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City of Zephyrhills

Zephyrhills renews city attorney’s contract

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Matthew Maggard will continue serving as the city attorney for the City of Zephyrhills, for at least three more years.

The Zephyrhills City Council unanimously renewed an independent contract agreement with Maggard, which is effective Nov. 1 and runs through the end of October 2023.

The contract terms remain the same as the existing city attorney agreement.

The City of Zephyrhills has renewed its independent contract with City Attorney Matthew Maggard through October 2023. He has been serving the municipality since 2016. (Courtesy of City of Zephyrhills)

Under those terms, the city is required to pay a minimum fee of $700 per month as a retainer, with attorney services rendered at $150 per hour, and staff services are $50 per hour. The city also will provide Maggard with health insurance on the same basis as it is provided to the council. Another perk: Maggard will be provided an education allowance to attend the Florida Municipal Attorney Association Conference, and an additional local government-related conference.

As city attorney, Maggard, 35, attends all council meetings and workshops, and provides legal counsel to the city council and city staff.

The lawyer represents the city in litigation, collects delinquent taxes, forecloses liens upon real property, prosecutes code enforcement violations, and is the legal advisor to the police and fire departments. He also prepares and reviews all resolutions, ordinances, contracts and legal agreements, too.

Recent undertakings have included: Overseeing consolidation of the city’s fire department with Pasco County; updating the public-private contract on the Sarah Vande Berg Tennis & Wellness Center; and, helping the city facilitate a partnership with  a couple of litigation firms to seek damages in a massive federal lawsuit against companies who manufactured firefighting chemicals later found to contaminate some of the city’s groundwater, wastewater and water wells.

Maggard started working for the city in 2016, taking over for then city attorney Joseph Poblick, who held the position for over a decade until he was appointed a Pasco County Court judge.

Maggard also runs private practice in partnership with Danny Burgess, former executive director of the Florida Department of Veterans’ Affairs and currently a candidate for Florida Senate District 20.

The Dade City-based law firm, Maggard & Burgess P.A., handles most aspects of Florida law, including injury, family, business, real estate, banking and foreclosures, criminal defense and traffic, and landlord-tenant, as well as wills, trusts and probate.

Zephyrhills City Manager Billy Poe, who often works closely with the city attorney, expressed his appreciation for how Maggard goes about his duties.

Poe explained, “If ask him a question and he doesn’t know the answer, he doesn’t try to make something up. He says, ‘Give me a few minutes, let me go figure it out, let me go look it up,’ and he comes back with the right answer. …He goes and finds the answer and gets it to me.”

Council members similarly shared overwhelming positive reviews of Maggard’s performance thus far.

Council Vice President Jodi Wilkeson praised Maggard’s responsiveness, whenever a need arises.

“I feel like we have a great working relationship with all of our staff, particularly (Maggard), and I’m hoping for many more years of success,” she said.

Added Councilman Ken Burgess: “I think he’s doing a really great job for us and we made the right decision there (to initially hire Maggard).”

Councilman Lance Smith acknowledged he was initially “a little concerned” about Maggard’s limited legal experience when the city brought the young attorney aboard several years ago. But, those concerns alleviated over time, Smith said, noting the attorney has “fit in well” with the city.

Maggard has some deep ties in public office.

He is the nephew of both Pasco County Commissioner Ron Oakley and State Rep. Randy Maggard.

The city attorney is a graduate from Florida Coastal School of Law and was admitted to the Florida Bar in 2013.

Published October 21, 2020

Zephyrhills tennis center ready for play

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Lace up the tennis shoes and prep those rackets and balls for play — because the much-hyped Sarah Vande Berg Tennis & Wellness Center is now open to the public.

What began as drawings and plans on paper nearly four years ago is finally a reality in the form a $4.9 million athletic complex situated on 8.25 acres of land at 6585 Simons Road in Zephyrhills.

The complex enjoyed a soft opening on Sept. 21. A grand opening celebration is set for Oct. 17, from 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.

The center is now open every day, from 7:30 a.m. to 10 p.m.

The $4.9 million Sarah Vande Berg Tennis & Wellness Center sits on more than 8 acres of land off Simons Road in Zephyrhills. It features 11 regulation outdoor tennis courts (nine clay surface, two hard surface), eight pickleball courts and four padel courts, and a nearly 8,000-square-foot indoor clubhouse. The northeast corner of the 8-plus-acre property is reserved for an additional 30,000-square-foot indoor multipurpose sports complex, enough room to accommodate four full-size tennis courts. (Courtesy of David Alvarez, DCA Media Consulting)

The facility’s outdoor centerpiece is 11 regulation outdoor tennis courts (nine clay surface, two hard surface), eight pickleball courts and four padel courts — two of the world’s fastest-growing racquet sports.

Attached is a nearly 8,000-square-foot indoor club housing cutting-edge health and wellness amenities that promote training and recovery.

There are rooms dedicated for cryotherapy, salt therapy, bio/neuro feedback therapy, massage and yoga. There’s also a 1,300-square-foot fitness center featuring workout equipment, including recumbent bikes, rowers and ellipticals.

The indoor clubhouse also has a full restaurant and cafe operated by Land O’ Lakes-based caterer Mark Vesh.

Though membership-based, guest users are encouraged to make court rentals and partake in other amenities. Walk-ins are welcome and any specific questions can be answered by the facility’s front desk manager.

Even amid the COVID-19 pandemic, patrons are wasting no time getting their game on.

For instance, a 30-member coed pickleball group from Zephyrhills reserved courts for a mini event on the facility’s first open morning.

The complex is named in honor of Sarah Vande Berg, a former Zephyrhills High School district champion and three-time state qualifier who died in an automobile accident in South Carolina at the age of 21, in October 2015.

Her father, Todd Vande Berg, is the longtime planning director for Zephyrhills.

All-Star crew
The tennis center venture is a public-private partnership between the City of Zephyrhills and Pascal Collard, a longtime tennis pro and instructor serving as the facility’s CEO.

The municipality owns the state-of-the-art tennis facility, but Collard is responsible for its day-to-day operations and programming.

Collard has been involved with the project since October 2017, when his tennis management firm, Tennis P.R.O. Florida LLC, was hired by the city.

Finally seeing the complex come to life is a relief for Collard, noting he invested “a lot of time and money and energy and passion” in conjunction with Zephyrhills during the last several years.

Said Collard, “It’s a lifetime goal and a lifetime dream that’s come true to be able to run a place and really do something that’s touched the community and that will touch people from all over the world.”

In running the facility, he brings a diverse tennis background to the table.

The nearly 8,000-square-foot indoor clubhouse at the tennis facility contains a fitness center, restaurant/café, and rooms dedicated for cryotherapy, salt therapy, bio/neuro feedback therapy, massage and yoga, among other frills.

Collard previously served as tennis director at Saddlebrook in Wesley Chapel and The Merion Cricket Club in Haverford, Pennsylvania. His personal training includes working with several widely known tennis pros, including Younes El Aynaoui and Martin Verkerk, both of whom coincidentally ranked as high as No. 14 in the ATP Tour rankings back in 2003.

Many of the other 36 total staffers at the Sarah Vande Berg Tennis & Wellness Center similarly bring aboard respectable pedigrees.

The facility’s tennis director is Rene Moller, a former touring pro director at Saddlebrook Tennis Academy who’s been a full-time coach to John Isner, the highest-ranked American men’s tennis player, as well as Poland’s Hubert Hurkacz, who’s ranked No. 31 in the world.

Another notable tennis instructor is Mika Todo, a former professional WTA international tennis player from Japan who’s been working as a tennis coach for the past 20 years, and successfully trained junior players who won the title in the All-Japan Junior U12 and U14 tournament.

Also, former NFL defensive lineman Mel Williams will serve as a fitness coach and specialist in tennis footwork and plyometrics. He played for the New Orleans Saints, the Washington Redskins, the San Francisco 49ers and the Miami Dolphins in the early 2000s.

A host for pro tournaments
The facility is beginning to deliver on its promise as a tourism driver for East Pasco, by drawing big-ticket national and international events.

Collard said the complex will host a sanctioned professional women’s tournament in late January that’ll offer a $25,000 grand prize for the winner and points in world rankings. The event is expected to draw 32 players representing a number of different countries and nationalities.

A corresponding men’s tennis tournament organized by retired professional Johan Kriek and sanctioned by the International Tennis Federation also is in the works, Collard said. Kriek won 14 professional singles and eight doubles titles, ranking as high as seventh in the world in the 1980s. “It’s going to be very impressive and exciting,” Collard said of the forthcoming events.

A community hangout
At a hard-hat tour back in June, Collard explained his visioning for the complex is to become a community hangout of sorts, where users do more than simply play tennis with friends then leave and go about their day.

Pickleball is one of the most popular sports among seniors. Eight brand-new courts are dedicated for that activity at the Sarah Vande Berg Tennis & Wellness Center.

“It started with tennis, but it now became a destination,” said Collard. “Basically, the concept here is, ‘I’m not doing one hour of sport and I go home. I’m coming here to play tennis, then maybe I do a cryotherapy session and then maybe I go eat here because there’s a full restaurant.’ You can bring your entire family…so it’s really unique.”

In coming years, the facility could expand even further. The northeast corner of the 8-plus-acre property is reserved for a 30,000-square-foot indoor multipurpose sports complex, enough room to accommodate another four full-size tennis courts. However, the addition had a setback when Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis vetoed a $1 million appropriation for the project from the state’s budget.

In opening amid ongoing coronavirus concerns, the facility is adhering to prescribed health and safety precautions, Collard explained.

Masks are required inside the clubhouse, but not while playing outdoor racquet sports.

Sarah Vande Berg Tennis & Wellness Center CEO Pascal Collard

Staffers also have installed about 30 umbrella tables in a roomy outdoor space for patrons to eat, drink, relax and watch play, in a socially distanced manner.

There are also plans to install a temperature screening gate before entering the building in the coming week, in partnership with AdventHealth.

Collard summed up the varied safety measures: “We have sanitizer everywhere. We have masks for everybody.”

As for next month’s grand opening, Collard promises a “big, big wow factor.”

Collard added: “We have a lot of surprises. It’s going to be pretty, pretty amazing what’s going to happen right there.”

Between now and then, visitors also may notice spruced-up landscaping on the property.

Collard noted that landscaping is always put in last.

For more information, call (813) 361-6660, email , or visit SVBtenniscenter.com.

Published September 23, 2020

Zephyrhills finalizes tennis center management

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The City of Zephyrhills has dotted i’s and crossed t’s in its public-private partnership with the newly opened Sarah Vande Berg Tennis & Wellness Center — amending a private management/operations agreement with firm Tennis P.R.O Florida LLC, on the multimillion-dollar facility.

The Zephyrhills City Council unanimously approved an updated contract with Tennis P.R.O. and its owner, Pascal Collard, during a regular meeting on Sept. 15.

The $4.9 million Sarah Vande Berg Tennis & Wellness Center is now open for business. The complex, at 6585 Simons Road, features 11 regulation outdoor tennis courts, eight pickleball courts and four padel courts, plus a nearly 8,000-square-foot indoor club. (Courtesy of David Alvarez, DCA Media Consulting)

The agreement repeals and replaces one signed back in October 2017, before construction began on the $4.9 million, state-of-the-art tennis complex at 6585 Simons Road.

It comes in time as the facility opened to the public on Sept. 21, with a grand opening celebration scheduled Oct. 17.

The city-owned complex features 11 regulation outdoor tennis courts, eight pickleball courts and four padel courts. It also features a nearly 8,000-square-foot indoor club, which contains a fitness center, restaurant/café, and rooms dedicated for cryotherapy, salt therapy, bio/neuro feedback therapy, massage and yoga, among other frills.

Generally, Collard’s tennis management company will be responsible for day-to-day operations of the facility that will include providing lessons and running concessions. The firm also will handle memberships and fundraising.

The new agreement calls for a 20-year contract between the city and the firm with two subsequent 10-year renewal options with six months’ notice.

Aside from tidying up routine details like property address and parcel ID number, the contract also outlines revenue sources to the city and other parameters.

The city will receive no revenues from the first several years of the facility opening, to allow Collard and his firm to recoup its upfront costs and build a base.

For the remainder of the agreement, however, the firm will pay rent to the city based on a percentage of its profits.

Alcohol sales — beer and wine only — may be sold on the premises, so long as the gross sales do not exceed 49% of total food and beverage sales, so the facility’s indoor café is classified as a restaurant. Relatedly, alcohol sales, retail/merchandise sales and advertisement sales will not be included in revenues due to the city.

However, all other sales, which presently include food sales, academy tuition, lessons, rentals and memberships are included in revenue calculations due to the city.

Other approved changes seem to work in the city’s favor, such as use of property and right to inspection:
• City is allowed to use the facility for special events at no cost, whether it be a multi-agency planning meeting, economic summit, or even a Christmas party
• Contractor must provide audited financial statements at the end of each fiscal year
• Material alterations must be approved by the city
• Contractor will provide restaurant equipment, benches and padel courts
• Contractor is responsible for all landscaping and sod maintenance
• All proposed partnerships with contractor and a third party must be approved by the city
• Collard must retain majority ownership of Tennis P.R.O Florida LLC
• Salaries of each equity owner shall be $100,000 for the purposes of calculating the net income. Any salary above $100,000 may be paid to each equity owner, but will be considered net income and the according percentage shall be paid to the city.

On the whole, the private-public partnership is similar to one Zephyrhills has with East Pasco Family YMCA, in which the city owns the building property, but outsources programming and facility management.

Zephyrhills City Attorney Matt Maggard told council members the updated tennis operations contract summarily contains “reasonable compromises, and the changes are to the benefit of the city.”

Zephyrhills Mayor Gene Whitfield added of the latest agreement: “There was a lot of work putting that contract together getting it right, so it’ll go forward and there won’t be problems in the future.”

In running the tennis center and serving as its CEO, Collard brings a diverse tennis background to the table.

He previously served as tennis director at Saddlebrook in Wesley Chapel and The Merion Cricket Club, in Haverford, Pennsylvania.

His training includes working with several widely known tennis pros, including Younes El Aynaoui and Martin Verkerk, both of whom coincidentally ranked as high as No. 14 in the ATP Tour rankings back in 2003.

Despite being a challenging time to open up a new facility amid the COVID-19 pandemic, city leaders believe the project will be a boon for years to come — drawing international interest, and providing more recreational opportunities for local youth and residents alike. They also praised Collard for his efforts put into the initiative the past several years.

Councilman Lance Smith observed: “We’re going to have people from all over world coming here, participating in events here, playing here, bringing their kids here to the schools, so it’s going to be a really good thing for not only Zephyrhills, but Pasco County, so I’m excited about getting going.”

Council President Charles Proctor among others, echoed those sentiments:  “I believe in the long run, it’s going to be amazing and really make an impression for not only the community, but the city and for the whole the area.”

Published September 23, 2020

Proposal for design standards sparks debate

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A proposal to enact new design standards in the Zephyrhills Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) area has prompted debate.

On one hand, the design standards can promote across-the-board architectural and visual uniformity and compliance — to protect and enhance property values in the CRA.

On the other hand, if care isn’t taken, the standards can become cumbersome and expensive.

Those were some of the main points raised during the discussion of a proposed set of design standards that would apply to the CRA’s roughly 500-plus acre historic area, which encompasses the center spine of town.

The Zephyrhills Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) is considering implementing comprehensive design standards within its 500-acre historic district, relating to residential and commercial architecture, along with regulations pertaining to site access, circulation, parking, lighting, tree preservation and more. (Courtesy of City of Zephyrhills)

It’s an extensive undertaking.

Gail Hamilton, director of the CRA, has worked on the past few years, in conjunction with Kimley-Horn, a planning, design and engineering consulting firm.

An 83-page drafted document was presented last month to the Zephyrhills CRA Board, which is chaired by all five city council members and mayor.

It contains regulations outlined in specific detail that pertain to site access, circulation, parking, lighting, tree preservation. It also has various requirements related to residential and retail space — particularly up and down Gall Boulevard and along cross streets.

For example, it calls for all drive-thru restaurants and banks to have buffering in the form of fences, gates, hardscapes and streetscapes.

It also calls for new streetlights built on public or private property to be required to take on a distinct historical look similar to what’s seen along City Hall and the Zephyrhills Public Library — which is a decorative fixture with Florida Vernacular style and black finish. By contrast, cobra head and shoebox style fixtures on top of an aluminum light pole, which frequently are seen in big box store parking lots, would be prohibited.

Another goal calls for tree preservation and creating, or maintaining, canopied roads — which are characterized by limbs of large trees that provide a lush and shaded effect, overhead.

The document also outlines a number of other restrictions, such as limiting the number and size of business signs and prohibiting residential parking on the grass.

Kelley Klepper, a project manager for Kimley-Horn, emphasized the significance of establishing concrete design standards throughout the CRA.

“A good design is the starting point for a great community. You’ve got a lot of great bones here in the city, especially within the CRA,” Klepper said.

Firm standards will help create the community’s desired aesthetic, and create accountability among property and business owners, he added.

“We want to make sure what we’re talking about has some teeth, because ultimately the CRA is that key focal point within itself,” Klepper continued.

Ensuring any new streetlights within take on a Florida Vernacular historical look is one of the many objectives in the CRA’s proposed 83-page design standards document. The CRA Board tabled a decision on whether to approve the design standards within its 500-acre district during a meeting last month.

“A lot of times we hear guidelines, we hear overlays. A guideline is just that, it’s a guide. It’s not a, ‘Thou shall,’ it’s a, ‘Well, we’d really, really appreciate it if you could,’ and there’s no teeth to it,” Klepper said.

Hamilton said the CRA would offer various incentives and partnership opportunities to help new and existing properties get up to code.

She said she has spoken with multiple residential and commercial developers who did not object to the design standards. If anything, they’re encouraged, because it provides a roadmap and expectations for the city’s future plans, she said.

“Developers want to know that,” Hamilton said.

She also talked about the value of having design standards.

“Your investment is going to be protected, because the person next to you is going to have to do the same thing. Rising tides lift all boats….” Hamilton said.

The CRA board, however, wants more specifics before taking stand. It tabled the issue until it receives additional information.

Board vice president Alan Knight cautioned strongly against overregulation.

He pointed to The Villages in Sumter County as an example, referencing a recent hot-button case where a couple was sued by the community’s development district after placing a 1-foot cross on display in their front yard, therefore violating a “lawn ornament” deed compliance.

“Every time I roll this page, all I see is another rule and another rule and another rule, and I just don’t want us to get into the idea that we’re so many rules that we can’t expand,” Knight said.

Board member Charles Proctor expressed similar concerns .

“I just don’t want to be super restrictive,” Proctor said. “I understand, we don’t want a bunch of junk cars with no tags in people’s yards, but on the same hand, I just want to be cautious.”

Meanwhile, board member Lance Smith thinks design standards are necessary.

However, Smith added:  “I don’t want them to be too costly to the people. Believe me, I’m for ‘em, but we’ve got to be real careful.”

Hamilton said the design standards don’t contradict anything the city already has on the books with its form-based code and land development code.

The document helps organize all present city ordinances, with some additional expansions and clarifications, and multiple visual examples for better understanding, she said.

Hamilton also observed the standards are not as strict as seen in HOA/deed restricted communities, such as Silver Oaks. “They tell you certain things about what you can or cannot do with your property. I can assure you these are much less than those,” she said.

Klepper described the proposed standards as a “baby step” compared to what other municipalities have done with their respective historic districts.

The project manager mentioned some have gone so far as to regulating parking lot line colors or the font and lettering of business signage.

“We didn’t want to go anywhere near that,” Klepper said. “The document we have is not punitive; it’s not so many rules we can’t follow.”

He continued, “At the end of the day, what we’re trying to do is increase property values. If you maintain your property, if your neighbors maintain their property, what’s going to happen to the valuation of that neighborhood? It’s going to go up.”

But, the board said it wants to see an example of a commercial business or homeowner go through a mock review and submittal process. That will give them a better idea of how much time and expense the new standards will create for someone who is looking to buy or invest in the city, they said.

The Zephyrhills CRA is a dependent special district in which any future increases in property values are set aside in a Trust Fund to support economic development and redevelopment projects within the designated district.

Although it functions within the City of Zephyrhills, the Zephyrhills CRA is a separate and distinct legal entity.

The district generally spans from Hercules Park to C Avenue, and from Zephyr Park to 17th Street. Within those boundaries are the following historic neighborhood districts: Hercules, Historic Jeffries, Historic Abbott, Moore’s Estate, Zephyr Lake, Oakside and Plaza.

Published September 09, 2020

Progress continues on New River Library renovation

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No specific completion date has been set yet, but Pasco County library officials expect the makeover of the New River Branch Library to be wrapped up by the end of this year.

The library, at 34043 State Road 54, sits on the edge of Wesley Chapel — not far from Zephyrhills.

A new room is under construction, at the New River Branch Library. The library is located at the edge of Wesley Chapel, close to Zephyrhills. (Courtesy of Pasco County Library System)

Workers are busy on a massive remodeling that began last fall.

The total cost for the project, including design, construction, furnishing, technology and other associated expenses is approximately $2.8 million, said Bob Harrison, program manager for the Pasco County Library System.

All seven county libraries are slated for substantial improvement, using funds generated from General Obligation bonds approved by voters in November 2018.

When the New River renovation is finished, patrons will notice a number of obvious improvements, such as faster Internet speeds, a covered walkway, a makerspace that opens into a shaded “classroom” that opens into a much larger community garden.

Improvements also include an upgraded air-conditioning, heating and ventilation system.

Like just about everything else in life these days, the project has been affected by impacts of COVID-19.

“We had some manufacturers that had shut down for a time,” Harrison said.

That shutdown caused a delay in getting supplies needed for the library project, Harrison explained.

When the library reopens, it will offer much more than books, said Harrison, who is excited about what await patrons when operations resume.

Libraries are literacy centers and social hubs, he said.

Libraries are places where children come for story time, job seekers come to research new opportunities and entrepreneurs come to learn from experienced business mentors who offer free workshops.

A look at the entrance of the New River Branch Library in Wesley Chapel. The library is undergoing renovation and is expected to reopen by the end of the year.

Libraries also offer a host of special events, such as arts and crafts, movies and lectures.

They’re also a popular gathering spot for community organizations to hold meetings.

And, libraries are a common venue, too, for business mentors who offer free workshops to share their business knowledge and expertise with less-experienced entrepreneurs.

Of course, beyond the books and other media that patrons can borrow, visitors also can consult reference materials and use technology to help with research.

The upgrade includes expanding the community garden, which once had about six raised beds, to have more than two dozen.

About half of those will be for workshops and demonstrations. The rest will be open to people who want to grow flowers or vegetables.

A project to plant fruit trees at New River is expected to continue.

And, a new children’s activity, Story Walk, will allow children to follow a winding path where they will stop at stations and read pages from a storybook.

While the New River Branch has been closed, patrons have been frequenting other libraries, Harrison said, noting some have been using the Land O’ Lakes Branch Library, while others have used the Hugh Embry Branch in Dade City, or the Zephyrhills Library, operated by the City of Zephyrhills.

For more information on New River and video on renovations, visit Facebook.com/newriverlibrary.

Published August 19, 2020

Zephyrhills sets tentative millage rate

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Zephyrhills property owners won’t see an increase in their ad valorem tax rate for fiscal year 2020-2021.

The Zephyrhills City Council on July 27 unanimously voted to set the tentative millage rate at 6.35 mills — a rate the municipality has maintained for several years.

Public hearings on the proposed property tax rate have been scheduled for Sept. 14 and Sept. 28.

Under state law, once a tentative millage rate has been set, the city cannot raise it before the start of the fiscal year, which begins Oct. 1. The council does, however, have the option to reduce the rate before then.

A mill represents $1 in tax for every $1,000 worth of a property’s taxable assessed value.

In Zephyrhills, maintaining a rate of 6.35 mills would levy about $5.32 million in property taxes — a revenue increase of nearly $380,000 compared with last year.

The figures are based on the total city’s property value of nearly $838 million, an increase of $63.8 million over last year. Of that increase, $28.7 million is attributable to new construction.

The city’s tentative budget is typically set by Aug. 1 each year. However, staff requested to delay the deadline until Aug. 7, because the city is awaiting various revenue estimates from the state.

In other news, council members received an update on the Sarah Vande Berg Foundation’s outreach plans, in the midst of COVID-19.

The Sarah Vande Berg Tennis & Wellness Center, at 6585 Simons Road, won’t open its doors until mid- or late September, but inroads are being made to grow the sport among local youth.

The outreach will be done through the Sarah Vande Berg Foundation, a nonprofit that subsidizes tennis equipment, lessons and afterschool programs to underserved community youth, in partnership with the forthcoming tennis facility.

Nick Walton, the foundation’s program director, explained that the foundation had partnered with West Zephyrhills Elementary School to offer an afterschool tennis program in the spring, but that the program had to be postponed until the fall because of the pandemic.

In addition to partnering with individual schools, including West Zephyrhills Elementary, Walton said the nonprofit also will host a series of free afterschool programs available to all youth in the community during the 2020-2021 school year — regardless of whether students attend brick-and-mortar schools or take virtual classes.

The afterschool program likely will be held around 3:30 p.m. or 4 p.m., on weekdays, Walton said.

“We’ve secured enough funding right now to secure us through the entire school year, so you guys will be seeing me, hopefully trying to raise more, and get into more schools and have more programs running,” Walton told the council.

The nearly $5 million tennis complex features 11 regulation outdoor tennis courts, eight pickleball courts and four padel courts, as well as a state-of-the art indoor health and wellness center, among other amenities.

The facility is a public-private partnership between the City of Zephyrhills and Pascal Collard, a longtime tennis pro and instructor serving as the facility’s CEO.

Virtual meetings set for audio upgrades
In the last several weeks, Zephyrhills city government meetings have mostly returned in-person amid COVID-19, but citizens still have the opportunity to listen and participate through a telephone call-in number.

The Zephyrhills City Hall council chambers is being outfitted with a new computer system to enhance audio quality for broadcasting virtual meetings. (File)

As staffers and council members have begun conducting semi-virtual meetings at the City Hall council chambers, some audio quality issues have arisen for those who listen in on the phone in real time.

That’s because the chamber room’s communications system wasn’t originally designed to accommodate in-person meetings that could also be broadcasted remotely.

Zephyrhills City Manager Billy Poe said those issues should be sorted out in time for the next scheduled council meeting on Aug. 10, as the city’s IT department is working to retrofit a new computer system that will provide for better sound processing.

“We’ve heard complaints about people being able to only hear every third word or being muffled,” Poe said. “Hopefully, we’ll have something in place, and hopefully it’ll work for the next meeting.”

With that, council president Charles Proctor expressed his appreciation for Mike Panak, the  city’s IT director, for helping set up a virtual meeting system on the fly, over the course of the shutdown.

“I’m sure this has been difficult for him to run all of this, and get all this, and I’m sure this has been a nightmare for him, and I really appreciate the fine job done, especially when we were meeting virtually,” Proctor said.

The council president also thanked the city’s entire staff for its dedication and its work to keep the municipality running over the last several months.

“This has been one of the most difficult times in our country’s history, and we have such an amazing group of employees that are so faithful. They show up to work, do an amazing job, even through all this nightmare that we’ve all been living.

“From the guy on the back of the truck to our police and city manager, I’m just so thankful that we have such an amazing team,” Proctor said.

Published August 05, 2020

Development is ramping up in Zephyrhills

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Except for some weeks throughout March and April, the COVID-19 hasn’t halted much new development within the City of Zephyrhills.

That’s the word from Zephyrhills Planning Director Todd Vande Berg, who outlined a number of citywide projects during an East Pasco Networking Group virtual meeting on June 23.

Perhaps the most notable setback, Vande Berg said, involved a slight delay in court installations at the forthcoming Sarah Vande Berg Tennis and Wellbeing Center, due to some extra safety and travel precautions taken from Miami-based construction crews.

However, the nearly $5 million project on Simons Road is proceeding well, with a grand opening scheduled for mid-to-late August.

Zephyrhills Planning Director Todd Vande Berg was the featured guest speaker at an East Pasco Networking Group virtual meeting on June 23. (File)

Aside from that, the planning director said, “I haven’t heard of a lot of slowdown, at least in our community.”

Underscoring the point is the myriad projects and initiatives Zephyrhills has in the pipeline — mainly in regards to new residential construction.

Larger single-family developments underway include The District at Abbott’s Square, Zephyr Lakes, Hidden River, Links at Calusa Springs, plus various expansions to the Silver Oaks and Silverado communities, respectively.

In other words, the city’s real estate market is “very hot right now,” Vande Berg said.

He explained, “I don’t know where all these people are coming from, but these housing subdivisions are selling homes for over $300,000 with HOAs and CDDs. I wasn’t sure how that’d work in Zephyrhills, but you drive up to Silverado and before the lot infrastructure is completed, you’re seeing a ‘Sold’ sign, so it is amazing.

“Even through this COVID-19 environment the residential housing…has really stayed very strong, which helps the city from a budget and revenue standpoint.”

Vande Berg added another 550-plus residential development is being planned around the new tennis center and should be underway a year or so from now.

The Lennar project will feature one-story villas, two-story townhomes and three different lot sizes. “It’s going to be a unique project,” Vande Berg said, adding, “we’re just beginning the due process on that.”

The planning director touched on a number of commercial developments, too.

Much is contingent on the addition of two signalized intersections on U.S. 301, Pretty Pond Road and Medical Arts Courts.

Funding for the $2.3 million project is in the state budget for this fiscal year. The aim of the traffic signal project — already out to bid — is to speed up potential commercial development in the northeast and northwest corners of U.S. 301 and Pretty Pond, and to improve access to the Merchants Square and Townview Square shopping centers.

The project will “spur a lot of development” along the intersection, Vande Berg said.

Additionally, a slew of light industrial businesses have recently set up shop at Park Place Center — an industrial park situated on Chancey Road south of Skydive City. That development is funded by a group of local investors.

“There’s a lot of activity going on in there,” Vande Berg said. “If you get a chance, go back there and drive around in that industrial park and you’ll see everything that’s going on in there.

Zephyrhills will join more than 100 other cities and water treatment facilities across the country in a federal lawsuit that is going after various companies that manufactured firefighting foam containing chemicals found to contaminate water wells. (File)

“We’re always excited when we have new, quality industrial manufacturing coming in, that creates jobs, they don’t require a lot of city services, and they generate a lot of ad valorem revenue for the city, so it’s always very positive, and you see that happening, to help diversify our community economy, and just good business overall,” Vande Berg said.

Another visible construction project underway is the rebuild of Jerry’s Crystal Bar on Gall Boulevard. The bar had been a community landmark downtown for over 60 years, until a fire destroyed the building last May.

The project will fall under the requirements of the city’s form-based code for the U.S. 301/Gall Boulevard corridor area, whereby the facade is aligned right up to the street with a wide sidewalk and all parking is situated behind the bar.

The planning director described the new building as “a big improvement” from beforehand, adding future projects within the corridor will be required to meet form-based code — a tool used to regulate new development in a manner compatible with the community’s vision.

For example, Vande Berg noted a builder is looking to erect townhomes on Seventh Street, so those structures likewise would be situated right up to the street with backlot parking.

Vande Berg observed of the zoning regulations: “You’ve probably seen that in other communities where it’s been pretty successful, so we’re doing the same thing here.”

Another anticipated project moving along is a new 14,000-square-foot Veterans Affairs clinic, at 378727 Eiland Blvd. Construction broke ground last June, but work halted after last-minute changes to modify the facility’s design and layout.

Those site plan changes were recently approved by the city’s review committee, Vande Berg said, “so they should be getting along with that pretty soon, we anticipate.”

In the arena of new eateries, Zephyrhills is set to land Chipotle and Chick-fil-A franchises in the near future.

Chipotle has been approved by the city for a small commercial outparcel in the Zephyr Commons Shopping Center and construction should begin soon, Vande Berg said.

Chick-fil-A, meanwhile, will be located at the northeast corner of U.S. 301 and Pretty Pond Road. The franchise is likely waiting until the new traffic light project is a go before construction gets underway, Vande Berg said.

Some other updates and happenings for Zephyrhills the planning director shared:

  • An extension of Kossik Road is complete, to service the Abbott Park residential development.
  • The city is working with the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) on continuing State Road 56 east of U.S. 301 with four-lane alignment alternatives, as well as one-way pairs on Gall Boulevard.
  • The city received a $15,000 grant from Duke Energy toward the long-range Zephyrhills Industrial Corridor master plan.
  • The city has applied for a $15,000 grant from the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity (DEO) to revamp the housing element of its comprehensive plan.

Published July 08, 2020

New complex offers much more than tennis

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Dozens and dozens of mask-wearing visitors took a celebratory tour for a preview of the Sarah Vande Berg Tennis & Wellness Center, now under development in Zephyrhills.

The center, at 6585 Simons Road, is expected to open in mid to late August.

Todd Vande Berg, third from left, is surrounded by family. From left: Mariah Wagner, of Seffner; Charla Vande Berg and Todd, of Zephyrhills; Tim Ngo, of Seffner; Abigail Ngo, of Seffner; and, Emily Vande Berg, of Zephyrhills. (Fred Bellet)

Numerous cosmetic touches remain on the $4.9 million state-of-the-art facility that’s expected to alter the landscape of The City of Pure Water.

At first glance, the complex’s main attraction, of course, is tennis. It will offer opportunities for beginners to competitive recreational players — and possibly even some elite-level college and professional players.

The complex features 11 regulation outdoor tennis courts — including eight clay surface courts, two hard surface, and a clay surface exhibition court.

It is expected to play host to significant tournaments that come through.

The exhibition court, centrally located among all courts, will offer stadium-tiered seating accommodating up to 1,300 people, and up to 4,000 people if additional bleachers are contracted in for an event.

In addition to tennis, there will be eight pickleball courts and four padel courts — deemed as two of the world’s faster-growing sports.

The padel courts will be the first such courts in Central Florida, said Marcos Del Pilar, a former professional padel player in Spain. He’s heading up padel-related programming at the complex.

With unfinished courts in the background, Andy Sorrentino fields questions from a group who took the preview tour of The Sarah Vande Berg Tennis & Wellness Center.

Played in doubles, padel combines elements of tennis, squash, racquetball and platform tennis into a fast-moving game played within a glass-enclosed court, one-third the size of a tennis court.

Compared to tennis, Del Pilar explained the game of padel is easier to pick up because of smaller, more compact racquets that are perforated and without strings.

“This is something that everyone can get, in 5 minutes,” said Del Pilar, proudly noting his 70-year-old mother plays five days a week.

Del Pilar added the sport lends to being “very social” and “engaging,” because matches are played in such tight quarters with four people at once.

“You are playing and also spending time with your friends because you’re playing very close. That’s a reason it’s so much fun,” he said.

Beyond offering racquet sports, officials believe the tennis complex’s nearly 8,000-square-foot indoor facility takes the project to the next level. They specifically cite the center’s cutting-edge health and wellness amenities that promote training and recovery.

Marcos del Pilar, left, promotions and sales manager of All Racquet Sports USA, and Andy Sorrentino, a major partner and chief operating officer, ham it up during the tour of the Sarah Vande Berg Tennis & Wellness Center.

There are rooms dedicated for cryotherapy, salt therapy, bio/neuro feedback therapy, massage and yoga. There’s also a 1,300-square-foot fitness center featuring workout equipment, including recumbent bikes, rowers and ellipticals.

The salt therapy room figures to be one of the more popular usable spaces. The room will be walled with Himalayan sea salt and floored with granulated salt, so much so that it will resemble walking on sand. Visitors will enter and settle in zero gravity lounge chairs, all while iodized salt-infused air is streamed into the room.

This is being promoted as an area that benefits breathing, provides stress-relief and improves skin.

The center also will have a full restaurant and bar, serving breakfast, lunch and dinner on weekdays, and brunch and dinner on weekends. The restaurant, operated by Land O’ Lakes-based caterer Mark Vesh, will be able to seat about 60 patrons inside and at least another 100 outside.

Andy Sorrentino, the facility’s managing partner, characterized the center as being unique.

“There’s a lot of wellness clubs, there’s a lot of tennis clubs, but there are not very many, if any, tennis and wellness clubs,” said Sorrentino, who spent 26 years in sports management at Aronimink Golf Club, a private country club outside Philadelphia. “The ability to train here, eat here, play here, get your wellness here, is, very unique.”

The Sarah Vande Berg Tennis & Wellness Center has been in the works for more than three years.

The Sarah Vande Berg Tennis & Wellness Center, at 6585 Simons Road, is still awaiting its signage and round, logo tennis ball, windows. A tour was held at the center, though, to provide a look at the project’s progress.

It’s a public-private partnership between the City of Zephyrhills and Pascal Collard, a longtime tennis pro and instructor serving as the facility’s CEO.

The complex will be membership-based, but also open to walk-ins for a nominal fee.

Collard coins the facility as “a little bit of a country club,” yet “accessible to everybody.”

Meanwhile, the facility is already attracting some movers and shakers in the tennis sphere.

Collard revealed that Nick Bollettieri, an International Tennis Hall of Famer who’s coached 10 world No. 1 ranked players, will be offering group lessons about once a month, for ladies, juniors and aspiring coaches.

“The guy basically invented tennis,” Collard said. “You can’t go higher than that in the world, and it’s happening in Zephyrhills.”

Patriotically protected, Chad Melms, of Lakeland, was among those touring the Sarah Vande Berg Tennis & Wellness Center. He and his son, Braeden Melms, were speaking with Mika Todo, an SVB pro tennis coach.

Additionally, Collard shared the facility’s tennis director will be Rene Moller, who coaches John Isner, America’s top-ranked men’s tennis player.

The complex is named in honor of Sarah Vande Berg, a former Zephyrhills High School district champion and three-time state qualifier who tragically died in an automobile accident in South Carolina at the age of 21, in October 2015.

Her father, Todd Vande Berg, is the longtime planning director for Zephyrhills.

Participating in the tour, the planning director felt “the whole gamut of emotions” walking throughout the soon-to-open facility named in memory of his daughter.

“It’s surreal. It’s a little bit hard to believe, just how beautiful it has come out,” he said.

The planning director is confident the tennis center will “raise the bar for Zephyrhills and the whole region.”

“It’s just going to be an amazing facility that we think’s going to bring a lot of people here, maybe some tournaments, it’s going to be exciting,” he said. “This area is ripe for a facility like this; we’re so fortunate to have this here.”

Published July 08, 2020

Zephyrhills joins water contamination lawsuit

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The City of Zephyrhills — also known as “The City of Pure Water” — is joining a massive federal lawsuit regarding contaminated water.

The municipality is set to become a plaintiff in a multi-district litigation case filed against various companies that manufactured firefighting foams — Aqueous film forming foam (AFFF) — containing a series of man-made chemicals found to contaminate groundwater, wastewater and water wells.

Zephyrhills will join more than 100 other cities and water treatment facilities across the country in a federal lawsuit that is going after various companies that manufactured firefighting foam containing chemicals found to contaminate water wells. (File)

The chemicals in question are perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS), compounds historically used in carpets, clothing, food packaging and a number of industrial processes. The chemicals have been linked to human health effects, such as low infant birth weights, immune system suppression, thyroid hormone disruption and cancer, according to health organizations, such as the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The Zephyrhills City Council unanimously voted on May 11 to enter negotiations for representation with Cossich, Summich, Parsiola and Taylor LLC., a New Orleans-based litigation firm. Local co-counsel will include Tampa-based firms Hobby & Hobby P.A. and Young & Partners LLP. The action came during a virtual council meeting.

Zephyrhills will join more than 100 other cities and water treatment facilities across the country in the lawsuit. Other plaintiffs are as far away as California and North Dakota, and within Florida, including Pensacola and Lauderhill.

The New Orleans firm is known for its work in securing a $7.8 billion settlement for plaintiffs in the BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill case back in 2010. The firm told city leaders it will front the cost of litigation and expert work on a contingency, then would accept a settlement fee.

Officials say high levels of PFOA/PFOS have been discovered in Water Well No. 1 utilized by the city’s downtown fire station for training purposes, dating as far back as 2014.

Samples taken from the well in 2014 showed PFOA/PFOS levels of 160 parts per trillion in water, lower than the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) levels of acceptability of 200 parts per trillion at the time, officials say.

However, in 2016 the EPA established new health advisory levels of PFOA/PFOS at just 70 parts per trillion. Because of that, the well was subsequently taken offline and was no longer in service when follow-up tests measured 120 parts per trillion of PFOA/PFOS, officials say.

Zephyrhills City Manager Billy Poe said that staff is working with environmental engineering group Jones Edmunds on monitoring wells and “to try to delineate contamination plume.”

Poe expects the EPA and Florida Department of Environmental Protection to make requirements for PFOA/PFOS remediation and removal, which he said “will have a very large price tag attached to it.”

Clarke Hobby of Hobby & Hobby P.A., will serve as co-counsel for the City of Zephyrhills, who will be a plaintiff in a federal lawsuit against companies and manufacturers that used a series of man-made chemicals in firefighting foam found to contaminate water wells. (File)

City attorney Matt Maggard concurred with the city manager’s assessment. He emphasized the need to partner with the multiple litigation firms to seek damages from companies that used PFOS/PFAS chemicals in AFFF production.

Maggard put it like this: “Cleanup is coming, and it’s going to be very, very expensive, and I think we should protect the city and seek compensation from these companies. It’s really negligent what they did, in my opinion, as far as knowing the dangers of these chemicals and letting them go out into the public the way they did.”

Attorney Clarke Hobby, a partner in Hobby & Hobby P.A., originally brought the matter to the city’s attention.

A Dade City native who normally deals in real estate and land use matters, Hobby said he felt a calling to be involved and assist the municipality with the developing case.

The attorney said he believes the EPA will even further lower the levels of acceptability for PFOS/PFOA in water sources because “they’re finding that this stuff is not water soluble and it just doesn’t go away and it is a serious threat to water quality.”

Said Hobby, “I just don’t want Zephyrhills to get on the hook for what a multi-, multi-billion company knew about 40 years ago and continued to put it on the market, and leave us holding the bag.”

He added: “The liability for creating this chemical contamination should lie with the manufacturers who knew about this for a long time and allowed the contamination to continue over a longer period of time.”

Upon hearing comments from Hobby, as well as representatives from Cossich, Summich, Parsiola and Taylor LLC, and city administration, the council agreed it was important to move forward in the legal process.

“We definitely have to act on this,” said Council president Ken Burgess.

Councilman Charles Proctor added, “It sounds to me like we are going to deal with this, probably sooner rather than later, so if we’re going to hire a group of attorneys, we would want to hire a (law firm) that’s familiar with this sort of litigation.”

Published May 27, 2020

Zephyrhills CRA projects, initiatives on tap

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Amid the coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, the Zephyrhills Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) has managed to stay plenty busy.

In a virtual CRA board meeting last month, Zephyrhills CRA director Gail Hamilton outlined a number of tasks the agency has on its plate to beautify the 500-plus acre historic district that stretches through the center spine of the city.

Hamilton told the board: “We are in strange times, trying to do remote meetings and getting things done has certainly been a challenge, but everybody has pitched in and worked hard.”

The Zephyrhills CRA (Community Redevelopment Agency) district is roughly 500 acres, from Hercules Park to C Avenue, and from Zephyr Park to 17th Street. Within those boundaries are the following historic neighborhood districts: Hercules, Historic Jeffries, Historic Abbott, Moore’s Estate, Zephyr Lake, Oakside and Plaza. (Courtesy of Zephyrhills Community Redevelopment Agency)

More immediately, the CRA is in the final review of its sidewalk master plan and updating signage design standards in the district. It’s also collaborating with the Zephyrhills Public Library to redesign the agency’s website “to make it more appealing and easier to navigate,” Hamilton said.

Meantime, the CRA is working on a bid proposal for the final restoration of the historic Carriage House, a two-story wooden structure connected to the historic Jeffries House, at 38537 Fifth Ave. The city recently received architectural plans on the project that calls for a new balcony, footings and columns — with the idea the home’s restoration will contribute to the preservation of other buildings within the CRA district.

Another ongoing CRA initiative is reviewing its grant programs and the grant application process, “looking for ways to make it clearer, better, easier to read,” Hamilton said.

The CRA director added she’s working on providing information on a single sheet to better explain residential ownership grants, residential paint grants, and so on.

The idea is to make the process easier.

Hamilton also touched on other general projects the agency has on its to-do list, too.

She said the public works department is set to install flowerpots and other landscaping upgrades along Fifth Avenue, once it returns to its regular, fully staffed operations. (Public Works is presently in partially staffed, split shifts, due to the coronavirus pandemic.)

She also mentioned free, public Wi-Fi has been installed at Zephyrhills City Hall and the adjacent courtyard, but the amenity won’t be activated until large gatherings are deemed safe again.

Additionally, the agency has received three bids for public-use Wi-Fi at Clock Plaza, a half-acre park located on Fifth Avenue, two blocks east of U.S. 301 in the historic downtown district. The Wi-Fi at that location would support up to 100 users at a time, and will be presented at the next CRA board meeting scheduled for June 22.

Hamilton also is evaluating “four or five locations” in the CRA district that could be ripe for residential developments, such as duplexes and condo townhomes.

To do that, the CRA is working with consulting firm GAI Community Solutions Group to handle “proformas on the land and see how the numbers work out,” Hamilton said. “We would like to really promote some of the city sites and other sites that are privately owned within the district, to try to encourage residential development,” she said of the plan.

Meanwhile, the CRA director is finalizing the job description for the Main Street Zephyrhills coordinator position and meeting with Main Street board members on how to best proceed with the organization — following the recent resignation of Anna Stutzriem, who held the role for more than two years.

Main Street Zephyrhills is a 501c3 nonprofit that generally facilitates new business and organizes large events within the historic downtown district.

Hamilton underscored the importance of having a new Main Street coordinator and action plan in place once storefronts and downtown activity is fully operational again, for whenever the COVID-19 pandemic blows over.

The Zephyrhills Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) has many projects and initiatives on tap over the next several months. (File)

She observed, “When we can open back up, when the stores can open back up, Main Street needs to be up and running and working on promoting the city, our merchants, the businesses, and really doing a full press on creating a promotional for events…to get people to come downtown and use our businesses.”

Elsewhere, Hamilton presented the CRA’s 2019 annual report, which showed a notable increase in ad valorem revenues collected by the city and Pasco County. For fiscal year 2019, the county’s share was $107,238 and the city’s share was $89,510. That’s up from 2018, when the county and city generated $36,000 apiece in ad valorem taxes in the district.

To Hamilton that means the agency is “seeing the fruits of our labor in working on redevelopment for the CRA district and taking out the blight.”

In other business, the CRA board approved the following grants/incentives:

  • $5,000 matching façade rehabilitation grant to Faithful Friends Pet Cremation, 5221 Eighth St.
  • $5,500 historic preservation developer’s incentive to Kerns Family Construction for the restoration of a 1928 wood frame structure at 5524 11th St.

The Zephyrhills CRA is a dependent special district in which any future increases in property values are set aside in a Trust Fund to support economic development and redevelopment projects within the designated district. Although it functions within the City of Zephyrhills, the Zephyrhills CRA is a separate and distinct legal entity. The Zephyrhills City Council also serves as the appointed board governing the Zephyrhills CRA.

The CRA district encompasses the center spine of the city, generally between Hercules Park to C Avenue, and from Zephyr Park to 17th Street. Within those boundaries are the following historic neighborhood districts: Hercules, Historic Jeffries, Historic Abbott, Moore’s Estate, Zephyr Lake, Oakside and Plaza.

Published May 13, 2020