The Laker/Lutz News

Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

Local News

School gets ready for its debut

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As construction work continues at Cypress Creek Middle High, Principal Carin Hetzler-Nettles and her fledgling staff are preparing to set up residency.

Her initial crew of eight people will be looking to take over the building the week of June 12, she said.

Charlie Barthle, the educational facilities inspector, talks about features in the new school that is scheduled to open in August. (Fred Bellet)

The school, set to launch its inaugural year in August, initially will open for students in grades six through 11.

The building will have roughly 114 staff members, and, as of May 31, Hetzler-Nettles had just nine instructional openings left to fill.

But, there’s still a lot to do before the school, off Old Pasco Road, opens. For one thing, the principal wants to give students and parents a chance to get acquainted with the campus.

“We’re in the unique position where everybody kind of needs to be oriented to the school,” she said.

To help people get a feel for the campus, three events dubbed HowlaPalooza have been scheduled.

Howlapalooza draws its name from the school’s mascot, the coyote.

The gathering for seventh- and eighth-graders, and their parents, is scheduled for Aug. 1, from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. Ninth-graders through 11th- graders and their parents are set to meet the same afternoon, from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.

In both cases, parents and students with gather separately for activities in different parts of the campus, and then will join together to tour the school.

Getting the campus ready for its first year is a massive job. A landscaper is shown here stabilizing a new tree at the school.

The tour, Hetzler-Nettles said, “is what everybody is excited about — understandably, so.”

The sixth-grade Howlapalooza is patterned after the ninth-grade orientation that Hetzler-Nettles previously conducted when she was principal at Wesley Chapel High School.

Sixth-graders and parents will arrive at 9 a.m. on Aug. 2.

“We’ll do a Parent University in the morning for the parents, for maybe an hour,” Hetzler-Nettles said.

The sixth-graders will stay until 1 p.m., being guided through such activities as opening lockers, going through the lunch line in the cafeteria, and generally getting a feel for where things are and how things work.

The idea, the principal said, is “get them used to the campus, to kind of erase some of those first-day jitters. It makes it a little less overwhelming.”

Electricians are installing lighting outside the cafeteria, which will have some outdoor dining.

Hetzler-Nettles and staff members already have visited schools that are feeding students to Cypress Creek Middle High, and have been handing out T-shirts and giving updates on the campus’ progress.

Activities are planned during the first week to help orient the students to the campus, she said.

The principal said it’s natural to feel nervous, and she added “anytime you’re stepping into something new, it’s good to be nervous.”

Hetzler-Nettles is excited about the prospects of developing the school’s traditions and opportunities.

“It’s good to work together, and to communicate and create something exciting for kids and the community. We’re really, really jazzed about that,” the principal said.

She said she knows others are excited, too, because she’s seen the school’s T-shirts being worn all over the community.

Cypress Creek Middle High gears up for opening year
Howlapaloozas
Sixth grade: Aug. 2, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.: Students should wear comfortable clothing and shoes, for outdoor activities and a campus tour. A McDonald’s lunch will be provided. Children who are on medication should address that issue before arriving on campus. Any questions? Email Assistant Principal Meighan Melsheimer at .

Seventh grade and Eighth grade: Aug. 1, 9 a.m. to 11 a.m.: Students and their parents are invited to take part in some activities and tour the campus. Parents will report in the gymnasium, while students report to the cafeteria. After some activities, they will join together to tour the campus.

Ninth grade through 11th grade: Aug. 1, 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.: Students and their parents are invited to take part in some activities and tour the campus. Parents will report in the gymnasium, while students report to the cafeteria. After some activities, they will join together to tour the campus.

Registration
Appointments for registration will begin on June 26. Students who have been rezoned to attend the school do not need to register as new students. Those who are registering as new students should check for registration requirements on the school’s website at CCMHS.pasco.k12.fl.us.

Secondary Orientation Day
A secondary orientation day for seventh-graders through 11th-graders is scheduled for Aug. 8, from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Students will be able to pick up their schedules and pay fees.

Published June 6, 2017

Seminar sheds light on skin cancer

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His skin cancer diagnosis was a wake-up call to be more careful around the Florida sun.

Dr. George Hanak was blindsided when he first was stricken with skin cancer, and he’s not shy about sharing his personal battle with the disease.

“I was shocked when I got the report,” said Hanak, the department chair of neurological sciences at Pasco-Hernando State College’s Porter Campus in Wesley Chapel.

Pasco-Hernando State College presented a Skin Cancer Awareness Seminar on May 24 at its Porter Campus in Wesley Chapel. (Courtesy of Pasco-Hernando State College)

The associate professor was a featured speaker during the school’s Skin Cancer Awareness Seminar on May 24.

The seminar was part of a series the state college organized to increase public awareness regarding a variety of resources available to community members.

Over two years ago, a standard histology revealed two types of non-melanoma skin cancer — squamous cell carcinoma and basal cell carcinoma — had formed on the tip of Hanak’s nose.

From the naked eye, Hanak couldn’t detect the carcinomas.

It wasn’t apparent, either, that the cancerous cells already penetrated through his dermis — the inner layer of the two main layers of cells that make up the skin.

“I didn’t know. It did not look like (skin cancer),” Hanak said.

Luckily, the department chairman visited a dermatologist before the carcinomas spread further.

Now, he has a clean bill of health — because of Mohs micrographic surgery.

The surgery progressively removes and examines thin layers of cancer-containing skin until only cancer-free tissue remains.

Hanak doesn’t take his good health for granted.

Now, he takes added precautions, beginning with copious amounts of sunscreen—even when just running errands.

He encourages others to do the same.

“I put it on my face every day,” Hanak said. “When I’m going out into the car or to the store, cumulatively, over the time of the day I could be outdoors for 30 minutes or more.

“It’s really important,” he said.

Skin cancer is common nationwide.

According to the American Cancer Society, more than 5.4 million skin cancers are diagnosed each year in the United States — more than all other cancers combined. Non-melanoma skin cancer is the most common of all cancer types.

The American Cancer Society reports that most skin cancers are caused by the sun’s ultraviolet light and radiation, which alter the genetic material of skin cells.

The skin is the body’s largest organ, and also one of the most vital.

However, many don’t treat it that way.

“We, for the most part, take our skin for granted,” Hanak said. “We never think about the skin.”
Regions of the body most susceptible to skin cancer are the face, ears, neck, lip, back of hands, legs, and torso.

Those with freckles and fair skin, or who have a family history of skin cancer should be especially cautious.

Folks on antihistamines also should be careful, too, as they can compromise the skin and increase the potential for skin cancer.

Moles are another risk factor, especially ones that irregularly change in shape, size, or color.

“You never mess with a mole,” Hanak said.

“Leave it (the mole) alone, or have it removed if there are changes happening to it. If there’s a hair inside the mole, you do not pluck that hair. You do that and you’re opening up Pandora’s box,” Hanak warned.

Early detection makes all forms of skin cancer more treatable.

It’s why self-exams and regular checkups to a dermatologist are critical.

“I don’t care if you see anything or not — go to the specialist and have them check you — head to toe,” Hanak said.

Unfortunately, there’s no sure way to entirely prevent skin cancer, he said.

But, there are precautions that can help reduce the risk of both melanoma and non-melanoma skin cancers.

Linda Oakley-Hankins, an associate professor of nursing at PHSC’s West Campus, advised those attending the seminar to follow Cancer.org’s sun exposure catchphrase: “Slip! Slop! Slap! and Wrap!”

The catchphrase is meant to help people remember some of the key steps that can be taken to shield against UVA and UVB ultraviolet (UV) rays.

They can slip on a dark shirt; slop on broad-spectrum sunscreen every two hours; slap on a wide-brimmed hat; and wrap on sunglasses to protect the eyes and skin around them.

Besides skin cancer, overexposure to UV rays can result in sunburns, dark patches, wrinkles, loose skin, premature aging and eye problems.

During the seminar, Oakley-Hankins warned against the use of tanning salons.

She also suggested people — especially Floridians — seek shade between the hours of 10 a.m. and 4 p.m.

“What you do to your skin now,” she said, “will either be a benefit or a non-benefit later on in life.”

Published June 6, 2017

Bay area transportation talk gets a reboot

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State highway officials kicked off a regional discussion on the future of transportation in Tampa Bay with more than 100 people from Hillsborough, Pinellas, Hernando, Polk and Pasco counties.

The initial workshop for what is dubbed, Tampa Bay Next, was at the Bryan Glazer Jewish Community Center in Tampa on May 24.

During the next two years, the Florida Department of Transportation will schedule more workshops, meetings and community outreach events in all areas of the region to get input on how to solve gridlock on the area’s highways.

Jonathon Massie, business illustrator with Collaborative Labs at St. Petersburg College, drew a cartoon illustration to reflect the consensus of people who attended a workshop on transportation in the Tampa Bay region.
(Kathy Steele)

By late 2019, state transportation officials expect to present the details of a new road project that will replace the controversial Tampa Bay Express, or TBX.

That project called for nearly 90 miles of new toll lanes on Interstate 275 from St. Petersburg to Wesley Chapel, and along Interstate 4 to Plant City and south on Interstate 75 to Manatee County.

The TBX project met with strong resistance from residents of neighborhoods in and around downtown Tampa.

Pasco County’s elected officials and chambers of commerce, however, strongly supported the TBX as a relief to traffic congestion and a potential impetus for future economic growth.

Tampa Bay Next, at least initially, will deal with expectations, not details.

“We’re going to focus on our ideal vision,” said Andrea Henning, executive director of Collaborative Labs at St. Petersburg College. “Tonight is more about listening.”

The company will facilitate community work sessions for the state transportation department in efforts to reach consensus on what Tampa Bay Next will bring to the table.

Six working groups will focus on local issues.

Those groups will cover Pasco/Hernando counties; North and West Hillsborough County; Downtown/East Tampa; Westshore/West Tampa/South Tampa; Pinellas County; and East Hillsborough/ Polk County.

Participants broke out into 20 discussion groups that reported back with broad-stroke views on the area’s future transportation needs, and wants.

Suggestions included:

  • Integrated multi-modal system
  • Connect people to jobs
  • Reliable trip times
  • Complete streets
  • Automated, connected and electric vehicle systems
  • Better bicycle mobility
  • Urban freeway removal
  • Ensuring that communities are not broken apart

One woman put in a plug for her pet peeve: She wants all bus stops to come with shaded cover.

Others spoke about a “sense of urgency” in coming up with answers.

There were also skeptics who don’t trust the state transportation department, in light of the battle over TBX.

“We need to work together,” said Danielle Moran, public involvement manager with HNTB Corporation, which is consulting with the Tampa Bay Next. But, she added, “We know it’s going to take time to build trust.”

She got a round of boos when she brought up toll lanes.

“Express lanes are one of the options on the table,” Moran said. “We’re happy to talk with you about other options.”

A second breakout session focused on four issues: safety, multi-model choices, technology and funding/policy.

Participants later voted electronically for their top priorities in each category, choosing from a list of 10 options.

Priorities included:

  • Designing streets to focus on people’s safety, not vehicles
  • Connecting major regional activity centers
  • Leveraging existing assets and infrastructure
  • Re-prioritizing $6 billion of TBX funds for community priorities

Future workshops will begin to drill down on what local communities envision for transportation.

Moran said there appeared to be at least an early consensus for an integrated, complete transportation system.

“The difficulty is how do we get there,” she said.

For information on Tampa Bay Next including the working groups and community outreach events, visit TampaBayNext.com.

Published June 6, 2017

She’s young, but she wants to be Lutz Guv’na

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Kori Rankin is not only a first-time Lutz Guv’na candidate — she’s easily the youngest at 21 years old.

Her two opponents — Jessica Sherman, of Pinch A Penny, and incumbent Greg Gilbert, of Beef ‘O’ Brady’s Lutz — are more than twice her age.

But, that hasn’t hindered Rankin from holding her own on the campaign trail.

Kori Rankin won a cow-chip throwing contest, during the May 20 Lutz Guv’na Debate at the Old Lutz School. (Kevin Weiss)

During the May 20 Lutz Guv’na Debate at the Old Lutz School, Rankin exhibited confidence and moxie.

She shined in several debate activities, leading the alligator watermelon-carving contest and dominating a cow-chip throwing contest: She launched patties several feet further than her two rivals.

Several of her responses, during the annual tongue-in-cheek event, were memorable, too.

For instance, she advocated for a construction ban in Lutz, and recommended “unlimited wine” for every Lutz woman.

Politicking for Guv’na runs in the family.

Her stepmother, Jennifer Rankin, won the coveted “sash” in 2015 by raising more than $9,200, and she continues to stay involved in the annual Guv’na Race.

Rankin acknowledged her stepmom has provided a helping hand along the way, offering guidance on fundraising and event organization.

“She doesn’t want me to be slacking,” Rankin said of her stepmother.

The month of June will be a busy one.
After a Painting with a Twist event on June 11, Rankin plans to organize a bowling tournament and a dinner night at a local Mexican restaurant.

She also wants to partner with the GFWC Lutz-Land O’Lakes Woman’s Club on a bingo night.

Meanwhile, Rankin is drumming up cash by auctioning LuLaRoe clothing, offering 50/50 raffles, and selling “little things” like candy and drinks.

The Guv’na hopeful currently works full-time at Al’s Lawn Care Products & Services, a local business established in 1986.

She also owns her own photography and portable photo booth company — aptly named Kori Rankin Photography.

Besides mini-sessions, she’s built up a portfolio shooting everything from weddings to newborns, over the last year-and-a-half.

“I pretty much do anything and everything all across the board,” she said.

A long-time Lutz resident, Rankin has lived in the area since she was 10 years old.
She spent her early childhood in Temple Terrace. Then her family moved to Zephyrhills when she was 6, before the family settled into the tight-knit Hillsborough County community.

She —like many residents — enjoy the rustic aspect of Lutz.

“I’ve always kind of loved that it’s in the country, than in the city,” she said. “It’s always nice.”

Rankin attended Martinez Middle School and graduated from Steinbrenner High School in 2013 — the school’s first four-year graduating class.

There, she was a competitive cheerleader and member of the flag football team; she also gave track and weightlifting a shot.

“I was very athletic,” Rankin said, “and tried to play just about every sport possible.”
The Guv’na race continues through the Fourth of July weekend.

The winner will be announced after the community’s traditional parade.

The annual charity event started in 1991. More than $100,000 has been raised in the past decade alone.

The winner of the Guv’na race gets to earmark 10 percent of what he or she raises to the charitable organization of his or her choice.

If Rankin becomes the honorary mayor of Lutz, she hopes to donate to the Lutz Chiefs Youth Football and Cheerleading Organization, a league for boys and girls ages 5 to 14.

“I feel like they don’t really get anything, besides what their parents provide for them,” she said.

If you’d like to contribute to Rankin’s campaign, call (813) 476-3718, or email .

Published June 6, 2017

Pasco looks to lift residential parking rule

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The Pasco County Commission is looking to get rid of a parking restriction that has posed a problem in neighborhoods.

Under its current rules, people parking on the street in residential communities need to have a permit, or they can be cited.

The rule likely isn’t common knowledge to many residents, and appears to be headed toward its demise.

Commissioners have asked the county’s planning and development department to draft an ordinance to eliminate the requirement for residential parking permits on local, county-maintained streets. Parking, however, would be restricted to one side of a street.

Parking on arterial or collector roads would remain illegal. And, private communities with private streets could continue to set their own standards.

Commission Chairman Mike Moore brought the issue to commissioners at their May 23 meeting in New Port Richey.

He said he had received a complaint from a Land O’ Lakes’ resident whose daughter was cited for on-street parking while she was home during the Christmas holiday.

Commissioner Mike Wells said he also has heard similar complaints.

Kris Hughes, the county’s director of planning and development, said parking permits also become an issue for residents during road-paving projects.

“We have multiple examples of the problem,” Hughes said.

Current code requires that residents pay $30 for a parking permit, with the permits limited to four days a year.

There are no restrictions on the number of vehicles that can be included in the permit.

Depending on circumstances, fines for violations generally are $15 and $35. However, fines can be as high as $250, plus community service, if the illegal parking creates a public hazard.

While waiting for an ordinance to end the residential parking permits, county commissioners took an interim step.

They administratively agreed to increase the residential permits from four days to 365 days a year.

About 300 permits are issued annually, with the county collecting more than $10,500 in revenues, Hughes said.

In 2016, the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office issued nearly 2,300 citations for all parking violations, generating about $280,000 in revenues. About 43 percent of citations, and about 90 percent of the revenues, were for illegally parking in spots reserved for disabled persons.

About 33 percent of citations, and less than 6 percent in revenues, were for parking on local, subdivision streets without a permit.

Moore said the issue is about helping residents, not collecting more revenues.

Initially, Moore suggested increasing the number of permit days to as many as 12.

Commissioner Kathryn Starkey went bigger — much bigger.

She suggested a 365-day permit.

“I never knew there was such a thing as a four-day permit,” Starkey said.

Pasco County Attorney Jeffrey Steinsnyder said the permits were instituted years ago as a way of controlling parking within residential developments. Many have narrow streets, making it impossible for emergency vehicles to gain access if vehicles were parked on both sides of the street.

“Rather than require larger streets, we started this concept of prohibiting parking within subdivisions,” the attorney explained. “When people have parties they don’t have enough room in their driveways so we started issuing permits.”
Commissioners, however, appear to think this is one rule the county no longer needs.

“One less regulatory thing is a good thing,” Wells said.

Published June 6, 2017

Kindness rocks at this library

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The Jimmie B. Keel Regional Library, at 2902 W. Bearss Ave., recently hosted more than 100 people of all ages for its first rock-painting event.

Ella Hodges, daughter of senior librarian Jennifer Hodges, helped out at the JB Kindness Rocks event that drew more than 100 people.
(Courtesy of Jennifer Hodges)

Jennifer Hodges, senior librarian, came up with the “JBKindness Rocks” group, to paint rocks to help spread kindness.

The library supplied rocks, paint and brushes at the May 20 session for those who wanted to make their own rock creations to hide in plain sight throughout their communities or pass along to a family member. Participants also could bring their own rocks.

The creations ranged from flowers to animals, and from notes of encouragement to abstract images.

Another rock-painting party is being planned prior to school starting again in August.

For a complete list of all upcoming events at the Jimmie B. Keel library, visit HCPLC.org.

Published June 6, 2017

Meagan Rathman-Urena, of Lutz, designed these rocks and intends to put them out and about in the community. (Mary Rathman)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mary Wheaton, of Carrollwood Village, painted this rock for her expected first great-granddaughter. Anna Kathryn’s parents, Justin and Brittany Grant, live in Odessa, and her grandparents, Sam and Jeannie Wheaton, live in Lutz. (Courtesy of Meagan Rathmann-Urena)
Jennifer Hodges, senior librarian at the Jimmie B. Keel Regional Library, formed the group JBKindess Rocks to help spread kindness and cheer in the community. (Mary Rathman)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Meagan Rathman-Urena, of Lutz, puts the finished touches on her rocks. (Mary Rathman)

 

Land O’ Lakes site aims to improve forensic research

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Pasco County had a dedication ceremony for a 5-acre field that will be used to advance forensic research and aid in criminal investigations.

The “body farm” is next to the Land O’ Lakes Detention Center, off U.S. 41. A separate forensics and training facility also is being planned near the body farm site.

A monument sign was unveiled on May 12 at a dedication ceremony for the Adam Kennedy Forensics Field. The ‘body farm’ is part of a project to build a forensics research and training center next to Pasco County’s jail.
(Courtesy of Pasco County Sheriff’s Office)

The field has been named the Adam Kennedy Forensics Field, in honor of the former principal of Crews Lake Middle School, who died in a car accident while driving to work in January.

His body was the first one donated to the body farm.

“There is so much bittersweet about this,” said Abigail Kennedy, the principal’s wife, as she spoke during a May 12 ceremony.

Officials from the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office, county commissioners, and Dr. Erin Kimmerle of the University of South Florida’s Institute of Forensic Anthropology & Applied Science (IFAAS) also were there, as the sign for the field was unveiled.

Adam Kennedy wanted to leave his body to science, Abigail Kennedy said, noting that before her husband died, the couple had discussed possible options, including donating to a medical school.

She said her husband wanted to do something “dedicated to making people’s lives better.”

She contacted USF about the plans underway for the body farm and forensics facility to ask if her husband’s body could be the first donation.

“All I could think was this couldn’t be more perfect,” she said. “This is so cool. This is so Adam.”

The campus of the Florida Forensics Institute for Research & Tactical Training, or F.I.R.S.T., is expected to become a national and international hub for research in the field of forensic science.

The body farm and forensics facility will be the seventh in the nation to study body decomposition as a tool in solving crimes, and identifying victims of murder or other trauma.

The University of Tennessee, in Knoxville, opened the first facility of this type during the 1970s.

The former principal’s body will be buried and later exhumed for research.

So far, about 30 people have preregistered with USF for body donations.

Project partners include the sheriff’s office, Pasco County, Pasco-Hernando State College and the IFAAS.

Kimmerle and USF are well-known for their work in identifying bodies found in unmarked graves at the former Dozier School for Boys in Marianna.

The forensics building at F.I.R.S.T. will be the Thomas Varnadoe Forensic Center for Education and Research. Varnadoe’s body was among those recovered and identified at the grave site at the Dozier school.

Pasco’s campus will include a laboratory, classrooms, a morgue and evidence storage. Virtual autopsies with 3-D scanning and chemical isotope analysis will be done. Other activities will focus on legal medicine, forensic intelligence, aviation reconstruction and cyber forensics.

A tactical training facility for the sheriff’s K-9 unit and the Pasco Unified SWAT team also is planned.

About $200,000 in funding for this facility is being aided through a local campaign spearheaded by the Rotary Club of Wesley Chapel.

State funds of about $4.3 million for the forensics and research facility are included in the 2018 budget approved by Florida legislators. But, as of The Laker/Lutz News’ publication deadline, Gov. Rick Scott had not yet decided whether to sign the budget bill.

Scott has expressed displeasure with the budget and could opt to use his line item veto, veto the education portion of the budget or veto the entire budget.

The project will go forward whatever the decision, according to sheriff’s office officials. If the appropriation isn’t approved this year, another request will be made in the 2019 state budget or other sources of money will be sought, they said.

Published May 31, 2017

Efforts to begin to ease area congestion

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Traffic is a mess at the Interstate 75 interchange with State Road 56.

On the plus side, that’s an indicator that new development in the area is boosting Pasco County’s economy.

More of that development is on the way.

But, it’s putting more people and more vehicles on inadequate roads.

The diverging diamond interchange includes lanes that crisscross, fewer traffic signals and signage to help ease traffic congestion. This aerial shows this type of traffic pattern at such an interchange in Missouri.
(File)

A project set to start in 2018 is expected to help reduce the traffic snarls at the I-75/State Road 56 interchange.

“There are huge amounts of traffic being generated,” said Ryan Forrestel, principal at American Consulting Engineers.

A traffic analysis found that during daily rush hours, vehicles are backed up for 1 mile to 2½ miles.

Most motorists are waiting at traffic signals to make left turns onto I-75, or off of it.

During a May 23 session, Forrestel provided a timeline for the construction of a $24.1 million diverging diamond interchange that is expected to relieve traffic.

He made his remarks to a gathering of about 30 people, at an event hosted by The Greater Wesley Chapel Chamber of Commerce at the Mercedes-Benz automobile dealership, off State Road 56.

The meeting was focused on providing information to owners and operators of area businesses.

“We want to make sure they are well-prepared for what is coming,” said Hope Allen, the chamber’s president.

The chamber’s website also will provide up-to-date information on the project as it becomes available.

The project, which at one time had a 2020 start date, now has a construction start date of fall 2018.

A traffic analysis by American Consulting Engineers found traffic at the Interstate 75 and State Road 56 interchange can back up 1 mile to 2½ miles during daily rush hours.

Design and planning are expected to be finished by January 2018, and construction bids are scheduled to go out in June 2018.

The project’s construction is expected to take 18 months to 36 months.

Pasco County’s diverging diamond will be Florida’s second.

Two weeks ago, Sarasota became the first to open a diverging diamond on I-75, at University Parkway.

Licia Tavalaiccio plans a visit to see her daughter who lives in Sarasota. While she’s there, she wants a first-hand experience of test driving a diverging diamond interchange.

“I’m excited to go down there and see how it actually flows,” she said.

Being informed about the interchange is also a necessity for the Realtor who works with clients looking to invest in Pasco County property and new businesses. “When they are coming into our area, traffic is going to affect their decisions to purchase in the area,” Tavalaiccio said.

The diverging diamond interchange accommodates multiple lanes of traffic that crisscross from one side to another, with limited traffic signals. Road signs and marked off lanes help direct motorists through the interchange.

Forrestel said no additional right of way will be needed for construction.

The bridge that crosses I-75 won’t be widened, he said, but it will be redesigned to handle traffic coming to and from the I-75 ramps.

Additional lanes will be added to the ramps along with road signs and lane markers. Speed limits will drop to 35 mph on the approach to the interchange.

With fewer traffic signals, Forrestel said, “All turns are free flowing, to the right or to the left.”

In fact, he added, the diverging diamond works best where signalized left-turns dominate. “In other places, they are terrible solutions.”

Supporters of the design say it eases congestion, prevents wrong-way entry onto ramps and reduces crashes.

No daytime lane closures are planned. However, lanes will be shifted to accommodate construction, said Forrestel.

There will be some lane closures at night, he added.

The first phase of construction likely will be the installation of retaining walls surrounding the interchange. They will vary in height from 5 feet to 30 feet.

The completion of construction can’t come soon enough for area business owners.

Britt Young, franchise owner of Chick-fil-A, which fronts State Road 56 by Tampa Premium Outlets, said even employees who live nearby report 20-minute commutes simply to get across I-75.

He hopes the diverging diamond is the right solution.

“We need the flow of traffic to move,” Young said. “It allows for growth on both sides of the interstate. Economically, it’s what we all want.”

Published May 31, 2017

Wiregrass sports complex expected to open in 2019

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The Wiregrass Sports Complex of Pasco County could be open as soon as spring 2019, Richard Blalock, chief executive officer of RADD Sports said last week.

The sports management and development company anticipates finalizing agreements with Pasco County by August. The construction of the 98,000-square-foot indoor sports complex is expected to take 18 months, though Blalock is hopeful it can be done within 14 months.

Richard Blalock, chief executive officer of RADD Sports
(File)

Blalock and Anthony Homer, the company’s vice president of development, gave an update on the project at the monthly economic briefing luncheon hosted by The Greater Wesley Chapel Chamber of Commerce on May 25.

Work already is underway to line up events, sports leagues and coaches for a facility that will operate on Monday through Thursday as a community-based sports center, Blalock said.

Weekends will be set aside to host tournaments, competitions and other events that will generate hotel stays and tax revenues for the county, he said.

“We’re not sitting back waiting,” he said. “We’re in the community actively engaging. When the doors open, we want to be running and generating,” Blalock added.

For instance, Blalock plans to meet with the head coach of the Tampa Bay Rowdies.

The focus will be on involving youth from the community in as many sporting opportunities as possible, he said.

A minor league system for youth ages 9 through 18 will be organized for cheerleading, basketball, volleyball, soccer and lacrosse. Participants will be required to maintain a minimum of a 2.0 grade average.

A prep level will be available for youths, ages 5 through 8.

But, sports won’t be the only skill taught.

“We want to develop these kids not only as athletes, but as citizens,” Blalock said.

For youth that don’t want to actively participate in a sport, Blalock said they would have opportunities to join a Coach’s Club or Elite Manager’s Club, to learn skills such as scorekeeping, officiating and team management.

For elite athletes who are being recruited, RADD Sports will help with media technology, such as webcasts, to showcase their talents.

The Pasco County Commission agreed in April to negotiate with RADD Sports for the $25 million sports complex. About $15 million to $17 million in funding will be from a bank loan, secured with a proposed 2 percent increase in the county’s tourism tax. Nearly $11 million is from previously pledged tourism dollars, and sales tax revenues.

County commissioners must approve an ordinance to increase the tourism tax.

Projections for sports events and revenues include:

  • 27,000 visitors per night per year
  • 12,000 visitors who come for the day
  • $6.5 million annual economic impact
  • $8 million or more in sales and use taxes in 10 years (not including tourism tax)

Over 10 years, RADD Sports officials project $100 million in accumulated direct economic impact for the county.

The facility will be able to host sporting and recreational activities, including basketball, volleyball, cheerleading, dancing, wrestling, gymnastics, curling and badminton.

Plans also call for seven outdoor sports fields, an amphitheater with an event lawn, trails, pavilions and a playground.

An $18.5 million, 120-room hotel is planned on land donated years ago by the Porter family – developers of Wiregrass Ranch and The Shops at Wiregrass.

Sports tourism is proving to be a successful generator of revenues for local communities, Homer said.

On average, each visitor spends about $208 a day, he said.

There is a multiplier effect, however, when families come together to youth sports events. “They make a whole weekend out of it,” Homer said.

RADD Sports plans to follow the Disney model for sports event registrations. The hotel room is part of the registration process, he said.

And, when the on-site hotel is full, other area hotels are included, Homer added.

RADD Sports wants to create a “constant churn” of events. “We want them to come back, six, seven, eight times a year,” he said.

Published May 31, 2017

Firm selected to manage planned Zephyrhills tennis center

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The Zephyrhills City Council has selected a firm to run the city’s proposed tennis complex, the latest step in guiding the ambitious project forward.

During a May 22 meeting, council members unanimously agreed to enter negotiations with Pennsylvania-based firm Tennis P.R.O. LLC, to operate and manage the proposed tennis facility.

Construction could begin by year’s end.

This rendering of the Zephyrhills Tennis Center shows 10 courts (eight clay, two hard surface), three mini-courts and one exhibition court. The tennis center is also expected to feature a pro shop, a multifunctional community room, and two office spaces. A second level, if added, will contain an observation deck, players lounge and concessions.
(File)

The council also considered Tennis Management Partners and Net Results, before making its choice.

Tennis P.R.O. is owned by Pascal Collard, the director of tennis at Saddlebrook Tennis Academy in Wesley Chapel from 2003 to 2006. He currently serves as the tennis director at The Merion Cricket Club, a private club in Haverford, Pennsylvania.

Once finalized, the public-private partnership agreement will first call for Tennis P.R.O. to offer input to the facility’s final engineered site design and architectural plans.

Elsewhere, the firm will be responsible for local tennis operations, and facilitating other elements such as membership and fundraising.

City Manager Steve Spina said the arrangement mirrors the one Zephyrhills has with the East Pasco Family YMCA, in which the city owns the building property, but outsources programming and facility management.

Councilman Lance Smith was enthusiastic about the concept.

“Having a professional firm that knows what they’re doing and can operate it properly is the way to go, in my mind,” Smith said.

The planned Zephyrhills Tennis Center will be located on 4.7 acres of donated land at The District at Abbott’s Square, a new real estate development situated north of Dean Dairy Road and west of Simons Road.

Renderings unveiled in November show the estimated $2.19 million project includes 10 courts — of which eight are clay and two are hard surface. Plans also show three mini-courts and one exhibition court, built to U.S Tennis Association (USTA) professional standards.

The planned tennis facility is expected to be named the Sarah Vande Berg Memorial Tennis Center, after the former Zephyrhills High School district champion who became a scholarship player on the University of South Carolina Upstate women’s tennis team. Vande Berg, the daughter of the Zephyrhills planning director Todd Vande Berg, tragically died in an automobile accident at the age of 21 in October 2015.

The complex also is expected to feature a pro shop, a multifunctional community room, and two office spaces.

Recreation impact fees from The District at Abbott’s Square and other developments will be used to finance most of the the facility’s construction costs, city officials say.
But, additional frills — such as a clubhouse and observation deck — would likely need to be financed by the city and other funding sources, including, USTA grants, Florida Recreation Development Assistance Program (FRDAP) grants, Penny for Pasco, and partnerships with Pasco County Parks and Recreation, and Pasco County Tourism.

Once operational, memberships will be required to access the facility.

However, Zephyrhills residents will get a price break.

Officials believe the tennis center could become a national draw for college and USTA-sanctioned events.

Meantime, the facility is expected to be named the Sarah Vande Berg Memorial Tennis Center, after the former Zephyrhills High School district champion who became a scholarship player on the University of South Carolina Upstate women’s tennis team.

Vande Berg, the daughter of the Zephyrhills planning director Todd Vande Berg, died in an automobile accident at the age of 21 in October 2015.

Earlier this month, the council voted unanimously to send the proposed tennis center name to a committee made up of city staffers who will vote on an official recommendation to the council, which is standard procedure under a city resolution that governs the naming of city facilities.

In other action, Zephyrhills City Hall will permanently close June 9, to make way for construction of a new city hall complex, at 5335 Eighth St. The temporary quarters will be housed at 5344 Ninth St.

Beginning June 12, city council meetings will be at the Zephyrhills Public Library, 5347 Eighth St., for approximately one year.

Board meetings, including airport authority and planning commission, will also be at the library, during that period.

Published May 31, 2017