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Ballantrae

Planning commissioners recommend land use changes

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The Pasco County Planning Commission has recommended a change to the county’s long-range land use map that would permit a greater intensification of development on a tract in a central area of Pasco County.

It also is recommending changes to policies affecting future development in the Villages of Pasadena Hills, in eastern Pasco County.

The recommendations will be considered by the Pasco County Commission, which has final authority over county land use and zoning matters.

The proposed change in Central Pasco involves increasing the maximum density from three dwellings per acre up to six dwellings per acre, on 77.21 acres on the south side of Tower Road, south of Bexley Village Drive.

The new land use designation would allow a maximum of 325 dwelling units, in a combination of single-family detached homes and townhouses.

The acreage is surrounded by a planned development called Bexley South, to the north; the Suncoast Meadows, to the south; Ballantrae, to the east; and Sapphire Village, to the west.

County planners recommended approval of the request, determining that the proposed plan amendment “is an appropriate location for the change in land use.”

Barbara Wilhite, an attorney representing the applicant, said plans call for 325 single-family dwellings.

No multifamily is proposed, she said, noting the specific plan will come back in a separate request for a rezoning to create a master-planned unit development.

On the issue involving the eastern Pasco development, planning commissioners agreed with a recommendation from the Villages of Pasadena Hills Property Owners Group to reduce the required wetlands buffer from 100 feet to 25 feet.

In supporting that recommendation, planning commissioners rejected a recommendation by  the VOPH policy committee that would have changed the requirement to match the requirement in the rest of the county.

The Planning Commission also rejected a recommendation by the parks, recreation and natural resources department that would have required a more extensive buffer. The county’s planning staff supported the parks and recreation department’s recommendation, but planning commissioners supported the property owners’ recommendation.

Pat Gassaway, representing Heidt Design, told planning commissioners the goal is to take a look at the rules and update them to today’s market.

The current rules, he said, “require preservation of upland habitat without bound,” Gassaway said.

The update also includes myriad of other changes in the VOPH plan, with the goal of the changes to create a more level playing field between regulations required in this planning area and others, and to make the Villages of Pasadena Hills “more market friendly and more competitive,” Gassaway said.

The county has undergone significant changes since the Villages of Pasadena Hills was adopted in 2008, Gassaway said.

Published December 02, 2020

Land O’ Lakes gets beefed up emergency services

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Pasco County Fire Rescue No. 37 has added ambulance service.

The station is at the entrance to Ballantrae in Land O’ Lakes. The new service became effective on Sept. 1.

Pasco County Fire Rescue No. 37 is located in a high-growth area off County Road 54, near the Ballantrae and Bexley subdivisions. It recently added an ambulance service and six emergency responders. (Courtesy of Pasco County Fire Rescue)

Six paramedics and emergency medical technicians have been added, to provide 24-hour coverage for the rescue unit.

The station, which is at 18105 State Road 54, is currently using one of the department’s spare vehicles until the new squad arrives, which is expected within a month.

Division Chief Shawn Whited said the service area for the new ambulance is essentially Stonegate to the east and Odessa to the west.

Before the new ambulance service was added, the area was being served by an ambulance coming from the fire station in Trinity, or from the other Land O’ Lakes station, which is at U.S. 41 and State Road 54, Whited said.

“If the ambulance for Land O’ Lakes was out, because that was the only ambulance for Land O’ Lakes, we’d get one from either Wesley Chapel or Trinity,” Whited said.

“We had a big gap there,” he said.

The county has been able to send emergency responders because all of the county’s fire trucks have advanced life support, but they had to wait for a rescue unit to transport patients to the hospital, Whited said.

Getting the additional coverage is important because population continues to increase in the area near Station 37, he said, noting that Bexley, Longlake Ranch and Concord Station are growing communities.

“That Land O’ Lakes area between the Suncoast Parkway and (U.S.) 41 is one of the largest growing areas in Pasco County,” Whited said. “With all of those homes, we want to make sure they have proper fire and EMS coverage in there.

“Now, if you’re having a true medical emergency, like a heart attack or a stroke, we can get you to the hospital faster — without having to wait for that unit to come from Land O’ Lakes or Trinity or Wesley Chapel,” he said.

Published November 8, 2017

Imagine charter school needs growing room for programs

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Imagine School at Land O’ Lakes is experiencing growing pains.

Classrooms are full.

The gymnasium is a part-time lunchroom.

The school’s solution is to build a two-story wing off the rear of the gymnasium, adding about 13,000 square feet of space.

Imagine Charter School in Land O’ Lakes will open a new, two-story expansion in August 2018 to accommodate school programs, and add a dedicated lunch room.
(Kathy Steele)

The expansion provides enough room for seven classrooms and a dedicated lunchroom.

The goal is to open the new extension by August 2018.

The lunchroom café and a teachers’ lounge will be on the first floor. Additional rooms will be on the second floor. The rooms can be used as classrooms, if needed, but their primary purpose is to house programs, such as band or makerspace.

Enrollment is 775 students, just a handful short of the school’s goal of 800 students. While the school has a waiting list, the expansion isn’t about increasing enrollment.

“We just need extra workspace,” said Imagine Principal Aimee Williams.

The gymnasium is transformed into a lunchroom daily, and then cleared out.

That’s not a big problem during the school day, Williams said.

“It’s more for the sports and afterschool programs that makes it difficult to swap out,” she explained.

A pre-application meeting with county planners was held on Oct. 23.

Details on the project are being worked out prior to construction.

This year, the school will graduate its first class of eighth-graders who began at Imagine in kindergarten.

Imagine opened nearly a decade ago in a business park in Ballantrae. The move to its current location, at 2940 Sunlake Blvd., came in 2012. The school’s charter extends to 2028, following a fifteen-year renewal in 2013.

Teachers are STEAM-certified. STEAM stands for science, technology, engineering, art and mathematics.

The school received an A grade from the state for 2016-2017. It educates students from kindergarten through eighth grade, who come to the public charter school from Land O’ Lakes, Wesley Chapel, New Port Richey, and even Hillsborough County.

The school has won accolades.

Imagine received the 2016 Promising Practice Winner by Character Counts. In 2015, it was runner-up in the National School of Character competition by Character Counts, and a runner-up for National School of the Year by Imagine Schools.

Imagine is owned and operated by an affiliate of Imagine School Non-Profit Inc., which has schools nationwide.

It’s a point of pride that the Land O’ Lakes campus is part of the Pasco County community, the principal said.

“We definitely feel we are part of Pasco County and want to add whatever we can to the community,” Williams said.

Published November 1, 2017

Pasco County’s development ready to take off

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Dreams and visions for the redevelopment of Pasco County began more than two decades ago. Today, homes, shops, hotels, offices and medical campuses are coming out of the ground and redrawing the county’s future.

On March 1, developers of four of Pasco’s master-planned communities updated more than 100 people who came to the annual Meet the Developers breakfast. The Pasco Economic Development Council sponsored the event at the Marriott Residence Inn, off State Road 54.

In closing remarks, Bill Cronin, president of Pasco EDC said, “this is the right time, the right place for Pasco County…If nothing else, I hope you have that ‘oh, wow’ effect. That’s not the Pasco I knew.”

Bill Cronin, president of the Pasco Economic Development Council, left, introduces developers who spoke at a ‘Meet the Developers’ breakfast. They are: Matt Call, project director of Starkey Ranch/Wheelock Communities; Tom Panaseny, vice president/general manager of Bexley by Newland Communities; J.D. Porter, president of sales and development of Wiregrass Ranch Inc.; and, Kartik Goyani, vice president of operations for Metro Development Group LLC.
(Courtesy of Pasco Economic Development Council)

Speakers at the breakfast were Matt Call, project director at Starkey Ranch, which is being developed by Wheelock Communities; Tom Panaseny, vice president and general manager for Bexley by Newland Communities; J.D. Porter, president of sales and development of Wiregrass Ranch Inc.; and, Kartik Goyani, vice president of operations for Metro Development Group Inc.

“We’re all selling this dream and vision of where Pasco can go,” Call said.

Three years ago, Starkey Ranch, about four miles west of the Suncoast Parkway, off State Road 54, was largely still on the drawing board.

Today, Starkey Ranch anticipates having more than 300 new homes under contract in a year, Call said. So far, there have been more than 150 closings, he added.

The average price of homes being sold there is in the low to mid-$400,000s. The most expensive home — at about 4,800 square feet – sold within the past two weeks for about $874,000.

“Most are not first-time homebuyers,” Call said. “Most are moving-up buyers.”

Upcoming projects included widening Gunn Highway and extending the road into Starkey Ranch.

About one-third of a 20-mile trail system is built and will eventually connect with Jay B. Starkey Wilderness Preserve and the Suncoast Trail.

A business park, fronting State Road 54, is in the works. A town square is planned for 2018.

While Newland Communities is new to Pasco, its track record in Tampa Bay includes master-planned communities in Hillsborough County, including FishHawk Ranch in Riverview and Westchase in Town ‘n Country.

Panaseny described Newland as the largest private developer of planned communities in the country, with projects in 19 states, stretching from coast to coast.

The homebuilder’s first Pasco community is Bexley Ranch, in an area encompassing about 1,700 acres. It is located also on State Road 54, east of Suncoast Parkway.

The Bexley family is developing another 5,000 adjacent acres still under their control.

The Newland project is zoned for more than 1,700 homes; about 95,000 square feet of retail; and, more than 560,000 square feet of office, though that could increase to as much as 1 million square feet.

About five miles of a planned 13-mile trail system is built.

An elementary school now under construction is scheduled to open in August.

About 400 lots are available, with 400 additional lots expected to be ready by the end of the year. Twelve model homes are open for viewing.

Bexley also is planned for offices, shops and a hotel, as well as apartments and single-family homes.

A groundbreaking is anticipated in March for more than 300 apartments.

Access to Bexley currently is through the Ballantrae community to the east. But, within 60 to 90 days, Panaseny said Bexley Village Drive should open, with access directly off State Road 54.

The average home price is about $350,000.

“It’s been a strong market,” Panaseny said.

Upcoming projects include a medical facility, a Race Trac gas station and convenience store, and a 7-acre shopping center.

“We’d love to have a grocery store anchor the center, or possibly restaurants,” Panaseny said.

A Marriott hotel is expected to break ground in July.

There also is about 32 acres available for offices. “We very much want to bring Class A office space here,” he said.

Wiregrass Ranch is rebranding itself, with a new logo and a re-energized focus as new developments in the master-planned community emerge.

Wiregrass is the fastest growing community in the Tampa Bay area, said Porter, of  Wiregrass Ranch Inc.

The property is zoned for 10,500 homes; 2.7 million square feet of retail; 2.6 million square feet of office; and 600 hotel beds. A middle school and a high school have been built. Additional retail and office space are planned.

Next to The Shops at Wiregrass, plans are underway for an expansion that will include high-end shops and boutiques, a cine bistro, a grocery store and apartments.

Raymond James Financial campus is expected to start construction later this year on a campus that could have about 1 million square feet of office space and an 1,800-space parking garage.

Medical facilities are filling up the surrounding area. They include Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel, Florida Medical Clinic and North Tampa Behavioral Health.

Beach House is an upscale assisted living facility under construction.

“You’re going to continue to see good, smart growth because it’s an environment people want to be in,” said Porter.

Metro Development Group is building a master-planned community at Epperson Ranch, which is part of a state-approved pilot program to create a Connected City corridor built with technology innovations. At build out, Metro is projecting about 37,000 homes; 12 million square-feet of office, retail and technology manufacturing; 100 miles of traffic lanes for self-driving vehicles; and two Crystal Lagoons.

The first lagoon at Epperson Ranch is a 7-acre, manmade pool of crystal blue water under construction at Epperson Ranch, off State Road 52 at Overpass Road. To the north, a second community, known as Mirada, is also planned with a larger Crystal Lagoon.

Metro controls about 35 percent of land within Connected City, which sets aside about 7,800 acres in northeastern Pasco. Metro and other developers are expected to build master-planned communities embedded with cutting-edge technology, and focused on creating technology driven jobs and new businesses.

A groundbreaking for the Crystal Lagoon at Epperson happened in February. The lagoon is expected to be complete by the end of 2017. In the first weeks, 15 homes have sold, and there is a waiting list of more than 1,000 people who want to buy, said Kartik Goyani, vice president of operations for Metro.

Published March 8, 2017

Bexley buzz isn’t just marketing hype

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LAND O’ LAKES — Late on a recent Saturday afternoon, as the sun’s slanting rays cast their golden autumnal glow, Tommy Brown and his young sons mounted their bikes and set off in search of adventure.

Luckily, they didn’t have far to go, and their destination was known. In fact, from their side yard near the northeast corner of Ballantrae, they’d had their eyes on it for weeks: the BMX (bicycle motocross) park in the neighboring, emerging community of Bexley.

All they needed was for the construction zone barriers to come down. That Saturday morning, in conjunction with Bexley’s grand opening weekend, they did.

A family enjoys the playground during Bexley’s opening festivities. (Courtesy of Brian Swartzwelder)
A family enjoys the playground during Bexley’s opening festivities.
(Courtesy of Brian Swartzwelder)

Now as the lads on their tyke-bikes jounced over the moguls, careened through the twists and catapulted across the banked turns, they hooted with laughter.

“This is fun!” whooped Alec Brown, 5, fairly hopping astride his bike while, nearby, Oscar, 9, clattered triumphantly over the wooden plank extension that rises like a dinosaur’s frill above the signature banked curve.

Their dad, meanwhile, was discovering the limitations of a mountain bike on a layout designed for tiny wheels. Never mind all that. Bathed in the patina of a fading fall afternoon, the 42-year-old computer programmer and his boys were making memories that would last into all their golden years.

Now, Pam Parisi, regional marketing director for developer Newland Communities, will tell you Bexley is selling a lot of things — houses (ranging from $215,000 townhouses to single-family houses in the mid-$500,000s), desirable amenities, nature-friendly design, abundant get-outside activities and a killer location (no one is closer to the Suncoast Parkway) — but, if you suggested, ultimately, the whole place is about filling your life with moments you’ll cherish, she wouldn’t disagree.

“Bexley is all about being families again,” she says. “It’s all about getting outdoors again. It’s not about having kids sitting on the couch ‘playing together’ with other friends on other couches.”

About that. Bexley comes front-loaded with “boot camp” fitness trails, miles of bicycle paths — one of which ultimately will link to the 42-mile Suncoast Trail — and a variety of parks. Some for kids. Some for dogs. Some for every recreational taste.

The playgrounds, in particular, hold your attention with slides laid into manmade hills and high-rise wooden play structures that, engaging the imagination while challenging young muscles, could be anything from a frontier fort in the Wild West to a magical abbey in Nepal.

No doubt some readers will consider this attention to a single master-planned community overwrought. In fact, the region embracing the Hillsborough-Pasco border from Trinity almost to U.S. 301 teems with similar villages, and many are splendid in their own right.

It bears noting, however, Newland has a history of reshaping how people regard things. Twenty-odd years ago, when it began carving out a mini-town at the end of a two-lane road near a sleepy incorporated settlement in southeast Hillsborough County, skeptics wondered whether the hotshot developers had lost their minds.

Now, as Parisi correctly notes, the area formerly known as “Lithia” is a reference reserved for mapmakers. For everyone else, it’s Fishhawk Ranch.

This is not to suggest the keepers of the Land O’ Lakes flame should prepare to take to the barricades. For openers, at 1,200 acres, Bexley is somewhat less than half Fishhawk’s sprawling 3,000 acres.

Instead, it’s merely to acknowledge the buzz about Bexley is warranted. Parisi describes the new community as Fishhawk Ranch improved by 20 years of experience and evolutionary thinking.

She points out the amenities are front-loaded, and not dependent on hitting a certain number of committed homeowners before artist’s renderings begin to transform into facts on the ground.

From Day One, residents will have access to the niceties mentioned above, plus a cafe (The Twisted Sprocket) and clubhouse worthy of a country club, plus a full-service bicycle shop, the first offshoot of the venerable, nearby Suncoast Trailside Bicycles, run by the energetic Geoff Lanier.

Next door, a cafe — open to the public — serves Bexley burgers (cheeseburgers topped with an onion ring) and beers crafted by Odessa-and-Clearwater based Big Storm Brewing Co.

Figuring out what’s going to erupt from the commercial frontage along State Road 54 is another matter. The first hint broke a couple of weeks ago with the announcement of a 110-room SpringHill Suites by Marriott, the first of its kind in Pasco County. Stay tuned.

And, as we have seen, even before the first families take up housekeeping, Bexley is fulfilling its mission: Getting people out and about. Getting them moving. With fresh memories to savor, the Browns of neighboring Ballantrae are happy it’s here.

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

Published November 30, 2016

Proposed Bexley Elementary boundaries raise concerns

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Parents raised concerns about potential impacts from proposed boundaries for Bexley Elementary at a Nov. 1 meeting at Oakstead Elementary School.

Parents raised questions about such issues as school choice, transportation and programming for the new school, which draws its name from a subdivision under construction off State Road 54, in Land O’ Lakes.

The new school, set to open in the fall, for the 2017-2018 school year, will provide relief for both Odessa and Oakstead elementary schools, which are operating well above capacity. Odessa is at 131 percent capacity, and Oakstead is at 144 percent. The proposed boundaries will also expand Lake Myrtle Elementary, an older school operating at about 80 percent capacity.

Some parents were dismayed at the likelihood their children will be rezoned to Lake Myrtle, a “B” rated school built in 1984.

This is what Bexley Elementary will look like upon its completion.(Courtesy of Pasco County Schools)
This is what Bexley Elementary will look like upon its completion.(Courtesy of Pasco County Schools)

“I know their school rating isn’t as high as Oakstead Elementary,” said Sarah Davis, whose daughter will attend Lake Myrtle. “I don’t know much about it, so all I can do is my research online, and since it’s not as great as a school, my concern is that she won’t get the help that she needs that’s she’s already getting.”

Dave Scanga, area superintendent for Central Pasco schools, said Lake Myrtle is “a great school.”

“It is an older building,” Scanga said, however, he added, “in terms of the traditions that Lake Myrtle has had, for a long time it’s always been top-notch.”

“I think all of our schools are good,” added Richard Tonello, planning supervisor for Pasco County Schools. “Maybe grades aren’t a reflection of the school. You go to any of our schools, you’re going to see a great group of teachers, and they’re going to look after your child.”

Other parents expressed frustration over Bexley’s current unknowns, such as staffing dynamics and school schedule.

Scanga said potential teachers will be identified in March and April, after a new principal is named in December and assumes duties in February.

“A lot will happen once we get to February, and then it’s the (principal’s) job to let them play out the rest of the hiring and selection.”

He added: “As we get closer to the start of school, there will be all sorts of opportunities for people to come in, see the building and meet the people that are going to be in the building, too.”

Betsy Kuhn, assistant superintendent Pasco County Schools, anticipates several teachers from both Odessa and Oakstead to be reassigned to Bexley.

“It’s a very exciting opportunity for teachers to come in to open a new school, so we typically have a lot of interest,” Kuhn said.

“I think you’ll have a lot of interest from teachers outside our system, in our system, both experienced and new,” she added.

Sorting out transportation issues, too, was another focus of the hour-long meeting.

Scanga said bus routes will be reconfigured to accommodate the new school.

The Pasco County School Board provides free transportation to and from school for students who live more than 2 miles away from school.

Students who are selected to choose a particular school through open enrollment must provide their own transportation.

Pasco County’s school choice open enrollment period runs from Feb. 1 to March 1, for the 2017-2018 school year. Final determinations are expected around April or May. Extenuating circumstances and family hardships will also be considered, school officials said.

For example, students entering the fifth grade may have a greater chance to remain at their current school depending on the influx of school choice requests.

“It’s hard to make a decision until they know exactly how many students are requested,” said Chris Williams, planning services director for Pasco County Schools. “In every past experience, we’ve been able to accommodate fifth graders.”

“It’s a process we go through…to try to accommodate as much as we can,” he added.

Scanga said he understands the frustration from parents, especially those who deliberately moved to a particular community for their children to attend a certain school.

“School rezoning always catches many people off guard,” said Scanga, “and also in terms of not getting what we had planned for, or hoped for.”

Scanga also noted: “One of the challenges we have—and it’s unique—is just how fast the growth is happening right here on the 54 corridor. We’re like ground zero. Much of Florida, like much of the country, just doesn’t have this challenge…of how do we continually provide the best education to children in the best facility possible.”

Last month, a boundary committee recommended boundaries for Bexley Elementary.

The committee selected an option that would include Ballantrae, Suncoast Meadows, Suncoast Pointe, Hayman/Fuentes, Meadowbrook/Sierra Pines, and all of Bexley, which are east of the Suncoast Parkway.

Bexley Elementary also would include Swan View Townhomes, Ivy Lake Estates and Toscano at Suncoast, which are west of the Suncoast Parkway.

At nearly 96,000 square feet, the new school will have a capacity of 878 students, and is expected to have 706 students.

Oakstead, which had 1,095 enrolled students is expected to have 765 students, under the proposed boundaries. Odessa, which had 1,000 students, is expected to have 780, and Lake Myrtle, which had 587 students, is expected to have 616.

Students that would be shifting from Oakstead to Lake Myrtle live in these areas: Morsani, Woodville Palms, Cambridge/Lake Linda, Oakstead Area South, Cypress Cove/Village on the Pond, Meadowview/Country Close and Foxwood/Lake Heron.

The school board is scheduled to hold its first public hearing on the proposed boundaries on Dec. 20 and its second public hearing on Jan. 17, when it is expected to make the final decision on the issue.

While the committee recommends the boundaries, the Pasco County School Board has the final word on where the lines should be drawn.

Boundary guidelines are based on a number of factors, including future growth and capacity, socio-economic balance, school feeder patterns, and transportation.

“All of these guidelines we use, it’s a little bit of a balancing act,” Tonello said.

Bexley Elementary is the first of several schools (additional elementary schools, middle school and high school) planned within the Bexley development.

When those schools are built depends on the amount of growth within the community, as well as the amount of capital funding available, Williams said.

He noted the school district has accumulated nearly $500 million in debt capital, a hurdle in building new schools.

“One of the things that we struggle with as a district is our capital funding,” Williams said. “We are constrained—we can’t always build where we want to because of funding. It might mean adding a classroom wing at an existing school.”

Construction costs for Bexley Elementary total about $20 million.

For more information, visit PascoSchools.org/planning/rezoning.

Published November 9, 2016

Boundaries recommended for Elementary B

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A boundary committee has recommended boundaries for a new elementary school being built in Bexley, a new subdivision being built in Land O’ Lakes, off of State Road 54.

The committee has selected an option that would include Ballantrae, Suncoast Meadows, Suncoast Pointe, Hayman/Fuentes, Meadowbrook/Sierra Pines, and all of Bexley, which are east of the Suncoast Parkway.

The new elementary also would include Swan View Townhomes, Ivy Lake Estates and Toscano at Suncoast, which are west of the Suncoast Parkway.

Courtesy of Pasco County Schools This rendering depicts what the exterior view of a new elementary under construction in Bexley, will look like.
Courtesy of Pasco County Schools
This rendering depicts what the exterior view of a new elementary under construction in Bexley, will look like.

The proposed boundaries would reduce crowding at both Odessa and Oakstead elementary schools, and would provide additional students for Lake Myrtle Elementary.

Students that would be shifting from Oakstead to Lake Myrtle live in these areas: Morsani, Woodville Palms, Cambridge/Lake Linda, Oakstead Area South, Cypress Cove/Village on the Pond, Meadowview/Country Close and Foxwood/Lake Heron.

While the committee recommends the boundaries, the Pasco County School Board has the final word on where the lines should be drawn.

Elementary B is expected to open in the fall, for the 2017-2018 school year.

It will have a capacity of 878 students, and is expected to have 706 students.

Oakstead, which had 1,095 enrolled students is expected to have 765 students, under the proposed boundaries. Odessa, which had 1,000 students, is expected to have 780, and Lake Myrtle, which had 587 students, is expected to have 616.

A parent meeting has been scheduled for Nov. 1, from6 p.m. to 8 p.m. in the cafeteria at Oakstead Elementary,11925 Lake Patience Road.

At that meeting, staff for Pasco County Schools, will explain the proposed boundaries and will invite those attending to ask questions and provide feedback.

While the school district needs to draw boundaries for new schools, the issue is typically controversial. Some parents complain that they deliberately moved into the area because of the school they believed their child would attend. Others are happy with the school and don’t want their child’s education disruption. Potential issues with childcare, after-school activities and the parents’ ability to be involved at the school are other common complaints.

Dave Skanga, area superintendent for Central Pasco schools, said he understands that parents have concerns, especially about the unknown.

However, Skanga said, the district will do what it can to reduce parental concerns about having their children zoned to a different school.

He expects the principal of the new school to be named in November. He also noted that many of the teachers will be coming from schools whose students are being shifted into the new school, Skanga said.

“This is going to be a beautiful building,” Skanga said. It will be well equipped, too, he said. “It’s state-of-the-art when we open a new school.”

The school board is scheduled to hold its first public hearing on the proposed boundaries on Dec. 20 and its second public hearing on Jan. 17, when it is expected to make the final decision on the issue.

Published Oct. 19, 2016

Pasco eyes $1.5 billion budget

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Pasco County commissioners are looking at a projected budget of about $1.5 billion for 2017.

The proposed budget holds the line on new taxes, but allows some room for new services, programs, staff hires and capital improvements.

As county staff was completing the budget, they received news that property tax revenues would be about $1.8 million more than expected.

Pasco County Commissioner Mike Moore is happy to see funding for a bus circulator route in Land O’ Lakes in the county’s proposed $1.5 billion budget for 2017. (File Photos)
Pasco County Commissioner Mike Moore is happy to see funding for a bus circulator route in Land O’ Lakes in the county’s proposed $1.5 billion budget for 2017.
(File Photos)

The additional cash helped avoid a repeat of last year’s scrappy debates over the budget request from the Pasco County Sheriff’s office.

This year’s budget, if approved, provides an additional $6.3 million for the sheriff’s office. The money would go for salary raises, equipment and new hires.

Other expenditures in the proposed budget include $331,000 for a bus circulator route in Land O’ Lakes, and $60,000 to hire a federal lobbyist.

Still, the budget overall reflects a “modest growth philosophy” amid an economy that is slowly recovering, Pasco County Administrator Michele Baker wrote in a letter to the commissioners.

The new fiscal year begins Oct. 1.

Commissioners received a briefing on July 12 on the proposed budget.

Public hearings on the budget are scheduled on Sept. 13 in Dade City and on Sept. 27 in New Port Richey.

Overall, the 2017 budget reflects an increase of less than 6 percent, or about $85 million, over last year’s budget.

Pasco County Sheriff Chris Nocco
Pasco County Sheriff Chris Nocco was able to secure more funding for raises in the county’s proposed 2017 budget. The sheriff said he needs to increase salaries because he’s losing too many deputies to other area agencies that pay more.

The millage rate would remain unchanged from its current rate of about $7.60 per $1,000 of property value for the general fund, and about $1.80 per $1,000 of property value for the fire district.

However, county officials said the typical homeowner, with a homestead exemption, could pay almost $7 more in property taxes in 2017, based on rising property values.

“I’m pretty satisfied with the budget,” said Pasco County Commissioner Mike Moore.

The bus route in Land O’ Lakes, for example, is a significant addition to the community, he said. “It’s one of our major corridors (U.S. 41) and the only one that doesn’t have bus transit. Hopefully, it will relieve traffic congestion.”

One item not included in the budget was a request for more weekend and evening operating hours at the county’s libraries. The request was to restore the hours to 2008 levels.

County officials balked, saying the recurring costs were too high.

“I would like to see us ease back into increasing library hours,” Moore said. But that seems unlikely for now, he added.

The total tax roll increased from about $20 billion in 2016 to $22.9 billion in 2017. The assessed value of new construction increased about $777 million.

In May, the Pasco County Property Appraiser’s office had projected a 5.5 percent increase in property tax revenues. But, based on additional data, valuations rose about 7.2 percent, and accounted for the additional $1.8 million in revenues.

The initial estimates were just that – estimates, said Pasco County Property Appraiser Mike Wells Sr. Typically, the numbers tick upward, but he said the increase was “a little larger than usual.”

“The county is doing well now,” he said. “Everybody seems to be cooking right along.”

With a fatter wallet than expected, departmental budget requests generally were easier to accommodate.

The total budget for the sheriff’s office for 2017, if approved, would be about $110 million, up from about $104 million in 2016.

The $6.3 million increase would fund a second year of salary raises of about 8 percent on average for sheriff’s employees.

The sheriff pushed for the funds in an attempt to prevent the loss of deputies to other Tampa Bay area law enforcement agencies with higher wages.

The sheriff’s office 2017 budget also includes 24 additional fulltime employees at a cost of about $4.9 million. Patrol laptops would be replaced at a cost of about $703,000.

But, not everything the sheriff initially requested was approved. A radio tester position and a traffic control officer for Moon Lake Elementary School were removed.

Other items funded in the proposed budget include:

  • A fire rescue ambulance and crew for Fire Station 37 on State Road 54, at Ballantrae
  • The design and construction of Fire Station 38 at Watergrass Town Center
  • A code enforcement initiative to clean up major corridors, such as U.S. 41 and U.S. 19
  • A 12-member special operations team for unique rescue situations
  • An average 4.8 percent pay raise for county employees
  • A pilot program with the homeless diversion program
  • In-house mowing, paving and sidewalk crews
  • An additional fire inspector to focus on new construction review and inspection
  • Continued upgrades on radio dispatch equipment
  • The addition of two arson investigators

Published July 20, 2016

Retail is coming to Ballantrae Village

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New retail is headed to State Road 54 in Land O’ Lakes, as Dunphy Properties prepares to start construction on the first shops at Ballantrae Village.

A groundbreaking is expected in January for a Circle K, a Dairy Queen, a Dunkin’ Donuts and a Taco Bell on outparcels on the northeast corner of State Road 54 and Ballantrae Boulevard, according to a news release from Dunphy Properties.

Construction begins in January on the first retail at Ballantrae Village on outparcels, next to the Ballantrae Boulevard/State Road 54 entrance to the master-planned community. KATHY STEELE/PHOTO
Construction begins in January on the first retail at Ballantrae Village on outparcels, next to the Ballantrae Boulevard/State Road 54 entrance to the master-planned community.
KATHY STEELE/PHOTO

An additional four parcels are on the market, and a 13,200-square-foot building also is planned. Tenants have not been signed as yet.

New access is planned to get into and out of the shopping plaza.

Plans for retail at the master-planned community of Ballantrae Village has been slow in developing largely due to the economic downturn in 2007 and a slow recovery. But growth is gathering steam, especially along State Road 54.

“Retail development follows residential growth,” Jim Dunphy said in an email to The Laker/Lutz News. “The economy has picked up enough that we’re seeing explosive residential growth in the (State Road) 54 corridor. In addition, the long awaited widening of (State Road) 54 is underway further fueling interest in the area.”

Dunphy Properties is developing the commercial plaza on about 17 acres owned by the Aprile brothers. The plaza will be on the north side of State Road 54 and east of Ballantrae Boulevard.

The Circle K will be on the west end of the site, with Dairy Queen on the east end.

Bexley Ranch property is under construction to the north of Ballantrae Village.

According to the Ballantrae website, the community has more than 960 homes and more than 3,000 residents.

“Ballantine Village Shoppes is in the center of the growth,” Dunphy states in his email. “Many of the existing residents have done without retail, restaurant and service amenities for a long time. We are now positioned, with the additional residents and promised growth, to provide these shops and services. We are excited to be bringing this project together.”

Published October 28, 2015

Improvements planned on State Road 54

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Pastoral scenes of as-yet untouched land in Pasco County still exist amid the office complexes, shopping centers and subdivision rooftops that dot parts of State Road 54.

But the “for sale” and “for lease” signs planted on large open fields in between those developments portend the future story for traffic counts on what is already one of Pasco County’s busiest east-west corridors.

The Florida Department of Transportation is scheduled to begin work this month to widen State Road 54 from four lanes to six lanes from east of the Suncoast Parkway to west of U.S. 41 (also known as Land O’ Lakes Boulevard). (Kathy Steele/Staff Photo)
The Florida Department of Transportation is scheduled to begin work this month to widen State Road 54 from four lanes to six lanes from east of the Suncoast Parkway to west of U.S. 41 (also known as Land O’ Lakes Boulevard).
(Kathy Steele/Staff Photo)

State highway officials are ready to unveil a $16 million road project to widen the highway from east of the Suncoast Parkway to west of U.S. 41 from four lanes to six lanes. The widening will bring that section of the roadway into alignment with the existing six-lane divided highway that narrows to four lanes at the Suncoast Parkway.

Survey teams began work Feb. 9. Construction is scheduled to be completed in spring 2016.

Residents can look at the road design at an open house Feb. 24 from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m., at the Residence Inn at 2101 Northpointe Parkway, off State Road 54, at the Suncoast Parkway interchange and Northpointe Village. No formal presentation is planned. State road department staff will be on hand to answer questions.

The project will cover a 6.7-mile stretch of highway that passes by Long Lake Ranch, a master-planned community that has its first homes on the market.

Other subdivisions along the route are Suncoast Meadows, Suncoast Pointe, Stonegate, Concord Station and Ballantrae. Professional office complexes and the Shoppes at Sunlake Centre are other developments along the heavily traveled corridor.

State highway records for 2013 reveal that daily round-trip vehicle trips — along the segment that will be widened — ranged from 39,500 to 47,000.

In addition to extra lanes, the project includes new sidewalks and more highway lights. Bicycle lanes will remain.

A new traffic signal will be installed at Meadowbrook Drive, east of the parkway by the entrance into Suncoast Meadows and Suncoast Pointe. All existing traffic lights will stay in place.

Alberta Bland, partner and managing director at Flagship Title, welcomes the new traffic signal.

“It’s a dangerous intersection,” said Bland, whose company is in Suncoast Meadows Professional Center.

Motorists stop on an incline at Meadowbrook as they approach on the south side of State Road 54, she said. They also must look west for oncoming traffic zipping along a curve in the state highway.

“I’ve seen near accidents and accidents because of the way the street is shaped,” Bland said. “It’s difficult to see both ways especially at night.”

The traffic signal will improve safety, she said.

But widening the road is a mixed bag, she added.

“If they are going to widen it, (traffic) is going to get worse,” Bland said. “There is enough traffic that they need to do it, but they need to slow everything down.”

During construction, speed limits will be 50 miles per hour. Once the roadwork is completed, the existing limits, which range from 45 mph to 60 mph, will apply, state road officials said.

While traffic during construction won’t be a cakewalk for motorists, road officials said the widening will occur in the median, not in rights-of-way along the road’s shoulder.

“It’s a construction site, of course, but there shouldn’t be too much disruption,” said Kris Carson, a spokeswoman for the state roads department.

Roy Schleman said he sees a considerable amount of bad driving on the roadway, with some motorists speeding or texting.

And, he noted, the intersections at Ballantrae Road and Oakstead Boulevard, where there are existing traffic lights, can be as bad or worse than Meadowbrook.

But, like Bland, he thinks a traffic signal at Meadowbrook is a good idea.

Schleman owns All Insurance Underwriters in the Suncoast Meadows office complex.

“I’m a dad,” he said. “Thinking about moms and kids, I’d rather (the intersection) be safer.”

When deciding where to locate his business nearly five years ago, he rejected New Tampa because of the traffic congestion on Bruce B. Downs Boulevard.

The widening of State Road 54 makes sense in view of the new development that is coming, he said. “I think it’s good to get ahead.”

But he keeps thinking about Bruce B. Downs Boulevard. “I feel we’re going to be like that in some way,” Schleman said.

Want to see the plans?
The Florida Department of Transportation is having an open house to give the public a chance to see the plans for a construction project to widen a section of State Road 54, from east of the Suncoast Parkway to west of U.S. 41 (also known as Land O’ Lakes Boulevard).

The meeting will be Feb. 24 from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m., at the Residence Inn, 2101 Northpointe Parkway in Lutz.

Published February 18, 2015