The Laker/Lutz News

Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

Local News

New luxury apartment complex coming to Land O’ Lakes

By

Wood Partners is stepping in where another developer left off, resurrecting a 311-unit apartment complex that could add even more residents along State Road 54 in Land O’ Lakes.

The Atlanta-based company announced the new project — called Alta Terra Bella — just off 20 Mile Level Road Monday, following a report on The Laker/Lutz News’ website, LakerLutzNews.com.

Developers of the new Alta Terra Bella apartments say the new Land O’ Lakes community will inject nearly $25 million into the local economy, and indirectly create nearly 400 jobs. (Michael Hinman/Staff photo)
Developers of the new Alta Terra Bella apartments say the new Land O’ Lakes community will inject nearly $25 million into the local economy, and indirectly create nearly 400 jobs. (Michael Hinman/Staff photo)

“As the Tampa Bay area continues to experience robust employment and income growth — especially in the hospitality, financial and business service industries — Pasco County will continue to grow,” said David Thompson, Wood Partners’ Florida development director, in a release. “Alta Terra Bella is ideally located near top schools, and provides convenient interstate access to employers throughout the Tampa area.”

Wood Partners closed on 52 acres of land through a subsidiary, Alta Terra Bella LP, last week. It’s located between Via Bella Boulevard and 20 Mile Level, just north of State Road 54. The developer paid Capstone Resdev LLC $4.2 million for the vacant land, according to county property records, using part of a $30 million mortgage the company received early last week from Synovus Bank.

Pasco County officials met with representatives from Wood Partners last June, where the developer shared plans to build 311 apartment units in 14 buildings. Also on the plans are a freestanding clubhouse and freestanding parking garages, with a complete build-out of more than 452,000 square feet.

The project was originally known as Viento at Terra Bella Apartments, according to documents filed with the county, with units averaging about 1,200 square feet. The parking garages would be individual, one-story units, each with six bays for vehicles or storage.

Wood Partners is not expected to waste much time in breaking ground and getting construction started. The company expects to start leasing next September through its Wood Residential Services subsidiary, according to a release, with a full completion date scheduled for May 2016.

A community like this could inject as much as $24.5 million into the local economy — including $2.5 million in taxes — that would ultimately create nearly 380 jobs, Wood Partners officials said, using a formula offered by the National Association of Home Builders.

The population within a five-mile radius of the proposed Land O’ Lakes development has exploded by 114 percent since 2000, compared to a smaller but still strong 20 percent for the rest of the Tampa Bay region, the developer said. At the same time, household incomes have risen 37 percent, with 64 percent of households generating income of more than $50,000 not far from the proposed complex.

The land for Alta Terra Bella was originally purchased in 2007 for $6.8 million by BSP/Pasco LLC, a company associated with Orlando-based developer Scott T. Boyd. However, PNC Bank filed foreclosure papers against the property in October 2011, according to county records, claiming they were owed nearly $6 million.

The bank won title to the property through is Capstone Resdev affiliate in August 2012, and the land has been on the market ever since.

The new community will be located in the same general area where Florida Medical Clinic operates its headquarters. It’s also close to 46 acres of land Academy at the Lakes purchased in August 2013 on 20 Mile Level for $2 million.

The Collier Parkway school purchased the former MacManus property for $44,000 an acre, while Wood Partners spent just under $81,000 an acre for its land. The developer plans to use just 19 acres of the site for the complex, slating the rest for conservation and other non-commercial uses.

Charlan Brock & Associates designed the community, according to a release. It will have a 9,000-square-foot clubhouse that will include a community room, fitness center, playroom, a Wi-Fi café, and a summer kitchen overlooking a swimming pool.

The community will have more than 630 surface parking lots, and 76 garage spaces for rent.

Biggest local real estate purchases of 2014

1. $36.1 million, Arlington at Northwood in Wesley Chapel
BES Northwood Fund IX LLC of Chicago purchased this 312-unit apartment complex in May and renamed it Enclave at Wiregrass.

2. $16 million, Wiregrass Ranch development in Wesley Chapel
Pasco County Associates II LLLP picked up more than 332 acres in May for a 550-home subdivision along the southern portion of State Road 56, not far from Pasco-Hernando State College’s Porter at Wiregrass Ranch campus.

3. $10.2 million, West Winds Assisted Living Facility in Zephyrhills
Sabra Health Care Holdings III purchased the 75-bed nursing home on Eiland Boulevard in October.

4. $4.7 million, Creative World School in Land O’ Lakes
Emerald Holding and Investments LLC bought the 7-year-old building and 2 acres of land on Mentmore Boulevard from Ballantrae LLC in July.

5. $4.2 million, Alta Terra Bella in Land O’ Lakes
Alta Terra Bella LP, a subsidiary of Wood Partners, purchased 52 acres of land off State Road 54 to build a new 311-unit apartment complex.
Source: Pasco County Property Appraiser

See this story in print: Click Here

Community meeting set to discuss Quail Hollow boundaries

By

A committee working on proposed boundaries for Quail Hollow Elementary School has recommended changes that also would affect the boundaries of Veterans and Wesley Chapel elementary schools.

Quail Hollow is set to reopen next fall following a massive overhaul that included adding walls and doors to its formerly “open” school design.

Children streamed toward Quail Hollow on the school’s last day in June 2013. The elementary school was closed for a massive remodeling which included added doors and walls to create traditional classroom spaces. (File photo)
Children streamed toward Quail Hollow on the school’s last day in June 2013. The elementary school was closed for a massive remodeling which included added doors and walls to create traditional classroom spaces. (File photo)

Besides having a more traditional setting for learning, the school will accommodate more students and feature the same technology found in other Pasco County schools.

The students who attended Quail Hollow before it closed will be assigned to the school, said district planning director Chris Williams. After that will depend on what’s decided on the new boundaries for Veterans and Wesley Chapel schools, slated to be discussed at a community meeting Dec. 8 at 6 p.m., in the Wesley Chapel Elementary cafeteria.

The Pasco County School Board is expected to consider boundaries for Quail Hollow at its Jan. 20 meeting, and make a final decision Feb. 3.

The area that would shift from Veterans to Quail Hollow is bordered by Old Pasco Road on the west, Interstate 75 on the east, and Wesley Chapel Boulevard on the south, Williams said. For Wesley Chapel Elementary, the affected area is bordered by I-75 on the east, State Road 54 on the south, and Boyette Road on the west.

There are 62 students living in the area that would be reassigned from Veterans to Quail Hollow, Williams said, and another 100 living in the area that would be reassigned from Wesley Chapel.

Veterans Elementary already is over-capacity with 828 students in a school that is supposed to hold 762. Wesley Chapel has a capacity of 613 students, Williams said, and will have far fewer when children who attended Quail Hollow return to their school.

However, Quail Hollow has space to accommodate a greater number of children, he said, so the decision was made to reassign students from Wesley Chapel to Quail Hollow to provide room for growth that is expected from the development of Epperson Ranch South.

When school begins next year, Quail Hollow is expected to have an enrollment ranging from 500 to 540, depending on school choice, Williams said. After its improvements are completed, Quail Hollow’s capacity is expected to be 682. That compares to a previous capacity of 554.

In addition to changes at Quail Hollow, the school district continues to search for property along U.S. 41 as well as the State Road 54 corridor, Williams said. Officials are hoping to sign a contract on some land in the northern part of Land O’ Lakes for a new elementary school site which would accommodate children living in the housing developments on the west side of U.S. 41.

Typically, the district seeks sites of approximately 22 acres for its new elementary schools, Williams said. But officials also are looking for high school sites, since Land O’ Lakes High School is full, and Sunlake High School is almost full, despite future development expected in larger communities like Connerton and Bexley Ranch.

The district wants one or two high school sites between 60 acres and 70 acres each.

“We’re working with a couple of other developers to secure at least one of those,” Williams said. He also keeps his eye out and occasionally talks to real estate agents on possible properties.

When Land O’ Lakes and Zephyrhills high schools are remodeled or reconstructed, the district will likely increase their capacity, Williams said. Work on those two schools likely won’t begin for another five to 10 years, however, and when it does, it’s likely to be complicated.

Whether they build from scratch or remodel the schools, the district will need to figure out how to house the students during construction.

“We’re definitely going to have to get creative,” Williams said. “We’re hoping to meet with those principals in the near future and start talking about a timeline.”

Another challenge, Williams said, is that while the schools have current needs, the question becomes how much money the district should spend if it is just going to tear out the improvements within a few years anyway.

WHAT: Quail Hollow Elementary School boundaries parent meeting
WHY: To discuss potential changes to boundaries of Wesley Chapel and Veterans elementary schools
WHEN: Dec. 8 at 6 p.m.
WHERE: Wesley Chapel Elementary School cafeteria, 30243 Wells Road

The Pasco County School Board is scheduled to vote for the first time on proposed boundary changes affecting Quail Hollow, Wesley Chapel and Veterans elementary schools Jan. 20 at 6 p.m. A final vote is scheduled for Feb. 3 at 9:30 a.m.

See this story in print: Click Here

Sophomore chosen for national medical leadership conference

By

Kristen Kova isn’t even sure how she was selected. But when she got the chance to attend the Congress of Future Medical Leaders convention in Washington, D.C., the 15-year-old didn’t look back.

Kristen Kova, left, poses with Connie Mariano, the medication director for the National Academy of Future Physicians and Medical Scientists. (Courtesy of Kristen Kova)
Kristen Kova, left, poses with Connie Mariano, the medication director for the National Academy of Future Physicians and Medical Scientists. (Courtesy of Kristen Kova)

The Land O’ Lakes teenager traveled by car with her mother Jennie, and her brother Ryan, to the conference, over the weekend of Nov. 14, and found a packed agenda at the conference.

“They had a lot of cool speakers that were very influential,” said Kova, a sophomore at Land O’ Lakes High School.

Kova has had an interest in medicine since he was quite young, but found a documentary showed at the convention — “Code Black”— to be “really eye-opening.” It depicts the challenges faced by Los Angeles County Hospital trying to provide care, where patients waited for hours by a staff buried in bureaucracy. Some patients had to go to work, so they left the hospital without being seen, while others died.

Kova said her interest in medicine probably stems from being around her father’s medical challenges. Rex Kova is disabled and has a variety of medical issues, including deafness in one ear and blindness in one eye.

“I spend a lot of time being there for him and taking care for him,” she said. “I think that’s something God wants me to do.”

Initially, Kova thought she wanted to pursue a career as a surgeon. But now she’s reconsidering, and instead may direct her energies into becoming a nurse or a physician assistant.

She wants to be involved in medicine, but Kova also would like a family, she explained. So she’s not sure she wants to commit so much of her life to pursue that goal.

Despite that shift, Kova’s glad she was selected to attend the conference.

“It was pretty motivational,” she said.

One of the speakers was Jack Andraka, who helped develop a new diagnostic test for pancreatic cancer when he was just 15.

“He was amazing,” Kova said, adding that unlike how other kids would enjoy the summer, Andraka spent his time researching proteins online.

Kova couldn’t stay for the third day of the conference because she had classes back home.

“I couldn’t miss school because I had an AP psyche test,” she said.

See this story in print: Click Here

PHSC gets creative with writing classes

By

Suzanne Baginskie knows what it’s like to sign up for a writing class at a local college and be disappointed.

Suzanne Baginskie had trouble finding the appropriate classes when she wanted to begin a writing career. Now an accomplished author, she teaches them for Pasco-Hernando State College’s Encore Academy program. (Courtesy of Suzanne Baginskie)
Suzanne Baginskie had trouble finding the appropriate classes when she wanted to begin a writing career. Now an accomplished author, she teaches them for Pasco-Hernando State College’s Encore Academy program. (Courtesy of Suzanne Baginskie)

“Whenever they would put a course like that up, nobody would take it, and I’d get my money back,” she said.

Baginskie eventually found a course that stayed open. And now, years later, she’s involved with more of them.

But she’s not taking them this time. She’s teaching them.

Baginskie leads creative writing classes for Pasco-Hernando State College’s Encore Academy, a program that provides education opportunities for people 50 and older.

The Introduction to Creative Writing class wrapped up Nov. 24, a Write Your Life Story class is in progress, and a Writing Children’s Stories class begins Dec. 1. All classes are held at the college’s Spring Hill campus, 450 Beverly Court.

Baginskie, 68, has become the right kind of person to lead writing classes. After nearly 30 years as a law office manager and paralegal, she turned her attention to something she loved for years, but never had enough time to pursue seriously.

And she’s made up for lost time. Baginskie sold her first story in 1999, and since then has sold more than 40 short stories to publishers. Her work has appeared more than two dozen times in the Chicken Soup for the Soul books, which feature inspirational and motivational stories.

She’s also written horror, non-fiction and mystery stories, and her current projects include a legal thriller novel.

Of course, another ongoing project is teaching creative writing at PHSC. Baginskie didn’t want a lack of classroom opportunities to discourage writers from pursuing their passion.

“That was my goal,” she said. “When I finally got to where I could teach it, and I was multi-published, I did a proposal and PHSC accepted me. That’s why I continue to do this.”

She helps others by getting them started on a project and guiding them through the creative process. That might include writing exercises, providing informative handouts, or offering encouragement for someone trying his or her hand at writing later in life.

Many people decide to give writing a try after they retire, or their children are grown or they’ve lost a spouse, Baginskie said. Their family and friends might be out of state, and the classes allow them to connect with a creative streak and complete projects they couldn’t even start previously.

While it might sound like an over-50 student is late to the game, Baginskie said it’s actually a good time to start writing. A person has attained wisdom and life experience to bring to the craft, and people often don’t realize how valuable their seasoned perspectives are to a creative endeavor.

Part of her job is to help students recognize the value of their years, and show them how it enhances their writing.

By teaching the classes as she’s done for the past eight years, Baginskie has found it’s enhanced her own writing as well.

“You want to keep yourself inspired, and this is the perfect way to help these beginning writers,” she said. “I learn so much.”

While Encore Academy is designed for older students, there’s no age restriction to take the creative writing classes. There’s also no obligation to attend every session, although Baginskie said there are benefits to building on previous lessons.

The Write Your Life Story class continues Dec. 1 and Dec. 8 from 12:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. The Writing Children’s Stories class begins Dec. 1 and ends Dec. 8, running from 10 a.m. until noon.

The cost is $12 for each two-hour session.

For more information about the classes or Encore Academy, call program manager Debra Duncan at (727) 816-3439, or visit PHSC.edu/encore.

See this story in print: Click Here

Military museum remembers Pearl Harbor Dec. 7

By

History is filled with dates schoolteachers want their students to remember. But there is one that no one can forget — Dec. 7, 1941.

That’s when Japanese forces conducted a surprise air raid on American military installations at Hawaii’s Pearl Harbor. At the time, President Franklin D. Roosevelt said the date would live in infamy, and 73 years later, it’s still being remembered, including Dec. 7 at the Zephyrhills Museum of Military History.

Part of an annual event at the museum, 39444 South Ave., a few of the remaining Pearl Harbor survivors make the trek to share their stories, and give visitors a chance to directly touch history.

“It gets harder and harder for them to get going in the morning, so we keep pushing back the time,” said Ted Johnson, a volunteer and vice president of the board that runs the military museum. “But that doesn’t stop them. They look forward to this every year, and are right here, even though they are pushing their 90s.”

This year’s event will run from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., and is free to the public, although donations also will be accepted. It will make it a full weekend for the museum, which normally is open Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Age is now taking a lot of the veterans from that great war, yet interest remains strong in the world’s battle against Nazism and fascism. A good portion of the military museum — itself in barracks that were used by U.S. Army pilots during World War II — is dedicated to that.

Yet, it’s tough to beat talking to actual eyewitnesses of a major historical event like Pearl Harbor.

“These guys love to tell their stories about what happened that day,” Johnson said. “It never gets old to them, and it never gets old to me to see it.”

This is one of a series of events the military museum has throughout the year, including special observances of D-Day and other historical milestones. It not only brings people together with history, but also introduces others to the museum that has been at the barracks for more than a decade.

“People still come up to us and tell us they didn’t even know the museum was here,” Johnson said. “That surprises me, but I’m glad that we’re finding ways to let everyone know what we stand for.”

The museum is free to the public on Saturdays, and will open for special visits from schools and other groups during the week, and keep expanded hours during Lakeland’s Sun n’ Fun weekends in April.

So much has happened since that day where the United States was drawn into a world war — the assassination of John F. Kennedy and 9/11 just to name a couple — yet, Johnson said the Pearl Harbor attack is something that must be remembered.

“History does have a way of repeating itself, and it happens regardless of whether we learn the lessons before or not,” Johnson said. “It’s kind of scary to say that, but unfortunately, it’s going to happen again. But if you don’t remember the story, you’re most certainly doomed to repeat it again.”

If you go
WHAT: Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day
WHEN: Dec. 7 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
WHERE: Zephyrhills Museum of Military History, 39444 South Ave., Zephyrhills
COST: Free
INFO: Call Cliff Moffett, (352) 206-1819

See this story in print: Click Here

Giving thanks with a grateful heart

By

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving, a time to reflect on the blessings in our lives.

This past year has been particularly joyful for me, both professionally and personally.

Since this newspaper is such a big part of my life, I want to share with you the top 10 reasons Thanksgiving is especially meaningful to me this year.

Our readers
I want to thank all of the readers of The Laker/Lutz News for embracing our new, bigger size. We took a leap of faith in August, changing our format to match the size of most daily newspapers.

Besides becoming 30 percent bigger overnight, we added a B section to give us a second front page, and to organize our classified products.

I confess I was more than a bit nervous about making such a significant change and taking on the additional expenses that came along with it. But taking risks comes with ownership, and it’s the only way to grow.

Four months into this change, we continue to receive positive comments — almost daily — about our new size.

My staff
A huge thank you goes to my staff of 12. I am ever so thankful to this group of professionals who meet challenging deadlines every week.

Think about it: How many business owners ask their staff to create a brand new product every week? But this is what my staff does — writing stories, taking pictures, selling and creating ads, and then putting it all together to fill typically 24 very big pages of stories and advertisements.

This requires an unbelievable amount of talent, commitment and hard work. Our staff box on Page 3A does not begin to give my employees enough recognition for the work they to do to bring you one of the best community newspapers in the state. 

Our advertisers
The newspaper we produce each week is possible because of the support we receive from our advertisers. They recognize that we offer an excellent vehicle to let patrons know about the services and products they offer.

My son Andy’s safe return
My son, Andrew Mathes, a captain in the U.S. Marine Corps, returned home at the end of May after seven months in Afghanistan. There is no greater gratitude that a mother can have than knowing her child is away from harm’s way.

Andy and Erin’s renewed wedding vows
Andy and his wife Erin, who were married a week before Andy’s deployment last November, renewed their wedding vows a year later — on Nov. 8 — at the church where Erin grew up in Appleton, Wisconsin.

Only nine family members were present when Andy and Erin married in a military chapel in Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. When they renewed their vows, more than 150 family and friends traveled from across the country to be there.

My nine brothers and sisters
I am grateful, always, for my nine brothers and sisters. But it was especially touching to see all of them at Andy’s and Erin’s renewal of vows.

Most of my family lives in Minnesota — a five- to six-hour drive to Appleton. But they were all there, as were many of Andy’s cousins, despite an approaching winter storm and the fact that the wedding was on the same day as opening of deer hunting season in Minnesota.

My daughter Rachel’s graduation and new job
My beautiful daughter, Rachel Mathes, graduated from Stetson University in May and is working as an art teacher in Jacksonville. It’s hard to say whether I’m more grateful for Rachel graduating from college in four years and landing a job in her field, or for the fact that I am no longer paying tuition.

When Rachel was born I felt so blessed to have a daughter, and that gratitude deepens with each passing year. I only wish that Jacksonville was closer to Land O’ Lakes so we could see each other more often.

My father, Don Kortus
Dad will be 86 in February, and his love for his family — which consists of more than 45 children, grandchildren and great grandchildren — holds us all together.

I am thankful for Dad’s wisdom, good health, sharp mind, and unwavering support for me.

Jonas
Jonas, my 9-year-Airedale terrier, is a cancer survivor, and I am thankful he will be my companion for many more years.

After being diagnosed with cancer in August 2013, his prognosis was poor because dogs with his type of cancer rarely live longer than a few months.

But after having a tumor on his spleen removed, he recovered so well that he underwent chemotherapy and is now in remission.

Vic Anthony
Finally, I am thankful for finding love the second time around.

When I opened my heart to love again, I met Vic Anthony, who has had my back these past three years. Sharing with Vic the pleasures and challenges of my family, my business, and my dog Jonas, has renewed my spirit and brought me much happiness.

See this story in print: Click Here

Sheffield’s $3M pledge buys more time for baseball complex

By

Late-game heroics are something Gary Sheffield became accustomed to during his 21-year professional athletic career. But his plans to build a massive baseball complex in Wesley Chapel is now in the bottom of the ninth, and the retired outfielder is going to need a grand slam to make it a reality.

James Talton, right, shares his plans with business leaders last month to build a 19-diamond baseball complex in the heart of Wesley Chapel’s Wiregrass Ranch area as his business partner, retired baseball star Gary Sheffield, listens in. (File photo)
James Talton, right, shares his plans with business leaders last month to build a 19-diamond baseball complex in the heart of Wesley Chapel’s Wiregrass Ranch area as his business partner, retired baseball star Gary Sheffield, listens in. (File photo)

Pasco County commissioners gave Sheffield and business partner James Talton until January to secure enough seed money to help Pasco Sports LLC build a 19-field complex not far from Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel in the Wiregrass Ranch area. Commissioners like new chair Ted Schrader was reluctant to give the developers the extra time, that is until Sheffield pledged $3 million of his own money to make sure it happens.

“I talked to my bankers, and at the end of the day when all this is said and done, if nobody comes in and does this, I’m going to use $3 million myself to take care of that note,” Sheffield told commissioners.

Sheffield and Talton have struggled to get financing for what has become a $34 million project to attract up-and-coming youth baseball players from around the country. One of the biggest sticking points is the land, Sheffield said, which would remain under the county’s control. Not having the more than 100 acres as collateral has made the overall project less attractive to investors.

Also complicating matters is the fact that Pasco Sports can only talk to one investor at a time, Sheffield said. Being forced to wait until an investor comes to a decision before Pasco Sports can approach someone else has pushed the project back for months. It also has put the county’s $11 million in tourist tax money in jeopardy.

“It’s a fantastic location and a great concept,” Schrader said during a meeting in Dade City last week. “We just have to make sure that we have the right partner.”

Commissioners had hoped to get the proof of financing they requested to give the baseball complex their blessing. However, without initial funding secured, nothing is concrete just yet.

Making the situation more difficult now are the holidays.

“In the financial world, if you don’t have a deal struck now, you’re not going to get anything done until the end of the year,” Schrader said. “Delaying this to the end of January is something I don’t have a problem with. I am concerned with the money they are going to be obligated to put forward, that those bills be paid for in an expedited manner when necessary.”

Pasco Sports would have until the beginning of December to turn over the necessary paperwork to show proof of financing. From there, the county will review the paperwork so that commissioners can act on it by the time the new year rolls around.

Commissioner Jack Mariano was concerned with high interest rates attached to the $3 million seed money — some 20 percent — fearing annual expenses to pay it could climb as high as $600,000.

“This was thrown together just to put something in front of us, and it’s very unstable,” he said.

Talton, however, assured Mariano that he’s not looking to pull out $3 million upfront, and then start paying back high interest rates. Instead, Pasco Sports would just use money when its needed to help cover initial bills, and are not obligated to use all — or any — of that $3 million.

“It’s just an incentive for that person (who offers the money) to step forward, and an incentive for us not to use it,” Talton said. “It’s absolutely normal to have a bridge loan at a high interest rate at the beginning of a project.”

The county has looked at Talton’s and Sheffield’s project as one that could bring in thousands of young baseball players and their families each year, and possibly even attract a Major League Baseball team to have spring training there.

Talton told members of the Greater Wesley Chapel Chamber of Commerce last October that his project could create an estimated 8,000 jobs and a $318 million annual economic impact boost to the county. Even the $11 million Pasco is investing would come back quickly, he said, as the project is estimated to pay the county $9 million in taxes and other costs.

Talton had hoped to spend as much as $70 million on the project, tapping into what he described as a $7 billion youth sports industry. However, the project has shrunk a bit as Pasco Sports failed to bring in the big investors it had hoped.

Commissioners approved the extension unanimously, delaying a final decision until January. But Schrader added a warning: this is the last extension.

Sheffield remains optimistic, just as he did last month when talking to local chamber members.

“We can’t predict how big this is going to be,” Sheffield said at the time. “And I think it’s going to be 10 times bigger than what James is putting to paper right now.”

See this story in print: Click Here

Lutz pushes proposed urban service area south

By

Lutz has survived more than a century with no municipal water or sewer. And it might end up going another century without it as well.

In a workshop Dec. 8, members of the Hillsborough County City-County Planning Commission will hear something they may not like: Lutz residents are turning their backs on a proposed plan to extend the county’s urban service area up U.S. 41.

Getting an urban service area designation is a significant step in helping to bring more business — and even more residents — to an area, planners say. In fact, 80 percent of all county growth would take place in those areas, countywide planning team leader Stephen Griffin told a small group of Lutz residents Nov. 18.

“When you are inside that service area, you are going to see growth and development,” Griffin said. “But being in an urban service area doesn’t mean you can’t have other uses like agriculture. That would still be permitted inside the urban service area.”

For decades, Lutz has maintained its independence from the high population growth taking place in the rest of Hillsborough. Although six lanes of U.S. 41 were laid right through the heart of the downtown Lutz, existing water and sewer infrastructure along the way requires septic tanks and well access — both undesirable and even outright impossible for larger businesses to move in.

But that’s exactly what many of the residents want there, said Mike White, president of the Lutz Citizens Coalition.

“I’ve polled our members, and the resounding answer that has come back is that we don’t want water and septic,” White said. “We like our wells. We don’t want to take a chance of losing control of the rural character of Lutz.”

Community resistance means when the urban service area is expanded, it will stay south of the Lutz apex where U.S. 41 and North Florida Avenue split near the entrance to the Avila subdivision.

“We will conclude our expansion opportunity and leave it to that little area on the south,” Griffin said. “That is what we’re going to move forward with. We are going to leave it the way that it is.”

That’s not what one land and business owner in Lutz was hoping to hear. William Payne, the owner of the engineering firm WSP Consultants in Lutz, says it’s time the area moves forward and embraces some of the amenities their neighboring communities have.

“It is a real shame that the comments from non-commercial parcel owners could so easily sway the planning commission,” Payne said in an email to community planner Yeneka Mills before last week’s meeting. “I hope this decision is not final, and the planning commission will reconsider expanding the (urban service area) further north by meeting directly with commercial parcel owners.”

Payne owns two 1950s-era commercial buildings at 19006 N. U.S. 41 and 19008 N. U.S. 41 he purchased through his company, William & Mary Investment Group LLC, for $585,000 in 2006. He said he was the only person who attended an August meeting with planning commission officials who actually owned commercial property in the potential expansion area.

However, part of the appeal of Lutz is its unchanging nature, White said, despite the suburban growth that’s occurring around it, including Pasco County to the north. The fear is that Lutz would turn into another Dale Mabry Highway, with high commercial density and a lost community spirit.

“There are a lot of people whose kids move, and they will be gone for five or six years,” he said. “And then they come back. My daughter has been gone for 10 years, and she can’t wait to move out here.”

Upgrading infrastructure to help support a more suburban community does not mean it has to be developed that way, Griffin said.

“The county does not force you to hook into the system,” he said. “We wanted to help precipitate improvements so that more local and small businesses have the ability to tap into the water and sewer lines, if that is available.”

However, one older resident who didn’t identify himself felt it was still too much.

“The risk of changing to an urban service area far outweighs any benefits from it,” he said.

Once the planning commission decides how it wants to pursue an urban service area, it will hold another public meeting to discuss that plan with affected residents and business owners in the spring.

See this story in print: Click Here

It’s crunch time for annual holiday toy drive

By

Bob Loring isn’t Santa Claus. Yet he has some 250 elves at his disposal, and he seems pretty jolly about his job.

“I’m the head elf,” Loring said. “It’s a thrill. Personally it’s so rewarding. I get to work with and be around the neatest people in Pasco County.”

Bob Loring will do whatever it takes to get the word out for his annual local Toys For Tots campaign. (Michael Murillo/Staff photo)
Bob Loring will do whatever it takes to get the word out for his annual local Toys For Tots campaign. (Michael Murillo/Staff photo)

The retired Marine doesn’t look like Kris Kringle, either, but he does share a common goal with the Christmas character. With the help of elves (volunteers), he distributes toys to boys and girls during the holiday season.

The difference is that Loring does it in real life.

Loring heads up the local Toys For Tots chapter, part of a national program that distributes toys to needy children run by the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve for more than 65 years. He took the helm back in 1999, and in his first year, the group distributed toys for nearly 400 children in the Dade City area.

But he knew it wasn’t enough.

To expand, Toys For Tots would have to increase the number of communities it serves. Most people who donate want the recipients to live in their area, Loring said. As a result, they’ve broadened their efforts to provide a happy holiday to children in Zephyrhills, Land O’ Lakes and Wesley Chapel, as well.

The donations have gone up, too. Loring expects to distribute toys to around 4,000 children this year. And the method of distributing them is almost as important as the donations themselves.

Toys For Tots relies on school counselors to identify needy children and families. Then, instead of simply distributing bags of gifts based on age and gender, a parent or guardian will go to a local center where one of the elves helps them choose from the available toys for each child in the family.

Every recipient receives a couple of bigger gifts as well as some stocking stuffers to make sure they have a few things to open. Someone who knows them handpicks them all.

This method ensures the right gift goes to the right recipient, Loring said, because the parent or guardian has a good idea what each child would like. Some children might be more or less advanced for their age, and finding suitable gifts requires more than guesswork based on how old they are.

Letting a parent or guardian choose the gifts themselves provides another benefit: dignity.

“I want the parent, first of all, to be treated with kindness, to be brought into the Christmas spirit,” Loring said. “We’re not here to make people feel uncomfortable that they’re asking us to help them.”

By playing a role in deciding what their children receive, the experience is more in line with traditional gift giving.

While the organization has provided toys for decades, Toys For Tots had to adjust with the times. They still have collection boxes at various locations and businesses where people can donate new, unwrapped toys. And they still have their annual toy drive with the National Association of Letter Carriers, where residents leave toys by their mailboxes and the letter carriers pick them up on their postal routes.

The problem is that fewer people know about it.

The U.S. Postal Service previously allowed Toys For Tots distribute free mailers to each resident, letting them know when the drive would take place. But a few years ago they stopped providing that benefit due to costs, Loring said, so his organization has had to get more creative in getting the word out on when to leave toys for their letter carriers.

He admits that current donations would be even higher if not for the mailer setback, because many residents don’t know exactly when it occurs.

Still, with some assistance from the national Toys For Tots organization and mostly local donations, the chapter provides presents for thousands of local children each year. And with some help from other groups, Loring has built a network of add-ons to accompany the holiday presents.

For example, faith-based organizations and Rotary Club sponsor Food For Tots and Skivvies For Tots, offering food and clothing for those in need. And down the road, Loring would like to add Shoes For Tots as well.

But for now, Loring will settle for another successful toy drive for needy area families. And in doing so, it also will translate into a happier holiday for those volunteers who find it can be better to give than to receive.

“My elves get more out of this than the families we help. That is true,” Loring said. “They come away with the Christmas spirit and they take it home. It’s magnificent.”

The Letter Carriers’ toy drive is set for Dec. 6.

For more information about local Toys For Tots efforts, contact Loring at (352) 588-4230, or at .

See this story in print: Click Here

Bulldogs look past playoff loss to promising future

By

The Zephyrhills Bulldogs played approximately 540 minutes of football this season — but it was the final two minutes that were the most disappointing.

Zephyrhills Bulldog junior linebacker Kevin Lee swats down a pass from Sunlake quarterback Dayton Feiden during the final game of the season that Zephyrhills won 22-7. The Bulldogs would lose a heartbreaking first-round playoff game, while the Seahawks would move to the next round after beating Ocala’s Vanguard High School. (Fred Bellet/Photo)
Zephyrhills Bulldog junior linebacker Kevin Lee swats down a pass from Sunlake quarterback Dayton Feiden during the final game of the season that Zephyrhills won 22-7. The Bulldogs would lose a heartbreaking first-round playoff game, while the Seahawks would move to the next round after beating Ocala’s Vanguard High School. (Fred Bellet/Photo)

The team came up short on a fourth-and-one that would have sealed a victory in their first playoff game in eight seasons. Instead, their opponent — Suwannee High School from Live Oak — drove down the field quickly and scored a touchdown.

Suwannee then recovered a fumble on the ensuing kickoff for another score. And just like that, Zephyrhills’ season was gone.

But not forgotten.

“We’re a little disappointed about the loss, not getting the win up in Live Oak, especially being ahead most of the game,” Bulldogs head coach Reggie Roberts said. “But we played good football to get there, and we played good football when we got there. But we just have to finish at that level.”

As the sting of not finishing a winnable playoff loss subsides — the team led 24-9 at the half — it will be replaced by memories of the good football that brought them to that point in the first place. Their 8-3 final record is the best of Roberts’ tenure, which began in 2010.

It was their fourth straight year with a winning record, and the playoff appearance snapped an eight-year drought without postseason play. The Bulldogs took the field for that game ready to play their brand of football, not like a team that was just happy to be there or wanted to play conservatively.

For his part, Roberts has no regrets about going for it on that critical fourth down at the end of the game. Converting that yard would have meant a victory, he said, and the circumstances at that time and the field position dictated it was the best move for the team.

But that decision was made and the playoff game is over. And Roberts, like all successful coaches, doesn’t like to dwell in the past. He’s already looking ahead to 2015, and he likes what he sees.

While he admits that replacing offensive cogs like quarterback Ty Tanner, receiver Tyler Kirby and running back Jaylen Pickett won’t be easy, Roberts believes the team’s depth will step up and fill the gaps.

“Our seniors will be missed, but by the same token, we have a lot of young players that know how to play football,” he said.

The Bulldogs will welcome back known talent like receiver Jackie Tucker and running back Antwione Sims, who distinguished himself this season and in the playoff game. They also have a number of junior varsity players who are ready to graduate to varsity and contribute immediately.

If there’s an early area of concern, it’s the kicking game. Somebody will need to fill punter and kicker Zach Gleaton’s spot, but there’s time to find a replacement. But from offensive line to other skill positions, the coach feels good about the talent he’ll carry into 2015.

“I like what we have coming back,” Roberts said.

He also likes the renewed community interest in Zephyrhills football, and the fact that coaches are now coming to him asking for advice on how to build and maintain a successful program.

The returning players will bring a renewed desire to win and a lot of pride in what they’re building, but they’ll also carry some bitterness about the way the season ended. After the playoff loss, he found the younger players hurting after the game, even if they didn’t get on the field much.

They were upset at the way things ended for the team, and the coach wants them to use that frustration as fuel for next season.

“They’re going to remember that pain,” Roberts said. “They’re going to remember this experience. They’re going to remember it takes blood, and hopefully that’s going to just energize them and motivate them to get back there (to the playoffs) every year.”

If Roberts is looking for indications that the team will learn from this year’s lessons, he’s already seen some positive signs as the long off-season gets underway.

The players aren’t interested in taking extended breaks, even when offered by the coach at the end of a hard-fought playoff game and a successful 2014 campaign.

“I gave the kids two weeks off, and the kids were in the weight room” four days after the playoff game, he said. “If that doesn’t tell you anything, it tells me a lot.”

See this story in print: Click Here