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Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

Local News

Ease of 54/41 traffic congestion in progress

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Nightly lane closures are now underway for a project aimed to improve traffic flow at the intersection of U.S. 41 and State Road 54, in Land O’ Lakes.

The lane closures began on June 16 and will last until June 21. They are being done from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m., to minimize disruption.

Current construction to extend eastbound turning lanes on State Road 54 will smooth traffic flow and lessen wait times for motorists turning onto U.S. 41. (File)

Construction has been underway since April, to help ease congestion at an intersection used by about nearly 100,000 motorists daily.

The improvement aims to improve flow for motorists who are heading east on State Road 54, but who are not able to turn right or left onto U.S. 41 because the turn lanes are blocked by through traffic.

The development is extending the turning lane to enable them to accommodate more vehicles, thus reducing the wait times.

The lengthening of the left-turn lane has already begun with the installation of a lime rock base. It will be followed by new drainage features and finally new asphalt.

Construction work occurs at night from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m., to avoid interfering with peak traffic hours.

However, some night lane closures, such as the current one, will be necessary at different times during the project.

The project also will alter the median opening where State Road 54 intersects with Hunt Road.

The modified median will have a separator in place, allowing eastbound traffic to turn left onto Hunt Road or make a U-turn. It will also grant motorists the option of turning left onto State Road 54 from Hunt Road.

The separator will no longer permit westbound traffic on State Road 54 to make U-turns.

The development is a part of Pasco County’s Long Range Transportation Plan, as well as the Vision 54/56 program – set to make long-term improvements along the corridor of State Road 54 and State Road 56.

It is estimated at $1.1 million in costs and is expected to be completed by fall of this year.

For further updates on closures, visit tinyurl.com/y2hvm7vr.

Published June 19, 2019

Zephyrhills plans for future industrial hub

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The City of Zephyrhills is developing a master plan aimed at increasing high-wage industrial jobs and boosting the region’s economy.

Called the Zephyrhills Industrial Corridor Plan, it focuses on a large grouping of industrial properties and adjacent areas within the Chancey Road corridor, near the Zephyrhills Municipal Airport.

The City of Zephyrhills is developing a master plan aimed at increasing high-wage industrial jobs and benefits. The proposed Zephyrhills Industrial Corridor plan is long-range in nature, geared at guiding growth and development for the next 20 years or so. (Courtesy of City of Zephyrhills)

The proposed master plan industrial project is long-range in nature, geared at guiding growth and development for the next 20 years or so.

Details of the preliminary plan were shared by urban planning consultant Tammy Vrana at a June 10 city council meeting.

The 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.

It encompasses approximately 9.76 square miles (6,248 acres), including 33 percent within Zephyrhills and the remainder in unincorporated Pasco County, representing the largest aggregation of industrial lands in Pasco.

According to the draft plan, about 1,630 acres of that has already been designated for industrial land use, and another 215 acres for commercial. About 631 acres consists of existing residential property.

Two CSX mainline railroads traverse the area, the plan shows, accessible to Port Tampa Bay and the CSX Central Florida Intermodal Logistics Center.

The Zephyrhills Municipal Airport, a general aviation airport, also is located in the heart of the plan area, which can accommodate needs of business travelers.

In her presentation, Vrana underscored the need for Zephyrhills to begin planning now for industrial development, and finding ways to identify and recruit employment-generating manufacturing companies.

“There’s no better way to growing your middle class,” Vrana said, “than having good paying, industrial jobs.

“It diversifies your economy, so you’re not relying on just a couple of industries segments, and that way you’re better able to weather economic cycles,” she said.

Vrana explained an industrial corridor would help bring in dollars from outside the community, which she said in turn creates more business activity within local shops, restaurants and so on.

Shown here is the planning area for the Zephyrhills Industrial Corridor, 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. It encompasses approximately 9.76 square miles (6,248 acres), including 33 percent within Zephyrhills and the remainder in unincorporated Pasco County.

“The revenues that you get from sales tax and property taxes…those things go to pay for your public services and amenities that are enjoyed by the entire community,” said Vrana.

Vrana stressed the need for the city to form partnerships with the Pasco County Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) and the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) to create a “beltway” network of four-lane roads and more roadway connectivity to the interstate system. Investing in other infrastructure and operational improvements to reduce congestion and increase the efficiency of freight movement are needed, too, she said.

Quality of infrastructure is typically the top criteria for companies in deciding to relocate or move to a particular area, the consultant noted.

Vrana told the council: “You need to consider hard infrastructure, the things that you typically think about, but also those soft infrastructure assets such as education, public-private partnerships and just simple networking opportunities for community businesses.”

Vrana went on to identify potential opportunities for commercial development and placemaking around State Road 39 and Chancey Road.

She said that area could be utilized for retail, hotel, gas station and more. It also can incorporate some recreational accents, perhaps an extreme bike course and walking trails “to make the area a little bit nicer for walking, shopping, and as a workplace,” Vrana said.

“Just because it’s an industrial area doesn’t mean that it can’t look nice, that it can’t be spruced up, and have some nice trees and landscaping,” Vrana said.

The city’s industrial master plan is being funded through a technical assistance grant from the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity.

The planning process for the master plan began in January. That included gathering relevant information and organizing a series of workshops, stakeholder’s meetings and open houses.

Vrana said next steps for the drafted plan include sketching up detailed conceptual layouts “and just look at the different things the city and its partners can do to increase business in this area.”

Additional opportunities for public input will be offered in late summer following development of plan illustrations and other refinements based on community feedback.

“I think that we all recognize the importance Zephyrhills of the industrial corridor brings us,” council president Ken Burgess said. “I’ve attended some of those workshops and meetings, and they’re very informative. And, there’s a lot of great discussion and feedback that I’ve seen, and I like the way the goals tie not into not just when you think about an industrial corridor, but the entire city and education, and all that.”

Councilman Lance Smith also voiced his approval of the industrial corridor initiative, but believes the city also must find ways to maintain its small-town vibe in the face of growth.

Smith put it like this: “I mean, I love going out to Wesley Chapel, but I would never live there, O.K. It’s a wonderful place to visit, but I like out downtown, I like our small town charm.”

Published June 19, 2019

Pioneer Museum gets new exhibits

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Visitors to the Pioneer Florida Museum and Village now will be able to see an up-close look at how blacksmiths and woodworkers mastered their crafts as settlers back in the 1800s and 1900s.

Guests will be able to glimpse the tools used back then — whether the craftsmen were pulling forge bellows and shaping hot steel, or operating a foot-powered treadle lathe and turning wood.

The ribbon cutting ceremony and dedication took place outside the new Paul Rhinesmith Wood Wright shop. (Christine Holtzman)

The museum, located at 15602 Pioneer Museum Road in Dade City, recently added a full-fledged blacksmith shop and wood wright shop to its extensive collection of reenactment building exhibits.

The new shops were officially unveiled at a dedication ceremony last month at the museum property.

Materials and hand tools for both shops were donated by Paul Rhinesmith, a longtime museum demonstrator and trustee. Both exhibits were named for him.

The new additions took about a year to complete and furnish — as well as replicate something seen at the turn of the century, said Pioneer Museum board president Seth Mann.

Wood Wright Bill Holmes, of San Antonio, demonstrates how he uses a ripping saw to cut reclaimed lumber that will be used to make wood boxes. The wood for this project comes from the porch of a historic log cabin in Lacoochee, that will soon be moved to the museum property.

Previously, the museum didn’t have any actual working forge or wood wright shop, so smaller blacksmith and woodsmith demonstrations would take place at the museum’s Mabel Jordan Barn, which houses collections of early farm equipment, vintage buggies and carriages.

So, for Mann and other trustees, the new shops make for “a beautiful addition” to the 20-acre museum property that houses an old schoolhouse, a church, an original settler’s home, a general store, a shoe repair shop, a citrus packing house, a train depot and more.

The blacksmith shop measures 24-by-24 feet and the wood wright shop is 24-by-32 feet.

The museum acquired Dade City road bricks to put in the floor of the blacksmith shop, and used beams from one of the railroads, in the building.

Blacksmith Lewis Riggleman bangs on a piece of hot, mild steel, in order to shape it into a nail. The steel becomes malleable at 1,000 degrees, allowing Riggleman to pound it into shape.

The wood wright shop, meanwhile, contains cypress wood from the porch of a historic log cabin in Lacoochee, that soon will be moved to the museum property.

“We try to show people what the businesses looked like,” Mann said. “In historic Pasco, the carpentry shop and the blacksmith shop would’ve been major businesses downtown.”

The museum couldn’t survive without donations from community members, such as the Rhinesmith family, Mann said.

“Most of the buildings and exhibits we have here are contributed, even the land was contributed,” the museum board president said. “It takes the volunteers to come out here and work, the board members, the trustees — we all have to work to try to make the museum a success.”

Marilynn Ory, of Wesley Chapel, left, and her husband, Richard, admire the handmade wooden boxes and tools on display in the new wood wright shop. The Orys are both volunteers with the museum.

Rhinesmith, 86, suffers from a rare eye disease and lives in an assisted living facility in Zephyrhills.

But, he and his family were at the dedication ceremony.

His son, Phillip Rhinesmith, said the longtime volunteer dreamed of the museum having standalone blacksmith and woodworking shops when he did demonstrations in the 1990s and the 2000s, up until he began losing his eyesight.

“He knew he wouldn’t be able to demonstrate but still wanted to be able to show his support and donate to the museum,” Phillip Rhinesmith said.

Phillip Rhinesmith said boxes upon boxes of hand tools donated were collected or handmade by his father over many decades.

That includes an extensive collection of rare, vintage Stanley woodworking planes the elder Rhinesmith crafted himself for various projects.

The Paul Rhinesmith Wood Wright Shop

“Everything he built, there were no power tools, no sandpaper, no nails. Everything was friction fit together,” Phillip Rhinesmith said. “He knew if he needed a specific tool for a job, he would copy old designs out of old books and build the planes himself. It’s pretty incredible.”

The son added, “The legacy that he leaves with his tools here, most his collection, it means a lot to the family to be a part of this community.”

Bill Holmes is a new volunteer docent at the wood wright shop and a veteran carpenter.

The Paul Rhinesmith Blacksmith Shop

He said many of Rhinesmith’s donated tools, like a foot-powered treadle lathe, are so rare that he’s only seen them in books or on television.

“The guy was such a craftsman to get this together, to be able to use this stuff,” Holmes said. “All these tools, they’re still in impeccable shape. I can still use them today. A lot of times when you see these tools they’re so beat up, but these are impeccable working pieces.”

Fellow volunteer docent Steve Melton, who helps operate the blacksmith shop, was likewise impressed with Rhinesmith’s collection of donated hand tools, calling them “the real deal.”

Melton added both shops — and the many the items in them — are important for educating schoolchildren that visit the museum each year.

“This introduces to them a lot of the heritage arts,” Melton said, “and so it is just a remarkable addition to this community.”

To learn more about the Pioneer Florida Museum and Village, visit PioneerFloridaMuseum.org.

Published June 19, 2019

New charter school under construction in Wesley Chapel

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Pinecrest Academy Wesley Chapel is under construction in the Avalon Park West community, off State Road 54.

Officials for Pinecrest and Avalon Park West invited the community to a groundbreaking ceremony, held mostly indoors at Trinity Church of Wesley Chapel, which is next door.

The new charter school, expected to open in the fall of 2020, will eventually serve kindergarten through eighth grade, and possibly older students.

Fernando Barroso, of Academica, offered some remarks during a groundbreaking ceremony for Pinecrest Academy Wesley Chapel. Academica is the education services provider for Pinecrest Academy. (B.C. Manion)

The opening will coincide with the completion of the widening of State Road 54, which runs in front of the school.

Pinecrest Academy Wesley Chapel will provide all students with a core curriculum of English/language arts, mathematics, social science, science, and electives, such as performing and fine arts, world languages, Project Lead the Way and other offerings, according to the school’s website. Parents who are interested in the school can go to the website (PinecrestWesleyChapel.com) to fill out an interest form.

Melissa Farmer, who attended the groundbreaking with her 5-year-old son, Mason, is one of those people who is interested in learning more about the school.

Even though the charter school won’t open for a year, she’s attracted to the possibility because she believes that charter schools tend to have smaller class sizes and usually offer a higher general quality of education.

So, when the Lake Bernadette resident learned that the new school was coming, she was eager to find out more.

The Pasco County School Board approved Pinecrest’s charter application in 2017. Academica is the education service provider for all of the Pinecrest schools.

Fernando Barroso,  a representative of Academica, expressed gratitude for the support that Pinecrest has received from the Pasco County school district’s staff, and from the school board.

“I’d like to thank our partners in Avalon Park,” Barroso added. “Avalon Park group is a great entity. This isn’t our first school that we’ve built with them and it’s not going to be our last.”

Barroso added: “It’s been a tremendous amount of work, just to get here today. Yet, it’s just the beginning. The tough, heavy lifting, is in front of us.”

Judith Marty, founding board chair for Pinecrest charter schools, said ‘once we commit to a community, we’re not going to let you down.’

Pastor Dave Huff, of Trinity Church of Wesley Chapel, said he’s pleased that a new school is being built in the community.

“For the longest time, there was nothing but trees. The school coming in, is awesome,” Huff said.

Judith Marty, founding board chair of Pinecrest, is enthusiastic about bringing Pinecrest’s brand of education to a new locale.

“Thank you for being here and thank you for believing in us,” Marty told those gathered. Then, she offered a brief recap of Pinecrest’s history.

When Pinecrest began its first school, the construction was delayed, she said.

“So, we opened in a banquet hall with a hundred students.”

As the school’s operations went on, parents of fourth- and fifth-graders asked for a middle school, and then they wanted a high school, Marty said.

Now, Pinecrest has 16 schools and is opening more. Most of its schools operate in South Florida, but it also has four charter schools in Nevada and will be opening another one in August.

All of the schools are high performing, Marty said.

For instance, “Pinecrest Prep High School is graduating 99 percent, with a population that is predominantly Hispanic. We also are placing 97 percent of those students in college,” she said.

“Once we commit to a community, we’re not going to let you down,” Marty promised.

Beat Kahli, president and CEO of Avalon Park Group, told the gathering that in the mid-1980s he invited two dozen real estate agents in Orlando to ask them for recommendations of what would be good to offer the people of east Orlando, at what would become Avalon Park East.

Kahli suspected they would tell him to build golf courses, or a waterpark.

Instead, they told him: “We want good schools.”

From that, he learned, “If you have a good school, everything else follows.”

Now, Kahli is involved in creating Avalon Park West, which, when completed, is expected to have 4,400 residential units, 560,000 square feet of commercial space and 120,000 square feet of office space.

Avalon Park West kicked off the development of its downtown with a ribbon cutting last fall.

When the project is completed, Kahli said, it “will be a town, where you never have to leave if you don’t want because you will be able to satisfy all of your needs.”

“It’s great to be here in Wesley Chapel,” he said. “Let’s build this downtown. Let’s start with the most important — the school.”

Published June 19, 2019

‘Hop’ing to attract some attention

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In The Loop Brewing Company, at 3338 Land O’ Lakes Blvd., is hoping a new mural covering an entire wall will catch the eyes of the thousands of motorists who pass by the brewery on a nearly daily basis. The colorful artwork was created by Vanessa and Juan Parra, of Capco LLC, and their assistants, Ashley Cantera and Cassie Seckman. Peter Abreut, of the brewery, said the stars in the mural are part of the company’s logo, and the hops are used in making beer — something they hold close to their heart.

Vanessa and Juan Parra, of Capco LLC, use their artistic skills to create a lively, colorful mural on an exterior wall of In The Loop, a brewery at 3338 Land O’ Lakes Blvd., in Land O’ Lakes. (B.C. Manion)
Vanessa Parra, of Capco LLC, grew up in Land O’ Lakes, and the company she shares with her husband, Juan, has been involved in a variety of artistic projects in the community — including this work at In The Loop, and also projects at Sunlake and Land O’ Lakes high schools.

New brewery coming to Wesley Chapel

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A new brewery, restaurant and beer garden will be setting up shop at a former fitness facility in Wesley Chapel — with an expected opening in the first quarter of 2020.

Anthony Derby, CEO of Brew Bus Brewing and the Florida Avenue Brewing Co., located in Tampa’s Seminole Heights, said the planned additional location for his company is ideal for its needs.

Derby said the brewery is one company, but owns two different brands: Brew Bus Brewing and Florida Avenue Brewing Co.

Anthony Derber, CEO of Brew Bus Brewing and Florida Avenue Brewing Co., said his company was attracted to Wesley Chapel because of its growth. The company plans to open a brewery, beer garden and restaurant, off State Road 56, in the first quarter of 2020. (Courtesy of Brew Bus Brewing)

“We’re not sure which brand we’re going to put up there (in Wesley Chapel) yet,” Derby said.

If it hadn’t been for a relative, Derby said he may not have become aware of Wesley Chapel’s potential.

“My mother-in-law lives up there. I’ve been visiting up there, probably for the past three years, on and off, on weekends,” he explained.

During those visits, he noticed the area’s rapid growth and was attracted to it.

The new brewery will operate out of a 34,000-square-foot building at 2029 Arrowgrass Drive.

The building, previously Sports + Field, is off State Road 56 and near Interstate 75.

“We were working with a few other county economic development companies to be able to look at sites,” Derby said.

“Finding a property that big, that was well-suited, that was close to the interstate, was a challenge, as well,” said Derby, who had been looking in other parts of the state.

So, when they saw the Wesley Chapel site, it “kind of screamed at us,” he said.

“We’re extremely happy with the building,” he said, noting the brick building was built in 2005 and has modern features that are needed, including fire sprinklers.

“The building is awesome from a utilities standpoint. It has plenty of power.

“Being a gym, with showers and saunas in its previous use — the water line is massive. All of the drainage and stuff is great. And, usually, that’s the biggest issue for a brewery —  the utility aspect of things,” Derby explained.

“We looked at some vacant land, as well. But, to build something, like what is already there, would be kind of out of our budget,” Derby said.

Some modifications will be needed.

“We will have to cut up the floors and put some drainage in,” he said.

An interior look at the tasting room at the brewery’s Seminole Heights location.

Some more paved driveways will be needed. A chiller will be installed and air conditioners repaired, he added.

“We want to change the façade, maybe add some more glass. We’re really big on getting as much natural light into the building as possible,” he added.

A landscaping crew already has been at the site.

“It took them six days to cut back all of (the) brush and overgrown trees,” Derby said.

When the brewery opens, it will have a production space, offices, a full kitchen, a beer garden, and bar.

“In the restaurant, there will be a mixture of seated, served meals; and, we’ll have community tables,” he said.

The beer garden will have open-air and covered seating.

The company expects to have at least 46 to 50 employees to start, Derby said.

“We’re probably going to add more after that, once we’re able to judge the demand for the retail component,” he said.

“We’re in our design phase right now, with our architect. Once we have that nailed down, we’ll see what kind of equipment will fit. The size of the equipment is going to determine how much labor we would need.

“A lot of the jobs we would be bringing up there would be high-paying. We’ll have a full-blown lab up there, which will require a master’s in biology,” he said.

The company has been working with the Pasco Economic Development Council Inc., and expects to qualify for some economic incentives from Pasco County.

The company has received support from the Pasco EDC, from the North Tampa Bay Chamber of Commerce, from government officials and from the brewery’s vendors.

While the Seminole Heights location operates buses that travel to breweries throughout the Tampa Bay area, there are no plans to house buses at the Wesley Chapel location, Derby said. However, it will be possible to make arrangements to use buses that operate out of the Seminole Heights location, to make it convenient for people who would want to enjoy the bus experience, he added.

The Wesley Chapel operation represents more than $8.7 million in new capital investment in Pasco County, according to a news release from the Pasco EDC. The location will be used for brewing, canning and distribution of the company’s craft beers.

“It’s great to reactivate a dormant property with high-paying manufacturing jobs in a unique industry,” Bill Cronin, president/CEO of Pasco EDC, said, in the release.

Pasco County Commissioner Mike Moore also shared his thoughts, in the release.

“Not only are they creating jobs, but their new tasting room and restaurant will be a great destination for residents and tourists alike. Breweries are a huge part of the tourism market,” said Moore, whose district includes the site.

For more information about Brew Bus Brewing Inc., visit BrewBusUSA.com.

Published June 12, 2019

Weekly recycling coming soon to Pasco County

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The Pasco County Commission has approved weekly curbside recycling, with haulers having 90 days to make the transition to the once-a-week recycling pickups.

Recycling previously was picked up twice a month.

Community Development Districts and Homeowner Associations can continue on their current recycling contract until their individual contracts with haulers expire, but once that happens, they will be required to meet the once-a-week recycling pickup standard, according to the board’s action.

In a separate item, commissioners improved a rate increase — capping the charge that haulers can collect at $16.81 a month. Previously, the maximum rate was $12.44.

The monthly charge is for both trash and recycling, and the maximum monthly charge had not been increased since 2009.

The weekly pickup schedule is expected to boost the county’s recycling tonnage, according to county officials. Customers also will be able to toss their recyclables into one bin.

However, they no longer will be able to recycle glass.

The county decided to drop glass recycling because there’s not a resale market for it in Florida, and broken glass contaminates the recycling stream, officials say.

County statistics reveal that Pasco residents recycle about 8,000 tons a year, while producing 379,000 tons of trash.

Officials expect the additional recycling pickups will capitalize on recycling that wasn’t being captured.

For more information on recycling schedules or to order a recycling cart, call your trash hauler.  A list of local trash haulers can be found at bit.ly/GarbagePickUp.

For more information on what can and can’t be recycled, visit bit.ly/PascoRecycling; call (727) 856-4539; or email .

Published June 12, 2019

Construction crews busy on roadwork in Pasco County

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When it comes to construction activity on Pasco County roads, State Road 52 is a hotspot.

At least that was the message that David Gwynn, secretary for the Florida Department of Transportation’s District Seven, delivered during the North Tampa Bay Chamber’s breakfast meeting.

Gwynn briefed the audience on the state transportation department’s current and upcoming projects in Pasco, during the June 4 session at Pasco-Hernando State College’s Porter Campus at Wiregrass Ranch.

Construction barrels, like these, have been a familiar sight on State Road 52, as work has been done to widen the road. (File)

“We’re trying to address some of our major issues we have in the transportation system in the region,” the transportation secretary told the crowd. “The State Road 52 Corridor is one that we’ve really put a lot of money into in the last few years, and we’re going to continue to do that in the near future.”

Among the projects, the state DOT is widening State Road 52, from the Suncoast Parkway to the east of U.S. 41.

That stretch will be expanded to six divided lanes.

It is currently under design, with construction expected to begin later this year, Gwynn said.

Heading from east of U.S. 41 to west of County Road 581 (Bellamy Brothers Boulevard), State Road 52 will be expanded to four divided lanes.

State Road 52 also will be expanded to four divided lanes from County Road 581 to Old Pasco Road, with that project expected to be completed this year.

In 2020, the state DOT expects to widen U.S. 41 to a four-lane road, from just south of State Road 52 to Connerton Boulevard.

The biggest project, Gwynn said, will introduce a new State Road 52 route to U.S. 301.

That project involves widening the road to four lanes, beginning at the intersection of State Road 52 and Uradco Place, extending to the Bayou Branch Canal.

East of the canal, a brand new four-lane State Road 52 will branch off (south of existing State Road 52) and eventually will merge with Clinton Avenue.

This new alignment, expected to begin this fall, will provide an additional route from Interstate 75 to U.S. 301.

When that project is completed, the existing State Road 52 will be turned over to Pasco County to become County Road 52.

U.S. 301 is scheduled for several improvements, too.

There are plans to repave U.S. 301 from Pond Avenue to the north of Long Avenue. And, another project will widen the stretch from County Road 54 (Eiland Boulevard) to north of Kossik Road into six lanes.

David Gwynn is the secretary of District Seven for the Florida Department of Transportation. On June 4, at Pasco-Hernando State College Porter Campus in Wesley Chapel, he informed an audience about Pasco County’s new road projects. (Brian Fernandes)

Another project would expand U.S. 301 to four lanes south of State Road 56 to south of State Road 39. That two-mile project is expected to include a median, as well as a bike lane, sidewalk and a shared-use path.

Another two-fold project is under evaluation on U.S. 301, Gwynn said.

That project would expand the stretch from State Road 39 to Corey Street in Downtown Zephyrhills. Then, branching out from the Corey Street intersection would be two newly built one-way roads.

Each road would hold three lanes, run parallel to U.S. 301 and end just south of County Road 54.

Gwynn also mentioned the plans to add another entrance in Wesley Chapel from Interstate 75.

The new diamond interchange would connect Overpass Road to the interstate by way of a flyover ramp.

Overpass Road would be accommodated with two additional lanes from its intersection with Old Pasco Road to the exit ramp getting off the interstate.

From the ramp, to the intersection with Boyette Road, Overpass Road would be widened to six lanes. No start date has been determined yet, Gwynn said.

The director also revealed that Wesley Chapel is one of five areas being studied as a possible public transportation hub for traveling cross-county.

It would afford commuters traveling out of Pasco County to neighboring Hillsborough County an alternative from personal transportation.

And, Gwynn informed attendees of the new Florida legislation to build three multi-use corridors, adding new toll roads as well.

“The main purpose of them is to revitalize some of the rural communities that may have been left behind as Florida has prospered – to encourage job creation in these areas,” the director said.

One local corridor will be the Northern Turnpike Connector, which will bridge the Florida Turnpike northwest to the Suncoast Parkway.

Construction on the corridors is set for late 2022.

Gwynn also mentioned that the construction of the long-awaited diverging diamond in Wesley Chapel is still progressing.

The project, which is reconfiguring the State Road 56 bridge overpassing Interstate 75, will crisscross eastbound and westbound lanes upon reaching the bridge.

Four through lanes and two left-turn lanes will make up the westbound road on the south end of the bridge, to better accommodate heavier traffic flow. The eastbound road will hold only three lanes on the north end.

The project is still set to be completed in late 2021, Gwynn said.

Published June 12, 2019

Pasco advocates for additional lanes on I-275

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The Pasco County Commission last week emailed a letter to the Hillsborough County Commission asking that board to support a regional approach to transportation.

Specifically, the Pasco commissioners want the Hillsborough board to support the Florida Department of Transportation’s request for an additional lane in each direction on Interstate 275, from north of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard to south of Bearss Avenue.

The state transportation department has requested the general use lanes in a proposed amendment to the Hillsborough Metropolitan Long Range Transportation Plan.

The lanes would be built within the existing right of way of Interstate 275.

All five Pasco commissioners support the DOT’s request.

“Adding these general use lanes is an important priority to help the flow of people and commerce throughout region,” states the June 4 letter, signed by all five members of the Pasco County Commission.

“Not moving forward will have a detrimental effect on the proposed regional Bus Rapid Transit project. As you are aware, this project also is a priority of the Tampa Bay Transportation Management Area Leadership Group,” the letter adds.

The issue came up during the Pasco board’s June 4 meeting, when they expressed concerns about the possibility of the project being derailed.

They decided that a letter was needed to ensure that Hillsborough’s board was aware of Pasco’s position on the issue.

They noted that the amendment to the long-range transportation plan is needed for DOT to move forward on the project.

Hillsborough’s commission was expected to take up the issue at its June 11 meeting, after The Laker/Lutz News’ press deadline.

Published June 12, 2019

Pasco County property appraiser sees bullish outlook

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With Pasco County continuing to experience massive ongoing growth and development, the county’s tax rolls are expected to increase at least 9 percent this year, according to Pasco County property appraiser Gary Joiner.

Preliminary figures reveal that the county has already exceeded its tax roll from 2008, Joiner said, referring to before the economy tanked.

Pasco County property appraiser Gary Joiner (File)

The property appraiser’s remarks came during a speaking engagement at the Greater Zephyrhills Chamber of Commerce June breakfast meeting.

New residential and commercial construction make up the bulk of the increase, Joiner said, noting the county last year approved a record of more than 50,000 permits.

The taxable value of homesteaded properties will not increase by more than 1.9 percent this year, Joiner added.

“The great thing about that is, your home values aren’t outrageous, where they were in 2008. You’re not paying twice as much in taxes as you were in 2008,” Joiner said.

Plus, the county’s growth is likely to continue, he said.

Joiner expects Pasco to become Florida’s 10th largest county within the next 18 months, moving up a notch from its current ranking of the state’s 11th largest county.

“We’ve always been known as a bedroom community and ‘Little Pasco.’ Well, it’s not ‘Little Pasco’ anymore,” said Joiner, who grew up and lives in New Port Richey.

While growth can be a “great thing” for the county’s economy, it’s important for affordable housing and infrastructure to keep up, Joiner said.

He put it like this: “We’ve got to do it the right way, and we’ve also got to build roads and infrastructure way before we put a subdivision in. I think that’s where we lack. I think we’re 20 years behind in that. We’ve got to work harder on that.”

He continued, “I hate to see where some of the subdivisions are going, being where we were kids we hunted and fished there. You hate to see them tore up and these large oak trees taken down that you’ll never see again.”

Also on the subject of the county’s tax rolls, Joiner mentioned his office has made an effort to go after various forms of fraud, such as homestead fraud and agriculture fraud.

Joiner said the office has put more than $60 million in taxable value back on the county’s tax rolls since he took over in early 2017, including collecting nearly $1 million in back taxes.

“We’ve had our fair share (of fraud),” Joiner said.

Joiner also told the audience that the property appraiser’s office recently replaced its mainframe computing system and has upgraded to a more user-friendly website.

“We’re just working hard for you, trying to make a difference,” Joiner said. “We’ve tried to change a lot of things since I’ve gotten there — staff wise, productive wise, saving money.”

Joiner also touched on the county’s ongoing lawsuit with Pinellas County, where Pinellas has refused to pay property taxes on the 12,400 acres on the Cross Bar and Al Ranch property it owns north of State Road 52 and east of U.S. 41 in Central Pasco.

Joiner explained, last year alone, Pinellas made more than $2 million on that property from timber and pine straw harvesting, and therefore owes Pasco about $200,000 in taxes.

The Second District Court of Appeal recently sided with Pasco in the property tax dispute after it lost in the lower court. The issue is now likely to wind up in the Florida Supreme Court.

“We’re very confident we’re going to get it,” Joiner said. “It’s not fair that every person in this room, and every person around here has to pay (taxes), and yet they (Pinellas County) think they’re exempt.”

In an action related to that lawsuit, the Pasco County Commission voted on June 4 to send a letter to the Pinellas County Commission, urging them to drop its legal action. In essence, Pasco commissioners said it is only fair that Pinellas pay its taxes, just like other property owners.

B.C. Manion contributed to this report.

Published June 12, 2019