareness and resources regarding mental health issues in law enforcement circles. He thinks it should be similar to the way the military has brought about a more open dialogue regarding post-traumatic stress.

“Nobody ever talks about that in law enforcement,” Nocco said. “The law enforcement officers will not readily say, ‘Hey, I need help, I need to talk to somebody…’”

Panelist Kim Senger, a masters level social worker who’s worked as a therapist in both Canada and Florida, said law enforcement and social workers need to become more effective partners to help at-risk youth and troubled students in school systems.

He emphasized the need for more youth intervention and counseling, to deal “with issues before they get out of hand.”

“We have to look at is as a holistic approach,” he said. “If you can’t find them, if you can’t connect to them, there’s going to be trouble, they will be troubled.”

The experts also had ideas for how average people can play a role to help reduce the nation’s mental health crisis.

“You do not need to be a mental health professional to have a significant impact on someone,” Cronin said.

“Find someone who looks like they need a friend. The person having lunch alone, the classmate who never seemed to quite fit in, the colleague who doesn’t seem to blend.

“What I would tell you to do is befriend them, go out of your comfort zone, join them for lunch or ask them to join you. No one should eat alone if they don’t want to,” Cronin said.

Published October 16, 2019

Note: See more on this topic in the featured story, above.

Pasco County School is redrawing boundaries

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Turnout was light for a public workshop regarding school boundaries held last week at Wiregrass Ranch High School.

Thousands of students will be affected by the proposed changes, but the vast majority of changes relate to Cypress Creek Middle School, which is set to open in the fall of 2020.

The school district initially had planned to open both a high school and a middle school on the campus at 8701 Old Pasco Road.

Chris Williams, director of planning for Pasco County Schools, explains proposed boundaries for Cypress Creek Middle School, during a public workshop on proposed school boundary changes. (Christine Holtzman)

But, the district was short on funding, so initially the high school buildings were used to house students in grades six through 12.

When the new middle school opens next fall, students in grades six through eight will shift to the new building.

But, boundary changes are needed to fill up remaining capacity at both the middle school and the high school.

The proposed changes primarily affect the Seven Oaks neighborhood, said Chris Williams, director of planning for Pasco County Schools.

Specifically, the school district is proposing that 613 students now zoned to Wiregrass Ranch High School be shifted to Cypress Creek High School, and seven students zoned to Pasco High School be rezoned to Cypress Creek High School.

If that’s approved, the estimated enrollment at Cypress Creek High School would be 2,080, in a school which has a permanent capacity of 2,090.

After the proposed shift, Wiregrass Ranch would have an enrollment of 1,606 students, in a school with a permanent capacity of 1,633. Pasco High would have an enrollment of 1,602, in a school with a permanent capacity of 1,491.

The proposed boundary changes also call for shifting over to Cypress Creek Middle, an estimated 446 students now zoned to John Long Middle and five students now zoned to Pasco Middle.

If those changes are approved, Cypress Creek Middle would have an estimated 1,554 students, in a school with a permanent capacity of 1,600. John Long Middle would have 1,167 students, in a school with a permanent capacity of 1,327. Pasco Middle would have 918 students, in a school with a permanent capacity of 875.

Under the proposal, seven students living along State Road 52, at the north end of Old Pasco Road, would be reassigned from Pasco High to Cypress Creek High.

That shift is being proposed because where they live is a straight shot to Cypress Creek High, Williams said. “We felt that made sense.”

Alex Morales, of Wesley Chapel, center, and his wife Jessica, speak with Wayne Bertsch, communications and government liaison for Pasco County Schools, about their concerns relating to proposed school boundaries. The Morales family lives in Seven Oaks, a neighborhood that is currently zoned for Wiregrass Ranch High School, but under the new proposal, will be zoned for Cypress Creek High School.

The district also is proposing to shift an attendance area with 17 students in San Antonio Elementary over to Quail Hollow Elementary.

“These kids currently go to San Antonio Elementary, Pasco Middle and Pasco High. So, now they’re going to go to Quail Hollow Elementary, Cypress Creek Middle and Cypress Creek High,” Williams said.

In another proposed change, an attendance area with 143 students now zoned to Wesley Chapel High would be reassigned to Zephyrhills High. That would bring Zephyrhills High’s enrollment to 1,780, at a school with a permanent capacity of 2,004. It would bring Wesley Chapel High’s enrollment to 1,438, at a school with a permanent capacity of 1,506.

Williams said the change addresses a previous boundary shift.

“We rezoned some kids several years ago out of Wiregrass and John Long into Wesley Chapel and Weightman. We kind of shifted these kids over to Stewart Middle, but there wasn’t room at Zephyrhills, so they went to Wesley Chapel.

“The bulk of these kids go to Chester Taylor Elementary, then they go to Stewart and then they go to Wesley Chapel,” Williams said.

The planning director also noted that “Wesley Chapel has all of this growth coming from Epperson Ranch.

“So, we think it makes sense to fix the feeder pattern. Elementary and middle doesn’t change: They’ll still go to Chester Taylor and Stewart Middle. But, now they’ll go to Zephyrhills (High),” Williams said.

Zephyrhills High has room because the district just built a new classroom wing there.

As of last week, Williams had not received any feedback on the proposed shift affecting Zephyrhills High.

Overall, he has received about three dozen comment cards regarding the proposed boundary shifts changes — the vast majority coming from the Seven Oaks neighborhood.

As is often the case, those commenting said they’d bought their home in a specific neighborhood because of the school their child would attend, or they objected to the change because the new school is farther away from their home than their current school.

When the district drew up the original boundaries for Cypress Creek Middle High, it announced it would likely be shifting the Seven Oaks neighborhood over when the new middle school opened.

But, apparently that word did not get out to everyone, Williams said.

Jessica and Alex Morales, who live in Seven Oaks, said they moved into the neighborhood so their daughter could finish high school at Wiregrass Ranch. But, it now appears that their son, who is a freshman at Wiregrass Ranch, will be reassigned to Cypress Creek High next fall.

They attended the public workshop to see if there was any possibility their son could stay at Wiregrass Ranch High.

“We had moved from New York. He met all of his friends in sixth grade,” Jessica Morales said.

Under the proposal, he’ll be attending a high school that’s different from many of his friends.

“We’re trying to lessen that blow,” she said.

The family also has a second-grader they need to think about, too, she said.

They are planning to learn more about what Cypress Creek High has to offer.

Williams said there are other boundary changes proposed that would affect an area near State Road 52 and the Suncoast Parkway that is currently undeveloped, but has been approved for a massive development.

The proposal calls for assigning the entire area to Mary Giella Elementary, Crews Lake Middle School and Hudson High, Williams said.

Under the current boundaries, some of that future growth would have been assigned to Land O’ Lakes High, Pine View Middle and Connerton Elementary.

Anyone who wishes to comment on the district’s proposed boundaries can fill out a comment form by going to the district’s website, at Pasco.k12.fl.us.

The Pasco County School Board will have a public hearing on the proposed boundaries on Nov. 5 at 6 p.m., at 7227 Land O’ Lakes Blvd., in Land O’ Lakes. The final public hearing is set for the same location on Nov. 19 at 6 p.m.

Published October 16, 2019