Local News

Wesley Chapel Boulevard to be six lanes

August 24, 2016 By Kathy Steele

Pasco County now is on a path to widen County Road 54 — also known as Wesley Chapel Boulevard — to a six-lane divided road.

The move comes nearly 15 years after the county proposed widening the road from two lanes to four lanes.

The project also will include a multi-use trail on one side and a sidewalk on the other side.

No construction start date is announced, but the road’s design is about 90 percent complete.

Sierra Properties, the developers for Cypress Creek Town Center, are building an entrance into the mall off County Road 54, also known as Wesley Chapel Boulevard. (Kathy Steele/Staff Photo) — Sierra Properties, the developers for Cypress Creek Town Center, are building an entrance into the mall off County Road 54, also known as Wesley Chapel Boulevard.
(Kathy Steele/Staff Photo)

The Pasco County Commission approved a road re-evaluation study on Aug. 9, which is the next step in what has been a drawn out process.

A 2003 study that looked at future traffic needs anticipated widening the road to four lanes. At the time, data showed that by 2025 slightly more than 20,000 vehicles a day would travel the corridor.

More recent data estimates that the average daily vehicles by 2040 will exceed 52,000.

“(The original study) didn’t capture all of the growth going on in this dynamic part of the county,” said Mike Campo, of Kisinger Campo & Associates. The Tampa-based engineering firm was hired in 2008 to provide design services for the road project.

The extra traffic lanes take into account the explosive growth at an intersection where State Road 54, State Road 56 and County Road 54 meet up. The intersection is just west of the Interstate 75 interchange.

All-around growth is evident at Tampa Premium Outlets, the soon-to-open Florida Hospital Center Ice sports complex and Holiday Inn Express, and the soon-to-rise Cypress Creek Town Center.

A newly announced project, Brightworks Crossing, could add a maximum of 350 apartments, offices, self-storage and a 150-room hotel on vacant land across from a planned entrance into Cypress Creek Town Center.

The mall’s developers currently are building the entrance as part of the initial roadwork to improve County Road 54.

As part of the study, residents weighed in with their opinions at a workshop held in January at Veterans Elementary School. They expressed frustrations with a road that no longer can handle the volume of motorists moving north and south along County Road 54.

Getting in and out of subdivisions, such as Stagecoach and Grand Oaks, means long waits and safety risks, they said.

“We are tired of playing Russian Roulette every time we leave or enter the subdivision (Grand Oaks),” wrote Robert Potts in a written comment from the workshop.

Beyond the mall entrance, the county plans to widen the corridor to six lanes to just north of Magnolia Boulevard. There will be 4-foot bicycle lanes, a median, 5-foot sidewalks on the eastern side, and an 8-foot multi-use trail on the western side.

No additional right of way will be purchased.

The widening will take advantage of rights of way donated to the county from Stagecoach and Grand Oaks subdivisions. Three traffic signals are planned at Stagecoach, at Grand Oaks near Veterans Elementary School, and at Cypress Creek Town Center.

Pasco County Commissioner Mike Moore pressed for a traffic signal at Compark 75, an industrial park off Wesley Chapel Boulevard. Campo and Pasco County engineer Chris Wert said all intersections would be reviewed.

However, because Compark is less than a half-mile from the Grand Oaks signal, it isn’t certain the industrial park could meet distance requirements.

Compark currently is expanding its facilities, and Moore said nearby vacant land could be developed in the future.

“We’re talking basically about an employment center there,” Moore said. “People are going in and out of there on a daily basis.”

Published August 24, 2016

Zephyrhills names new fire chief

August 24, 2016 By Kevin Weiss

The Zephyrhills City Council appointed a new fire chief during a special meeting on Aug. 16.

It was the fourth new fire chief within four years.

Brian Swartout has more than 32 years of fire service experience, and most recently served as Division Fire Chief for the Seminole Tribe Fire/Rescue in Broward County.

As division fire chief with the Seminole Tribe, Swartout supervised a staff of 104. He was also responsible for fleet management, capital projects, new purchases, and rehabilitation of apparatus and equipment maintenance.

New Fire Chief Brian Swartout addresses the Zephyrhills City Council on Aug. 16. He is the city’s fourth fire chief over a four-year period. (Kevin Weiss/Staff Photos) — New Fire Chief Brian Swartout addresses the Zephyrhills City Council on Aug. 16. He is the city’s fourth fire chief over a four-year period.
(Kevin Weiss/Staff Photo)

Swartout previously worked for the Lee County Port Authority, City of Deland Fire/Rescue, Flagler County Fire/Rescue, St. Johns County Fire/Rescue, City of Fort Lauderdale Fire Rescue and Broward County Crash Fire Rescue.

City Manager Steve Spina said Swartout “definitely stood out” among the three candidates that were interviewed for the post.

With continual turnover at the fire department’s leadership position, city council members indicated they’d like to see a “multiple year” commitment from the new fire chief.

In May, Daniel Spillman resigned from the position after being appointed in Oct. 2014; he replaced Verne Riggall, who also resigned after being under fire for how he had managed the agency from 2012-2014.

In a 2014 memo to the council, Spina addressed budding concerns about the direction of the department under Riggall’s leadership, saying there was a “clear lack of coordination and communication in Zephyrhills Fire Rescue” and “a clear sense of dysfunction and morale issues” that were affecting day-to-day operations.

Swartout, who said he was unaware of the past issues within the department, now oversees the 23-member fire rescue crew that responds to approximately 3,000 calls annually.

The new chief said the first few days on the job have been “a whirlwind” as he becomes familiar with the staff, the city, and other municipal departments.

Swartout said his initial duty is to build relationships with his staff before making any major department-wide decisions.

Zephyrhills Fire Rescue consists of a 23-member crew that responds to approximately 3,000 calls annually. (File Photo) — Zephyrhills Fire Rescue consists of a 23-member crew that responds to approximately 3,000 calls annually.
(File Photo)

“I’m more of the opinion that it’s important for me to sit back and observe, and listen…so I have a better idea of which way I need to go,” Swartout said. “I don’t believe in coming in anywhere and making (immediate) changes — I want to see what’s going on before I address anything.”

He added: “In my mind, I’m here to be supportive with what the guys do, and the message I’m telling them is that, ‘As the new fire chief, I’m here to support you and get you what you need.’”

With discussions already underway for the city’s 2016-2017 budget, Swartout said he likely won’t add much input into the fire department’s general fund, which reached $2.4 million in 2015-2016.

“I think I may be too late to have much of an impact into the next fiscal cycle, but what it does do for me is it does give me an ability to see what the needs are throughout the year and hopefully come back with some ideas or some solutions to issues,” the new fire chief said. “It actually works in my favor — I look at it as a blessing where I have time to learn and then move forward.”

During a council meeting in May, the city manager presented council members with several possible scenarios to consolidate fire services, and reduce operating and equipment costs. However, the council opted to keep the department and its two fire stations intact.

At the time, Spina noted there’s duplication in services with the city and Pasco County Fire Rescue, since the county also responds to all medical and fire calls.

Published August 24, 2016

Setting the stage for community gatherings

August 24, 2016 By B.C. Manion

Someday when the crowds gather to enjoy a school recital, or attend a concert, or watch a play — the stage at Land O’ Lakes Community Park will just be a fixture, a venue for events.

But last week, the yet-to-be built stage was the star of the show.

Elected leaders, government workers, business partners and community activists join together to toss dirt signifying the groundbreaking for a stage to be built at the Land O’ Lakes Community Park. (B.C. Manion/Staff Photos) — Elected leaders, government workers, business partners and community activists join together to toss dirt signifying the groundbreaking for a stage to be built at the Land O’ Lakes Community Park.
(B.C. Manion/Staff Photos)

That’s when local politicians, community activists and interested residents gathered to celebrate the groundbreaking for the stage, which will be built on a grassy area west of the park’s fenced-in ball field.

The ceremony signaled the end of a quest for a stage that began decades ago.

The construction of the stage follows a $2.3 million project to breathe new life and expand amenities at Land O’ Lakes Community Park, 5401 Land O’ Lakes Blvd.

Construction of the stage is expected to begin in October and to be completed by January.

The idea for a stage was nothing new, but funding for it was elusive.

Everything finally came together, in what Pasco County Commissioner Mike Moore described as a “public, public, public, private, private, private, private, private, private partnership.”

By all accounts, it took a $250,000 grant from the state, the cooperation of local governments, the generosity of local partnerships and the involvement of community activists to make the vision a reality.

And, of course, there was Sandy Graves.

“I can tell you that this doesn’t exist but for Sandy Graves,” said Richard Corcoran, Speaker-designate of the Florida House of Representatives.

Corcoran helped secure the grant from the state’s Division of Cultural Affairs for the stage, but he credited Graves’ passion for making it happen.

“Sandy — she just dogged it, day in and day out,” Corcoran said. “The perseverance is something I’ve never seen.”

Sandy Graves, a native of Land O’ Lakes, has been pushing for years to get a stage built at Land O’ Lakes Community Park. She envisions all sorts of gatherings to draw the community together. Construction is set to start in October.

Corcoran said Graves told him: “I want to bring to my community something that’s great, something that’s beautiful, and where children can learn about arts and culture, and have this great asset to the community,” he said.

“I’m pretty conservative — but if there’s ever a project that belongs in a budget, it’s when it’s an individual who is fighting for something beautiful for her community. She doesn’t have a lobbyist. She doesn’t have power. She doesn’t have any of that stuff, but a heart, and a passion and a vision,” Corcoran said.

Graves, who declares herself a proud “Laker,” said anyone who has ever met her knows within a couple of minutes that she’s a native of Land O’ Lakes.

It’s a place that’s known for its community spirit, she said, pointing to the Land O’ Lakes Community Park as a prime example.

“It was built in the 1960s, after fish fries and donations, from loads of Lakers,” she said.

“This was before the county had a parks and recreation department, and before red tape was invented.

“So, in keeping with that tradition, Heritage Park (Foundation) was created,” she said.

The foundation has aimed to keep the park alive and has dreamed of adding a stage that could serve as a focal point for community events.

“Heritage Park Foundation has a motto: Building a better community by building a better community center,” she said.

The construction of the stage is the result of many, many people who have come together to help make it happen, Graves said. She named off dozens of people and organizations that have been involved through the years. She also remembered those who help carry the torch, but have since passed on.

“I want to thank the members of our organization (Heritage Park Foundation) that are not here today,” she said. “We hope they’re smiling down on us and saying, ‘Job well done.’”

Ray Gadd, deputy superintendent for Pasco County Schools, also took to the podium to thank the business partners who are either providing their services for free, or at cost, in order to bring the project in within budget.

The result will make a difference, said school board chairwoman Joanne Hurley, who recalled selling turkey legs at the Flapjack Festival years ago, to help raise money for a stage.

Hurley praised the partnerships that came together to make the vision a reality. She expects generations of people to enjoy events at the park.

The stage will be used for plays, recitals, concerts, pageants and other presentations, Moore said.

“This stage is actually going to be a cornerstone of future cultural events here in Land O’ Lakes,” Moore said.

Recognitions galore!
The list of people, companies and organizations that had a hand in bringing the stage project to life at the Land O’ Lakes Community Park is long.

These are the people and organizations that got a mention during speakers’ remarks at the stage’s groundbreaking on Aug. 16:

Members of the Heritage Park Foundation, especially Kurt Conover, Tim Hayes, Lee Cannon, John Mitchell and Joanne Hurley, and newer members Terri Dusek, Helen Rodriguez and Stefanie Bracciale. Also, members of the foundation who have passed way.
Longtime supporters: The Central Pasco Chamber of Commerce, the GFWC Lutz Land O’ Lakes Woman’s Club, the past Land O’ Lakes Rotary, Lonnie and Bobby Piper, Susan MacManus, Hungry Harry’s, Keystone Community Church and the Candlewood Community Church
School bands and choirs that performed in the park, with the hopes that one day there would be a stage to showcase their talent.
Pasco County Schools
Pasco County
Pasco County Parks and Recreation
Humberto Gonzalez, Rick Buckman, Brian Taylor, Mike Walcott and A.J. Fernandez
Richard Corcoran, speaker-designate for the Florida House of Representatives
Sandy Graves
Ray Gadd, deputy superintendent of Pasco County Schools
Peter Gottschalk, architect
Coastal Design Consultants, Paul Manuel
Walbridge, Richard Marshall, Tim Sewell, Mary Layton
DC Johnson & Associates Inc., Dan Johnson and Andy Getz
Copperstone Executive Suites, Mary Lynn and Gary Gorsline
Ervin Bishop Construction Inc., Sonny Bishop
Schaer Development of Central Florida, Skip Schaer
RIPA and Associates, Frank Ripa
Quality Roofing Inc., Rick Jenkins
JN Electric of Tampa Bay, John Narcisi
Door and Hardware Openings Inc., Mike Gonzalez
Accurate Signs on Time, Amy Daigrepont-Calkowski

Published August 24, 2016

Looking for tools to help patients help themselves

August 24, 2016 By B.C. Manion

When it comes to treating patients with behavioral health issues, including Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, Dr. Laura Bajor is always on the lookout for new tools that could help.

She sees the potential of emerging technology.

But Bajor, who is medical director for the CORE program at North Tampa Behavioral Health, 29910 State Road 56 in Wesley Chapel, isn’t into technology for technology’s sake.

Organizations that engage in that approach, she said, “tend to create a ‘flavor of the month’ atmosphere.’”

Dr. Laura Bajor, medical director of the CORE program at North Tampa Behavioral Health, is always looking for new tools to help her patients help themselves. (B.C. Manion/Staff Photo) — Dr. Laura Bajor, medical director of the CORE program at North Tampa Behavioral Health, is always looking for new tools to help her patients help themselves.
(B.C. Manion/Staff Photo)

Ultimately, that’s counterproductive, Bajor said, because “that actually ends up alienating folks from trying new things, because they’ve lost faith in the actual benefit of new technology.”

Instead, Bajor believes that “technology and research are most useful when they improve a patient’s investment in their own health, and their quality of life.”

She’s constantly on the lookout for new tools, or collaborations, to help her find the best ways to help the patients she’s treating.

“In my opinion, one of the absolute worst conversations to have with a patient is to have to sit across a desk from them and say ‘We’ve run out of treatment options for you, and we’re not working on anything new. Good luck.’

“The real aim of health care is not that they remain our patients, it’s that they function well on their own without us. So, we can move them toward that,” Bajor said.

Along those lines, “we’re using technology to assess sleep, activity level, change in heart rate throughout the course of the day, and a few other parameters,” she said.

This permits a more focused approach to prescribing medication and planning treatment, she said.

The idea is to be able to show patients evidence regarding their progress or lack of it, which helps save time and reduces frustration, she said.

Technology also is used to help patients learn how to control their own stress and anxiety levels, which helps them regain a sense of control and self-confidence, she said.

Bajor said she began using emerging technology about four years ago, with a series of small innovation grants in a clinic at the VA in Boston.

She was able to pilot the use of different kinds of fitness, sleep, and stress trackers with her staff and patients. That eventually spread into a partnership with the Basis division of Intel, who worked to equip patients from about 15 different clinics and programs with their gear.

She believes part of the reason she was recruited to become the medical director of the CORE program at North Tampa Behavioral was because of those experiences and skills.

Sleep plays a significant role in a patient’s health, Bajor said.

“The first paper I ever published was about tracking sleep first rather than hitting people with very high-caliber meds,” Bajor said.

This monitor tracks activity levels and can help determine if a patient is having problems with sleep. The quality of one’s sleep can have significant impacts on health, according to Dr. Laura Bajor, medical director of the CORE program at North Tampa Behavioral Health in Wesley Chapel.

When someone comes into the clinic and sleep is part of their problem, they are put on a tracking system for a couple of days before any medication is prescribed, she said.

“Is the problem that they’re not going to bed until 3 in the morning? Is the problem that they can’t fall asleep? Or, is it that they’re waking up 10 times?

“We would actually use different treatment approaches, depending on which or all of those problems they have,” she said.

“A person, once they’ve been sleeping, you can probably use much less medicine,” she said. That helps to avoid prescribing medication that can affect their functioning during the day, and reduces potential for side effects.

“All of these things have side effects,” she added.

While in Boston, Bajor said she worked with top-notch researchers and clinicians from the Harvard and Boston University systems, she said.

“I worked mainly in Ann Rasmusson’s lab at the National Center for PTSD, where there is a major focus on using exercise, cognitive therapy, and other novel approaches to calm down the neuroendocrine system, get folks’ frontal lobes back on line, and in doing all that, help PTSD patients get back in control of their anxiety,” she said.

“Ann and her crew have continued to be generous in providing advice about how to translate these ideas into our CORE program,” she said, where exercise, yoga, diet and other approaches are being used to treat veterans.

“There’s an emerging parameter called heart rate variability,” Bajor said. “It’s kind of the newest thing in physiologic tracking. It’s the rate at which a heart rate changes.

“We’re watching that with guys who are doing PTSD therapy,” she said.

“We can tell: Should we back off a little, or should we try harder?

“There’s actually NFL coaches and Olympic coaches that are using the same HRV (heart rate variability). They’ll say, ‘Well this guy should take a day off from weightlifting.’ Or, ‘We should push this guy harder, he’s not going hard enough.’’’

“We can kind of do the same thing,” she said.

Bajor also noted she’s received help from a number of other experts in the areas of research methods, dissemination of innovation and day-to-day management of new ideas in a clinical setting.

“The trajectory of my medical career has been a little unorthodox,” Bajor said.

She went from being a student at the Naval Academy, to becoming a search and rescue pilot, to being a Department of Defense engineer. She left that job to attend medical school.

In addition to her current work, she also belongs to “Tampa Hackerspace,” a group she describes as an eclectic group of brilliant folks who have pooled their resources into a space where members have access to things like 3-D printers, laser cutters, full metal and wood shops, and the expertise of leaders in their various fields.

She just joined the group in the summer and already has ideas that will be used in her clinic, she said.

“Making those connections and sharing knowledge. There’s no way to measure that. It’s just invaluable,” said Bajor.

She welcomes opportunities for collaborations that will lead to better care for patients.

Published August 24, 2016

New venue being built for Zephyrhills events

August 24, 2016 By Kevin Weiss

The popular Pigz in Z’Hills BBQ & Blues Festival, along with several nonprofit organizations, will finally have a permanent event venue at the Zephyrhills Municipal Airport.

A groundbreaking ceremony on Aug. 15 marked the beginning of construction for a 14-acre community venue site, at 5040 Airport Road.

Once complete, the site will include a 20-by-40 stage and 50 vendor spaces equipped with water and electricity, along with additional space for free-standing vendors, business expos and children’s activities.

Several Zephyrhills community leaders were on hand for the Aug. 15 groundbreaking ceremony for the new community event venue at the Zephyrhills Municipal Airport. From left: Tim Linville, president of The Greater Zephyrhills Chamber of Commerce; Danny Burgess, state representative; Randy Surber, CEO of Florida Hospital Zephyrhills; Melonie Monson, executive director of the Zephyrhills chamber; Steve Spina, city manager for the City of Zephyrhills; and, Gene Whitfield, mayor of Zephyrhills. (Kevin Weiss/Staff Photos) — Several Zephyrhills community leaders were on hand for the Aug. 15 groundbreaking ceremony for the new community event venue at the Zephyrhills Municipal Airport. From left: Tim Linville, president of The Greater Zephyrhills Chamber of Commerce; Danny Burgess, state representative; Randy Surber, CEO of Florida Hospital Zephyrhills; Melonie Monson, executive director of the Zephyrhills chamber; Steve Spina, city manager for the City of Zephyrhills; and, Gene Whitfield, mayor of Zephyrhills.
(Kevin Weiss/Staff Photo)

The venue is situated north of the Zephyrhills’ City Yard, stretching to Airport Road and backing up the southern boundary of the Lincoln Heights subdivision.

Its location will be able to accommodate up to 15,000 guests at a time, and will provide easy access and parking along South Avenue.

The $60,000 venue, owned and operated by the city of Zephyrhills, is expected to be complete in time for the seventh annual Pigz in Z’Hills BBQ and Blues Festival set for Jan. 21.

Nearly a year ago, The Greater Zephyrhills Chamber of Commerce proposed the concept for a local festival grounds after the organization determined a larger site was needed to house Pigz in Z’Hills.

The tract of land the chamber had been using for the festival was about 2.5 acres.

“We kind of got to a point where we grew so much, that it was really impossible to every year set up a whole venue,” Melonie Monson, chamber director, said at the groundbreaking ceremony. “This is going to make it (possible) to grow where we want to grow…and it won’t take all week of putting stuff together.”

Officials say the permanent venue will help the annual shindig run smoother, creating a better layout for musicians, vendors and attendees.

Moreover, the permanent site will help cut down on variable expenses, including the annual costs to rent a stage and generators, which officials say can total nearly $10,000.

“The only way for this event to go forward was to find a permanent venue,” Monson said.

The annual Pigz in Z’Hills BBQ & Blues Festival typically draws around 9,000 people. Ground was broken last week on a new permanent venue that will be able to accommodate up to 15,000 guests at a time, and will provide easy access and parking along South Avenue. (File Photo) — The annual Pigz in Z’Hills BBQ & Blues Festival typically draws around 9,000 people. Ground was broken last week on a new permanent venue that will be able to accommodate up to 15,000 guests at a time, and will provide easy access and parking along South Avenue.
(File Photo)

Chamber officials say Pigz in Z’Hills has created an economic impact of more than $1.3 million for Zephyrhills. Out of the 30,000 total attendees the past six years, more than half have come from outside the region and state.

“Somewhere in the last few years, Pigz in Z’Hills stopped just belonging to the chamber and now belongs to the community,” Monson said. “With that, this new building will reaffirm the strength of the partnership that we have with the city and community.”

In addition to the chamber, several organizations have expressed interest in using the event site, including the Rotary Club of Zephyrhills, Thomas Promise Foundation, Ride for Hospice and Paulie Palooza.

Once in operation, nonprofit organizations wanting to use the venue will pay a fee to cover the cost of site maintenance and staffing, which will be performed by the city.

“This is truly a community effort,” said Bob Winters, of the Rotary Club of Zephyrhills. “It’s an outstanding opportunity for the nonprofits of Zephyrhills to make a showing, and kick money back into the community.”

Zephyrhills Mayor Gene Whitfield said the venue will be used “for generations to come.

“We’re going to enjoy this venue today and the days ahead, but it’s something for our children and grandchildren,” Whitfield said. “We’re always about trying to do things for our community and our citizens, always with an eye on the future.”

Events are expected to be limited to daytime festivals in order to prevent stage noise in the residential area behind the venue, although the stage will be designed to direct music towards the airport.

The new venue also paves the way for the return of the Celtic Festival and Highland Games to Zephyrhills; the festival’s immense popularity forced it to vacate its venue at Zephyr Park in 2011.

Published August 24, 2016

Twin goals: Safe roads and increased tourism

August 24, 2016 By Kathy Steele

San Antonio is a destination for many bicycle enthusiasts who want scenic vistas and the rolling hills they can find in rural northeast Pasco County.

On weekends, bicyclists en masse pedal their way across the landscape. For four years in a row, San Antonio has hosted Gran Fondo Florida, one of eight events nationwide in the Gran Fondo National Championship series.

County officials are taking notice of cycling’s growing popularity, and the potential for San Antonio as a tourist hub surrounded by a trail system and destinations that promote the arts, entertainment, food and nature’s beauty.

The scenic landscape in and around San Antonio is popular with bicyclists. The area served as a backdrop in March for Gran Fondo Florida. (File Photo) — The scenic landscape in and around San Antonio is popular with bicyclists. The area served as a backdrop in March for Gran Fondo Florida.
(File Photo)

But, if the foundation is there, a lot of work is still to be done to build a unified vision for everyone who shares the roads – bicyclists, residents and motorists.

The obstacle that most often pops up is where to find the money to make things happen.

Pasco County Chairwoman Kathryn Starkey hopes she has started the dialogue. She told 30 or so people who attended an Aug. 11 public meeting in Dade City that money shouldn’t be the focus – at least, for now.

“We’ll never get there if we don’t plan,” she said. “What I’m hoping is we start having a vision and a plan. Then, we’ll get the money. This is just a first step.”

Topics at the meeting ranged from the practical – who to notify about potholes – to the visionary – how to craft a grand plan to promote tourism and safe roads for everyone.

Pasco County’s Metropolitan Planning Organization has a consulting firm – AECOM – that soon will conduct a fact-gathering study to identify potential projects.

Input from the meeting on popular routes and trails, as well as safety concerns, will aid the county in defining the “scope of work” needed from AECOM. Consultants also will scout out funding sources, and recommend how to start the process, said James Edwards, transportation planning manager for Pasco MPO.

While some recommendations would focus on long-range plans, Edwards said, “We want to look at the low-hanging fruit. What can we do in the short term?”

The narrowness of many of the rural two-lane roads is a major safety issue. They barely allow two vehicles to pass, and bicyclists have no sidewalks or shoulders to get out of the way of motorists.

Janet Geiger isn’t a bicyclist. But, she said, “I drive (agricultural) trailers where the wheels are outside the lanes. The right of way is there, but the pavement isn’t.”

Josh Thornton, a former professional cyclist, leads community bicycle rides on Saturdays. Of more than 60 miles of roads within the area, he said, “Less than five miles have any shoulders.”

Currently, the county has no plans to widen any roads in the area. But Starkey said, “At the end of the day, we’ve got to figure out how to put shoulders on these roads.”

Tampa resident Steve Brown, who also organizes Saturday rides in San Antonio, said road conditions in some areas have been poor for years. “We know where those spots are,” he said. “We need to know who to call.”

County officials said potholes or other road issues should be reported with the county’s mobile phone application, MyPasco.

Finding ways to improve the roads and accommodate the growing cycling crowd that seeks out northeast Pasco is driving the county’s future tourism plans.

Surrounding counties also are looking for “green dollars” from trails and tourism.

“It’s one of the most asked for things at tourism centers,” said Steve Diez, a transportation planner for Hernando County and chairman of the Good Neighbor Trail Committee. “When they get done with Disney, they want to ride their bikes. They want to see the countryside on two wheels.”

Florida is working on a Coast to Coast trail that will link the state’s east and west coasts. A portion of the trail will go through Pasco and county officials are lobbying for a special loop trail that would come south to Dade City and San Antonio.

Another future trail could follow the former Orange Line railroad tracks, near Land O’ Lakes.

Pasco’s Tourism Manager Ed Caum said the county plans to spend about $1.2 million promoting and marketing the county’s trails and trail-related activities. Another $250,000 will pay for cycling-friendly visitor centers, which will bring together the public and private sectors.

There is potential to transform the former Dade City police station into a bicycle tune-up site that also could offer cyclists craft beers, sandwiches and an opportunity to explore the restaurants and shops in downtown Dade City.

Pasco can look to Pinellas County and the Pinellas Friendship Trail as an example of the economic benefits of trails, said Richard Gehring, Pasco’s strategic policy administrator.

It is a major component in marketing campaigns for homebuilders and area businesses, he said. “People like to advertise how close they are to the trail,” Gehring said. “Everyone is building them into their amenities packages…and seeing that as a really marketable element.”

Not everyone is ready to embrace an influx of more bicyclists, however.

Tensions bubbled up at the meeting revealing a divide that often exists between cyclists and motorists who don’t always agree on who has the right of way.

One area resident said bicycle groups sometimes behave more like road hogs, and don’t get out of the way. Bicyclists at the meeting said most riders are respectful in following the rules of the road, and see aggressive driving as the problem.

Dade City resident Sonya New said she understands the motorist’s frustrations. But, she said, “There’s a lot of hatred for the cyclists out there.”

Florida and the Tampa Bay area annually rank at or near the top in annual bicycle and pedestrian fatalities. Based on federal statistics, Florida, per capita, has the most bicyclist fatalities of any state, with an annual average of 5.7 deaths per million people.

The national average, per capita, is 2.3 deaths per million people.

The consensus at the meeting was for more education on road rules, and safety for cyclists and motorists.

“We can have both. It happens in rural America all over the place,” Starkey said.

Published August 24, 2016

Additional input being sought on Hillsborough’s parks plan

August 24, 2016 By Kevin Weiss

When Hillsborough County property owners receive their annual notice from the property appraiser’s office, they’ll also get an invitation to take part in an online survey about the county’s parks master plan.

Hillsborough County is seeking citizen input on the county’s park system through an online survey. Results of the survey will be used to help generate the Parks & Recreation Master Plan, which should be complete by the end of this year. (Courtesy of Hillsborough County) — Hillsborough County is seeking citizen input on the county’s park system through an online survey. Results of the survey will be used to help generate the Parks & Recreation Master Plan, which should be complete by the end of this year.
(Courtesy of Hillsborough County)

The Hillsborough County Parks & Recreation Department has teamed up with the county’s property appraiser to spread information to property owners about a park survey for the Parks & Recreation Master Plan.

Nearly 450,000 TRIM (Truth in Millage) notices sent out this month will not only inform Hillsborough County property owners on how much their residences are worth and what their taxes are likely to be, but will tell them how to participate in the county’s online parks survey, through PlanYourParks.org.

Beyond that invitation, the county also is sending postcards with information about the survey to 20,000 households.

Between both efforts, Doc Dougherty, the county’s parks and recreation director, said the hope is to receive at least 50,000 responses from county residents.

They hope the completed surveys will provide the department with a realistic view of upgrades and improvements needed for each neighborhood park.

The goal is to have a final master plan in time for the county’s budget discussions in January, Dougherty said.

Once completed, the plan essentially will be a “wish book” of requests, upgrades and programming for the park system.

The parks and recreation department recently had a series of seven meetings throughout the county to solicit residents’ opinions the park system.

On June 27, an addendum survey at the Northdale Community Center indicated a strong preference for more senior-oriented programs, disc golf fields, and hiking and walking trails. There were also requests for more open green spaces with picnic areas and additional recreation centers.

The county’s parks and recreation system is large. It includes: More than 180 neighborhood parks, 118 playgrounds, 270 athletic fields and 53 community centers.

The county also oversees five dog parks and three skateparks.

“A big part of our discussion of the master plan is: Do we build new parks or do we renovate old parks? When you start looking at the number of parks we already have, how about we invest into the older parks,” Dougherty said at a public open house in June.

“A lot of people just think about the big parks that we have, but we’ve got such small individual parks that just a little (upkeep) will go a long way.”

Published August 24, 2016

Big Ed takes another bite out of summer

August 17, 2016 By Tom Jackson

The heir apparent rose early last Wednesday — pre-dawn early — to greet his official transmogrification from rising senior to the full-fledged real thing.

This sort of event repeats itself, according to the National Center for Education Statistics, more than 3.4 million times each year, making it the very definition of normal. Nonetheless, when the rite arrived in the Jackson household, the boy’s parents reserved the right to have their breath taken away.

A member of the Tampa Catholic High School Class of 2017, his graduation is set for May 24. While the date does not yet loom large on the family calendar, if past is indeed prelude, we’ll be hearing “Pomp and Circumstance” in a virtual heartbeat.

For now, however, the family to-do list is crowded with other, more immediate concerns, including, but not limited to, prepping for another round of college-entrance tests, applying to said colleges, reserving Friday nights for football (the boy, risking his ears but not his cranium, beats a bass drum for the Crusaders) and making sure there’s always enough stuff in the refrigerator to quell the growling of his stomach.

What is it about school, by the way, that makes teenaged boys even hungrier than usual?

So, we’re back in the academic swing, being ruled once more by its rhythmic pulse … and I still can’t help but feel like we’re doing all of this too soon. By two weeks, at least. Hillsborough County public schools opened last week, dragging some private schools along with them. In Pasco, the school board — demonstrating admirable restraint — waited until Monday to ring the opening bell.

In short, the first day of school has crept, once again and to my dismay, into the first half of August. Labor Day, once the great anchor to which the start of the school year was chained, has been pulverized for the convenience of Big Education, becoming just another long weekend in our academic marathon.

Others once ferociously committed to keeping August, or most of it anyway, reserved for low-key road trips, family reunions or summer camp, appear to have succumbed. An Internet check of the “Save Our Summers” state groups — mostly alarmed parents supported by tourist-sensitive business operators — returns, mostly, defunct web pages.

After all, they’d essentially carried the day, successfully lobbying legislatures to link the first day of school to Labor Day, beating back opening days that had, in some states, crept into the first week of August. In some states the link was a week. In Florida it was 14 days, with limited exemptions for high-performing districts.

Superintendents, school boards and, especially, teachers’ unions groused, to no avail. Until last spring, that is, when representatives of Big Ed hit upon this year’s late Labor Day (Sept. 7) as the perfect wedge argument.

Waiting until Aug. 24 to open schools meant it would be impossible to squeeze in a full semester before the Christmas — er, winter — break, leaving students to carry the burden of midterm exams through their holiday. School lobbyists argued successfully that this disjointedness was no way to run an academic schedule.

That certainly sounds reasonable. But the argument really hinges on what we’d like our schools to achieve. If it’s packing all the assignments and exams into a compressed, tidy timeframe, then, bravo. Starting in the first half of August is the ticket.

If, on the other hand, we’d like students to retain what they’ve been taught, postponing exams until after the break is the superior strategy.

I readily confess, I like the contrarian argument, because, as — apparently — one of the last bitter clingers in the save-our-summers camp, it boosts my argument. But, the studies are real.

Investigators call the two methods “binge and purge” and “the spacing effect.”

In the first, students learn at a breakneck pace (the binge), then dump it on their exams (the purge). The result is rapidly dissipating knowledge.

In the second, gaps are inserted between teaching/learning and testing. And the results, dating back decades, are astonishing.

In an article on “spaced education” in the November-December 2009 edition of Harvard magazine, sociologist/editor Craig Lambert identified, “More than 10 rigorous studies on medical students and residents using randomized trials have shown its efficacy: it can increase knowledge by up to 50 percent, and strengthen retention for up to two years.”

There was even a study published at the height of the Save Our Summers frenzy entitled, “Why Taking Exams After Winter Break Is Best For Students: What the Experts Say,” which wrapped the entire argument for longer summers and gap-enhanced testing in a rather flamboyant and unmistakable bow.

Not that I expect to persuade anybody at this point. Conventional wisdom is so deeply baked into the earlier-start rubric you couldn’t dig it out with a melon baller.

Heck, I even have the heir apparent and his mom working against me. Both seem happy to have gotten on with it.

Me, I’m still with “Auntie Mame” Dennis, who, reminded in the closing scene that she needs to have her grandnephew back from India in time for the start of school — the day after Labor Day — answers exquisitely, “Naturally. Of course. Labor Day. That’s sometime in November, isn’t it?”

Tom Jackson, a resident of New Tampa, is interested in your ideas. To reach him, email .

Published August 17, 2016

Tampa Bay Express aims to address region’s congestion

August 17, 2016 By B.C. Manion

The proposed $3.3 billion Tampa Bay Express project has its critics – especially in areas near downtown Tampa, but it’s a project that’s needed to help relieve regional congestion, according to Ed McKinney, district planning and environmental administrator for District 7 of the Florida Department of Transportation.

“Currently, Tampa/St. Pete ranks seventh in the country for cities of its size for congestion,” McKinney said.

“I don’t have to tell you all, if you’ve driven around the area, we’ve got a lot of congestion, and that hurts us in a lot of ways,” McKinney said, during a recent luncheon meeting of the Central Pasco Chamber of Commerce.

Ed McKinney, district planning and environmental administrator for District 7 of the Florida Department of Transportation, explains why express lanes are needed to relieve regional congestion. (B.C. Manion/Staff Photo) — Ed McKinney, district planning and environmental administrator for District 7 of the Florida Department of Transportation, explains why express lanes are needed to relieve regional congestion.
(B.C. Manion/Staff Photo)

“It hurts us when it comes to attracting new businesses. It hurts us mostly when it comes to attracting new residents,” he said.

People moving into the area want to know that they’ll be able to get to work or wherever they need to go, without being stuck in traffic for a half-hour, he said.

The problem is only going to get worse, as the region’s population increases and more jobs are created, he added.

“In Pasco County, population is expected to grow 97 percent by 2040,” he said. Hillsborough County is expected to grow by 48 percent, and Polk County by 41 percent during the same period.

“Pasco County is expected to grow employment by 200 percent, and that’s huge,” he said. Those workers won’t all be coming from Pasco County, he said. They’ll be heading to Pasco from Hillsborough and Pinellas counties, too.

“People are going to go where the jobs are. That’s what we’re seeing,” McKinney said.

“People say, ‘Why don’t you consider a no-build?’

“This is the no-build, he said, pointing to a graphic projecting future traffic congestion.

“The no-build says you’re ‘fine with 375,000 cars traveling everyday on I-4 (Interstate 4)’, when it only has the capacity of handling just over 125,000.

“It’s says, ‘We’re OK with the downtown interchange only being able to handle 325,000 cars,’ when it can only handle 175,000.

“That’s the challenge that we’re dealing with. That’s the problem that we’re trying to solve,” McKinney said.

The Tampa Bay Express project grew out of the Tampa Interstate Study that started back in the 1980s, McKinney said.

“This plan looked out into the future. What’s the development that’s going to be going on in the region? What’s the congestion pattern? Where are people going to go to work, what they’re going to do for fun, and how are we going to manage all of that traffic?

“How do get these people to move around, to make sure this region is economically viable and able to take on the challenges?

“If you’ve lived here, you know that we’ve widened I-4. We just completed I-275 widening. We did the Crosstown Connector project. All of those projects were part of this Tampa Interstate Study.

“It’s an evolving document,” he said.

“Every time you go and build a new piece of it, you look at the traffic and development patterns, and you update your document.

“What we’re going to be doing is adding express lanes, within the interstate, that will be tolled,” he said.

There will still be the same number of general purpose lanes as there are now, but there also will be express lanes, which are tolled.

People who want to make a quicker trip will pay the toll.

For instance, someone who has been late to work repeatedly may use the toll lane to avoid being late again, he said. Or, it might be used by someone in a rush to pick up their child from day care or get to an important business meeting.

“What they’ve seen in Miami is that there is no real pattern for why people use them,” he said.

One thing they have noticed is that people are using them at 2 a.m. or 3 a.m.

When asked why, many said they are doing that to avoid a potential collision with a wrong-way driver, McKinney said.

“The express lanes will be built, in a majority of cases, within the median that is there now,” he said. But, interchanges will need to be reconstructed.

The system is designed to be used for longer distances, such as getting from Brandon to the airport, or to Pinellas County.

There will be access points in the Gateway area of Pinellas County, in the Westshore area, at Tampa International Airport, at several places downtown Tampa, and in the general vicinity of the University of South Florida. There also will be access points in Brandon and Plant City.

“People say, ‘Why don’t you just spend this money on transit? You’re talking about a $3.3 billion project. You could get a lot of transit for that,’” he said.

Transit is important, and it is part of Hillsborough’s long-range transportation plan, but he added, “it’s not the one solution that fixes all of our problems.

“It needs to be a mix of managed lanes, as well as some sort of transit solution,” McKinney said.

Published August 17, 2016

New apartments and offices approved

August 17, 2016 By Kathy Steele

Brightworks Crossing — a mixed-use project calling for offices, self-storage units, apartments, and a hotel with up to 150 rooms, landed on the desks of Pasco County’s planners nearly a year ago.

And, on Aug. 9, the Pasco County Commission pushed the project along with a series of approvals.

Commissioners unanimously agreed to amend the county’s comprehensive land use plan and to rezone the land. They also approved an agreement for a land swap between the county, the landowners and the developers.

The land deal will give the county green space for its network of wildlife corridors, and room for a park-and-ride lot with 25 parking spaces for future transit commuters.

A car passes along Old State Road 54, at Old Cypress Creek Road. The route is a popular cut-through to avoid traffic at State Road 56. (File Photo) — A car passes along Old State Road 54, at Old Cypress Creek Road. The route is a popular cut-through to avoid traffic at State Road 56.
(File Photo)

The site is directly behind the Walgreen’s drug store, at Wesley Chapel Boulevard and the State Road 56/State Road 54 intersection.

The intersection is a high growth area populated by Tampa Premium Outlets and new restaurants on the south side of State Road 56, and on the north side of the road, the future Cypress Creek Town Center.

“It’s a major intersection. A lot of thought, evaluation and analysis has gone into this project and its impact on the intersection,” said Matt Armstrong, the county’s executive planner. “We’ve put together a package that actually improves this area and will help in the long run.”

Brightworks Crossing received approval for a maximum of 350 apartments, 250,000 square-feet of offices, and self-storage and the 150-room hotel.

A road redesign also is built into the project for Old State Road 54, which bisects the site. The short stretch of road is a popular cut-through for motorists coming down Wesley Chapel who want to avoid traffic at the State Road 56 intersection.

County commissioners agreed to close the existing cut-through to accommodate the land swap and allow developers to build a new road in its place. The new road will be open to the public.

Nearby, work is underway by Sierra Properties to build an entrance into Cypress Creek Town Center, a future mall at the northeast corner of State Road 56 and Wesley Chapel Boulevard, also called County Road 54.

One of the mall entrances is across from Brightworks Crossing, on County Road 54.

In the long term, the county has plans to turn the two-lane stretch of Wesley Chapel Boulevard into a six-lane divided highway with sidewalks and a multi-use trail.

The impact of traffic and road redesigns raised concerns for Sierra Properties’ developers and John Narcisi, who owns JN Electric on Old Cypress Creek Road.

Narcisi is the only business on Old Cypress Creek, which also is off Wesley Chapel and intersects with Old State Road 54.

“Traffic will increase on Old Cypress Creek Road which runs in front of my property,” said Narcisi.

Attorney Clarke Hobby, representing Sierra Properties, said the proposed new road through the site should continue to function as a cut-through that can help ease traffic congestion.

“We think that’s an important issue, and the staff needs to look at that closely,” he said.

Published August 17, 2016