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Dade City Merchants Association

Dade City awards contract for Hardy Trail

May 19, 2020 By Kevin Weiss

Dade City has pushed another step forward to make the Roy Hardy Trail more tourist-friendly.

City commissioners have agreed to enter negotiations with Borregard Construction Inc., for the design-build of a visitor’s information welcome center, to be located on the south side of Church Avenue near the Hardy Trail multi-use trailhead.

Preliminary plans call for a building of 1,100 square feet to 1,500 square feet, with two family bathrooms that meet Americans with Disabilities Act standards.

A group of cyclists is ready for the Trail Jam fitness event held previously at Dade City’s Roy Hardy Trail. A visitor’s information welcome center and bike hub is set to be installed near the Hardy Trail trailhead. (File)

The center will feature an open floor plan — allowing for vendor operations, area attractions, museums and art exhibits to host mobile displays.

The building is part of a larger exterior space concept that will feature a bike-share hub with stations for parking, minor repairs and public resting areas for cyclists and exercising pedestrians.

Commissioners voted 4-1, with Commissioner Nicole Deese Newlon voting against the bid award, during a May 12 virtual conference call meeting.

The city received three bids for the project.

Borregard, a Dade City-based construction firm, garnered the highest average qualification score by city staffers for its proposal, scope of services and cost projections.

If the city is unable to come to terms with Borregard, it will turn to the second-ranked bid, WJCreate LLC.

Construction shall begin no later than July 15 and completed before June 2021, per the city’s

request for proposals (RFP).

The exact budget for the visitor’s center will be determined by the design of the structure and any necessary site improvements, officials say.

The city has received a $250,000 appropriation for the project from the Pasco County Tourist Development Council.

The visitor’s center will require additional public input and commission approval along the way, officials say.

The new amenity adds to Hardy Trail, which is currently being extended northbound to Lock Street. Commissioners have also expressed a desire to phase in more water stations, pet stations and even outdoor fitness stations.

In addition to the visitor’s center and bike hub, an adjacent downtown park is being planned, with features that could include a splash park, amphitheater, playground and more.

Leaders anticipate budget hit
Dade City Manager Leslie Porter told commissioners April statewide tax collection information will be made available May 25, giving city leaders a “first inkling on some of the impact” from the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) disease pandemic.

While total figures are not yet known, decreases in sales tax, shared revenues and Penny for Pasco monies to the city are to be expected, she said.

Meanwhile, Dade City Mayor Camille Hernandez said there’s general worry among Florida cities of all sizes about the negative fiscal impact related to COVID-19. She based that assessment on  a recent conference call she had with the Florida League of Cities.

“The budget may be painful, and it’s very concerning,” Hernandez said. “It doesn’t matter if you’re a small city or a very large city, we are all going to feel this in some shape or way or form.”

Adding to the hardship of what will likely be a tight budget cycle for the city is the fact there’ll be at least two new faces on the five-member commission following the June 30 municipal election.

Commissioners Newlon and Eunice Penix aren’t seeking re-election for their seats.

Commissioner Jim Shive is running against candidate Matthew Wilson for the Group 3 seat.

“It’s going to be kind of a real quick learning curve,” the mayor said.

Resident shares frustration with city upkeep
Speaking during the public comment portion of the virtual meeting, Dade City resident Bernice Thomas expressed her displeasure with city public works crews for not following proper 6-foot social distancing protocols and not wearing masks on the job.

The resident described one alleged incident on 14th Street near the Dade Oaks area, where city workers were “just sitting under the tree, talking without masks, and sitting right next to each other,” she said.

Thomas also criticized public workers for just “riding in air-conditioned trucks doing absolutely nothing.”

“It is absolutely disgraceful to me that our city has employees getting paid, but are not doing anything, “said Thomas. “COVID-19 has been an excuse to take time off, get paid, and still do nothing. We are taxpaying citizens who deserve better than we are getting.”

Thomas went on to mention the Dade City Merchant’s Association two months ago requested painted crosswalks, new signage and sidewalks cleaned, watered flowers and so on. “I haven’t seen anything being started yet,” she said.

She then blamed city department heads for not keeping tabs on city employees nor ensuring proper upkeep of the downtown district.

Said Thomas, “If the supervisors cannot manage their employees, maybe we need to seek out another employee who can be promoted to fulfill these duties. If the city manager cannot care for this city as if she lives here, maybe we need to find a new one.”

Responding to Thomas’ claims, Porter pointed out the city just received quotes on painting crosswalks, while city workers have now begun “an intense downtown cleanup,” including mulching, weeding, pressure washing sidewalks and more.

As for city employees possibly not observing proper health and safety measures, the city manager said: “Certainly, if we have new employees who are not observing the social distancing and following the protocols we will be addressing that, because that has to be one of our priorities, the safety of our citizens, as well as our employees.”

Published May 20, 2020

Filed Under: Local News, Zephyrhills/East Pasco News Tagged With: Americans With Disabilities Act, Bernice Thomas, Borregard Construction, Camille Hernandez, Church Avenue, COVID-19, Dade City, Dade City Merchants Association, Eunice Penix, Hardy Trail, Jim Shive, Leslie Porter, Nicole Deese Newlon, Pasco County Tourist Development Council, Roy Hardy Trail, WJCreate LLC

Dade City to draw up ordinance allowing cannabis dispensaries

January 16, 2019 By Kevin Weiss

Medical marijuana treatment centers soon could be allowed within some areas of Dade City.

At a Jan. 8 workshop, the Dade City Commission expressed consensus to have city staffers draft an ordinance that would permit cannabis dispensaries — but restrict their location to areas outside the boundaries of the city’s CRA (Community Redevelopment Agency) districts, generally encompassing the downtown corridor.

The ordinance will come before the city’s planning board and will have two public hearings before a formal vote.

Dade City Commissioners expressed consensus to draft an ordinance that would permit medical marijuana dispensaries within city limits, with certain restrictions. The ordinance will come before the city’s planning board and will have two public hearings before the matter is formally voted upon. (Kevin Weiss)

Dade City Mayor Camille Hernandez said an ordinance permitting medical marijuana dispensaries is “what’s in the best interest of the city.”

Hernandez noted Florida voters’ clear support of Amendment 2 in 2016.

“I do believe that the voters on medical marijuana were decisive in their vote. Over 71 percent (of Florida voters) voted in favor of medical marijuana dispensaries — and that is a big deal,” Hernandez said.

She continued: “I do believe it should be allowed within the municipal limits. I do believe it should be available for those that need it and are using it for the right reasons. I am concerned about having them right in our downtown corridor…but I do think we have a charge to make it accessible to those residents that have problems.”

Dade City has had a temporary ban on medical marijuana facilities since 2016, to study the potential impacts such facilities on the municipality.

That temporary moratorium followed the November 2016 amendment of Florida’s constitution to allow “the dispensing and use of marijuana for medical purposes by persons with debilitating diseases.”

The moratorium has been extended multiple times and is set to expire in March.

At the workshop, city attorney Nancy Stuparich advised the commission to take action instead of extending the moratorium again, which she said may create legal issues, as it creates a “de facto ban” on medical marijuana treatment centers.

The attorney also noted that letting the moratorium just expire would allow dispensaries throughout city limits, without certain zoning regulations set forth by the commission.

The mayor said it’s unfair to keep extending the moratorium.

“We’ve got to take a stand and say, ‘We’re going to go this way or that way.’ I think we owe it to the people in our community,” Hernandez said.

Other cities in Pasco County, including Zephyrhills and San Antonio, have passed ordinances establishing regulations to allow dispensaries. The county’s first medical marijuana dispensary opened last June in New Port Richey.

Commissioner Scott Black was the lone dissenter.

He favored banning the dispensaries altogether for the time being because of the shifting legal implications of marijuana laws. (Several states, including Florida have already legalized marijuana; federal law still prohibits the cultivation, distribution, possession of the substance.)

“Just because all the other cities are rushing out to do this doesn’t mean we have to join in there, too,” Black said.

“If we say, ‘Not at this time,’ we’re not saying no forever. It just seems like a wise thing, in my opinion, that we wait until all of this gets settled. I think if we can be patient, it will all work itself out.”

Black also pointed out that Dade City residents are able go to other nearby cities to access medical marijuana treatment, or can choose to have it ordered through the mail.

“I think that those that are suffering — and I feel for them — there are opportunities for them to get medication,” he said.

Residents and business owners express mixed feelings
“I’m really concerned if we’re not patient and we’re not careful, we’re going to end up with something that we don’t want,” said Margaret Angell, who chairs the Dade City Merchant’s Association. “I know that we all understand that we don’t want a dispensary in the CRA, but it sounds like it’s going to be pretty complicated as far as trying to navigate that and how to do that.

“I don’t mind if it’s out there somewhere else and has low impact. My concern is about the downtown and conserving the economic space there and the atmosphere that we depend on. I just would urge us to be very, very cautious.”

Lynette DiNova, who owns Tropical Wine Shop in Dade City, also echoed a wait-and-see approach before approving any cannabis dispensaries within city limits.

“I think to rush into it just to do something is not fair to anyone,” DiNova said. “I think (commissioner) Black should be listened to as far as waiting, finding out what the right thing is, to protect the people that (commissioners) are here to take care of.”

“Don’t do something just to do it,” she said.

Vance Scheer, a retired educator and Dade City resident, spoke in favor of allowing medical marijuana dispensaries in Dade City.

“We’re talking pain management for our residents,” Scheer said. “We have a big opioid crisis and many of them are finding relief in (medical marijuana). It’s not going to be downtown, but we have to have something for these people that are in this condition. “We’re servicing a lot of people, whether it’s vets or seniors or people that are suffering from cancer.

“We need to be offering these services for our residents,” Scheer added.

Another speaker, Janet Blackburn, who works at Tampa Bay Salvage in Dade City, said she wouldn’t oppose a cannabis dispensary, as long as it isn’t downtown.

“I have no problem with it on the outskirts of (U.S.) 301 or whatever,” she said, “but not in downtown.”

Published January 16, 2019

Filed Under: Local News, Zephyrhills/East Pasco News Tagged With: Camille Hernandez, Community Redevelopment Agency, Dade City, Dade City Commission, Dade City Merchants Association, Janet Blackburn, Lynette DiNova, Margaret Angell, medical marijuana, Nancy Stuparich, Scott Black, Tampa Bay Salvage, Tropical Wine Shop, Vance Scheer

Downtown Dade City adds to its ‘eclectic mix’

December 16, 2015 By Kathy Steele

New storefronts in downtown Dade City are creating a buzz.

One of the newest additions is Flint Creek Outfitters, which opened nearly three weeks ago at 14129 Seventh St., at the intersection with Pasco Avenue.

The prime retail spot had been vacant more than two years following the closing of Remember When Antiques Mall.

A grand opening is planned for January.

Business owners Gordon and Kathy Comer of Dade City also operate Flint Creek Outfitters in Ocala. A store in the Westshore district in Tampa recently closed.

“We felt like for Dade City this is something that’s not been seen before,” said Ian Baldwin, manager of the Dade City store.

John Moors agrees, and the executive director of the Greater Dade City Chamber of Commerce can point to at least two other new businesses filling a niche in downtown – Truly Mediterranean Grill and Rolando’s Cigar Lounge.

“Those particular businesses are really welcome,” Moors said. “It’s adding to the eclectic mix of historic downtown.”

Moors believes the city, and even new development in Wesley Chapel, set the stage for the retail uptick in Dade City.

“It started with the city,” he said. “The city put its money in a new city hall.”

The 22,000 square-foot building will be completed in early 2016 at a cost of about $5.9 million. It replaces an aging structure dating to the 1920s.

“But, some of it has to do with growth to the south in Wesley Chapel,” Moors added.

The chamber has more than 440 members within the “greater” Dade City area, including businesses from Wesley Chapel to Brooksville. Some Lutz businesses also belong.

The growth is attracting a younger population from the millennial generation that enjoys the live, work, play lifestyle, and Moors said Dade City, with its traditional small town environment, is an option for them.

“They are saying ‘we can live in an authentic community and still be connected with high speed Internet where we live and work’,” he said.

Saint Leo University and Pasco-Hernando State College also are part of the mix. The Dade City Merchants Association has stepped up its marketing and special events.

The Florida Department of Transportation is upgrading U.S. 301, and plans are under way to connect a regional multi-use trail system including Hardy Trail in Dade City.

“One of the reasons Flint Outfitters owners decided to relocate (to Dade City) is that they saw some of the changes happening and saw other businesses opening,” said Moors, who knows the Comers. “They are certainly tailoring to a higher-end clientele.”

According to the company’s website, the family business began in Michigan in the mid-1960s with patriarch, Cecil Comer, who opened Apache Trailer Sales. Comer moved his family to Florida in the 1980s, and with his son Gordon, pursued opportunities in commercial real estate and trailer parks.

Flint Creek Outfitters is named for the creek surrounding a family farm in Antioch.

The store offers men’s and women’s outdoor clothing apparel and accessories. It also has equipment for hunting, fishing, kayaking and camping.

Fly tying lessons and special fly-fishing competitions are planned.

Flint Creek will have a full repair and service department for bicycles, and sell bicycles from the Cannondale Bicycle Corporation.

Guided tours and excursions can be arranged including trips to Costa Rica and Alaska, and trout fishing in Tennessee, according to the website.

“Everyone says a place like this has been needed for awhile,” said Baldwin. “We’re filling a void that was needed here.”

Published December 16, 2015

Filed Under: Local News, Zephyrhills/East Pasco News Tagged With: Apache Trailer Sales, Cecil Comer, Dade City, Dade City Merchants Association, Flint Creek Outfitters, Florida Department of Transportation, Gordon Comer, Greater Dade City Chamber of Commerce, Hardy Trail, Ian Baldwin, John Moors, Kathy Comer, Pasco Avenue, Pasco-Hernando State College, Remember When Antiques Mall, Rolando's Cigar Lounge, Saint Leo University, Seventh Street, Truly Mediterranean Grill, U.S. 301, Wesley Chapel

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February 23, 2021 By Special to The Laker/Lutz News

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03/05/2021 – Apple Pie Bombs

The Pasco County Library Cooperative will offer “Foodie Feast: Apple Pie Bombs” on March 5. Participants can learn how to make tasty, apple pie bombs. Watch the prerecorded video between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m., online at Facebook.com/hughembrylibrary or Facebook.com/newriverlibrary. For information, call 352-567-3576, or email Danielle Lee at . … [Read More...] about 03/05/2021 – Apple Pie Bombs

03/06/2021 – Pancakes and trains

The Grand Concourse Railroad, 11919 Alric Pottberg Road in Shady Hills, will offer a Pancake Breakfast and Unlimited Train Rides event on March 6 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The cost is $6 for adults and $4 for kids. For information, visit Grand Concourse Railroad on Facebook. … [Read More...] about 03/06/2021 – Pancakes and trains

03/08/2021 – Tomato garden

The Pasco County Library Cooperative will present a video on how to grow a tomato garden. Those interested can view the video at Facebook.com/hughembrylibrary or Facebook.com/newriverlibrary, all day, on March 8. For information, call 352-567-3576, or email . … [Read More...] about 03/08/2021 – Tomato garden

03/09/2021 – Grilled cheese

The Pasco County Library Cooperative will present a video on how to make green grilled cheese on March 9 at 4:30 p.m., for grades four to seven. To view the video, visit the Library Cooperative on Facebook or Instagram. … [Read More...] about 03/09/2021 – Grilled cheese

03/09/2021 – Poetry discussion

The Pasco County Library Cooperative will host a virtual poetry discussion group on “Female Power!” on March 9 at 6:30 p.m., for ages 16 and older, via Zoom. Participants can share a favorite poem or take part in discussions on poems about women or written by women poets. Themed poems will be sent out to help with the session. Registration is required. For information, contact Amaris Papadopoulos at 727-861-3020 or . … [Read More...] about 03/09/2021 – Poetry discussion

03/09/2021 – Technology Tuesday

The Land O’ Lakes Library, 2818 Collier Parkway, will offer a Technology Tuesday: Robots & Machines on March 9, through a curbside pickup activity. The kit will help kids learn more about technology, from robots to coding, through online and hands-on activities. The pickup is limited to 35 participants and must be reserved ahead of time. A book bundle can be included. Kits must be picked up between March 9 at 10 a.m., and March 13 at 5 p.m. For information, call 813-929-1214. … [Read More...] about 03/09/2021 – Technology Tuesday

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