The Laker/Lutz News

Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

Local News

Playground aims to remove barriers for having fun

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Olivia Campbell, and her parents, were front and center at the future site of a play space that aims to give all children access to fun.

A groundbreaking ceremony was held on Sept. 20 at Wesley Chapel’s District Park for its new universally inclusive playground – the first in Pasco County.

The amenity will be designed to accommodate children who have special needs, such as Olivia, who has Down Syndrome.

“Inclusive playgrounds actually make a fundamental statement about how communities value meaningful play experiences for people of all ages and abilities,” said Pasco County Commissioner Mike Moore, who helped conceptualize the playground.

Pasco County Commissioners Jack Mariano and Kathryn Starkey, Erik Wangsness, Pasco County Commissioners Ron Oakley and Mike Moore, Mark Metheny, Eric Johnson and Keith Wiley officiate the groundbreaking of Wesley Chapel District Park’s new playground, on Sept. 20. (Brian Fernandes)

“We believe in creating play environments where everybody can play, focusing on both the physical and social aspects of inclusion,” Moore said at the gathering, which included Pasco County officials, local residents and representatives from organizations that provided financial support for the project.

Moore has spent a fair amount of time at the district park, while coaching teams there.

During those times at the park, Moore said he noticed that there were no suitable accommodations for children with disabilities.

Moore talked it over with Keith Wiley, director of Pasco County Parks, Recreation and Natural Resources, and together they began an initiative to create an inclusive playground.

In addition to researching other inclusive playgrounds, they spoke with special needs organizations for suggestions.

The new play space will be next to the park’s existing playground, with the two connected by sidewalks.

This will come in handy for Olivia, who frequents the park about four times a week to watch her sisters play soccer.

Her father, Stuart remarked: “We spend a lot of time at the park, so we’re absolutely ecstatic that they’re doing such a good project. To have a playground for all abilities will be absolutely amazing for her.”

Her mother, Tammy, said Olivia’s biggest challenge is climbing up the bars to reach other equipment on the current playground.

The new playground will have equipment stationed at a low level for easier access.

Pasco County Commissioner Mike Moore gave opening remarks at the groundbreaking of Wesley Chapel District Park’s new playground, on Sept. 20. The new amenity will be Pasco County’s first handicap-accessible playground.

The 7,000-square-foot facility will include rubber flooring – for safety and a smoother ride for those in wheelchairs.

It also features canopy-shaded benches, and will be near a butterfly garden.

Donors that helped make the project possible are the Wesley Chapel Rotary Club, AdventHealth Wesley Chapel and the Lennar Foundation.

Representatives from each organization were present at the groundbreaking ceremony.

Their contributions, along with the county’s park impact fees, amounted to  $340,000 toward the project.

“[At] AdventHealth Wesley Chapel hospital, we take care of sick people every day,” said Erik Wangsness, the hospital’s CEO. “But, another part of our mission is to nurture the health of the community.”

Chris Casella, president of the local Rotary club, added that he and his members instantly knew the project would be worth taking on.

Pasco County Commissioners Kathryn Starkey, Jack Mariano, Ron Oakley and Mike Moore stepped onto the site’s barren ground with organization representatives.

With hard hats and shovels in hand, they posed for the customary groundbreaking snapshot.

Even Olivia got the opportunity to stand among the group.

“The good thing – I think – about this playground, is she’s actually going to meet children like her,” Olivia’s mother said.

The project is expected to be completed in November.

Published September 25, 2019

Collecting litter to help keep Pasco clean

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About 340 volunteers fanned out across Land O’ Lakes to pick up litter and trash along the area’s roads, public lands and waterways.

In their first year volunteering for the Coastal Cleanup event, the Dana family, from Wesley Chapel, work together to pick up trash that was discarded along Collier Parkway, north of Hale Road. From left: 7-year-old Peyton, Cliff, 10-year-old Ethan, and Lydia. (Christine Holtzman)

They were among the thousands who took part in Pasco County, as part of the annual International Coastal Cleanup event on Sept. 21.

Volunteers in Dade City, Lacoochee, New Port Richey, Port Richey, Hudson and Holiday also joined in the efforts that were organized by Pasco County and the not-for-profit environmental organization, Keep Pasco Beautiful.

Those pitching in on the Land O’ Lakes effort met around 8 a.m., at the community center at Heritage Park, 5401 Land O’ Lakes Blvd., to pick up gloves, trash bags, safety vests and bottles of water.

Event sponsors paid for the supplies, and volunteers who had registered received a keepsake bag and an event T-shirt.

Some of the volunteers have been helping out for decades, including 84-year-old Gloria Dale, of the GFWC Lutz-Land O’ Lakes Woman’s Club, who worked at the registration table. She’s been pitching in for 26 years.

Eleven-year old Olivia O’Malley, of Land O’ Lakes, holds a trash bag open, as her father, Michael, throws away a decaying trash bag that was found on the side of Parkway Boulevard. O’Malley, a member of Boy Scouts Troop 34, and her dad also found a piece of a car bumper earlier in the morning.

Lottie Kelley, another longtime volunteer, has helped for 24 years.

She works for Covanta, one of the event sponsors, and was the Land O’ Lakes site captain.

Helping to keep Pasco clean and green is what makes the event important, Kelley said.

“Litter is very unsightly, and it’s not good for the county,” Kelley said.

Besides being unattractive, roadway trash can be dangerous for wildlife, she said.

“We need to keep the litter off the roadways, so the animals don’t eat it. They can end up being in a terrible situation,” Kelley said.

She said this year’s effort focused on roadways in Land O’ Lakes, including Ehren Cutoff, Collier Parkway, Parkway Boulevard, Hale Road, Bell Lake Road and Carson Drive.

Boy Scout troops 33 and 34, and Cub Scout Pack 33 from Our Lady of the Rosary Church in Land O’ Lakes,  collected trash along large stretches of Collier Parkway and Parkway Boulevard.

Twelve-year-old Wesley Swank, of Land O’ Lakes, emerges from the bushes with a large Styrofoam cup, that was discarded along Parkway Blvd, near Paw Place. Swank is a member of Boy Scout Troop 33, which is based out of Our Lady of the Rosary Church in Land O’ Lakes.

The troops have been participating in this event for approximately 15 years and, over the years, have picked up all sorts of items, including a glass table, a microwave, beer bottles and even a device that looked like a pipe bomb.

The idea is to remove every piece of trash discarded on the roadways to prevent it from ending up in waterways, and eventually into oceans.

As each piece trash is picked up, it is recorded on sheets, or on a downloadable app provided by the nonprofit organization Ocean Conservancy.

The ocean-advocacy group is on a mission to tackle the greatest global challenges facing the ocean.

By recording the types of trash and the amounts, the group can establish a snapshot and a state-by-state index of the problem of marine debris.

Last year, 1,823 volunteers picked up 11.94 tons of trash throughout Pasco County, according to the Keep Pasco Beautiful website.

Published September 25, 2019

Five-year-old Aliya Goodwin, of Lutz, left, and 9-year-old Caleb MacKenzie, also of Lutz, take a break from picking up trash, and sit on the bumper of an SUV. The kids were volunteering their time by collecting trash along Parkway Boulevard in Land O’ Lakes with Cub Scout Pack 33.
Seven-year-old Brendan Pratt, of Land O’ Lakes, left, and his father, Michael, stand on the corner of Parkway Boulevard and Collier Parkway. To stay hydrated, Brendan is drinking water from a hose, that is connected to the backpack full of water that he is wearing.
Cub Scout Pack 33, based out of Our Lady of the Rosary Church in Land O’ Lakes, picks up trash along Parkway Boulevard, near the corner of Collier Parkway.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Monarch City art show

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The Dade City Monarch Project Art Show will soon display various art pieces from 30 artists.

Multiple pieces of artwork will be on display at the Dade City Monarch Project Art Show from Oct. 5 to Oct. 19. (Courtesy of Russ Taylor)

The public event is in recognition of Dade City being inducted as a Monarch City – tending to the survival of the monarch butterflies.

It will be held from Oct. 5 to Oct. 19 from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m., unveiling various paintings, photography and sculptures for sale.

Artwork also will be judged.

Dade City Mayor Camille Hernandez will choose a piece worthy of a top award, as will the Dade City Garden Club.

And, first and second place winners, among three different categories, will walk away with ribbons and cash prizes.

Admission and parking will be free.

The function will be at the Out of Our Hands Gallery at 14245 Seventh St., in Dade City.

For further information, please contact the Out of Our Hands Gallery at (352) 437-3204 or by visiting OutOfOurHandsGallery.com.

What: Dade City Monarch Project Art Show

Where: Out of Our Hands Gallery, 14245 Seventh St., Dade City

When: Oct. 5 to Oct. 19 from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.

Cost: Free

Details: An art show in honor of Dade City becoming a Monarch City, where various pieces will be on display and for purchase. The opening reception will be held on Oct. 5 from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m., offering refreshments.

Info: Call Out of Our Hands Gallery at (352) 437-3204, or visit OutOfOurHandsGallery.com.

Published September 25, 2019

 

 

9/11 responder shares his story and a gift

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Stephen Spelman rushed to Ground Zero as a first responder, but quickly found himself trying to outrun the overwhelming cloud of dust as The World Trade Center’s North Tower began to collapse.

Eighteen years later – to the day – Spelman shared the story of the daunting experience he had on Sept. 11, 2001.

Spelman, who now lives in Wesley Chapel, was the featured speaker at a North Tampa Bay Chamber luncheon on Sept. 11, at the Fox Hollow Golf Club in Trinity.

Stephen Spelman, left, his wife Fainery, and 10-year-old son, Mathew, pose for a picture before the start of the 9/11 Memorial dedication ceremony at the Tampa Premium Outlets. Spelman donated a piece of metal from a fire truck that was at Ground Zero on Sept. 11, 2001. (Christine Holtzman)

The commemorative event was also an unprecedented moment for him.

“I’ve never spoken on 9/11,” he said. “I never thought my story was significant enough.”

For 24 years, Spelman worked as an emergency medical technician (EMT) and served the New York City Fire Department’s Battalion 46 in Queens.

In 1995, he became an instructor for the department – training firefighters, paramedics, EMTs and fire marshals.

On Sept. 11, 2001, he was teaching a class when he got word that a plane had crashed into The World Trade Center’s South Tower.

He recalled: “As we were watching it on TV, the second plane hit, and we knew it was definitely a terrorist act. We had to go.”

He grabbed his gear, including a bulletproof vest, and rushed out.

Spelman, another EMT and two paramedics, left their station in Queens and headed to lower Manhattan.

“Coming across the Kosciuszko Bridge from Queens into Brooklyn, we could see the South Tower and the North Tower burning – a very somber moment,” he said.

By the time they reached Manhattan’s Lower East Side, the South Tower had completely collapsed.

Before the tower tumbled down, first responders were heard on radios calling for help, Spelman said.

“It was just pretty horrifying, if you could imagine, knowing that your brothers and your sisters there are the ones being hurt, and they can’t get help,” he said.

Continuing toward Ground Zero, the crew made detours to get around heavy traffic congestion.

When they got there, Spelman and his partner headed toward the North Tower, tending first to those with the most severe medical needs.

Spelman joined other firefighters searching for survivors in debris-covered vehicles.

They had to proceed with caution, as people above were jumping out of the North Tower.

That search was cut short though, Spelman said, when “all of a sudden, we hear the rumble.

“Everything was shaking. I looked up and we heard the thumping – the boom, boom, boom. What we found out later, they were floors stacking on each other. It was surreal.”

The collapse of the North Tower sent those in the area running.

Spelman ran north, while several of his search crew headed east. He survived. They did not.

Later that evening, Spelman, along with 14 other firefighters, formed a search party to find comrades that they knew were missing. That search was cut short, however, because of the ongoing dangers.

As time went on, more of the deceased were found – sometimes only the remnants of firefighter gear.

“It was just unfathomable,” Spelman said. “You could not imagine that this would really [have] been a reality. We lost 343 firefighters, paramedics and a priest – Father Mychal Judge.”

Spelman told the audience that he struggled with survivor’s guilt for years.

He found solace, he said, in reuniting with the same 14 firefighters that he went on the search party with that Sept. 11 evening. All 15, later, got tattoos with the engraving: “The Band of Brothers.”

Even on that horrific day, Spelman said he witnessed the goodness of humanity.

“I’ve seen some heroic things there that were unbelievable by everybody – civilians alike,” he stated. “It was amazing to see all the civilians running back to help us. We were all a family that day.”

As a result of 9/11, Spelman said he had to endure health issues, including a pre-cancerous condition.

He commended comedian Jon Stewart’s advocacy for 9/11 responders to continue receiving coverage.

Legislation passed this summer, grants extended coverage to responders who became ill as a result of Sept. 11, 2001.

Spelman said he struggled to process the trauma of that day.

He said he finally decided that doing something positive for others was the only way he could.

Recently, he donated a gift that became part of Pasco County’s first permanent 9/11 memorial, that was unveiled on Sept. 7 at Tampa Premium Outlets in Wesley Chapel.

His gift was a fragment of Ladder 18, taken from a fire engine that was at Ground Zero.

Spelman said the piece is now displayed on a wall, which is situated near gum ball and soda machines.

It’s a convenient location, he said, for younger generations to view it, ask what it represents and gain a better understanding of the nation’s history.

Published September 18, 2019

Area responds to Hurricane Dorian victims

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As the death toll grows and residents of the Bahamas continue to grapple with the devastation caused by Hurricane Dorian — local groups are stepping up to find ways to help those who are suffering.

Dorian made landfall on Sept. 1 as a Category 5 Hurricane, flattening homes and causing massive flooding, according to national news reports.

Jessica Cooper, who teaches in the Culinary Arts Academy at Land O’ Lakes High School, has been coordinating a supply drive to support victims of Hurricane Dorian. Her husband, LeRone, who grew up there, planned to deliver the supplies to family members and others suffering in the aftermath of the Category 5 hurricane. (B.C. Manion)

The official death toll stood at 50, with an estimated 2,500 still missing as of last week, according to national news reports. Officials expect the death count to rise, as search-and-rescue crews dig through the ruins of Grand Bahama and Abaco islands.

While recovery work continues, groups are rallying to do what they can here.

At Land O’ Lakes High School, Chef Jessica Cooper — who teaches in the school’s Academy of Culinary Arts — put out the word that she was collecting supplies that would be delivered by her husband, LeRone, who grew up in Freeport, the main city on Grand Bahama.

Some of the supplies will be provided to LeRone’s family members who still live there, and the rest will be distributed in an open forum he will be having at an office building, Cooper said.

She let people know that she would be collecting supplies at the school from Sept. 9 to Sept. 11 and, by the second day, so many items had been donated, she had to rent a mini-van so she could transport the contributions to her South Tampa home.

The family also rented a Penske truck, so her husband could make the trip to South Florida, to load the supplies on a ship, which he would take along with the supplies to Freeport, and he lined up two trucks to help him transport the goods once he got there.

People who live in the Bahamas are no strangers to hurricanes, but the massive storms usually blow through the area in a matter of hours, Cooper said. This time, the hurricane stayed for 24 hours — something that’s never happened before.

Initially, family members went to Cooper’s sister-in-law’s house because she lived in the middle of the island, which had not flooded before. But that area flooded, so the family retreated to her niece’s apartment building.

This is just a fraction of the food, cleaning supplies and other items collected at Land O’ Lakes High School to help Bahamians who are struggling in the aftermath of Hurricane Dorian.

“My sister-in-law lost her home,” Cooper said, and her brother-in-law’s home was damaged.

As of last week, there was still no water or power, and none of their family members had been able to return to work.

Cooper said the outpouring of help for her family and other Bahamians, has been humbling.

“To be completely honest, I am so overwhelmed with the generosity of everyone,” Cooper said, on Sept. 10. “The faculty here, the students who are helping, then the parents who started posting on social media to their communities.”

She appreciates help from other sources, too: “My godmother came over the night before last. I had another cousin come over last night. To organize and  pack.

“I didn’t expect any of this, to be this big. But, I am so grateful for it,” Cooper said, noting some people still want to help, and her husband is planning a second trip in October.

The supply drive at Land O’ Lakes High is just one of several efforts happening across The Laker/Lutz News coverage area.

At Sunlake High School, in Land O’ Lakes, the Junior States of America Club collected donations through Sept. 13. And, Wiregrass Ranch High School, in Wesley Chapel, collected donations through Sept. 12.

Saint Leo University, in St. Leo, has nearly 150 Bahamian students, with 64 members in the class of 2023, according to a news release.

The college had a candlelight vigil on Sept. 5 and a prayer service at Saint Leo Abbey, prior to the student Mass.

Saint Leo University has been responding to support its Bahamian students who lost family members, or whose family members lost their homes, businesses, personal possessions or suffered other losses from Hurricane Dorian. One show of support was a candlelight vigil at the university’s campus in St. Leo. (Courtesy of Eric Mutschler/Saint Leo University)

Some Saint Leo students have lost family members. And, some students’ families have lost businesses, employment, homes, cars and all of their personal possessions.

The college is providing individual counseling and check-ins with their Bahamian students, the release says.

The university also has placed donation bins around campus to collect supplies to transport to the Bahamas. Items they are collecting include: nonperishable food items, snacks, flashlights, batteries, diapers, baby wipes, water containers, disposable razors, lotion, work gloves, garbage bags, soap, deodorant and portable chargers.

The donations bins will remain on campus until further notice. Also, Lake Myrtle Elementary, in Land O’ Lakes, and Bishop McLaughlin Catholic High School, in Spring Hill, are hosting partnership drives, so the university’s donations will be able to help more people and pets in the Bahamas, according to Jen Shaw, vice president of student affairs for the university.

The Diocese of St. Petersburg also is raising money to help people affected by Hurricane Dorian.

Hillsborough County Public Schools and the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office partnered in their efforts to collect hurricane relief supplies.

Meanwhile, at Goodwill Industries-Suncoast stores, shoppers are being invited to round up their purchases to help raise money for Hurricane Dorian relief. The organization planned to launch the campaign on Sept. 5 and run it through Sept. 19, with the goal of raising $25,000 to help people in the Bahamas. The organization decided to collect cash, rather than items, because of the difficulty in getting donated items to people in need, according to a news release.

Others involved in Hurricane Dorian Relief efforts include The Rotary Club of Wesley Chapel, in conjunction with Rotary District 6950 and AdventHealth Center Ice.

All of the supplies will be trucked to Miami on Sept. 30, then shipped to the Bahamas and distributed throughout the Island by Bahamian Rotarians, according to the Rotary Club of Wesley Chapel’s website.

AdventHealth Center Ice, 3173 Cypress Ridge Blvd., in Wesley Chapel, will be accepting donations from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m., during the drive.

Donations also may be dropped off at the Make A Difference office, 12311 U.S. 41, Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., and at The Greater Zephyrhills Chamber of Commerce, 38550 Fifth Ave., in downtown Zephyrhills. The chamber is open Monday through Thursday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Friday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Hurricane Dorian relief items
Rubber gloves
Bleach
Cleaning supplies
Flashlights
Propane tanks
Matches
Coolers
Sheets and blankets
Hammers
Latex gloves
Clorox wipes
Brooms
Large garbage bags
Tarps, all sizes
Portable grills, lighters
Pillows
Roof paper, roofing nails
Portable cellphone chargers
Generators
Work gloves
Face masks
Buckets
Cleaning rags
Shovels
Sterno camp stoves
Candles
Portable cots
Towels
Feminine hygiene products
Adult diapers
Toilet paper
Soap
Shampoo
Diapers
Paper towels
Detergent
Baby wipes
Toothbrush/toothpaste
Baby formula
Canned goods
Can openers
Nonperishable food
Pet food

Published September 18, 2019

Remembering the fallen of 9/11

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Danny Burgess, the executive director of the Florida Department of Veteran’s Affairs, speaks to a large crowd gathered for the 9/11 memorial at Zephyr Park. In his moving speech, Burgess said that 9/11 mobilized a generation to stand up and make a difference. (Christine Holtzman)

The morning of Sept. 11 was marked by a 9/11 memorial at Zephyr Park, 38116 Fifth Ave., in Zephyrhills.

The service featured remarks from members of U.S. Marine Corps Detachment 1124, which bears the name of Sgt. Maj. Michael S. Curtin, a first responder who perished in the North Tower of the World Trade Center on the morning of the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

Zephyrhills Mayor Gene Whitfield, and Danny Burgess, who serves as the executive director of the Florida Department of Veterans’ Affairs, offered remarks.

The Zephyrhills High School JROTC Color Guard presented and retired the colors, and the VFW Post 8154 Honor Guard performed a rifle salute to honor those who perished on 9/11.

Published September 18, 2019

Under the direction of Senior Army Instructor 1st Sgt. Jimmy McAuley, the Zephyrhills High School JROTC Color Guard presents the colors as Rod Rehrig (by podium), salutes. Rehrig is the past commandant of the Marine Corps League Detachment 1124.
The VFW Post 8154 Honor Guard performs a rifle salute to the fallen during the 9/11 memorial at Zephyr Park on the morning of Sept. 11.

Under Construction 09/18/2019

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The Watermark at Trinity independent living facility will be a new accommodation for retirees in Pasco County. (Brian Fernandes)

The Watermark at Trinity
The Watermark at Trinity is constructing an independent living facility adjacent to the company’s assisted living and memory care units. Located at 1900 Blue Fox Way in Trinity, the five-floor building will consist of 117 residences. Amenities include a pool in the courtyard, a gym, salon, spa, dining and therapy rooms, as well as a theater. Construction began in February of 2018, with completion expected in October. No opening date has been announced.

 

 

Wesley Chapel will have a new recreational center with the upcoming Wiregrass Ranch Sports Complex. The facility will offer a gym, as well as numerous sports courts.

Wiregrass Ranch Sports Complex
The RADDSports athletic company has partnered with Pasco County in constructing the Wiregrass Ranch Sports Complex. The recreational facility is located at 3211 Lajuana Blvd., in Wesley Chapel. The building will stand at approximately 100,000 square feet and one wing will be elevated to two floors. It will house multiple basketball and volleyball courts, a gymnasium, as well as a health and wellness center. And outdoors, there will be a field for soccer players. Construction is set for completion by July 2020.

 

 

The Land O’ Lakes Business Center will facilitate a warehouse and office space in Central Pasco County.

Land O’ Lakes Business Center
The Land O’ Lakes Business Center is being built at 7025 Land O’ Lakes Blvd. The one-story building, containing 15,500 square feet, will be used as a warehouse and for office space. Construction began November 2018. The project completion date could be as early as the end of this year.

 

 

 

 

This building will be one of several plazas to make up the new Starkey Ranch Business Park. Its amenities will include multiple retail spaces, restaurants and a bank.

Starkey Ranch Business Park
A building that will be part of the Starkey Ranch Business Park is now going up.   The 9,000-square-foot building, at 12345 State Road 54 in Odessa, will consist of multiple retail spaces, several restaurants and a bank. Construction began in June. A completion date has not been determined.

Dade City sets workshop on medical marijuana dispensaries

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The Dade City City Commission again will consider whether or not to allow medical marijuana treatment centers within city limits.

This city’s six-month moratorium, or temporary ban, on such dispensaries expires Sept. 21.

Commissioners will have a workshop on the matter Sept. 24 at 4 p.m., at City Hall, 38020 Meridian Ave., in Dade City.

In March, city leaders voted to extend its moratorium relating to the operation of cannabis dispensing organizations and the issuance of business tax licenses for such facilities.

It marked the fourth time commissioners passed a six-month extension of the moratorium. The original moratorium was enacted in 2016, to continue to study the potential impacts of such facilities on the municipality.

According to Florida Statutes, medical marijuana dispensaries and treatment centers are permitted in zoning districts where pharmacies are also allowed.

City leaders previously have expressed an interest to allow dispensaries, so long as they’re limited to commercial highways or the outskirts of town.

The commission earlier in the year directed city staff to draft an ordinance that would have allowed for medical marijuana in all zoning districts where the city allows pharmacies, except in the CRA downtown corridor and within 500 feet from any school.

However, the city’s planning board recommended denial of the drafted ordinance, with concerns about language ultimately limiting pharmacies or drugstores in the downtown area, in making them legal nonconforming use. The planning board then recommended the commission to extend the moratorium, with a time frame to be determined by the commission.

Dade City Mayor Camille Hernandez emphasized the city needs to find a long-term solution to the matter, one way or another. “We can’t drag feet; we’ve got to do something,” she said.

Regarding medical marijuana facilities, City attorney Thomas Thanas said other Florida municipalities “are trying to get out in front of this with an ordinance one way or the other.”

“Quite a few communities have passed ordinances that ban dispensaries and quite a few have done just the opposite where they’ve allowed them,” he said.

Published September 18, 2019

New interchange expected to ease traffic on area roads

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Plans are underway to build an interchange connecting Overpass Road to Interstate 75 in Wesley Chapel, and the project is expected to have a flyover ramp.

The ramp would grant access from westbound Overpass Road to southbound Interstate 75.

The Overpass Road bridge runs east-west above the interstate, which runs north-south.

Richard Moss is the director of transportation development for the Florida Department of Transportation District 7, who is overseeing the project.

Overpass Road, which runs above Interstate 75, will soon have a flyover ramp to connect the two roadways. (Brian Fernandes)

He was present at the Pasco County Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) board meeting to explain the development before board members, on Aug. 8.

“That flyover would process a lot more traffic going southbound (on Interstate 75), so it’s a much better design,” Moss said.

This in turn, would help alleviate congestion on main corridors, such as State Road 52 to the north and State Road 54 to the south, the director added.

Construction along Overpass Road would run from its intersections with Old Pasco Road and Boyette Road – a distance of roughly 1 mile.

Overpass Road bridge will need to be remodeled to accommodate the interchange.

“There’s an existing bridge out there,” Moss said. “We’re going to demolish that and it will be a full new interchange.”

Additional lanes are being added to Overpass Road, too.

The stretch from Old Pasco Road to I-75 will be expanded to four lanes; I-75 to Boyette Road, will be six lanes.

And, Blair Drive and McKendree Road, which both run off of Overpass Road, will undergo realignments.

Blair Drive will be disconnected from Overpass Road and will extend southwest to intersect with Old Pasco Road.

McKendree Road also will disconnect from Overpass Road. It will turn eastward, running parallel to Overpass Road before moving up northward and temporarily connecting with Boyette Road.

Future plans call for Boyette Road to extend north, where it will eventually intersect at another end of McKendree Road.

Pasco County and FDOT are operating under two agreements to acquire the necessary land for the project.

Right of way is being acquired for properties on both sides of Overpass Road, west of I-75. It also is being acquired along the west side of I-75, just south of Overpass Road.

A contractor will be selected for the project by Spring 2020, at which point the state transportation department will enter into a design-build contract.

“We anticipate that, being roughly about 800 days to construct,” Moss said. “You’re looking at probably about three years out and that interchange will be open.”

He also noted that there may be a six-month to eight-month gap between hiring the contractor and beginning construction.

The project will cost approximately $70 million and is expected to be completed by 2023.

Published September 18, 2019

Dade City approves budget, with some qualms

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Dade City Commissioners adopted the city’s tentative budget for next fiscal year, but not without some disagreement.

A first reading ordinance of the $19,296,935 budget passed by a 4-1 vote, with Commissioner Nicole Deese Newlon casting the lone dissenting vote during a Sept. 10 meeting.

The 2019-2020 budget is based on an approved 7.14 millage rate.

Newlon took umbrage with multiple funding issues, including the city using $150,000 in reserves to float its operating budget.

The Dade City Commission approved a first reading of its tentative budget for the 2019-2020 fiscal year. The $19,296,935 budget is based on a 7.14 millage rate. (Kevin Weiss)

“Effectively, to me, it’s like taking money out of my savings account to float my monthly expenses at my house,” she said, “so that to me means we are overextended.”

Newlon added it’s even more concerning with the city having “very large expenses” upcoming through its five-year Capital Improvements Program plan and proposed projects like a downtown splash park/bike hub, Morningside Drive extension and so on.

“We’re spending too much. That’s my opinion,” she said.

Newlon also took issue with certain aspects of funding for the city’s community and economic development department.

She disagreed with a $106,000 total salary benefits package for an economic development/CRA (Community Redevelopment Agency) director position and creating a second city planner position.

Newlon argued the economic development/CRA director position “is effectively $7,000 to $9,000 more than the last person that was doing that job was making.”

Dade City Senior Planner Melanie Romagnoli is expected to take over the expanded CRA role, which has been vacant since Mike Sherman left the city in July. Romagnoli previously spent nearly a decade as a program administrator for the Pasco County Office of Economic Growth.

Said Newlon: “I don’t think that person should make more for doing what I think is less work because they now have another person working under them, and the other position that was under them is being transitioned into a much bigger position.”

Newlon also questioned $60,000 for advertising, special projects promotional activities, and $75,000 to rehabilitate the old police department building on Pasco Avenue.

Other commissioners, however, stressed the need for boosting the city’s economic development efforts for next fiscal year by any necessary means — and capitalizing on surrounding residential and commercial growth.

Commissioner Scott Black put it like this: “The economy as it is now, while it is booming, we need to have our staff in place so that we can allow some development to happen. If they’re being hamstrung because there’s not enough hours in the day and not enough hands available, then we’re not going to be well served.”

Black also said of the budget: “It’s not an enviable position to be in, but we have to be positioning ourselves to do these things.”

Commissioner Jim Shive agreed: “In order to move this city forward, we’ve got to grow and get some things on the table.”

Mayor Camille Hernandez added she’s “expecting big things” from an enlarged economic development/CRA team.

Said Hernandez: “We see the houses starting to build, we see businesses start to come and we’re not going to be able to continue that unless we have the expertise and the knowledge of that kind of input into our city.”

One reason for the city’s tight budget constraints this year: commissioners in July voted to set the tentative millage rate at 7.14 rather than a rolled rollback rate of 7.3297 recommended by city staffers.

Commissioners opted not to go with the higher property tax rate, asserting residents have already seen increases in water and sewer rates, and a stormwater fee assessment.

At 7.14 mills, ad valorem tax revenues in the city’s general fund decrease by $40,850 for the 2019-2020 fiscal year, according to Dade City Manager Leslie Porter. The rollback rate would have resulted in a $50,000 swing and thus increased ad valorem revenues in the general fund by about $10,000.

The mayor noted it’s been one of the more challenging budget years she can remember.

“It has been extremely tough,” Hernandez said. “I think in all the years I’ve been here this is probably one of the hardest that I have ever seen and trying to respect our community and keep the millage the same.”

Published September 18, 2019