The Laker/Lutz News

Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

Zephyrhills/East Pasco News

Festival-goers determined to have fun, despite frigid weather

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Seventeen-year-old Chase Jordan was among several Pasco High students who volunteered behind the plastic safety shield, while serving customers who were buying fruit at the Kumquat Growers patio. Kumquat Growers also displayed and sold various kumquat products. (Fred Bellet)

Folks attending the Kumquat Festival in Dade City last weekend had at least two things in common: They bundled up to brave the brisk weather, and they helped to mark the festival’s quarter-century anniversary.

Normally, the late January festival benefits from weather that typically is not too hot, or not too cold — but just right for strolling along downtown streets, with their quaint storefronts and hundreds of vendors on hand to offer all sorts of specialty items.

This year, though, an arctic blast reached into the nation’s southeast region causing much colder-than-usual weather for the festival.

Still, people turned out from all over — from places such as Dade City, Tampa, Wesley Chapel, Trinity, Lakeland, The Villages, Spring Hill and other locales.

They were there, enjoying the blue sky and sunshine — and tasting the kumquat pie, purchasing kumquats, grabbing a bite to eat and doing a bit of shopping.

Published February 02, 2022

After buying a slice of kumquat refrigerator pie, Bill Coleman, of Zephyrhills, takes a taste before his wife, Connie, gets to have her taste.
Who would expect Lady Denny, a.k.a. April Collins, of Spring Hill, to be at the Kumquat Festival? Collins, portraying a ‘Lady in Waiting,’ was there to let people attending the Kumquat Festival know about the upcoming Renaissance Festival, that will be at the Withlacoochee River Park, in Dade City.
An albino skunk isn’t fazed a bit by the Winnie-the-Pooh Eeyore hat that Susan Samson, of Trinity, is wearing. Samson was finishing a beverage at the Hug-A-Skunk booth hosted by Florida Skunk Rescue. Della Etters of the group, who is from the city of Hernando in Citrus County, holds a two-year old skunk named ‘Minerva.’
With the Kumquat Growers booth divided by a plastic safety shield, Dade City resident Diane Knight, right, makes her selection from the bags of Meiwa and Nagami-type kumquats for sale. Meiwa kumquats are sweet when eaten whole, skin and all. The Nagami is somewhat sweet, but when eaten whole, the skin adds to the tartness to the tiny citrus fruit.
Zephyrhills resident Jason Aiken hawks bottles of his kumquat-infused honey, at the Kumquat Festival in Dade City. Aiken offered several varieties of pure and local raw honey for sale at his vendor’s tent. Melissa Stebbins, of Dade City, was there to help with sales.
It was a day of firsts for Ayden Pressley, of Dade City. Not only did his grandfather James Pressley, of Dade City, bring him to is first Kumquat Festival, but the three-year-old experienced the Hug-A-Skunk feature sponsored by Florida Skunk Rescue. He is holding a skunk named Oreo, but the creature closely resembled the cartoon character named Pepe le Pew. Ayden’s 8-year-old brother, E.J. Amour, also got a chance to hug Oreo.
Bridget White, of Wesley Chapel, may have been colder than the slices of kumquat refrigerator pie she and other volunteers from the Sacred Heart Early Childhood Center were selling from their tent at the Kumquat Festival. The group was ready for lots of sales: They had 750 pies, each cut into eight slices.
Wilfred Viens, of Zephyrhills, finds the kumquat refrigerator pie to be quite tart, at first taste. But that didn’t stop him from finishing the entire slice that he purchased from the Catholic Women’s Club of St. Anthony’s Church.

 

 

 

 

Zephyrhills seeks input on resiliency, economics

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The City of Zephyrhills is hosting a public workshop to gather community input and to discuss the creation of an Economic Development and Resiliency Plan, according to a city news release.

The meeting is set for Jan. 27 from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., at the City Hall Council Chambers, 5335 Eighth St., in Zephyrhills.

The city will be engaging the public to identity existing assets, and conduct an analysis of strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats — to create an economic development and resiliency plan, the news release says.

The new plan is intended to provide city staff and elected officials with a concise vision for the future. It will establish goals and implementation strategies to strengthen the city’s market position and its ability to withstand economic stresses, the release adds.

The document ultimately will be a guide for future plan and policy decisions. The exercise will be facilitated by Kimley-Horn.

Published January 26, 2022

It’s Kumquat Festival time again, in Dade City

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Maybe you’ve never heard of a kumquat.

Or, perhaps you have —  but have never tasted one.

It’s possible, too, that you’ve never visited Dade City — the county seat of Pasco County, with a stately historic courthouse in its town square and quaint shops lining its downtown streets.

An event coming up on Jan. 29 — the 25th annual Kumquat Festival — could change all that.

The festival, which is the flagship event for The Greater Dade City Chamber of Commerce, offers a chance for the East Pasco community to share its old-fashioned Southern charm, while also showing off its fair city.

(File)

The festival celebrates the kumquat — a fruit grown in nearby St. Joe, which is known as the Kumquat Festival of the World.

Those wanting to know more about the tiny, tart fruit — sometimes called the ‘little gold gem of the citrus family’ — can visit the “Kumquat Growers” at the Wells Fargo parking lot. Besides increasing their knowledge about kumquats, they can purchase some to take home, too.

“They’ll be lots of food and beverage opportunities, including those that are in our brick-and-mortar restaurants,” said John Moors, executive director of the Dade City Chamber.

“There will be entertainment around town in different locations, provided by the restaurants and bars, and so on,” he added.

Moors also noted that downtown is entirely wet-zoned, meaning people can enjoy alcoholic beverages while strolling through the district.

They’ll be able to “have a glass of wine or a kumquat beer, and enjoy the arts and the crafts, and the whole experience,” Moors said.

Parking will be available in public and private lots, throughout downtown, he said.

He also expects plenty of kumquats and kumquat products available for purchase.

The annual event is a testimony to Dade City’s community spirit, Moors said.

“The community pulls together to make this happen. It’s just an absolute, wonderful 25 years of community support. We couldn’t do it without all of the volunteers,” he added.

When one festival ends, planning for the next one begins.

Last year, the event took place in March because of concerns about the pandemic.

But it turned out that the weather was a bit too warm, plus there was a caterpillar invasion, so this year the festival is being held at its normal time, in January.

“What we have done over the past couple of years, because of the (COVID-19) conditions that we now face, is that we have reduced somewhat, the size of the festival,” Moors said.

The idea is to ensure that everybody is comfortable and as safe as possible, he said.

At one point, there were more than 400 vendors; this year, it’s between 275 and 300.

“The upside of that, though, is that we have really focused on quality vendors,” Moors said, mentioning vendors offer unique items, as well as high-caliber arts and crafts.

The Kumquat Festival is designed to appeal to people of all ages.

There’s a Kid’s Corral for the youngsters. There are plenty of options for those who enjoy shopping — either at the temporary vendors, or the downtown shops.

Festival-goers who are hungry can choose from local restaurants, or from an array of food trucks.

Quilt enthusiasts can check out a show near the fountain at the historic courthouse, and there’s also a car and truck show in the parking lot of the Robert D. Sumner Judicial Courthouse.

And, there will be a farmer’s market, too.

Organizers encourage those visiting to stay well-hydrated and to take a break, if they’re feeling tired.

Several picnic tables will be set up, so people can relax. Portable toilets and hand-sanitizing stations also will be situated throughout the festival area.

While many vendors take credit cards, there are many that do not. The festival’s Live Event Map indicates the location of available ATMs.

While the chamber coordinates the event, “our volunteers take off and run the whole thing,” Moors said.

“The first group that morning shows up about 4:30, to get the vendors placed,” he said. “And then there’s people (volunteers) all day long.”

25th Annual Kumquat Festival
When: Jan 29, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Where: Downtown Dade City
Cost: Free admission; parking available in public and private lots in downtown
Details: Visitors can enjoy a slice of kumquat pie, drink a glass of kumquat beer and take home some kumquats or a variety of goodies celebrating the tiny orange-colored fruit.
Info: DadeCityChamber.org, or contact The Greater Dade City Chamber of Commerce at 352-567-3769 or

Directions to Dade City

  • From Interstate 75, go east on State Road 52 toward downtown Dade City
  • From U.S. Highway 301, go north or south on U.S. 301 and follow toward downtown Dade City

On Festival Day, Jan. 29, there will be an information booth at the intersection of Seventh Street and Meridian Avenue. Also, sponsors and vendors can be found on the Live Event Map, at KumquatFestival.org. It also lists food and restroom locations.

Published January 26, 2022

Museum receives funding

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Florida Humanities, the statewide, nonprofit affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH), has awarded the Pioneer Florida Museum & Village a $15,000 grant for general operating costs to help recover from the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a news release from the museum.

Portraying a Confederate courier, Chuck Sheridan, of Sanford, delivers a message to Gen. Harding. (File)

“The American Rescue Plan funding will help us keep the current staff we have and pay our bills at the Pioneer Florida Museum,” Stephanie Bracknell Black, the museum’s executive director, said in the release. “It will allow us to continue to serve our community. We are so very grateful for the American Rescue Plan grant and for Florida Humanities being able to get these funds to organizations like ours that continue to feel the hardships and work to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic,” Black added.

The NEH received $135 million from the American Rescue Plan (ARP) Act of 2021.

The state humanities councils, including Florida Humanities, each received a portion of the NEH award to support museums, archives, historic sites and other humanities-focused nonprofits. The Pioneer Florida Museum was one of 129 organizations in Florida that was awarded ARP funding totaling $1.88 million from Florida Humanities, the new release says.

“The grants are intended to meet immediate operational needs in order for organizations to remain viable and maintain delivery of public humanities programming and resources in their communities. Florida Humanities received 188 applications for ARP funding, with nonprofits requesting the most funds for staffing and utilities.

Six-year-old Gregory Jacobsen holds his ears during the booming sounds coming from the 12-pound Mountain Howitzers. This was the young boy’s first experience of seeing a Civil War re-enactment. He was there with his dad, Benjamin Jacobsen, of Tampa.

Dr. Nashid Madyun, executive director of Florida Humanities, said in the release that the funds provide a safety net for the organizations so they can focus on other priorities, such as fundraising and creating programming.

“For smaller nonprofits, when bills are paid and staff are safe and intact, that type of alleviation is immeasurable,” he said. “Florida Humanities is honored to provide a lifeline to our state’s cultural and historic organizations, ensuring they continue to enrich their local communities, and the Sunshine State at large, for years to come,” Madyun said, in the release.

Funding for this grant was provided by Florida Humanities with funds from the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) as part of the American Rescue Plan (ARP) and NEH’s Sustaining the Humanities through the American Rescue Plan (SHARP) initiative.

The Pioneer Florida Museum & Village is a nonprofit organization dedicated to historic preservation and education of Florida’s pioneer heritage.

It regularly hosts events that offer fun ways to learn about history and give families the opportunity to enjoy affordable, entertaining outings.

The museum is located a mile north of downtown Dade City, is just off U.S. 301, at 15602 Pioneer Museum Road.

For more information, call the museum at 352-567-0262, visit its website at PioneerFloridaMuseum.org or its Facebook page, at Facebook.com/pioneerfloridamuseum.

Published January 19, 2022

Dade City Police Department unveils strategic plan

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The Dade City Police Department has finalized its four-year strategic plan — running through 2025 — designed to guide the agency through a wave of growth and development within the East Pasco municipality.

The 21-page report — condensed into a PowerPoint — was presented in detail by Dr. James Sewell, a former assistant commissioner for the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE), during a Dec. 14 Dade City Commission meeting.

The Dade City Police Department has updated its four-year strategic vision plan, which runs through 2025. (File)

Sewell, of St. Petersburg, is known for helping law enforcement agencies in charting a road map for their future through the creation and implementation of their strategic plans.

He contracted with the Dade City Police Department to articulate the department’s vision, mission and values.

The strategic plan process, led by Sewell, included collaborative working groups, involving Dade City Police staff as well as residents, educators, business professionals, nonprofits, retirees and other stakeholders.

Sewell explained the broad strokes of the department’s vision to commissioners.

He said it seeks to foster “a community and a police department that work together.”

The department also wants to ensure that Dade City is “a safe place to live, work and visit,” Sewell said.

“The vision of the police department is to protect you — real simple,” the law enforcement expert said.

His experience includes serving as chief of the Gulfport Police Department from 1986-1990 and then later leading the Florida Criminal Justice Executive Institute.

He said the Dade City department must base its actions on these fundamental values:

  • Respect for the community and the people it serves
  • Integrity of the organization and the individuals within it
  • Professionalism among employees and their conduct
  • Service to the community

The department’s plan over the next four years encompasses four primary goals, tied together by 17 “action-focused” strategies and 91 objectives.

These four general goals are:

  • To maintain a safe community through effective enforcement, education, and citizen involvement
  • To provide a professional work environment that attracts and retains diverse, qualified personnel, recognizes employee excellence, and promotes leadership through education and training
  • To ensure agency and individual accountability by effective and efficient use of equipment, facilities and technology
  • To ensure the department keeps pace with the needs of the city brought on by increases in residential population, households served and commercial growth

A key finding that emerged during the planning exercise involves the need to maintain and enhance positive relationships and outreach programs for local youth, Sewell said.

He explained, “Where we see problems oftentimes in communities is with young people, who don’t perhaps respect the values and activities of the police, as adults do, so we want to make sure we’re doing some stuff with those youth.”

Accreditation through the Commission for Florida Law Enforcement Accreditation (CFA) is another notable priority for the department and concerned citizenry: “That becomes your standard by which agencies are measured, and we believe that it’s time. If you look at an effective hospital or school system, they are accredited by some professional body,” Sewell said.

He commended Dade City decisionmakers for investing in the department, including equipment, facilities and technology upgrades, as well as a take-home car program.

“You’ve got a great department and great leadership, and as I’ve found, from the work during the summer — a great group of citizens who want to be involved,” Sewell said.

Dade City Mayor Camille Hernandez expressed appreciation to Sewell for his work and for the involvement of concerned citizens who took part in the process.

She lauded the law enforcement agency’s “excellent leadership and wonderful men and women.

“We are very, very proud of them, and are forever grateful, especially during these kinds of unprecedented times all over,” the mayor said.

She also underscored the importance of the department completing the forward-looking plan, given “so many things happening” within the city limits concerning growth and development.

She said she hopes that moving forward the city will continue to provide support and resources needed to help the Dade City Police Department to do a good job — and to keep both law enforcement and the citizens they serve, safe.

Much discussion in recent months has surrounded how the law enforcement agency will manage the municipality’s impending residential and commercial growth and development.

At full strength, the city has budgeted for 27 full-time sworn officers for fiscal year 2021-2022. That number of officers — as well as accompanying police budgetary resources — will have to grow in coming years, to keep pace with the increased population, officials have said.

About 6,500 new rooftop and several commercial properties have been approved to be built over the next two decades within the city limits.

Published January 12, 2022

75-home subdivision proposed on Happy Hill

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The Pasco County Planning Commission has recommended approval of a proposed subdivision of up to 75 homes at the northwest corner of Happy Hill and Sarah Lynn Drive, in Dade City.

The land currently is zoned for agricultural and rural density use, but, if approved by the Pasco County Commission, will be rezoned to a residential-4, high-density residential district. The county board has final jurisdiction in land use and rezoning requests.

County planners also have recommended approval of the application by Distinct Development Dade City/Happy Hill Road to rezone the 18.78 acres.

The site currently consists of undeveloped hayfields.

Access to the proposed subdivision will be from Happy Hill Road, which is a county-maintained collector road.

In accordance with an interlocal agreement between the county and the City of Dade City, the county has requested a review of the subject request from the City of Dade City and has not received any comments, according to materials in the planning board’s agenda packet.

The area surrounding the site is characterized by residential development and agricultural pursuits. The site is designated in the county’s land use plan for up to six residential units per acre.

Attorney Clarke Hobby represented the applicant at the planning board’s Jan. 6 public hearing.

He told planning commissioners that his client opted for the R-4 zoning request, rather than seeking a master-planned unit development that would have yielded the potential for approximately 120 houses.

The site is “immediately adjacent to the Sweetwater apartment complex to the south. Two of the sites adjacent to this site are zoned MF-1, so they allow multifamily at considerably higher density.”

A traffic study shows that after the development occurs, Happy Hill Road “will still be at level of service A and B, depending on whether you are north or south of the site. There’s a lot of capacity there.

“There’s a lot going on in that area and there’s really two big influences in the area, that’s from the crest of the hill, down to (State Road) 52, on Happy Hill. One is, the roads, including the Clinton Extension, which you can see from these sites looking down. So, you have (State Road) 52 and the Clinton Extension, which are going to be major, major game-changers in this area.

“And then the second thing is, the City of Dade City has annexed a considerable number of parcels, not very far north of this site and now have approved basically 1,000 units with lots that are smaller than this site,” he said.

Alisa Weaver, who lives directly across the road from the proposed rezoning, urged the planning board to recommend denial of the request.

“My question is: How does this zoning change positively affect the health, safety, welfare and morals of the surrounding community? And, how does this change benefit the surrounding homeowners?

“That’s a lot of houses in a small area, and I don’t feel any of the resident homeowners are benefiting from this,” she said.

She’s concerned about traffic on Happy Hill Road.

“It’s always been a two-lane rural road,” she said.

But she pointed out, there’s already a problem with traffic and that’s likely to worsen with increased development.

The speed limit is 45 mph, and 35 mph near the school and church, she said.

“Nobody goes 45 (mph). I’ve been run off the road. I’ve got my blinker on, turning left. They go around you,” she said, adding that even county vehicles have nearly run her off the road.

“It’s very hazardous, and now we’re looking at additional homes, on top of what’s already going to go in down the road (on the land that Dade City has annexed).

“My question is: What is the county going to do to protect me and my visitors and my property? What is going to keep us safe?

“Now, is the time to support your current homeowner residents before allowing additional high-density development.

“I ask you to deny this proposal on Happy Hill Road,” she said.

Hobby told the planning board that the transportation analysis, completed by an expert in the field, showed there’s sufficient capacity on the roadway.

He also said that lot sizes in the proposed subdivision will have frontages of at least 60 feet.

The planning board unanimously recommended approval of the request.

In other action, planning commissioners recommended approval of a request by Rucks Cobblestone for a land use change to allow commercial use on 3.34 acres at the intersection of U.S. 301 and Chancey Road.

The land currently is designated for residential development, at up to nine dwellings per acre. The applicant is seeking a designation to allow commercial uses.

In recommending approval, the planning board concurred with county planners, who supported the request.

In supporting the request, county planners found that shifting the land use to commercial would “create little or no objectionable, external effect upon neighboring land uses.”

Planners also noted that the proposed commercial site is at the intersection of two arterial roadways; is not located internally to an existing single-family neighborhood and will not act as an intrusion.

Planners also found that the development intensity is limited and designed to serve the needs of the immediate neighborhoods.

The request now goes to the Pasco County Commission, which has final jurisdiction on land use and zoning issues.

Published January 12, 2022

Festival features sugar cane syrup, and moonshine

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The Pioneer Florida Museum & Village has been raisin’ cane for years, at a festival featuring the art of making syrup from Florida sugar cane.

Jasper Starnes, of Zephyrhills, doesn’t mind getting steamed up, especially when he’s working on skimming any impurities from the 60 gallons of sugar cane juice boiling in the Pioneer Florida Museum & Village Cane Mill. When complete, the juice is boiled down to 6 gallons of sugar cane syrup. (Fred Bellet)

But this year, the event on Jan. 8 added a new element — showcasing the history of moonshine.

Pasco County’s history is replete with stories about moonshiners, and this year, for the first time, the pioneer museum shared part of that history with event-goers.

Jeffro Cotton, of Lithia, volunteered to man the moonshine shed, where he talked about  ‘moonshinin’ and explained how the mash was fermented into alcohol.

Meanwhile, visitors to the event had the chance to see demonstrations of syrup-making from sugar cane and to taste entries in the Southern Syrup-Makers Association Syrup-Tasting Contest Steve Melton, of Trilby, president of the Southern Syrup-Makers Association presented Jack Whitehurst, of Williston, with the first-place ribbon for his cane sugar syrup.

This year’s event had the largest turnout ever for tasting during the event.

Whitehurst said the key to making the syrup was taking his time and doing it the way the old-timers did it.

Beyond syrup-tasting, the event also featured Tarpon Springs Distillery, which offered samples of its products, and had a couple of moonshine cocktails and bottles available for purchase.

Event-goers also had a chance to do a little shopping, grab a bite to eat, enjoy live music and stroll around the 6.5 acres of building displays.

Published January 12, 2022

Jeffro Cotton, of Lithia, volunteered to man the moonshine shed, where he talked about ‘moonshinin.’ He explained how the mash was fermented into alcohol. Leon Rookey, of Dade City, right, passes by the old still, which is covered in verdigris, the green pigment that forms on weathered copper.
Steve Melton, of Trilby, president of the Southern Syrup Makers Association, right, congratulates Jack Whitehurst, of Williston. Whitehurst won the first-place blue ribbon for his cane sugar syrup, in what was the largest turnout ever for tasting during the event. Whitehurst said the key to making the syrup was taking his time and doing it the way the old-timers did it.
Steve Melton, left, president of the Southern Syrup Makers Association, is ready for more oak wood, as Joe Moragues, a volunteer, adds it to the fire, boiling off the 60 gallons to 70 gallons of sugar cane juice. Moragues’ wife, Jena, also is a volunteer. She helps out as a ‘cane stripper,’ she says, with a laugh.
Five-year-old Tanner Weeks, of Dade City, manages to recline on his dad Kyle Weeks, of Dade City, as he was talking cane with Joy Dew, of Dade City, about replanting the sugar cane stalk at home.
Little did 6-year-old Nikolai Hinson, of Dade City, know, but he was tasting the sugar cane syrup that was voted No. 1 by the Southern Syrup-Makers Association Syrup-Tasting Contest. Nikolai, his 9-year-old sister Isabella Hinson, and their aunt Marcia Nichols, who was visiting the family from Minnesota, tasted all 12 samples for judging.
Smoke billows from the chimney atop of the Cane Mill at the Pioneer Florida Museum & Village. The fire must be hot enough to boil the 60 gallons to 70 gallons of sugar cane juice down to 6 gallons to 7 gallons of sugar cane syrup.
After sampling the dozen sugar cane syrup entries in the Southern Syrup-Makers Association Syrup-Tasting Contest and listening to a U.S. Sugar presentation, Sid Lehman, of Frostproof, bit into the source of the cane syrup, a sugar cane stalk. Lehman, a snowbird from Indiana, said it was not only his first sugar cane festival, but it was his first time at the Pioneer Florida Museum & Village.
Steve Melton brings out the first-, second- and third-place ribbons to be awarded to those winning sugar cane syrup entries. The popular vote gave Jack Whitehurst, of Williston, 77 points out of 259. There were 12 samples from association members in Georgia, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida.

 

 

 

Two new home dedications

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Jimmie Mitchell stands in the kitchen of her new Habitat home. (Courtesy of Habitat Pasco)

Habitat for Humanity of East & Central Pasco County celebrated the recent holidays with a pair of new home dedications in Dade City, the first in-person dedications to be done in almost two years, due to the pandemic.

“We have been able to dedicate homes virtually during the pandemic, something that we were grateful for, since Habitat continued to build and sell affordable homes during the pandemic,” said CEO Crystal Lazar, in a news release.

“But to finally be able to see the faces of all those hands and hearts involved in the building of these new affordable homes, well, that can’t be replaced by a video,” Lazar said.

Besides the keys to their new homes, Jimmie Mitchell and Ashley Westberry also received gifts from the East Pasco Quilters Guild and the GFWC Lutz-Land O’ Lakes Woman’s Club.

Habitat for Humanity of East & Central Pasco County was founded in 1994 and has enabled 153 families to make a move from rental housing to owning a home of their own.

To learn more about Habitat for Humanity of East & Central Pasco County and how to help families that are seeking the opportunity to build a better life, visit HabitatPasco.org.

Published January 12, 2022

Mike Mashke, executive vice president of First National Bank of Pasco, right, hands Ashley Westberry the keys to her new home.

More residential and commercial growth coming to East Pasco

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Zephyrhills is hitting its stride as growth and development gain momentum along the traffic corridors of what is now Pasco County’s largest city.

The signs of new growth are everywhere along Zephyrhills’ major corridors including U.S. 301/Gall Boulevard, and State Road 56.

Construction is changing the city’s landscape.

Heavy equipment prepares land for the construction of a new Radiant Gas Station and other retail on the west side of Gall Boulevard, in Zephyrhills. (Fred Bellet)

New developments include The District at Abbott Square, a master-planned community behind the Sarah Vande Berg Tennis & Wellness Center, and Abbott Park, a residential community off Dean Dairy Road.

The Zephyrhills Municipal Airport is expanding and there’s new retail at Zephyr Commons shopping complex.

These signal the city’s increasing population.

It grew from more than 13,000 residents in 2010 to more than 17,000 residents in 2020, according to data from the 2020 U.S. Census.

In addition to Abbott Square and Abbott Park, Hidden River and the Links at Calusa Springs also are adding rooftops to Zephyrhills.

“The fact is that the need for housing is just exploding statewide. Tampa is running out of space,” said Todd Vande Berg, Zephyrhills’ planning director. “We were the next logical location.”

The view from the exit of Tropical Acres on Blue Lagoon Drive will soon change as ongoing construction site preparation will transform the east side of U.S. 301.

The widening of State Road 56 to four lanes opened Zephyrhills to more development, Vande Berg said.

He also noted that city officials have worked to ensure that residential projects were not “cookie-cutter.”

Abbott Square, as an example, will offer one-story villas, two-story townhouses, and will feature three different lot sizes.

“I think people appreciate that. Not all residential is on 40-foot-wide lots like every other development,” he said.

Preserving trees, installing sidewalks and adding trails are highlights of new residential development.

Zephyrhills is building on Pasco’s countywide efforts to attract tourism through an emphasis on sports facilities such as the Sarah Vande Berg Tennis Center.

In coming months, Vande Berg said the tennis center will add dormitories to accommodate increasing interest in tournaments and training opportunities.

The facility also is attracting new residential including the Abbott Square project. The Lennar Homes development, on Simons Road behind the tennis center, will build about 700 residential units of single-family houses, townhouses, and apartments.

West of Dade City on State Road 52, a new residential development, Abbey Glen, is under construction.

Abbott Park, off Kossik Road near Zephyr Commons, is a new residential community by Metro Places.

Summerstone is a new single-family and townhome development, off State Road 56, west of Morris Bridge Road. It is located in Wesley Chapel, just a short distance west of Zephyrhills.

Chipotle’s restaurant recently opened at Zephyr Commons. Planet Fitness had a recent ribbon-cutting. Chick-Fil-A opened, too, on an outparcel of the shopping center on the northeast corner with Pretty Pond Road.

More retail is anticipated. And plans for the site include about 400 residential units.

The Pretty Pond intersection is becoming a hub for Zephyrhills shoppers, who are adding Zephyr Commons to their destinations along with established plazas along Gall Boulevard (U.S. 301), including Merchants Square, Towne View Square Shopping Center, and North Town Center.

On the west side of Gall Boulevard, at Pretty Pond, the former site of Rainbow Court and Brightside Manor mobile home park, is being prepped for new commercial development. A sign planted at the site advertises a coming Radiant gas station and convenience store. A car wash also is anticipated at the site.

Zephyrhills’ downtown, on Fifth Avenue, is enjoying its own commercial revival.

The opening of Zephyrhills Brewing Company in 2016 set the stage for renewed interest in downtown, said Melonie Monson, president, and chief executive officer of The Greater Zephyrhills Chamber of Commerce.

“It has been an economic driver,” she said. “It’s brought traffic in on weekends.”

New shops opening within the past year include Vintage Chix, a boutique clothing store; A.O.K., a sports bar featuring axe throwing; and Your Turn, a board game café that serves coffee, sandwiches, pastries, and a choice of hundreds of board games to play.

A site preparation worker makes his way through a parcel of land on Gall Boulevard, just south of North Town Center on Gall Boulevard in Zephyrhills.

Tina & Joe’s Café opened recently in the historic Jeffries House, built in 1910 for Zephyrhills’s founder Captain A. B. Jeffries. The café serves salads, sandwiches, lobster rolls and desserts.

Also, Planet Jupiter, a hookah lounge, is “coming soon” to a storefront on Fifth Avenue.

“Our downtown is really growing,” said Monson.

On Gall Boulevard, near downtown, Jerry’s Crystal Bar reopened after being ravaged by fire in 2020.

Checkers on Gall and Culver’s on Eiland Boulevard are new additions to the quick service food options.

The chamber recently hosted a ribbon-cutting for Hoops Heaven, on Chancey Road along the city’s industrial corridor. The indoor training facility offers basketball training for youth in the Zephyrhills and Wesley Chapel area.

Hoops Heaven adds to both Zephyrhills’ and Pasco County’s goal of advocating for sports and ecotourism to build economic growth and bring jobs, Vande Berg said.

“Someone came from out of town and saw a need for youth basketball,” the planning director said.

By Kathy Steele

Published January 05, 2022

Bicyclists have a new spot to relax, in Dade City

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A Dec. 15 ribbon-cutting ceremony officially christened the new bike hub/visitor’s information center in downtown Dade City. From left: Dade City Commissioners Normita Woodard, Knute Nathe and Scott Black; Pasco County Commissioner Mike Moore; Dade City Mayor Camille Hernandez; Pasco County Commissioner Ron Oakley; and, Experience Florida’s Sports Coast president/tourism director Adam Thomas. )Courtesy of Experience Florida’s Sports Coast)

East Pasco’s rolling hills and curving countryside attract avid bicyclists from far and wide.

And now, these cyclists will have a spot where they can rest, relax and refuel.

The Spoke —  designed to offer respite for cyclists and other exercise enthusiasts — also features a visitor’s center.

A ribbon-cutting ceremony on Dec. 15 celebrated the new amenity, at 37800 Church Ave., across from the Roy T. Hardy trailhead.

The Spoke features covered porches, restrooms, and places to refill water bottles and tune up bicycles.

Inside the 1,100-square-foot welcome center, guests can check out information about the county’s other tourism amenities through mobile exhibit space, which includes printed information and videos.

The space also is eventually expected to host a local retail shop and satellite food vendor on weekends and during the evening.

“We have some very special things that we’re working on,” Dade City Mayor Camille Hernandez said, during the ribbon-cutting.

From the initial idea to its final build out, the project has been some six years in the making.

The Spoke is Dade City’s new bike hub/visitor’s information center in downtown Dade City, at 37800 Church Ave., across from the Roy T. Hardy trailhead. The Spoke is an 1,100-square-foot public space for cyclists, families and outdoor enthusiasts to stop, refill water bottles, grab a snack, tune up their bicycles, and learn more about what the city and county have to offer in terms of events, activities and entertainment.

Hernandez quipped: “I didn’t think that it was going to take that long to birth a baby, because I feel that this is like a baby to me.”

She went on: “This has been a project that I have cradled and that I have hugged, and that I have worked so closely with the TDC (Pasco County Tourist Development Council) and the BOCC (Pasco County Board of County Commissioners).”

The facility’s moniker represents a combination of the city’s rich railway history and its modern trail movement.

Melanie Romagnoli, Dade City’s community and economic development director, is credited with dreaming up the facility’s name.

The Spoke was funded with a $250,000 grant from the Pasco TDC and its official destination marketing organization, Experience Florida’s Sports Coast, which promotes the county’s varied outdoor and recreational offerings.

The amber-colored visitor center reflects the architectural style of the surrounding Church Avenue neighborhood, which commonly features homes with wood siding, columns and brick embellishments.

“The Spoke is going to be something that brings tourism to Pasco County,” said Pasco County Commissioner Mike Moore, who also chairs the county’s TDC. “You know, (Dade City) is a bike hub, it really is. There’s people from all over the world that come to Dade City to ride here, and we want to continue to do what we can do to promote it. …We look forward to more great things to come from this beautiful city.”

Commissioner Ron Oakley, whose district represents East Pasco, underscored the importance of having designated outdoor exercise-friendly recreational features — amid the booming population growth, and increasing traffic.

“More people will need this kind of (amenity) where they can walk and ride their bikes, and make it safe,” Oakley said.

The Spoke represents the first phase of a larger 2.23-acre city park site that’s anticipated to include a splash pad, all-inclusive playground, nature trail, and possibly an amphitheater.

Its completion will otherwise complement the city’s nearby downtown restaurants and shops, while offering another recreational outlet for youth, residents and visitors alike.

“This whole vision, this beautiful piece of land, it’s just a huge asset to Dade City,” Hernandez said.

The city originally purchased the property for the park site in December 2019 from the family of local businessman Otto Weitzenkorn.

Officials have said the park fits with the city’s vision of fostering a healthy and age-friendly community.

The Spoke also represents Pasco County’s first official tourism welcome center.

Published December 22, 2021