The Laker/Lutz News

Serving Lutz since 1964 and Pasco since 1981.
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North Florida Avenue

U.S. 41 getting new look and feel

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Portions of U.S. 41 soon will be repaved, or will have new landscaping, on the corridor, which runs through Lutz and Land O’ Lakes.

In Land O’ Lakes, resurfacing will be done on U.S. 41, to give motorists a smoother ride between Ehren Cutoff and Caliente Boulevard.

New trees, shrubs and groundcover are being installed at the apex where U.S. 41 and North Florida Avenue split. The $500,000 project will create a more inviting entry, as motorists head into Lutz or Tampa, depending which way they are driving. (Brian Fernandes)

Repaving began last summer and includes both sides of the four-lane stretch – divided by a median.

The $2.5-million project also includes a sidewalk on the west side of U.S. 41, where it intersects with Lake Bambi Circle and Gator Lane.

It also incorporates a shared use path along the east side of U.S. 41, where it intersects with Caliente Boulevard and Carriker Road.

Plans also call for minor drainage modifications.

Roadwork is occurring during the day and evening, with lane closures.

The Lutz project involves new landscaping at the apex of U.S. 41 and North Florida Avenue, to create a more inviting entry into Lutz or Tampa, depending which way you are driving.

The $500,000 project began in January.

New landscaping is being installed in the medians, which includes native trees, palms, shrubs and groundcover, surrounded by decorative wood fencing.

Both projects are scheduled to be completed by spring.

Published February 19, 2020

Parks Ford Unveils New Dealership Building

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There’s been a lot of speculation about what is going on at Parks Ford in Wesley Chapel, with its main building behind a curtain of construction since last summer, and large modular buildings put in place next door.

“We’ve gutted our old building and are completely rebuilding all major customer touch points, so that we can better accommodate our customers and employees,” said Ron Parks at his dealership on State Road 54, located just east of I-75.

When Parks Ford unveils its new building later this spring, it will feature a larger showroom to display its broad line of vehicles, an expanded and fully covered customer delivery center, and much larger service write-up and customer waiting areas.

“The design of our new building is very progressive, and will enhance the comfort and convenience of our customers and staff,” said Parks.

To limit the inconvenience created by such a major project, Parks Ford put in place modular buildings before construction began last July.

“We had the modular buildings ready to go before we started to make sure our customers and staff would not be inconvenienced by the construction,” said Parks.

This major expansion is just one example of Parks’ commitment to the Wesley Chapel community, his customers and staff. His dealership employs over 100 people, most of whom are long-time employees that live locally and are involved in area schools, youth groups, churches and service groups.

“The culture here is very employee-focused. We know that happy employees provide the best customer service, and I’m very proud that many of our people have worked here for many years,” said Parks.

Heading up the operations team at Parks Ford is Vice President Terry Mullane, who has worked with the Parks family for 25 years and is a partner in the business.

“Terry is the driving force behind our culture at Parks Ford — the person who leads our ship and keeps us on track,” said Parks.

Mullane oversees employee development programs to educate and grow his people so they can flourish in their jobs. This includes employee outreach programs, and hosting team building events, such as bowling parties and family picnics.

“Our employees are the focal point of our operation and paramount to our success,” said Parks. “We empower our people to make decisions, so they can do what’s necessary to accommodate our customers.”

Community Responsibility
Parks takes ‘community’ very seriously, and has a full-time employee whose primary responsibility is community relations. Jennifer Cofini has served in this role for the past eight years, and heads up Parks Ford’s involvement in community organizations and events.

Cofini is the past chairperson of North Tampa Bay Chamber of Commerce, and has been on the chamber’s board for the last six years. She also is involved in Rotary International.

“We are very proud of our partnership with Wesley Chapel High School’s Automotive Academy, which train students for well-paying technical jobs,” said Cofini. “Ellis Adams, our service manager, is on the school’s advisory council, and we’ve hired several academy graduates.”

Parks Ford hosts several Drive 4 UR Community events for area schools and service groups, including Sunlake, Wiregrass and Wesley Chapel high schools, and Double Branch Elementary.

Other organizations the dealership supports are March of Dimes, Helping Hands Food Pantry, Making Strides Against Breast Cancer, OneBlood, Fellowship of Christian Athletes and The Crisis Center of Tampa Bay.

“We give back to the local community because our customers are primarily from Pasco and north Hillsborough counties,” said Parks. “We give back because the community supports us!”

Dealership History
Ron Parks’ father, Jack Parks, spent his entire career in the automotive industry. He opened his first dealership in 1975 in Tampa — a Lincoln Mercury dealership on Florida Avenue, which the family still owns today.

In 1978, Ron joined his father in the family business after careers in banking and real estate. In 1984, they opened their first dealership in Pasco County — Heritage Ford in Zephyrhills, which was seven miles east on State Road 54. In 1999, the Parks moved Heritage Ford to their 15-acre site in Wesley Chapel, and renamed the business Parks Ford.

The Parks wanted to be closer to I-75 so their location would be more convenient for customers. Plus, they believed that central Pasco area was about to explode with new homes and businesses.

“We were the first automobile dealership to recognize the potential in Wesley Chapel and central Pasco,” said Parks. “We are proud to have been the very first dealership in the community, and proud to still be here today under the same family ownership.”

In 2013, Parks expanded again in Wesley Chapel when he opened a Fiat and Alfa Romeo dealership next door to his Ford operation.

In addition to Parks Ford, the Parks family owns Parks Lincoln of Tampa at 10505 N. Florida Ave., and Stadium Toyota at 5088 N. Dale Mabry Hwy. in Tampa.

“We have a courteous and committed sales staff, as well as professional, expert service technicians, all with many years of experience satisfying our customers’ needs,” said Parks. “They are the reason we give the best service possible to every customer. Please stop by and find out how we can help you with your automotive needs!”

Published February 20, 2019

Exploring Tampa’s Jewish history

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Tampa’s Jewish population today numbers more than 25,000 members involved in  more than a dozen synagogues, day schools, and multiple community centers and related organizations.

The of history Tampa’s Jewish community likewise runs deep — dating back more than 170 years.

More than 80 Jewish stores and buildings were in Ybor City during the first half of the 20th century. Max Argintar Menswear was the last Jewish business to survive in Ybor. It opened in 1908 and closed in 2004. (Courtesy of Tampa Bay History Center)

The Tampa Bay History Center, in partnership with the Jimmie B. Keel Regional Library, recently had a presentation documenting the history of Tampa’s Jewish settlers.

The Oct. 26 event was led by Dr. Carl Zeilonka, archives chair at Congregation Schaarai Zedek, who is also a docent at the history center.

He outlined the history of Tampa’s Jewish population, the economic role of Jewish-owned businesses and the role of Jewish residents in politics, during an hour-long interactive discussion that drew dozens of attendees.

Tampa’s first documented Jewish settler is Emaline Quentz Miley, who arrived in 1844 via South Carolina.

Miley and her husband, Bill, settled in the Odessa area, Zeilonka said.

Interestingly, they are believed to have planted Hillsborough County’s first citrus trees.

More Jews, mainly of Eastern European descent, began immigrating to Tampa during the American Civil War, as the Florida frontier became attractive to merchants and businessman. Many operated produce businesses, dry goods stores, oyster bars and lumber mills.

Several Jewish women have been pioneers for their gender in the political realm. Helen Gordon Davis was first Jewish woman from Tampa elected to the Florida House of Representatives. She also served in the Florida Senate.

It led to Jews entering public service in Hillsborough County, beginning in 1871 with Charles Slager and Isidore Blumenthal.

Slager was first appointed as postmaster of Tampa. He later served as Hillsborough County’s sheriff and tax collector, and as a school board member.

Blumenthal, meanwhile, was appointed to the Hillsborough County Commission.

Many Jewish businesses had closed by the mid-1870s due to the presence of a yellow fever epidemic, Zielonka said.

Other factors were to blame, too, he said, including the Franco-Prussian War preventing the export of Cedar, and the cattle industry swelling in Fort Meade instead of Tampa.

“The 1870s were a real era of problems,” Zielonka said.

It wasn’t long until Jewish immigration picked up again, however.

Discoveries of phosphate reserves, a railroad system and cigar factories brought Jewish merchants back to Tampa in the 1880s, Zielonka explained.

“It opened up the community to tourism, to trade, to every type of commerce you can imagine. It really began the explosion of Tampa as a city,” Zielonka said.

Maas Brothers department store was one of the most successful Jewish-owned businesses in Tampa. Founded in 1886 by Abe and Isaac Maas, it grew from a small 23-by-90-foot store to a chain of 39 stores across Florida.

“It provided a lot of good opportunities for Jewish businessman to come in, and they came from all over, either directly of European immigrants or children of European immigrants.”

Two of the most successful merchants were Abe and Isaac Maas.

In 1886, they founded Maas Brothers department store. It grew from a small 23-by-90-foot store to a chain of 39 stores across Florida. The Maas Brothers brand went defunct in 1991 when it was merged into the Burdines department store chain, which later rebranded as Macy’s.

By 1890, there were more than 20 Jewish families living in Tampa.

That spurred the formation of the city’s first synagogue in 1894, Congregation Shaarai Zedek, which means “Gates of Righteousness.” The first standalone building, built in 1899, was located at 1209 N. Florida Ave.

The congregation steered the formation of Tampa’s first Jewish social organization, first Jewish women’s organization and first Jewish cemetery.

“What do we do best? We organize. And, it was time to organize,” Zielonka said of Tampa’s Jewish community in the 1890s.

The early 1900s were also noteworthy for Tampa’s Jewish community.

A second synagogue, Congregation Rodeph Sholom, was founded in 1902.

Tampa’s first synagogue, Congregation Shaarai Zedek, was founded in 1894. The temple is now located on West Swann Avenue.

The city’s first Jewish day school — The Hebrew School — was formed in 1915. The school shut down in 1917 after falling behind on mortgage payments, however.

And, the city’s first Jewish newspaper, Florida Jewish Weekly, was founded in 1924. It was the first of many Jewish newspapers formed over the years in Tampa.

Zielonka pointed out that Jews were very prominent in Ybor City around this timeframe.

He said than 80 Jewish stores and buildings sprouted up in Ybor City during the first half of the 20th century. “They were very common, all over the place.”

Max Argintar Menswear was the last Jewish business to survive in Ybor. It opened in 1908 and closed in 2004.

Fast-forward to the World War II period.

Hundreds of Jewish soldiers came to Tampa throughout the war, being stationed at one of the city’s three air force bases—MacDill, Henderson Field and Drew Field.

Moreover, 39 of the 65 families at Shaarai Zedek had someone who served in the war.

The congregation frequently sponsored Passover Seders at the old Hillsborough Hotel, an effort to support Jewish troops.

“The Jewish community embraced their soldiers that were here, and those that also served in the war,” Zielonka said.

The turn of the 21st century brought more Jewish families to south Tampa, creating the need for a second Jewish Community Center. The Bryan Glazer Family JCC opened in December 2016, at the site of the historic Fort Homer W. Hesterly Armory building on North Howard Avenue.

Following the war, many Jewish servicemen settled in Tampa and established families, further strengthening the community.

The timeframe also marked the early days of Tampa Jews becoming influential political figures.

Zielonka mentioned Judge Harry N. Sandler, who was speaker of the Florida House of Representatives from 1932 to 1935. Sandler is responsible for many laws related to worker’s compensation.

The speaker noted several Jewish women, too, later became pioneers for their gender in the political realm.

Cecile Waterman Essrig was the first Jewish woman elected to political office in Hillsborough County, becoming a school board member in 1967.

Helen Gordon Davis was another, becoming the first Jewish Hillsborough County woman elected to the Florida House of Representatives in 1974. She also served in the Florida Senate.

Sandy Warshaw Freedman was the first Jewish woman elected as Mayor of Tampa, in 1986.

Meanwhile, the Jewish community has seen other developments within the last 40 years.

The TOP (Tampa, Orlando, Pinellas) Jewish Foundation was formed in 1980.

The Jewish Press of Tampa was formed in 1988. The popular paper, started by Jim and Karen Dawkins, still publishes today.

The Hillel Academy, which formed in 1970 at Rodeph Sholom, relocated to a 10-acre campus on Fletcher Avenue in 1992.

The Weinberg Village Assisted Living Facility, too, was established in 1995, in Citrus Park.

The Jewish community most recently celebrated the opening of the Bryan Glazer Family JCC in December 2016.

Located at the site of the historic Fort Homer W. Hesterly Armory building on North Howard Avenue, it now totals more than 4,400 members. “It’s a busy place,” Zielonka said.

The turn of the 21st century saw more Jewish families moving to south Tampa, creating a need for another Jewish Community Center, he explained.

“The demographics of Tampa are very different than they were 20 years ago,” Zielonka said.

“The Jewish community is 50 percent in the south — and growing. New people moving to town want to live in south Tampa because it’s close to where the action is.”

Published November 1, 2017

La Yuma dishes Cuban cuisine in Lutz

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Chef Pepe Diaz keeps a close eye on what goes on in his kitchen.

The Cuban dishes that pass from the kitchen to the dining room at La Yuma restaurant are authentic to his native country.

But, Diaz also has recipes uniquely his own.

His back story in itself is not the typical path to culinary success.

Chef Pepe Diaz, left, his wife, Tania Diaz, his daughter, Thania Diaz Clevenger, and son-in-law, Ashley Clevenger, stand outside their new Lutz restaurant – La Yuma.
(Courtesy of Kathy Steele)

As a political prisoner of Fidel Castro, his job in jail was to take scant food staples and turn them into meals for himself and other prisoners.

Later exiled from Cuba, Diaz went first to Spain, and then, to Miami and Key West, where he nurtured a dream of becoming a restaurant entrepreneur.

Patrons of his Key West restaurant in Mallory Square – El Meson de Pepe – have been dining on Diaz’ cuisine for more than 30 years.

Now his daughter and son-in-law, Thania Diaz Clevenger and Ashley Clevenger, are bringing the family recipes to Lutz and Tampa Bay.

Ashley Clevenger is general manager; Thania Clevenger is in charge of marketing. Family matriarch, Tania Diaz, is helpmate to her 76-year-old husband, and overall consultant.

It’s a family-rooted business for five generations.

“But, nobody gets to be chef,” noted Thania Clevenger, except for her father.

La Yuma restaurant opened in Lutz in January, at 16411 N. Florida Ave., south of the apex linking U.S. 41 and Florida Avenue.

The establishment replaces a series of bars that never quite caught on, including The Lutz Area Hangout and Twisted Rooster Bar & Grill.

The bar atmosphere is gone.

La Yuma offers fine casual dining wrapped in a family centric environment.

Murals on the walls depict the journey of Cuban refugees to America, and for some — their new lives in Ybor City.

Pepe Diaz gather at a table at La Yuma restaurant, in Lutz. The family opened the Cuban restaurant in January.

The restaurant’s name, “La Yuma,” is from the street lingo that Cubans use as a stand-in for the United States.

Some believe the term comes from a classic western, “3:10 to Yuma.” The movie, first made in 1957, had a remake in 2007.

“The whole idea was not to tell just our family’s story, but all Cubans’ story,” said Thania Clevenger.

An outdoor patio taps into island leisure. A banquet room will host weddings, parties and special events.

Latin bands perform live on Fridays and Saturdays. Cigars by Tampa’s J.C. Newman cigar company can be enjoyed with Cuba libres, Pepe’s Homemade Sangria and cocktail specialties.

The menu offers tapas, or small plates, including Cuban nachos and Camarone Al Ajillo, a pan-seared shrimp with garlic, parsley and white wine sauce.

Entrees include Cuban favorites, such as Rope Vieja and Picadillo Habanero, as well as combination platters and Paella de La Pepe. A children’s menu includes a Cuban steak platter, hamburgers and chicken fingers.

But, La Yuma isn’t by any means a replica of Diaz’ Key West restaurant. It’s a plan, years and generations in the waiting.

“We kept envisioning a different restaurant we wanted to get to do,” said Thania Clevenger. “We’d sit and daydream about it.”

Thania Clevenger is a civil and human rights attorney who grew up helping out in her father’s restaurant. She earned her law degree from Stetson University.

Ashley Clevenger is a former firefighter and U.S. Coast Guard veteran.

They moved to Tampa Bay in 2007, and to Lutz in 2011. They have one son, 5-year-old Dean Sergio, and another child due in August.

They like the area’s small town.

Ashley Clevenger said his hometown in Illinois had 850 residents. He graduated in a class of 18 students.

“It’s all about family,” he said.

This family legacy is founded on activism and dreaming.

“He essentially lost everything,” said his daughter, of her father’s journey from Cuba to America.

He met his wife Tania, also a Cuban refugee, when they both worked at a Miami restaurant. The move to Key West followed.

El Meson is still family owned and operated.

And, now, La Yuma represents another beginning.

“Once it’s in your blood, it’s always in your blood,” said Thania Clevenger.

La Yuma is open Tuesday-Thursday, and on Sunday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., on Friday and Saturday, from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.

For information, visit LaYuma.net.

Published April 26, 2017

Assisted care center opens in Lutz

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The legendary Pat Boone helped create an air of excitement at the grand opening ceremony of a new $13 million assisted care living facility in Lutz.

Boone made an appearance at Angels Senior Living at Lodges of Idlewild, 18440 Exciting Idlewild Blvd., on Oct. 22, to help celebrate the facility’s completion.

The three-story living facility is about 76,000 square feet.

Pat Boone (center), a singer who has sold more than 45 million records, poses with a group during the grand opening celebration of Angels Senior Living at Lodges of Idlewild. (Suzanne Beauchaine/Staff Photos)
Pat Boone (center), a singer who has sold more than 45 million records, poses with a group during the grand opening celebration of Angels Senior Living at Lodges of Idlewild.
(Suzanne Beauchaine/Staff Photos)

It features 94 units, including studio, one-bedroom, two-bedroom to serve more than 100 residents.

The 82-year-old Boone has sold an estimated 45 million records, and was especially popular during the ‘50s and ‘60s. He had 38 Top 40 hits and has appeared in more than 12 Hollywood films.

This is a phenomenal building,” said Boone, addressing several hundred guests in attendance.

“I believe very strongly in these facilities. My grandmother lived her last years in an HCA (Hotel Corporation of America) facility in Jacksonville. I got to visit with her there long after she was not able to take care of herself.”

Boone, a longtime friend of John Young, executive director of Lodges of Idlewild, continued to heap praise on the new facility throughout the ceremony.

“You’ve got something really special in your midst. You have time to relive a lot of your life again,” Boone said.

Including Young, Lodges of Idlewild features a six-member leadership team with over 100-plus years experience in health care.

Pat Boone, center, joins the Central Pasco Chamber of Commerce, in a ribbon-cutting ceremony at Angels Senior Living at Lodges of Idlewild.
Pat Boone, center, joins the Central Pasco Chamber of Commerce, in a ribbon-cutting ceremony at Angels Senior Living at Lodges of Idlewild.

Ralph Fritsch, community relations manager at Angels Senior Living, said residents have been moving into the new facility “almost everyday” since its soft opening on Sept. 19.

“This is kind of the beauty of this community: we run it like a crew ship,” said Fritsch. “We have a theme every week — like ’50s and ’60s.”

He said the living center has a minimum of two interactive activities every hour between 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., each day.

“It’s everything from bingo to board games,” Fritsch said. “We do brain games at 10 a.m., every day. We do chair exercises, dances. We’ll bring in professional artists to teach an art class, so they can paint, and we’ll hang their painting on the wall.”

As part of the assisted living experience, residents will be aided in hygiene, ambulating, keeping track of medications, and dining.

In addition to assisted living, Lodges of Idlewild will offer both memory care and independent living services.

The memory care program, designed for residents suffering from dementia or Alzheimer’s disease, is a “secured unit” with a higher staffing ratio for additional attention.

The independent living program also features independent apartments where residents can pay for “a la carte services” and transition into the assisted living facility when needed.

A rough estimate for the monthly cost for a resident to live at the facility is $4,000.

The two best options for financial assistance for senior care is through the Medicaid Managed Long Term Care program, or the Veteran’s Aid (VA) and Attendance program attained by serving in a war, according to Angels Senior Living’s website.

The Medicaid route requires being on Medicaid and then applying for the program to pay an amount that may total 25 percent to 50 percent of monthly rent.

The veteran’s aid option requires an application through the U.S. Department of Veteran’s Affairs. Financial assistance in this program varies.

Angels Senior Living operates nine other locations throughout Hillsborough, Pasco and Pinellas counties.

There are three facilities in North Tampa alone — Connerton Court in Land O’ Lakes, Angels Senior Living at New Tampa on North 42nd Street, and Shady Palms on North Florida Avenue.

Angels Senior Living at Lodges of Idlewild
What: A $13 million, 76,000-square-foot assisted living facility with 94 units
Where: 18440 Exciting Idlewild Blvd., in Lutz
Key Programs: Assisted living, memory care and independent living
Key Amenities: Luxury suites, life enrichment program, 11 designated activity areas, live entertainment, large-screen movie theater, chapel, library, hair and nail salon.
For information, call (813) 264-8200, or visit AngelsSeniorLiving.com.

Published October 26, 2016

Independent Catholic church forms

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An independent Catholic church is forming in Wesley Chapel.

Services at Spirit of Light Synodal Catholic Church will begin Oct. 23.

A Mass will be celebrated every Sunday morning at 10:30 a.m., inside the meeting room at the Rodeway Inn, 5642 Oakley Blvd., in Wesley Chapel.

A typical communion Mass is expected to last about an hour.

Lionel Repasky is the pastor at Spirit of Light Synodal Catholic Church. Masses will be held each Sunday at 10:30 a.m., inside the meeting room at the Rodeway Inn, 5642 Oakley Blvd., in Wesley Chapel. (Courtesy of Lionel Repasky)
Lionel Repasky is the pastor at Spirit of Light Synodal Catholic Church. Masses will be held each Sunday at 10:30 a.m., inside the meeting room at the Rodeway Inn, 5642 Oakley Blvd., in Wesley Chapel.
(Courtesy of Lionel Repasky)

According to the church’s website, synodal Catholicism strives to express the Catholic faith in a more accepting manner.

Lionel Repasky, the pastor at Spirit of Light, said the church is “all-embracing” and “inclusive to all.”

“The easiest thing to say is that we’re a Catholic church that’s not Roman,” said Repasky, who was ordained last November. “We have both male and female priests — married and single.”

The Mass, the pastor said, will be quite similar to that of other Catholic churches.

“We have the same seven sacraments, the same saints, essentially the same history,” he said, “it’s just we’re approaching it with a more modern interpretation of welcoming all.”

The synodal church believes the sacraments “are outward and visible signs of inward and spiritual grace, given by Christ to the Church.”

It recognizes the following sacraments: baptism, confirmation, Eucharist, marriage, holy orders, reconciliation and anointing of the sick.

According to the church’s doctrine, “sacraments are not restricted to any individual or group, by gender, sexual orientation, marital state or other conditions.”

Repasky serves at the discretion of the church’s community. “If they don’t like me, they can fire me,” he said.

He said the traditional Catholic church has become “bound up in their own rules and regulations” over the past 2,000-plus years.

“We’ve gone back and looked at how the ancient church was much more community oriented…as opposed to simply following and doing whatever the clergy members said,” Repasky explained.

The Communion of Synodal Catholic Churches operates in Florida, California, Pennsylvania and Washington.

The Diocese of Florida is headed by Bishop Steven Rosczewski.

Including Spirit of Light, there are three other synodal Catholic churches in the Tampa Bay area: Christ the Servant Catholic Church, 12703 N. Florida Ave., in Tampa; Community of Divine Mercy in Riverview; and Holy Spirit Synodal Catholic Church in Safety Harbor.

The church welcomes former Catholics or those who have been hurt by the church.

Repasky expects the church will have a core group of “six to eight” members to start.

“We would hope that you would give us a chance,” Repasky said. “We want to be a trusting, open community, and we want to feel mercy to all…”

Additional Masses may be scheduled, as Spirit of Light’s congregation grows, Repasky said.

“As we expand out and get into the Christmas season, we’ll have other Masses,” he said.

By next year, the pastor hopes to at least include a schedule of holy day Masses.

For more information on Spirit of Light, contact Repasky at (813) 679-1883 or .

Published October 12, 2016

Assisted care center set to open in August

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A new $13 million assisted living center in Lutz is under construction, and set to open in August.

Angels Senior Living at Lodges of Idlewild, located at 18440 Exciting Idlewild Blvd., in Lutz, will have 94 units to serve about 100 residents, according to Daniel Almendares, corporate operations manager at Angels Senior Living.

The 85,000-square-foot facility expects to employ 45 people.

Construction is under way on the new Angels Senior Living at Lodges of Idlewild facility. The $13 million, 85,000-square-foot facility will have 94 units for up to 100 residents. (Photos courtesy of Angels Senior Living)
Construction is under way on the new Angels Senior Living at Lodges of Idlewild facility. The $13 million, 85,000-square-foot facility will have 94 units for up to 100 residents.
(Photos courtesy of Angels Senior Living)

As part of the assisted living experience, residents will be aided in hygiene, ambulating, keeping track of medications, and dining.

In addition to assisted living, Lodges of Idlewild will offer both memory care and independent living services.

The memory care program, designed for residents suffering from dementia or Alzheimer’s disease, will be a “secured unit” with a higher staffing ratio for additional attention.

The independent living program features independent apartments where residents can pay for “a la carte services” and transition into the assisted living facility when needed.

A rough estimate for the monthly cost for a resident to live at the facility is $4,000, Almendares said.

The two best options for financial assistance for senior care is through the Medicaid Managed Long Term Care program, or the Veteran’s Aid (VA) and Attendance program attained by serving in a war, according to Angels Senior Living’s website.

The Medicaid route requires being on Medicaid and then applying for the program to pay an amount that may total 25 percent to 50 percent of monthly rent.

The veteran’s aid option requires an application through the U.S. Department of Veteran’s Affairs. Financial assistance in this program varies.

The location of the senior living center “fit well into our geographic offerings,” Almendares said, adding that its proximity to the Idlewild Baptist Church in Lutz is a bonus.

Once it is complete, the assisted living center should look similar to this prototype. The senior living center is set to open in August 2016.
Once it is complete, the assisted living center should look similar to this prototype. The senior living center is set to open in August 2016.

“We want to develop a tight-knit relationship with the church and the patrons, and for our residents to enjoy the services offered on such an already beautiful campus,” he said. “The placement along a major thoroughfare only improves the ease for family members to visit their loved ones on the way from work, school, or (coming) from errands.”

To help promote social interaction, there will be activity rooms for games, arts and crafts, and exercise.

“The activities for all our residents are there to entertain and provide a higher quality of life beyond just great care,” Almendares said.

Angels Senior Living operates a total of nine other locations throughout Hillsborough, Pasco and Pinellas counties.

There are three facilities in North Tampa alone — Connerton Court in Land O’ Lakes, Angels Senior Living at New Tampa on North 42nd Street, and Shady Palms on North Florida Avenue.

Angels Senior Living has not yet determined who will be the executive director to oversee the day-to-day operations at Lodges of Idlewild, Almendares said.

Angels Senior Living at Lodges of Idlewild
What: A $13 million, 85,000-square-foot assisted living facility with 94 units
Where: 18440 Exciting Idlewild Blvd., in Lutz
Opening date: August 2016
Key Programs: Assisted living, memory care and independent living
For information, call (813) 886-2023, or visit AngelsSeniorLiving.com.

Published February 10, 2016

Lutz pushes proposed urban service area south

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Lutz has survived more than a century with no municipal water or sewer. And it might end up going another century without it as well.

In a workshop Dec. 8, members of the Hillsborough County City-County Planning Commission will hear something they may not like: Lutz residents are turning their backs on a proposed plan to extend the county’s urban service area up U.S. 41.

Getting an urban service area designation is a significant step in helping to bring more business — and even more residents — to an area, planners say. In fact, 80 percent of all county growth would take place in those areas, countywide planning team leader Stephen Griffin told a small group of Lutz residents Nov. 18.

“When you are inside that service area, you are going to see growth and development,” Griffin said. “But being in an urban service area doesn’t mean you can’t have other uses like agriculture. That would still be permitted inside the urban service area.”

For decades, Lutz has maintained its independence from the high population growth taking place in the rest of Hillsborough. Although six lanes of U.S. 41 were laid right through the heart of the downtown Lutz, existing water and sewer infrastructure along the way requires septic tanks and well access — both undesirable and even outright impossible for larger businesses to move in.

But that’s exactly what many of the residents want there, said Mike White, president of the Lutz Citizens Coalition.

“I’ve polled our members, and the resounding answer that has come back is that we don’t want water and septic,” White said. “We like our wells. We don’t want to take a chance of losing control of the rural character of Lutz.”

Community resistance means when the urban service area is expanded, it will stay south of the Lutz apex where U.S. 41 and North Florida Avenue split near the entrance to the Avila subdivision.

“We will conclude our expansion opportunity and leave it to that little area on the south,” Griffin said. “That is what we’re going to move forward with. We are going to leave it the way that it is.”

That’s not what one land and business owner in Lutz was hoping to hear. William Payne, the owner of the engineering firm WSP Consultants in Lutz, says it’s time the area moves forward and embraces some of the amenities their neighboring communities have.

“It is a real shame that the comments from non-commercial parcel owners could so easily sway the planning commission,” Payne said in an email to community planner Yeneka Mills before last week’s meeting. “I hope this decision is not final, and the planning commission will reconsider expanding the (urban service area) further north by meeting directly with commercial parcel owners.”

Payne owns two 1950s-era commercial buildings at 19006 N. U.S. 41 and 19008 N. U.S. 41 he purchased through his company, William & Mary Investment Group LLC, for $585,000 in 2006. He said he was the only person who attended an August meeting with planning commission officials who actually owned commercial property in the potential expansion area.

However, part of the appeal of Lutz is its unchanging nature, White said, despite the suburban growth that’s occurring around it, including Pasco County to the north. The fear is that Lutz would turn into another Dale Mabry Highway, with high commercial density and a lost community spirit.

“There are a lot of people whose kids move, and they will be gone for five or six years,” he said. “And then they come back. My daughter has been gone for 10 years, and she can’t wait to move out here.”

Upgrading infrastructure to help support a more suburban community does not mean it has to be developed that way, Griffin said.

“The county does not force you to hook into the system,” he said. “We wanted to help precipitate improvements so that more local and small businesses have the ability to tap into the water and sewer lines, if that is available.”

However, one older resident who didn’t identify himself felt it was still too much.

“The risk of changing to an urban service area far outweighs any benefits from it,” he said.

Once the planning commission decides how it wants to pursue an urban service area, it will hold another public meeting to discuss that plan with affected residents and business owners in the spring.

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Wesley Chapel Honda, Toyota dealerships expanding to used cars

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Wesley Chapel Honda and Wesley Chapel Toyota are going to get quite a bit bigger.

The owner of the dealerships along State Road 54, Williams Automotive Group, announced this week that it will add a pre-owned sales center to its existing facility. It will use a little more than 1 acre of land it purchased last May for $1.35 million, according to county property records. Williams Automotive will host a groundbreaking for the project on July 1 at 10:30 a.m., on the corner of State Road 54 and Old Pasco Road, where the new sales center will be built.

“Because of the growth that both Wesley Chapel Toyota and Wesley Chapel Honda have experienced in the Wesley Chapel community, the group is expanding to bring the first used car-buying center to the area,” the company said in a release. “They will provide a first-class buying experience, and a tremendous amount of quality pre-owned inventory to choose from.”

The latest expansion is part of an overall effort being made by the company this year, which also purchased the former Tampa Honda Land at 11000 N. Florida Ave., in Tampa, last March, shortening the name to simply Tampa Honda.

Williams Automotive was founded as Southeast Automotive Group in 2000, and once owned several dealerships in Georgia, selling Toyota, Kia, Mitsubishi and Hyundai, according to the company’s website.

Wesley Chapel Toyota is located at 5300 Eagleston Blvd., and Wesley Chapel Honda is at 27750 Wesley Chapel Blvd.