Local News

Panera Bread opens on State Road 54 Nov. 7

November 6, 2013 By Michael Hinman

Sandwiches, soups, coffees — and the sweet aromas that come with it.

That’s what travelers on State Road 54 will find beginning Nov. 7 with the opening of the area’s newest Panera Bread.

A worker helps install a sign for the new Panera Bread location opening at 23388 State Road 54 in Land O’ Lakes on Nov. 7. The fourth such store in Pasco County, this Panera Bread will offer customers a drive-thru. (Photo by Michael Hinman)

Located at 23388 State Road 54, not far from the 7-Eleven, this is the fourth Panera Bread to open in Pasco County, bringing jobs to 60 managers, bakers and associates.
“Our concept has been embraced throughout Pasco County for nearly a decade, and we look forward to sharing our signature Panera warmth here in Lutz,” said Dee Pallardy, a joint venture partner with Panera Bread, in a statement. “Panera is thrilled to open our newest Tampa-area bakery café in such a dynamic community.”

The new Panera Bread will become one of more than 1,700 such stores in North America. Last year, the company opened 123 new locations around the country, and pacing themselves at about 30 a quarter.

Panera Bread started in 1981 as Au Bon Pain Co., changing its name to Panera Bread in the late 1990s. Now it’s earning $1.7 billion in revenue so far this year alone, up 11 percent from last year.

Its primary competitors are Starbucks and Dunkin’ Donuts, both of which dwarf Panera Bread when it comes to number of locations and revenue. Starbucks has nearly 21,000 locations worldwide, while Dunkin’ Donuts boasts 15,000.

The new location on State Road 54 will feature a drive-thru, only the second one in the region to have that after the Panera Bread location on West Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard in Tampa.

For more information about Panera Bread, its menu and hours, visit PaneraBread.com.

Porter Campus ushers in change for Wesley Chapel, region

November 6, 2013 By B.C. Manion

When Porter Campus at Wiregrass Ranch opens in January, it will be the first time that students from Wesley Chapel will be able to attend college in their own backyard.

The campus’ offerings, however, are expected to have a much more far-reaching impact, said J.D. Porter, whose family donated 60-plus acres for the campus. Porter was among a contingent of guests getting a sneak peak at the new campus in a tour on Oct. 31.

An exterior view of the seven-story classroom building at Pasco-Hernando Community College’s new Porter Campus at Wiregrass Ranch. (Photo by B.C. Manion)

As they walked along, visitors saw construction crews working on scaffolding outside the seven-story classroom building, running wiring within the structure, wiping down lab tables and busy tackling other tasks.

Work is expected to be finished on time for classes to begin in January, according to Pasco-Hernando Community College officials.

The new PHCC satellite campus has come out of the ground quickly, but it has been a long time in the making, Porter said. He believes the campus will have a regional benefit.

“This is something that was needed,” Porter said. Besides giving Wesley Chapel students a chance to go to college in their own community, this campus is expected to attract students from not only across Pasco and Hernando counties, but also from Hillsborough County, as well.

The site, at 2727 Mansfield Blvd., is on the south side of State Road 56, about two miles east of Interstate 75. It is situated across the street from the planned Raymond James financial services office park, next to Wiregrass Ranch High School, and around the corner from Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel.

In addition to offering two-year degrees, the campus also plans to offer a bachelor’s degree in supervision and management, and a bachelor’s in nursing.

The PHCC name may not last long, however. The college is awaiting approval on its application with the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges. The board meets in December in Atlanta, and if they approve, could allow the school to change its name to Pasco-Hernando State College.

PHCC President Katherine M. Johnson, who helped to lead the preview tour, characterized this as an exciting time for the college, as it opens a new campus, adds new programs and changes its name.

The seven-story classroom building consists of a three-story parking deck, topped by four floors of classrooms and labs. There are 10 classrooms, four computer labs. four science labs and eight health labs on the campus, as well as a library, faculty offices and administrative offices.

The nursing lab, on the fifth floor, will be set up to simulate a hospital ward.

“We tried to make it very much what you would find in a hospital setting,” said Stan Giannet, provost of the campus.

Besides nursing, other classes offered at the campus cover a number of disciplines, including business administration and information technology.

The building has been designed to be energy efficient, which lowers long-term operational costs and reduces its impacts on the environment, said Joseph J. Sorci, director of design for Florida Architects. It has been designed to take advantage of natural light and to conserve water. The campus also uses light-emitting diodes, or LED, lighting and a cooling system that reduces energy consumption.

The design takes future needs into consideration, Sorci said. For example, the network operations center in the library can accommodate additional equipment as it becomes necessary to meet the needs of a larger enrollment.

Care also was taken in selecting building materials, Sorci said. The carpeting, for instance, is made up of carpet squares. If one square becomes damaged it can be removed and replaced.

Besides saving money, that also reduces waste, Sorci said.

Students who want to take classes at the new campus can register at the Brooksville, Dade City, New Port Richey or Spring Hill campuses, or through online registration if they’re a current student.

Open registration begins on Nov. 12. The spring course schedule is available at www.phcc.edu/schedule.

Median trees are safe, but community help is needed

November 6, 2013 By B.C. Manion

A county official has assured residents of Lutz that Hillsborough County will remove just a few of the 135 trees in the medians of U.S. 41, as the highway runs through the community.

Rob Seuss, the county’s division director for public works operations, told residents “there are four live oaks that have become sight distance issues (for motorists) that must be removed.”

Officials says Hillsborough County no longer plans to rev up the chainsaws to take out more than 100 trees in the medians along U.S. 41 through Lutz. (file photo)

His remarks came during an evening meeting on Oct. 29 at the Lutz Community Center that was attended by about 50 people.

Walmart donated $5,000 to help cover tree maintenance costs, but the actual costs are about $11,000 a year, Seuss said. So, additional efforts are being made to find sponsorships from local businesses or community groups.

The preservation of the trees, however, does not hinge on raising private funds, Seuss said.

“The county is committed and we will continue to maintain this,” he said. “The trees will remain.”

Keep Tampa Bay Beautiful has agreed to take on the task of seeking additional private sponsors and also managing the contract for crews to maintain the medians.

Professional help is needed because the trees are in the middle of a busy highway, said Daisy Packer, environmental program coordinator for Keep Tampa Bay Beautiful. Her group is also interested in working with groups or individuals that want to adopt a portion of the road — or the entire stretch — to pick up litter.

Road adopters commit to a two-year contract, which involves four cleanups a year, Packer said.

“We provide gloves, bags, garbage bags and safety training,” she added.

Besides keeping the area attractive, adopting a road is a great way to build a sense of community because it encourages neighbors to get out and meet each other, Packer said.

The Lutz Citizens Coalition recently signed on to adopt Sunset Lane. And, the GFWC Lutz-Land O’ Lakes Woman’s Club has been cleaning up Lutz Lake Fern Road for years.

While some groups are interested in adopting roads, others are more interested in doing community plantings, Packer said. That can be arranged.

Anyone who wants to help cover the costs of maintaining the trees in the U.S. 41 median, help keep area roads clean, or participate in community plantings should call Packer at (813) 221-8733.

Business Digest 11-6-13

November 6, 2013 By Michael Hinman

Tax collector launches new website
The Pasco Tax Collector’s office has launched a new website it says will allow taxpayers the opportunity to glean various services provided by the office.
The site was launched on Nov. 1, and will not only answer common questions about those needing the tax office, but also can be used to submit online job applications, receive news and announcements, and send questions directly to the tax collector, Mike Fasano.

Belk wants pants for Purple Heart
Belk, located at 2111 Collier Parkway in Land O’ Lakes, is offering a trade up for customers who bring in “gently used” pairs of pants for the Purple Heart Service Foundation.
Between Nov. 8 and Nov. 11, those who donate can then purchase a pair of Haggar pants for less than $30. Those days will also include visits from members of the Military Order of the Purple Heart Chapter 0087 to thank customers for their donations.
Last year, Belk collected five cartons of pants. They have set a goal of 20 cartons for this year.

BNI to have breakfast event
Business Network International, or BNI, is hosting a visitor’s day breakfast meeting at the Plantation Palms Golf Club, 23253 Plantation Palms Blvd. in Land O’ Lakes, on Nov. 12 from 7:30 a.m. to 9 a.m.
BNI is an international organization with more than 6,200 chapters and 139,000 members, which generated more than 7.1 million referrals representing more than $3.3 billion worth of business for its members last year, according to the group.
For more information, call Nikki Denzik at (813) 422-4438.

Florida Hospital Zephyrhills gets new CNO
Gwen Alonso is the new chief nursing officer for Florida Hospital Zephyrhills, overseeing all nursing departments in the 139-bed acute care facility.
Alonso brings more than 30 years of nursing experience to the role, and has been on the staff of Florida Hospital Zephyrhills since 2003.
Before her recent promotion to CNO, Alonso was associate vice president of cardiac services, a position she’s had since 2010. Before that, she was the administrative director of cardiovascular services, and the critical care director.
Alonso previously worked at Regional Medical Center Bayonet Point from 1981 to 2003, in various nursing and nurse leadership positions there during her tenure.
Alonso has a master’s degree in nursing from the University of South Florida, and a bachelor’s degree in nursing from Southern Adventist University. She received her associate’s degree from Hillsborough Community College.

Lennar new title sponsor for clay shoot
Lennar Homes is the new title sponsor for the second annual Wiregrass Ranch Classic Clay Shoot, which takes place Nov. 9 at the Tampa Bay Sporting Clays.
Lennar has donated $10,000 to the Wiregrass Ranch Foundation and the Porter family, and money raised at the event would help local charities, schools and projects throughout Pasco County.
Last year’s clay shoot raised nearly $20,000 for the local Big Brothers Big Sisters organization, and $30,000 toward local high school scholarships.

WellCare appoints Gallitano interim CEO
David J. Gallitano is the new interim chief executive officer of WellCare Health Plans Inc., replacing Alec Cunningham while the company’s board of directors conducts a nationwide search for his permanent successor.
“Alec’s contributions to WellCare have been significant,” Gallitano said in a release. “As the company continues to expand and grow, the board felt that it was necessary to identify a new experienced leader to help write the next chapter for WellCare.”
Gallitano, who has been a part of the board since 2009, was named its chair last May. He is president of Tucker Advisors Inc., a private investment and advisory firm.
He has a bachelor’s degree from George Washington University, and a master’s degree from the University of Chicago.

Connerton’s $1,000 Grand Tour
Connerton, the planned community of 8,000 homes in central Pasco County, is offering visitors a chance to win $1,000 by taking part in its grand tour of homes.
Builders taking part in the tour include Ryland Homes, Taylor Morrison, M/I Homes, and Homes by WestBay. Each offers different types of homes ranging in price from the higher $100,000, to more than $700,000.
Ryland can be reached at (813) 996-1800, or at Ryland.com. Taylor Morrison is at (866) 495-6006, or at TaylorMorrison.com. M/I is at (813) 388-6836, or at MIHomes.com, while WestBay can be reached at (813) 428-5973, or at HomesByWestBay.com.
Connerton is located west of Interstate 75 on U.S. 41, five miles north of State Road 54.
For more information, visit Connerton.com.

BizGrow 2.0 coming to Pasco
Pasco-Hernando Community College in New Port Richey is hosting BizGrow 2.0, a conference and entrepreneur exchange, Nov. 8 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on the school’s campus.
Registration is $35 per person, and includes lunch, sponsored by BB&T.
The conference is designed for entrepreneurs, business owners and startups, as well as those involved in growing companies.
Some of the business leaders who will be featured include Marcus and M.J. Price of Goin’ Postal, Travis Bond of Caresync, Ana Abraham of MB2x, Mike Froning of Adams Arms Inc., and Jonathan Brewer of EarthWorks Environmental Inc.
For more information, including sponsorship opportunities, contact Summer Martin at the Pasco Economic Development Council at .

Rodriguez earns RockTape certification
Robert Rodriguez Jr., of HealthSource of Wesley Chapel Chiropractic and Progressive Wellness, is now a certified and advanced RockTape provider. He completed a course in myofascial movement and kinesio taping to earn the certification, which complements his other skills as a chiropractic assistant and X-ray technologist.
RockTape is a form of myofascial kinesiology, which allows the muscle or joints to continue to move through its full range of motion without losing stability or impeding circulation.
For more information on the business, call (813) 907-9553.

Small business expo coming to Dade City
The Greater Dade City Chamber of Commerce will host its 2013 Small Business Expo Nov. 14 from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the Hampton Inn, 13214 U.S. 301 in Dade City.
The event is free, and is open to the public.
For more information, call (352) 567-3769, or visit www.DadeCityChamber.org.

Ross makes staff changes
U.S. Rep. Dennis Ross, R-Lakeland, has promoted Kyle Glenn to legislative director in his congressional office. He also added Christa Johnson as a legislative analyst, who will work in Ross’ Washington, D.C. office.
Glenn was Ross’ previous legislative analyst in his Washington office, while Johnson was a staff assistant for Congress’ Committee on Financial Services.

Developers detour elevated road after concerns raised

October 30, 2013 By Michael Hinman

Plans to build a 33-mile elevated highway across Pasco County hit its first roadblock last week after the developer of the project reportedly asked for more time.

The Florida Department of Transportation agreed to leave open its request for other competing proposals until December, six weeks after its original deadline of Oct. 23. Wayne Middleton, a partner with International Infrastructure Partners LLC — the company that is looking to build the road — said a recent report from the Urban Land Institute, as well as a recommendation to build a managed bus line along the route, instead prompted their request for a delay.

If an elevated road like this one near downtown Tampa is ever built in Pasco County, it will take a little longer. International Infrastructure Partners, which proposed the privately funded project, has received a six-week extension from state transportation officials as it possibly rethinks its strategy. (File photo)

“Given these reasons and the anticipated additional cost to build, IIP and its partners need more time and clarity from all parties affected as well as those parties that will benefit from our proposal,” Middleton said in a letter to the FDOT.

That delay will give other groups until Dec. 9 to submit their proposals and pay the $10,000 application fee, according to FDOT spokeswoman Kris Carson.

The Urban Land Institute has yet to provide a detailed report of its findings studying growth issues in Pasco County. However, in a presentation made to Pasco County Commissioners earlier this month, the independent growth and development analytical group did express concern about plans to build the elevated toll road.

Charles Long, a consultant from Oakland, Calif., who addressed transportation issues in the county on behalf of ULI, said the biggest problem about the elevated road proposal was the speed of which it was coming together.

“We think it would be important to step back and have a regional discussion about all the options and all the funding choices before you actually move ahead with that project,” he said. “That project is going to have very, very significant negative impacts, and that is not something you want to rush into.”

John Knott Jr., of CityCraft Ventures LLC of Charleston, S.C., who also joined in the ULI presentation, quoted what he said was an old saying in the business: “If you’re a hammer, you’re always looking for the nail.”

“If you plan for transportation, you will get more transit, and you will get more traffic,” he said. “If you get more quality of life, and look at the underlying issues and attack them, you can generally end up with multiple solutions that are generally less costly and create a high quality of life.”

IIP proposed the elevated road in June, requesting the state give up median right of way along the State Road 54/56 corridor so that such a privately funded road could be built. The developers didn’t offer cost estimates, but using the six-mile elevated portion of the Lee Roy Selmon Expressway as a model from 2004, it could cost at least $70 million per mile to build, or a total price tag of $2.3 billion.

Although FDOT answered various questions about its request for proposals believed to be from various groups interested, Carson said no other bids were received by the Oct. 23 deadline. If the same happens by the December deadline, IIP could be the only private builder standing.

The road has met some opposition in the county, primarily from businesses afraid of potential customers bypassing them on an elevated road. John Hagen, president and chief executive of the Pasco Economic Development Council, however, told The Laker/Lutz News last week that the only people planning to take the road were those likely not going to stop at local businesses along the way anyway.

“The idea that you’re going to attract more business somehow as we turn the place into a parking lot is something to rethink here,” Hagen said. “A way for local businesses to get more business is to separate out the people who are not planning to stop anyway — who are just wanting to get across the county — and opening up the surface roads to local traffic.”

Classical Prep will extend beyond reading, writing, arithmetic

October 30, 2013 By B.C. Manion

When Berean Academy closed its doors in Lutz in 2011, it left many families wondering where their children would get the classical brand of education the school offered.

It was a difficult time for families, but it spurred one parent, Anne Corcoran, to begin investigating what it would take to set up a school that would offer that style of education to any child.

Next school year, Classical Preparatory — a new charter school offering a liberal arts education — will open near State Road 52 at the edge of Land O’ Lakes. It will be the first public school in Florida to offer a classical education, said Corcoran, the new school’s board president.

The acquisition of the school site is nearly complete, and the school itself is in the design stage, but Corcoran is confident that classes for kindergarten through eighth-graders will begin in the fall of 2014.

The Pasco County School Board approved the charter school for five years last year, but agreed to delay opening of the school for a year to give its board more time to finalize plans.

The curriculum will emphasize writing, public speaking, character, leadership and critical and analytical thinking. It’s a style of education that dates back to Plato and Socrates, Corcoran said.

“The point is training the mind,” she said. “And training the mind includes the virtues of a classical education. If you can’t exercise self-control, if you can’t exercise responsibility and can’t have respect for others or be trustworthy, you’re not going to be a very good citizen.”

The school will emphasize seven character traits: humility, perseverance, responsibility, respect, self-control, citizenship and trustworthiness. It is important that students learn how to think things through and learn how to make good choices, Corcoran said.

“If you don’t know how to make good choices in life, then other people are going to be making choices for you,” she said.

When Classical Prep opens, it is expected to have 342 lottery-selected students in kindergarten through eighth-grade. The school will add a grade each year after that until it has a senior class, Corcoran said.

At its maximum under the current charter, the school will have 518 students.

A lottery will fill the school the first year as well as open slots in later years. Students already enrolled will earn automatic admission for the siblings without having to go through the lottery.

The school will have rigorous academic expectations, Corcoran said.

Students in middle school will be required to take two logic courses. High school students will be required to take four years of math, science, English and history, along with classes in the fine arts and humanities. Latin will start in third grade and go through eighth, also required.

Students will be expected to deliver oral presentations, even when they are quite young, Corcoran said.

“Learning to speak well, that is teaching you how to think because you have to memorize. You have to be able to say something cogently. You have to use certain vocabulary. Learning to speak teaches you to think,” she said.

Learning how to write well also builds thinking skills, she added.

The school’s board looked at four models of classical schools while laying the groundwork for Classical Preparatory in Land O’ Lakes, Corcoran said. They were found in Brooklyn, N.Y.; Washington, D.C.; Phoenix; and Fort Collins, Colo.

The school they’ve worked with most is Ridge View Classical in Fort Collins. It’s a charter school serving about 900 children in a community similar to Land O’ Lakes.

While many charter schools are established to promote study in a particular area, such as dramatic arts, engineering or other specialty areas, classical education is intended to train students how to be critical and analytical thinkers.

The school won’t begin accepting applications until January and the lottery won’t be until early March. However, the school is accepting letters of application and has launched a website.

The school will use information collected from the letters of interest to keep parents informed of specific deadlines for submitting an application to enter the lottery and other types of information, Corcoran said. It will also help the school’s board with its planning.

For more information about the school, visit www.ClassicalPrep.org.

Young robotics pioneers finish second in X Prize competition

October 30, 2013 By B.C. Manion

While being No. 2 doesn’t have quite the same cache as taking home top honors, it’s not such a bad consolation prize when the contest pits creative kids from across the world.

At least, that’s how Ray Carr is looking at the second-place finish his son’s team achieved in the X Prize “After Earth” competition.

Shown here, left to right, are Sean Carr, R.J. Walters and Ross Edwards, who placed second in an international competition that aimed to encourage young people to think about ecology and robotic design. (File photo)

Sean Carr and his teammates, Ross Edwards and R.J. Walters, finished second to a team from Missouri in the competition, which drew entries from young pioneers spanning four continents. Other countries competing included Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Poland, India, Egypt, Hungary, Singapore and Oman.

The trio of local 14-year-olds would have preferred to win, of course, but they’re taking a philosophical attitude. They said they had fun rising to the challenge and learned how to be better teammates.

The contest was based on the movie “After Earth,” starring Will Smith and Jaden Smith. The sponsor, X Prize Foundation, uses competitions to address “the world’s grand challenges,” according to its website.

In this case, the teams explored ways to make Earth more sustainable and how to use robotics to investigate the potential for a new settlement for humans.

Ray Carr coached the young men, who are also members of the Trinity Dragons robotics team.

As part of the competition, the team designed and built a robot that can scoot across a surface, lift small buckets and deliver them to where they need to go, and then return to its base.

While the robot seemingly acts on its own, it actually completes its work through computer programming and infrared sensors. It carries out its tasks in a fictitious place, called Nova Prime.

The team also produced a video that tells the story of their imaginary world. It opens with images of what’s going wrong with Earth — traffic jams, billowing smokestacks, parched earth, landfills and a dead bird. It then pans to a view of Carr’s backyard in Lutz, where fish thrive in water tanks, which provide water and nutrients to a flower and vegetable garden in a system. That in turn produces fish and organic vegetables, using very little water.

The video features a lively musical soundtrack and an entertaining look at the steps the team followed to create and program the robot.

Other portions of the video show the rover coming together and the construction of Nova Prime.

Ray Carr said that even though they placed second, the team is included in a montage on the recently released “After Earth” DVD.

For making it to the final round, the team received a Lego Mindstorms robotic kit and a Sony Handycam video camera.

Competing in these kinds of contests is a great way to learn, Ray Carr said.

“Edison said he learned 3,000 ways not to make a lightbulb,” he said. “That’s what they did, too.”

Riders revved up to fight diabetes at Cycle-a-Thon

October 30, 2013 By B.C. Manion

Pura Cycling Studio is taking aim in the fight against diabetes by hosting a Cycle-a-Thon on Nov. 9.

The ride will take place from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m., with giveaways every hour.

Riders will participate in 45-minute heart-pumping rides to do their bit in the movement to stop diabetes, said Stephanie Farquhar, who co-owns the cycling studio along with Alfio Carroccetto.

The event, being held in conjunction with the cycling studio’s first anniversary, will feature chance drawings, goodie bags and T-shirts, and will offer information to help reduce the risk of diabetes.

Fresh Healthy Café At Wiregrass will cater the event, and chance tickets will be sold on prizes donated by Nutrition S’Mart of Wesley Chapel, Massage Envy Wesley Chapel, Tampa Bay MatchMakers, Polar USA, Fitniche Wiregrass and others.

Those taking part in the fundraiser will donate $25 for each session on the stationery bicycles at the studio. Some of the studio’s regulars have already signed up to do two sessions, Farquhar said.

All of the proceeds from the event will benefit the American Diabetes Association.

The business was motivated to do the fundraiser because the diabetes organization reached out, asking for help and because the owners know people who have the disease. Farquhar said she was surprised to learn that the disease affects so many people and that it has such far-reaching health and medical cost implications.

Nearly 26 million children and adults in the United States have diabetes, and another 79 million are at risk for developing type 2 diabetes, according to the American Diabetes Association.

Recent estimates project that as many as one in three American adults will have diabetes by 2050 unless steps are taken to stop the disease, the organization said.

Two out of three people who have diabetes die from heart disease or stroke, according to the diabetes association. It is also the leading cause of new blindness among adults, and people who have the disease are 10 times more likely to undergo an amputation than those without it.

It’s also a very expensive health problem, with the average medical expenditure for people with diabetes being 2.3 times higher than without it, the association reports.

Anyone wishing to participate in the fundraiser can reserve a spot, call (813) 501-2124.

Dale Mabry roadwork comes with new sidewalks

October 30, 2013 By Michael Hinman

There typically aren’t a lot of pedestrians making their way along North Dale Mabry Highway just south of County Line Road. But that doesn’t mean there might not be someday.

Work is starting to wrap up on a sidewalk construction project along both sides of the highway between Van Dyke and County Line roads that has created delays on North Dale Mabry for weeks. It’s part of an overall road-resurfacing project designed to make the drive smoother for traffic coming into — and out of — Pasco County.

The new sidewalks and boardwalks along North Dale Mabry Highway will span nearly four miles on both sides, and should help lower pedestrian accidents in the area. (Photo by Michael Hinman)

“It’s pretty much our policy that when we go in and resurface a road, where applicable, we’ll put in sidewalks and we’ll put in bike lanes where needed,” said Florida Department of Transportation spokeswoman Kris Carson. “The Florida area, especially Tampa Bay, has been hit really hard with pedestrian fatalities and bicycle fatalities. This is one way to help prevent that.”

The overall project costs $5 million over 3.6 miles. The sidewalks account for $590,000 of that total, while boardwalks in certain places are just under $390,000.

Although some subdivisions exist along North Dale Mabry, the primary residents along the road are actually businesses. That includes a shopping center on the corner of North Dale Mabry and Lutz Lake Fern Road.

The businesses along the route typically have their own parking, and pedestrian traffic isn’t exactly encouraged. But building sidewalks might attract more people to go by foot, especially now that there’s solid ground away from fast-moving traffic, Carson said.

In 2011, 4,432 pedestrians and 677 cyclists were killed across the country, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The numbers are slowly dropping, thanks in part to a bigger focus on pedestrian safety along roads, Carson said. That’s especially true for cyclists, where annual fatalities were well more than 800 during the 1990s.

In a nine-year span last decade, cars and trucks in the Tampa Bay area killed more than 900 pedestrians and cyclists, according to a 2011 study from the group Transportation for America. The region trailed only Orlando in total deaths during that time.

The North Dale Mabry project started in July, and should be done by spring. For more information on the project, call (813) 612-3300, or email .

County must find ways to work with cities, ULI says

October 30, 2013 By Michael Hinman

“Just say no” is the mantra Pasco County officials have been told to adopt when it comes to new development. That is, until they get to the eastern side of the county.

Often overlooked in favor of the coastal side of the county, and more recently the southern tier, Zephyrhills and Dade City have a lot going for them. And county commissioners need to pay close attention to make it work right.

That was the advice of the Urban Land Institute, the independent growth and development analytical group that have explored the ins and outs of the county. Experts from the group made their first major presentation to commissioners earlier this month, telling them they have to work much closer with the communities, both incorporated and not.

“The regional plan of the county and the plans of the towns need to be bought forward and aligned,” said Dan Slone, a ULI representative from Richmond, Va. “Towns need to participate. They need to develop standards that align with the surrounding area.”

That means even cities like Zephyrhills and Dade City will have to plan not just for the growth of those in those municipalities, but also for the county as a whole. County commissioners and city leaders have to work together as one team to promote progress in Pasco.

Ways to do that include matching design standards, for instance. Right now, Zephyrhills may prefer new buildings constructed in one way that’s different from Dade City, which in turn may be different from Port Richey. And all may be much different from what Pasco County is doing.

Both the towns and the county need to find common ground on areas that could affect overall growth, and then stay on that same page moving forward.

“You can’t separate the towns from your development area, but they will have to harmonize,” Slone said. “They don’t have to say the same thing, as with any song, you’re weaker if everyone is the same. They need to be different notes, but they need to work together.”

That would then expand city issues into countywide ones. Like how Zephyrhills may deal with brownfields, for example. Brownfields are open land that was once used for something else, typically contaminating the soil underneath.

Yet, while many think of chemical contamination from factories and the like, Zephyrhills City Councilwoman Jodi Wilkeson says her community deals more with contamination caused by high-density agriculture. And now, Zephyrhills is looking at how they can convert that land for future use.

“There are several thousand acres that are assembled in this corridor around the Zephyrhills industrial area,” Wilkeson said, pointing out the city’s municipal airport area off Chancey Road. “There really is a very focused target there for big users, but there is going to need to be some incentives available to get those big users.”

City officials already are working on a plan to widen runways at the Zephyrhills airport to 100 feet from the current 75, which they hope will accommodate larger planes. And while they may have missed out on opportunities to lure in companies like Amazon.com in recent months, there could be other possibilities.

Michele Baker, Pasco’s county administrator, agrees that more collaboration is needed.

“We cannot do it alone,” she said. “It requires better dialogue between us and the cities, and us and the development community to seek out the opportunities for us to take advantage of.”

Obstacles facing Pasco County
The Urban Land Institute outlined the key areas that are holding Pasco County back. They include:
• Absorption and Projections — Approved growth far exceeds the county’s absorption capacity, meaning it will take decades for all the approved developments to actually be built.
• Sustainable Site Systems — Pasco needs to increase the priority for quality of life services, like affordable housing and transportation.
• Transportation Planning and Funding — Pasco needs to collaborate on regional transportation services, working with other counties to make everything connect.
• Economic Development — The biggest focus here must be on the medical industry as well as ecotourism.
• Shaping Strategies — County planners have to think further out with more effective plans to make future growth work.
• Leadership — Get rid of old habits. It’s holding the county back.
• Fiscal — The overall vision needs funding. That means reconsidering the gas tax, and possibly increasing the tourism room tax.