The Laker/Lutz News

Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

Local News

Local student finds freedom, opportunity in U.S.

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Wiregrass Ranch High School senior Luis Pereira doesn’t take his freedom for granted.

Less than two years ago, his family arrived in Wesley Chapel — after emigrating from Venezuela to seek political asylum in the United States.

Since that time, the 19-year-old has managed to be inducted into the National Society of High School Scholars, has won the TEDX Talk competition at Wiregrass and has been awarded a scholarship to Oglethorpe University in Atlanta.

Wiregrass Ranch High senior Luis Pereira has been inducted into the National Society of High School Scholars. His family left Venezuela 18 months ago to seek political asylum in the United States.
(B.C. Manion)

The scholars society was established in 2002 by James W. Lewis and Claes Nobel. Nobel is the senior member of the family that established the Nobel Prizes.

The society recognizes “top scholars who have demonstrated outstanding leadership, scholarship and community commitment,” according to a news release announcing Pereira’s induction. The society helps to advance the goals and aspirations of high-achieving students through learning experiences, scholarships, internships, international study and peer networks.

Despite his achievements, it hasn’t been an easy road for Pereira.

His family moved to Wiregrass Ranch because of the difficult political situation in Venezuela.

“I was part of an opposition group, since I was 14. I was active in protests and demonstrations against the government.

“It wasn’t good for my family. We started receiving threats,” Pereira said.

His dad received calls about the family being watched.

“They said: ‘I saw your wife, picking up the kids. You should look out for them. You should take care of them,’” Pereira said. “Imagine living everyday knowing that there is someone who wants to hurt you.

“A year and a half ago, we decided this is too dangerous for us,” he said.

Besides his parents, Luis Sr. and Madelin, Pereira has two little brothers, Guillermo, 12, and Santiago, 10.

Initially, the family moved in with relatives in the Wiregrass Ranch area, but that didn’t work out.

“At one point, we were homeless,” he said.

Luis Pereira was a keynote speaker during Pasco County Schools’ 2016 Leadership Kickoff.

“When the people at Wiregrass (Ranch High School) found out, it was amazing. The community got together and found out ways to help my family. They gave us food. They gave us money. They found us a place to stay. They’ve been helping us through this process of trying to settle in a new country. I had a lot of support from my teachers, from the staff at Wiregrass,” he said.

The communities of John Long Middle School and Double Branch Elementary School also were incredibly kind, Pereira said. His brother, Guillermo, attends John Long, and his other brother, Santiago, attends Double Branch.

Education is important to the family.

Pereira scored a 1340 on the SAT, and carries a 3.87 grade point on a scale of 4.0.  He’s taking Advanced Placement Chemistry, Advanced Placement U.S. Government and Advancement Placement English Literature, among his other classes.

“I’m very interested in speech and debate. I really like the fact that by speaking out you can influence people, to change their outlook on things. I think that’s really amazing,” he said.

One of things he enjoys most about being in the United States is being able to freely share his thoughts and beliefs.

“Just being able to express myself here, to be able to say what I believe is right. That’s amazing. It’s a right that I’ve never had in my life,” Pereira said.

Pereira aspires to become a brain surgeon.

“It is different from psychology, in that you are investigating what drives human behavior, but you are investigating it from a biological point. You want to know the process that makes people do stuff,” he said.

Pereira said his interest in medicine was influenced by his father, who was a pharmacist in Venezuela. His mom taught elementary school there.

Now, his mom cleans homes and his dad works in a retail store. Pereira recently landed a job at McDonald’s.

He plans to continue his education, and at the moment his primary choice for college is Oglethorpe University in Atlanta.

He applied there after seeing a flier that noted the architectural similarity between the campus and Hogwarts University in the Harry Potter novels.

“I did some research about the school, and I liked it,” he said.

He applied in November, and they called him to let him know he’d been accepted in January.

And, they invited him to the college’s scholarship weekend.

He qualified to compete in the Civic Engagement scholarship category.

“I had to do a presentation about how I participated in civic engagement and leadership in my everyday life. And, out of 102, they selected two people, and I was one of them,” he said.

Still, attending the university is no sure thing.

“The main problem — everything takes money,” he said.

“I haven’t committed yet. I don’t have the money. It’s $300 to pay the deposit,” he said, noting the scholarship covers tuition, but not housing.

He has a job now, and that will help, but he still needs to raise money for housing and other college expenses.

He recently set up a GoFundMe account at GoFundMe.com/kharmcdc, in case anyone wants to help.

Pereira is not sure where he will end up, but he wants to continue his education.

“I feel a responsibility to give back to the community that’s helped me. That’s one of my main goals of going to college, to be able to come back and help the community that gave my family so much,” Pereira said.

Published March 29, 2017

CubeSmart to open self-storage facility in Lutz

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Construction workers are in the early stages of building CubeSmart, a self-storage facility located on an outparcel outside of the Walmart Super Center in Lutz.

The storage facility is among new retail additions popping up on the open landscape along the apex, where North Dale Mabry Highway and U.S. 41 merge.

CubeSmart representatives couldn’t be reached for comment.

The economic downturn in 2008 held developers at bay, but they are taking a new look at the outparcels.

For years, Walmart stood out as the lone retail sentry.

But, Pasco County commissioners in October approved changes to a master plan for developing the entire site, which includes several outparcels.

The approval from county commissioners added about 60,000 square feet of retail and 12,000 square feet of office. About 50,000 square feet set aside previously for office is available for uses such as retail or a hotel.

In 2015, Famous Tate of New Tampa Inc., bought about 1.5 acres for its third Famous Tate store in Pasco County. Construction is nearly complete. Like CubeSmart, Famous Tate will front U.S. 41 on the eastern side of the Walmart apex.

Last year, the Nashville-based New Port Richey Hospital Inc., a subsidiary of HCA Holdings Inc., bought a 1.6-acre lot on the western side of the apex, fronting Dale Mabry and adjacent to the County Line shopping plaza. The sale was brokered by The Land Sharks LLC.

Construction on an approximately 10,800-square-foot emergency health facility is in early stages.

Florida Department of Transportation plans to install a traffic signal and turn lane at the entrance into the Walmart site, off Dale Mabry Highway.

Additional outparcels outside Walmart remain available for development.

Published March 29, 2017

Turning back the clock to the 16th century

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Every year, tens of thousands of people get a chance to transport themselves into the past and escape from the real world at the Bay Area Renaissance Festival.

A knight and rook battle it out on a large chess board during one of the human chess match events at MOSI’s Renaissance Festival.
(Fred Bellet)

Now entering its 39th season, the annual festival attracts about 80,000 people a year, according to the festival’s website.

Set in 1524 in the fictional English town of Fittleworth, the seven-week long Tampa festival creates a captivating medieval adventure, with no shortage of sights and spectacles.

From re-enactments of King Henry VIII and Queen Catherine Parr, there’s a litany of characters — peasants, gypsies and fairies — all of which never stray from using English accents.
At every turn, the festival offers amusement for children and adults, alike.

Besides an eclectic blend of renaissance-style mimes and madrigals, there’s archery contests, live-armored jousting and elephant rides.

Dawn Boone of Riverview uses her phone to capture the king and queen’s entrance into the Renaissance Festival grounds.

With modest beginnings in Largo, the jubilee relocated to Tampa in 2004, adjacent to the Museum of Science and Industry (MOSI), at 11315 North 46th St.

To accommodate its cult following and ever-growing demand, the festival expanded to seven weekends long.

Each weekend has a distinctive motif.

The weekend of March 18, for instance, was titled Shamrocks & Shenanigans, an ode to St. Patrick’s Day.

Festival Friday kicks off the final weekend, starting March 31.

That is followed by the pirate-themed High Seas Adventures, on April 1 and April 2.

Its attractions include a pirate costume contest, tattoo competition and pirate peg leg relay race.

For thousands of festivalgoers each year, dressing up in diverse medieval garb is a significant aspect of the event’s charm.

So, too, is meeting like-minded people with similar interests in renaissance culture.

Lutz residents, Scott Dorman, left, and his 8-year-old son, Nathan, portrayed members of a Scottish Clan, wearing a McLeod kilt and carrying hardwood walking sticks. Like father, like son, the two have attended every weekend of the event for the past three seasons. Nathan hopes to participate at the event as a re-enactor, someday.

“It’s fun. You get to know the people — the repeats,” said Niko Alissandratos, of Tarpon Springs, who was sporting Vulcan ears and a vintage drinking horn during the March 18 weekend.

Another patron, Alicia Askey, makes it a point to drive down from Ocala each year to attend the festival with her husband, Stephen.

Besides the varied food and entertainment offerings, she enjoys the ability to express herself, this year portraying an Anglo-Saxon from the 12th century.

“I like being able to dress up,” Askey said, “and no one looks at you funny.”

The same mindset can be applied to Lutz resident Scott Dorman, and his 8-year old son, Nathan.

Both portrayed members of a Scottish clan, wearing a MacLeod kilt and toting hardwood walking sticks.

Matching outfits aside, the festival’s choreographed human combat chess match is one reason the father and son have attended the show three years running.

Dorman, who grew up playing Dungeons and Dragons as a youth, said he enjoys “everything” about Bay Area Renaissance Festival.
“It’s just a lot of fun,” Dorman said. “Each year we come a little more often and get more into it.”

The Renaissance Festival appears to be a hit among vendors, too.

Queen Katherine Parr, portrayed by Catherine Jett, of Tampa, enters the staging area to watch the human chess match.

Amanda Stevens is the owner and operator of Krakens Chest, which produces on-site pirate rings and other jewelry.

Part of the festival’s appeal, Stevens said, is its leniency in portrayals from the entirety of renaissance period, which spans from the 14th century to the 17th century.

Unlike some other medieval-themed festivals, she values the ability to roam as any character, may it be a knight, a pirate, or a Greek warrior.

“I think a lot of people like this festival,” Stevens said, “because it’s not strict.”

“It’s more like a giant convention,” she added, “because you see people dressed up as everything here.”

A regular since the event’s Largo days, Stevens noted the renaissance festival does have a “different feel” since it moved to Tampa.

Nearby traffic on Fowler Avenue and other urban noises, she explained, can sometimes disrupt the festival’s ambiance, contrary to the wide-open, rural setting in Largo.

“You felt like you were transported back in time,” said Stevens, referring to the festival venue in Largo. “It was in the backwoods and you had to walk like half a mile to get to the (entrance) gate, so you really felt like you were in the Renaissance period.”

Fourteen-year old Marina Khimko, of Brooksville, who because of a rare birth defect lives life from a wheelchair, was overwhelmed when the re-enactors presented her with a Shakespearean-period, purple velvet dress with gold-braiding. She was there with her mom, Rebecca Smith, of Brooksville.

The proximity to the bustling Fowler roads, however, doesn’t disrupt the experience for Cat Desharnais, one of Stevens’ co-workers.

To her, it’s still a “getaway” from everyday life.

“I love it. It’s a fun time to be artistic and creative,” said Desharnais, of Tampa. “I meet a lot of crafty people and mobile artists; it’s very nice.”

For pop culture junkies, the festival incorporates some elements from Game of Thrones, the hit HBO television series.

Desharnais noted several attendees in recent years have dressed up as various characters from the show: “You’ll find a dozen Khaleesis just walking around.”

One of the best moments during the festival’s March 18 offerings came during opening ceremonies, when re-enactors presented a Shakespearean-style purple velvet dress to Marina Khimko, a 14-year-old who lives from a wheelchair because of a rare birth defect.

As the teenager from Brooksville, smiled ear-to-ear, her mother, Rebecca Smith, said described the gesture as being “spectacular.”

The Bay Area Renaissance Festival kicks off its final weekend on March 31 and concludes on April 2. For information, visit BayAreaRenFest.com. The popular seven-weekend long event is at MOSI, 11315 North 46th St., near the University of South Florida.

Published March 29, 2017

Shoe Carnival steps into Land O’ Lakes

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Shoe Carnival will host a grand opening in the Village Lakes Shopping Center on April 1, real estate officials with the shoe company have announced.

That’s no April Fool’s Day joke.

The store is planning a soft opening a few days before, on March 27.

The new shoe shop will be located in a suite next door to Ross Dress for Less.

Shoe Carnival is planning a grand opening in a storefront next to Ross Dress for Less, at the Village Lakes Shopping Center in Land O’ Lakes.
(Kathy Steele)

Construction workers are busy getting the approximately 7,800-square-foot store ready for its debut.

Village Lakes Shopping Center opened in the 1980s.

Former occupants in the center included Walmart and Sweetbay Supermarket, which formerly was Kash n Karry.

Center tenants now include Ross Dress for Less, Marshalls, You Fit Health Club, Dollar Tree and Beef O’ Brady’s.

The national chain shoe store conducts research to determine locations, largely zeroing in on “underserved” markets, said Jeff Fink, vice president of Shoe Carnival’s real estate department.

“We liked the shopping center, and we liked the community,” Fink said.

Other Shoe Carnival stores in the region operate in Tampa, Bradenton, Brandon, Largo, St. Petersburg and Spring Hill.

Published March 29, 2017

Ford’s Garage to open across from Tampa Premium Outlets

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Ford’s Garage, a restaurant that opened its first location in Fort Myers in 2012 and has been in expansion mode since, is bringing its brand of dining to a booming area off State Road 56.

This is a sneak peak of what the new Ford’s Garage, built off of State Road 56, will look like.
(Courtesy of Joe Sale)

The new location is scheduled to open the week of April 3.

Besides the Fort Myers location and the new site in Central Pasco, Ford’s Garage has restaurants in Cape Coral, Estero and Brandon, as well.

“Our entire team has been working hard to prepare for this expansion,” Marc Brown, managing partner, said in a news release.

“We are excited to introduce our innovative and entertaining dining experience to new friends in Wesley Chapel and its surrounding areas,” he added.

Ford’s Garage is a tribute to the legendary Henry Ford. The original Ford’s Garage is in Historic Downtown Fort Myers, just minutes from Henry Ford’s winter estate.

Ford’s Garage combines the look of a 1920s service station with the feel of a modern-day prime burger and craft beer joint, the news release says.

Its menu includes a variety of burgers all served on a Brioche or European pretzel bun. It also serves comfort dishes, such as Chicken Henry and the Pulled Pork Mac N’ Cheese.

A look at what’s on the menu for the new Ford’s Garage location, scheduled to open during the week of April 3 off State Road 56, across from Tampa Premium Outlets.
(Courtesy of Sky Strategic Marketing)

“We pride ourselves in having a relentless drive for quality in our food, drink, atmosphere and customer service,” Brown says.

The new location is at 25526 Sierra Center Blvd., directly across from the Tampa Premium Outlets.

The Ford’s Garage brand is officially licensed by the Ford Motor Company.

Ford’s Garage, operated and managed by 23 Restaurant Services, is planning to add locations in Westchase, Countryside, St. Petersburg and Lakeland, in Florida. It also is planning new locations in Dearborn, Michigan and Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.

For more information, visit FordsGarageUSA.com.

Published March 22, 2017

Land O’ Lakes buses to roll out in May

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Land O’ Lakes residents can soon step aboard buses on a special circular route through the community.

By May 22, Pasco County expects to begin the new route. A tentative ribbon cutting will be on May 18 at a bus stop at the Land O’ Lakes Community Center, at 5401 Land O’ Lakes Blvd.

The first buses would roll a few days later.

A Land O’ Lakes circulator bus route is scheduled to begin by May 22.
(Courtesy of Pasco County)

The announcement came at a March 9 board meeting of the Pasco County Metropolitan Planning Organization in Dade City.

Previously, county officials had hoped to begin the route in March.

“This is going to be another win for Pasco County,” said Kevin Hoyt, the county’s transportation operations manager. “We are all extremely excited.”

The route will move north on U.S. 41 with bus stops that include the Central Pasco Chamber of Commerce, the Land O’ Lakes Community Center, the post office, Land O’ Lakes High School and the detention center.

A loop eastward along State Road 54 will have stops at Collier Commons and the Land O’ Lakes Branch Library.

There also will be a stop at the Target Super Store on North Dale Mabry Highway, where riders can transfer to buses operated by the Hillsborough County Area Regional Transit system, known as HART.

The Land O’ Lakes circulator route is one of three the county put on its 2017 list of capital improvement projects.

Estimated costs for the circulator route were about $300,000 a year for operations, and a one-time purchase of a bus at a cost of about $110,000.

Two other routes along State Road 54 and in the Moon Lake area of New Port Richey already are operating.

Published March 22, 2017

Zephyrhills adding new technician

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To help the city of Zephyrhills address annexations, rezoning and land-use changes, a new technician is being added to the municipal payroll.

A Geographic Information Systems (GIS) technician is being added to help manage the city’s geographical database.

The technician will provide ongoing mapping analysis for the city.

The Zephyrhills City Council unanimously approved the new position on March 13, and the job was advertised on March 14.

For the current budget year, the technician will be regular part-time with no benefits, Steve Spina, the city manager said.

The city of Zephyrhills plans to hire a full-time Geographic Information Systems technician to assist with future mapping and planning analysis for the municipality.
(File)

The job, however, may become full-time “with a salary not to exceed $39, 239.69.”

The position, meanwhile, will be paid out of the city’s General Fund, Utility Fund and Sanitation Fund, due to the variety of work involved.

During the past decade, various city employees have contributed to the creation and management of the city’s GIS database, incorporating GIS shape data files, information and maps.

For instance, the assistant city planner’s job description allocates 10 percent of job duties toward GIS.

The city also has a planning intern, Kevie Defranc, assisting the utilities department with GIS mapping.

Defranc, a student in University of South Florida’s Masters of Urban Planning program, recently discovered several properties annexed into Zephyrhills that were not on the city’s tax roll.

Defranc’s findings reportedly brought in several thousand dollars to the city, including one parcel that uncovered $50,000 in unpaid taxes.

But, as workloads pile up, Spina said the city now requires a single point of contact “educationally trained to handle the duties and responsibilities” of GIS.

Addressing the council, Spina said it took city staff about a year and a half to upgrade all of the city’s maps, and reform rezoning and land use changes, from prior years.

Moreover, he noted, all of the city’s GIS data and maps will need continual updates, as the city grows and develops.

In addition to planning, the technician will assist other departments on special projects, such as categorizing dumpster locations, utility line locations and sidewalks throughout the city.

“The position’s a real asset to the planning department,” Spina said. “There’s just a wealth of things that can be done, in addition to the planning.”

Public works director Shane Leblanc also addressed the council to offer his support for the newly created position.

Leblanc said GIS responsibilities could prove even more critical once the city transitions to an automated garbage collection, where optimized routes for drivers can be identified and developed.

“As technology evolves, GIS is just going to continue to be a more important asset, especially for public works,” Leblanc said.

Published March 22, 2017

Larkin’s legacy goes beyond ‘tough guy’ reputation

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William M. Larkin’s reputation for being a tough character outlasted his lifetime.

Known as “The Meanest Man in Pasco County,” some people still recall that moniker applied to the Dade City man, nearly a half century after his death in 1973.

William M. Larkin is photographed on his land that was later donated to the Pioneer Florida Museum and Village.
(Courtesy of Rabun L. Battle Collection)

Larkin reinforced that image by keeping a single-shot .22 rifle in the gun rack of his truck — a statement that often left a lasting impression with young cowboys.

“Someone once wrote a letter to him, but they didn’t know his address,” said Bobby Tesar, recalling Larkin’s legendary reputation. “So, they addressed the letter to “The Meanest Man in Pasco County”—and he got the letter!”

But, Larkin is known around Pasco County for much more than being considered a man with a difficult disposition.

During his lifetime, he was a cattleman and lawyer, a member of the Pasco County School Board and the chairman of the Southwest Florida Water Management District.

He established the first Santa Gertrudis herd in Florida in the early 1940s.

“He gave the first bull “Rex” water and hay while penned in his side yard on Church Avenue,” said Ray Battle, who is Larkin’s cousin.

Larkin transported Rex from Texas, in a trailer he pulled with his own car.

Larkin’s neighbors soon would learn all about Rex and about Pancho, a 6-foot tall sire brought to Dade City from the world-famous King Ranch in south Texas. That ranch, founded in 1853, now stretches into six Texas counties, encompassing 825,000 acres.

U.S. 98 split the Larkin Ranch after its construction in the early 1950s, but it still has two cattle underpasses, similar to the one pictured here. William M. Larkin came up with the idea, to herd his cattle from Polk County to Pasco County.
(Courtesy of Doug Sanders)

The Larkins made frequent trips to King Ranch, to expand their cattle herd in Pasco County.

In 1940, the United States Department of Agriculture recognized what Larkin already knew: Santa Gertrudis was a distinctive beef breed, adaptable to most climates.

“A Santa Gertrudis female can remain in production well past her 12th birthday and may stay in the breeding herd as long as 18 years,” reports the current Santa Gertrudis Breeders International website.

Gaining additional calves over other cattlemen in Pasco County was perhaps a key reason that Larkin began searching for more land.

Another primary reason was the success of his law practice that he operated along with his brother, E. B. Larkin.

This painting of ‘Pancho,’ the Larkin’s most prolific Santa Gertrudis bull, hung for many years at the Crest Restaurant in downtown Dade City.
(Courtesy of Doug Sanders)

Larkin’s law practice enabled him to begin extensive land buying, including acreage along the Withlacoochee and Hillsborough rivers, Battle said.

“He also had his eye on some rich land north of Dade City, which he got from 41 different property owners,” Battle added.

With hundreds of acres along County Road 35-A (Old Lakeland Highway) and the Atlantic Coastline Railroad, Larkin would complain that the exit to his ranch was blocked whenever the train was parked there for long periods of time.

At breakfast one morning at the Crest Restaurant, Larkin told Charles Edwards that the train had pulled away that day with nearly half of the cars left behind.

“He said that he disconnected them!” Edwards recalled.

“I asked him about it a few months later, and he said they hadn’t parked there again,” Edwards added.

Larkin used the railroad to his advantage when unloading large bulldozers at the depot to help begin constructing levees on that rich land north of Dade City.

Draining the swampy marshes with high hammocks into improved pasture “required a dragline and expensive labor,” Battle explained.

Purchased in 1924, the Larkin home on Church Avenue was originally built as a three-room cottage in 1884. It was part of a 10-acre spread that was later platted as one of the first subdivisions in Dade City.
(Courtesy of Doug Sanders)

Larkin also brought seven pumps with 28-inch propellers from South Florida to discharge water into what became the Duck Lake Canal.

The canal remains a major drainage system, along with the Larkin Canal, for the greater Dade City area and that rich land still known as “The Little Everglades Ranch.”

Larkin was responsible for drafting the fence law for the Florida Legislature, and because of its 1949 passage, Florida remains a ”closed range” state — making cattle drives through the state’s towns and cities a thing of the past.

To abide by the ruling and to keep cattle on his own land, Larkin fenced 15,000 acres, stretching from north Dade City to south of the Polk County line.

So in addition to his reputation for being difficult, Larkin was known for quite a few accomplishments.

Plus, not everyone believed he was mean.

Kitty Register Fisher recalls the time when her father was in the hospital and her mother had just lost a baby.

“We were getting really low on food, and Mr.  Larkin showed up with food to help us.

“To my family he was a good man,” Fisher said.

Could it be — that beneath that tough exterior — William M. Larkin, of Dade City, was actually a nice guy?

Doug Sanders has a penchant for unearthing interesting stories about local history. His sleuthing skills have been developed through his experiences in newspaper and government work. If you have an idea for a future history column, contact Doug at .

Published March 22, 2017

Former police station to become temporary city hall

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As construction on the new City Hall complex ramps up, Zephyrhills city staff will shuffle operations to a familiar building.

Beginning this summer, most city departments will relocate temporarily into the former Zephyrhills police station, at 5344 Ninth St.

Construction on a new $6.2 million City Hall complex is slated to begin this summer. The plan calls for a two-story building of 19,615 square feet, situated between the city’s public library and fire department on Eighth Street.
(File)

City council members approved a 12-month lease agreement between the city and Dannie Jordan, of RTD Construction. It calls for the city to pay $4,000 per month for use of the 5,200-square-foot building, from June 1 to May 1.

The city also has an exclusive option to extend the contract month-to-month for up to six months.

Council members took the action on March 13, during a regularly scheduled meeting.

Once the staff has moved, the existing City Hall, at 5335 Eighth St, will be demolished to make way for construction of a new $6.2 million complex.

The plan, which was approved in January, calls for a two-story building of 19,615 square feet, situated between the city’s public library and fire department on Eighth Street.

With a modern stone and brick exterior, the new City Hall follows an architectural template similar to the Zephyrhills Public Library.

Compared to the current City Hall, the complex’s interior will be equipped with more open workspaces and multifunctional meeting rooms.

Meanwhile, the former police station will accommodate most city departments, as construction is ongoing.

However, two departments — Planning and Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) — will set up shop in the Jeffries House, at 38537 Fifth Ave.

As construction begins on a new City Hall complex, government employees will relocate temporarily into the former Zephyrhills police station, at 5344 Ninth St. The city signed a 12-month lease to use the 5,200-square-foot building between June 17 and May 1.
(Courtesy of City of Zephyrhills)

City Manager Steve Spina said the old police station is move-in ready, and has lines already pre-wired for city-owned computers and phones.

“The building will be a perfect fit for us in terms of a relocation site during the construction of the new city hall,” Spina said.

Only a few minor changes are needed, such as widening a window for customers to access the City Clerk’s office, Spina said.

Besides ample workspace, the old police quarters should result in some cost savings for the city, which originally budgeted $120,000 for a relocation site.

In other related action, the city council approved the purchase of the Disabled American Veterans (DAV) chapter building, at 5325 Eighth St.

The agreement calls for the city to pay the chapter $55,000 net, plus minimal closing costs.

The .16-acre property, appraised at $71,200, sits on two lots measuring 50 feet-by-140 feet.

In November, the council authorized obtaining an appraisal to determine the value of the property after DAV Chapter 65 announced it was shutting operations.

The now-vacant property — adjacent to the current City Hall along Sixth Avenue — includes a 924-square-foot main building, a 450-square-foot aluminum storage building and a 335-square-foot concrete block building.

The main DAV building was slated to provide temporary office space for the city’s Building Department, but an inspection unveiled various facility issues, including roof leakages.
The building instead will be torn down to make way for additional parking and sidewalks along Sixth Avenue.

The property, moreover, encompasses the city’s vision of a courtyard plaza and walkway, linking the new City Hall and the city’s public library, and fire department on Eighth Street.

“We’re buying it for the big picture,” Spina said last month. “Part of the appeal of the area is it would be a government complex.”

Published March 22, 2017

Bay Hope Church plans big expansion

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When Van Dyke Church began in 1985, it met in the cafeteria at Claywell Elementary School in Northdale, and the church was named for its planned future location, on Van Dyke Road in Lutz.

It never did build on Van Dyke Road, though, because the land was taken through eminent domain for the Veterans Expressway project, said Matthew Hartsfield, the church’s pastor.

Instead, the church was established at 17030 Lakeshore Road, where it remains today.

So, in a sense, it never was accurately named.

When the church felt a calling to expand its role, it also decided to change its name to Bay Hope to reflect its new vision and mission.

Matthew Hartsfield is pastor of Bay Hope Church, at 17030 Lakeshore Road in Lutz. The church is planning a $6 million project to enhance its children and student ministries, and is planning to create satellite campuses around Tampa Bay.
(B.C. Manion)

Bay Hope wants to be involved in reaching out to people throughout the Tampa Bay area, to offer them a church home, Hartsfield said.

But, it isn’t trying to attract all of those new disciples to its Lutz location.

It doesn’t feel called to create a mega-church in Lutz, or on another campus. Hartsfield said.

Instead, he said, “We felt God impress upon our hearts that we needed to multiply well beyond this campus.”

So, Bay Hope wants to help to revive churches that are faltering, to reopen those that have closed and to plant new ones in areas experiencing population growth, Hartsfield said.

The goal is to “mobilize 30,000 disciples of Jesus Christ in Tampa Bay, by the year 2030, for the transformation of the world,” Hartsfield said.

First though, Bay Hope wants to maximize the use of its current property in Lutz.

It expects to have a groundbreaking this summer for a $6 million project.

“We’ve been working with our architect to renovate the campus to primarily create whole new, innovative spaces for children’s and student ministries,” he said.

The spaces will be bright and airy, he said.

“The goal is to make the campus a lot more functional for families with children and teenagers,” Hartsfield said. The project also includes additional children and nursery space, as well, and a larger, relocated coffee house.

“It’s basically a campus refresh,” Hartsfield said.

While making those improvements, Bay Hope is also making plans to extend its reach into other communities.

“We felt God calling us to multiply campuses of Bay Hope Church, across Tampa Bay, to reach every neighborhood with a vital, local congregation of Bay Hope Church,” Hartsfield said.

There are two primary ways that will happen, he said.

One approach calls for reviving faltering churches or reopening churches that have closed.

There are churches across the Tampa Bay area that have a great legacy, “but just due to some natural church lifecycles, they no longer have the resources, they no longer have the people, so they’re either in decline, or they’ve already closed,” he said.

“A good number of them will already be United Methodist Churches, so we’re working with the Florida Conference on their strategy to reach every neighborhood. We’ll partner with the Florida Conference of the United Methodist Church to re-birth these legacy churches,” Hartsfield said.

The other approach calls for setting up new Bay Hope campuses in storefronts, schools, movie theaters or other locations, to provide a church home for people in growing communities.

“Some of these might be smaller, more targeted campuses in a small neighborhood. Some of them might be larger and more regionally connecting,” Hartsfield said.

“We want to be very open to the wind of the spirit, in terms of every geographic location in Tampa Bay, from urban to suburban to rural and to ethnically diverse campuses,” he added.

Bay Hope defines Tampa Bay as being Hillsborough, Pinellas and Pasco counties. Those counties are projected to have a total population of 3 million by 2030, and the goal is engage at least 1 percent of that number, or 30,000, as disciples of Christ, within that time frame, Hartsfield said.

In one sense, Bay Hope’s quest is in keeping with how the United Methodist Church took root.

“Our Wesleyan Methodist heritage is a basically multi-site heritage, from back in the circuit-riding days of John Wesley,” Hartsfield said.

Bay Hope’s initiative comes at a time when national reports reveal a continuing slide in membership rates among traditional congregational churches.

Hartsfield is not dissuaded.

“We don’t have a single discouraged or pessimistic bone in our body about connecting people to Jesus. We are wildly optimistic about bringing the hope of Jesus to Tampa Bay,” Hartsfield said.

Published March 22, 2017