• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to secondary sidebar
  • About Us
  • Videos
  • Online E-Editions
  • Social Media
    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • Instagram
  • Advertising
  • Local Jobs
  • Puzzles & Games
  • Circulation Request

The Laker/Lutz News

Serving Lutz since 1964 and Pasco since 1981.
Proud to be independently owned.

  • Home
  • News
    • Land O’ Lakes
    • Lutz
    • Wesley Chapel/New Tampa
    • Zephyrhills/East Pasco
    • Business Digest
    • Senior Parks
    • Nature Notes
    • Featured Stories
    • Photos of the Week
  • Sports
    • Land O’ Lakes
    • Lutz
    • Wesley Chapel/New Tampa
    • Zephyrhills and East Pasco
    • Check This Out
  • Education
  • Pets/Wildlife
  • Health
    • Health Events
    • Health News
  • What’s Happening
  • Closer Look
  • Homes
  • Obits

Marianna

Superb Location and Lutz Schools at Lakeshore Preserve

November 29, 2017 By Special to The Laker/Lutz News

Close to the Veterans and St. Joseph’s North

 Lakeshore Preserve by Mattamy Homes is a new townhome community in Lutz that is ideal for homebuyers looking for affordable new construction, maintenance-free living, excellent neighborhood schools and fast access to the Veterans Expressway.

Sales have excelled at the community of 102 homes, located on Van

Dyke Road and Lakeshore Road, less than a half mile west of Dale Mabry Highway. Four beautifully decorated models are open daily, and several quick move-in homes are available.

The newest furnished home, the Marianna, was just completed in November and is ideal for first-time homebuyers. Its base price starts from an affordable $199,990, and offers three bedrooms, 2.5 baths and a 1-car garage.

In October, Mattamy celebrated the completion of its 13,672 square-foot outdoor activity area, which was ready for the Lakeshore Preserve’s first residents.

This outdoor area comes equipped with a 780-square-foot covered cabana with breeze fans, an outdoor kitchen, hammocks, shaded seating areas and a games area. It surrounds the 1,424-square-foot resort-style pool.

“Lakeshore Preserve’s superb location and thoughtfully designed townhomes make this community unique to the north Tampa area,” said Lisette Minnick, director of sales for Mattamy Homes.

The community is situated in a desirable Lutz location, just minutes from St. Joseph’s Hospital-North, and convenient to shopping, dining and entertainment venues in Carrollwood, Lutz, Land O’ Lakes and Wesley Chapel.  Its close proximity to the Veterans Expressway makes it an easy commute to Tampa, the airport and area beaches.

Schools zoned for the community are top-rated Steinbrenner High, Martinez Middle and Schwarzkopf Elementary.  Charter school Sunlake Academy of Math and Science opens this fall, and several private schools are close-by, including Academy at the Lakes and Carrollwood Day School.

Lakeshore Preserve offers five townhome plans that feature Mattamy’s signature design style and distinctive architectural features.  Meticulous attention was paid during the architectural design process to ensure that all usable living space is optimized and enhances any lifestyle.

Townhomes range in size from 1,667 to 2,608 square feet, and have 2 to 5 bedrooms, 2.5 to 4 baths, and 1- or 2-car attached garages. Base prices range from $199,900 to $304,990. A wide array of quick, move-in townhomes are available for move in now and through this Spring.

Some of the interior features that are included with every home are granite kitchen countertops, hardwood 42-inch upper cabinets, 9’4” ceilings on the first floor, and sod with lawn irrigation. In addition, a first-year builder warranty and 10-year transferrable structural warranty are included.

On select homes, options are available such as an expanded kitchen island and a second owner’s suite, which combines the space of two smaller bedrooms and creates a second private retreat. A limited number of one plan is available that offers the owner’s bedroom on the first floor.

The community encompasses 20 acres, and several of the buildings have conservation views.

To learn more, please visit Mattamyhomes.com or call Melanie Sikorski at (813) 659-5854.

Mattamy Homes has proven excellence by being North America’s largest privately owned homebuilder with over 90,000 homeowners. Founded in 1978, it is the largest privately owned homebuilder in North America and has sold more than 90,000 homes in hundreds of communities, including the metropolitan areas of Tampa, Sarasota, Naples, Orlando, Jacksonville, Charlotte, Phoenix and Tucson.

Published November 22, 2017

Filed Under: Home Section Tagged With: furnished hoe, lakeshore preserve, Lisette Minnick, Lutz, Marianna, Mattamy Homes, Melanie Sikorski, townhouse

State funds sought for forensic training center

March 8, 2017 By Kathy Steele

State legislators will try to secure about $4.3 million in state funds to build a forensic anthropology training center – also known as a body farm – next to the Land O’ Lakes Detention Center, off U.S. 41.

A local campaign also aims to raise about $200,000 for a tactical training program on-site for Pasco’s K-9 unit. Those efforts will be spearheaded by the Rotary Club of Wesley Chapel.

Pasco County Sheriff Chris Nocco outlined details for the Florida Forensic Institute for Research, Security & Tactical Training, or F.I.R.S.T., at a Feb. 27 press conference.

The campus has the potential of becoming the “Silicon Valley” of forensic anthropology research and an economic boost for Pasco, Nocco said.

“This is really going to be a forensics hub,” he said. “It is a unique opportunity.”

State Rep. Danny Burgess, Pasco County Commission Chairman Mike Moore, and Erin Kimmerle, associate professor of anthropology at the University of South Florida and director of the Florida Institute of Forensic Anthropology & Applied Science, were among those attending the press conference.

Burgess and State Sen. Wilton Simpson plan to request state funding for the project during the upcoming legislative session. The Pasco County Commission gave its approval to the project in January, and donated county land next to the jail.

The indoor and outdoor facility would be the seventh in the nation to study body decomposition as an aid in solving crimes, and identifying victims of murder or other trauma.

It also would bring together research and practical applications of crime solving, forensic anthropology and criminal prosecution in a single location.

Partners in the project are Pasco-Hernando State College and the IFAAS, with Kimmerle leading the anthropology team.

Kimmerle and USF are well-known for their work in identifying bodies found in unmarked graves at the former Dozier School for Boys in Marianna.

The campus in Pasco would include a laboratory for research and forensic casework, classrooms, a morgue and evidence storage. The educational focus would be on forensics, anthropology, geochemistry, legal medicine, forensic intelligence, aviation reconstruction and cyber forensics.

Technology will be a major part of the research, including virtual autopsies with 3-D scanning and chemical isotope analysis, Kimmerle said.

The K-9 portion of the project would be the first time Pasco has had a dedicated facility for tactical training for the K-9 unit, the Pasco Unified SWAT team, and sheriff’s deputies.

The new research center, called F.I.R.S.T. for short, would be a resource for universities, forensic scientists and law enforcement in the entire state. It can aid in tactical training and quick response to active shooter situations, missing person investigations, homicides and terrorist attacks.

Nocco said the recent attack at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando showed the need for greater preparedness and communications between local, state and federal law enforcement.

It also could help build a statewide database of an estimated 16,000 cold cases in Florida, Nocco said.

And, he added, it will provide career opportunities for college students through internships, as well as professional certificates and degrees.

The University of Tennessee in Knoxville was the first to establish a forensic training and research center in the 1970s. Others are at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville, Western Carolina University, Sam Houston State University, Texas State University in Carbondale, Southern Illinois University and Colorado Mesa University.

The “body farm” label came into use after crime novelist Patricia Cornwell wrote “The Body Farm” in 1994. Her protagonist, Kay Scarpetta, solves a child’s murder with help from a secretive research facility in Tennessee known as the Body Farm.

In 2015, USF proposed a forensic training center in Hillsborough County’s Lithia Springs. Nearby residents objected, and USF dropped the project.

Residents had concerns about safety and security with a “body farm” near their neighborhood.

The proposed site will be fenced off, and Moore said, “There’s no chance of anyone getting in here and disturbing the site. It’s a great opportunity not just for our people, but for people nationwide to come here and participate.”

Published March 8, 2017

Filed Under: Land O' Lakes News, Local News Tagged With: Chris Nocco, Colorado Mesa University, Danny Burgess, Dozier School for Boys, Erin Kimmerle, Florida Forensic Institute for Research Security & Tactical Training, Florida Institute of Forensic Anthropology & Applied Science, Land O' Lakes Detention Center, Marianna, Mike Moore, Pasco County Commission, Pasco Unified SWAT, Pasco-Hernando State College, Patricia Cornwell, Pulse, Rotary Club of Wesley Chapel, Sam Houston State University, Souther Illinois University, Texas State University, The Body Farm, U.S. 41, University of South Florida, University of Tennessee, Western Carolina University, Wilton Simpson

Primary Sidebar

Top Shelf Sports Lounge in Wesley Chapel

Foodie Friday Gallery

Search

Sponsored Content

Avalon Applauds… Norah Catlin

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

CONGRATULATIONS to Norah Catlin, for being applauded by Avalon Park Wesley Chapel. Catlin, a senior at Wiregrass Ranch … [Read More...] about Avalon Applauds… Norah Catlin

More Posts from this Category

Archives

What’s Happening

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

More of What's Happening

Follow us on Twitter

The Laker/Lutz NewsFollow

The Laker/Lutz News
LakerLutzNewsThe Laker/Lutz News@LakerLutzNews·
11h

SWFMD executive director wins geology alumni award. https://buff.ly/3uCXm6G

Reply on Twitter 1367520307708370944Retweet on Twitter 1367520307708370944Like on Twitter 1367520307708370944Twitter 1367520307708370944
LakerLutzNewsThe Laker/Lutz News@LakerLutzNews·
3 Mar

Save money, get back behind the wheel. https://buff.ly/3rdM07h

Reply on Twitter 1367228541998350339Retweet on Twitter 1367228541998350339Like on Twitter 1367228541998350339Twitter 1367228541998350339
LakerLutzNewsThe Laker/Lutz News@LakerLutzNews·
3 Mar

"It’s Not Wednesday Until You Read The Laker!" This week's papers are out in print & online https://buff.ly/2UTt6EA

Reply on Twitter 1367181738309517312Retweet on Twitter 1367181738309517312Like on Twitter 1367181738309517312Twitter 1367181738309517312
Load More...

 

 

Where to pick up The Laker and Lutz News

Top Stories

Solution to Land O’ Lakes traffic jams still years away, if then

Helping people get from place to place, safely

Giving entrepreneurs tools they need to succeed

Zephyrhills discussing 911 dispatch

No plans to shutter Zephyrhills police department

Local Jewish temple gifted Torah

Save money, get back behind the wheel

Pasco County Fair lives up to its billing

Meals on Wheels looks to expand

Pasco Planning Commission seeks three volunteers

Operation Feed Pasco closes, amid success

It’s strawberry (shortcake) season again

Grove Theater now open in Wesley Chapel

Secondary Sidebar

More Stories

Check out our other stories for the week

Solution to Land O’ Lakes traffic jams still years away, if then

Helping people get from place to place, safely

Giving entrepreneurs tools they need to succeed

Zephyrhills discussing 911 dispatch

No plans to shutter Zephyrhills police department

Local Jewish temple gifted Torah

Save money, get back behind the wheel

Pasco County Fair lives up to its billing

Meals on Wheels looks to expand

Pasco Planning Commission seeks three volunteers

Operation Feed Pasco closes, amid success

It’s strawberry (shortcake) season again

Grove Theater now open in Wesley Chapel

Sports Stories

Land O’ Lakes Little League celebrates 50th anniversary

Cypress Creek High coach earns regional honor

Saint Leo acrobatics coach steps down

Loving Hands Ministries golf tournament

First Tee – Tampa Bay awarded $100,000 grant

Copyright © 2021 Community News Publications Inc.

   