The Laker/Lutz News

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

Sarah Vande Berg Tennis & Wellness Center

Growth is coming to Zephyrhills

By

Activity is on the rise in the City of Zephyrhills — from multiple new housing developments, to myriad airport and roadway improvements, to the prospect of wholesale changes to its local 911 communication operations.

Zephyrhills City Manager Billy Poe offered a look at what’s happening in the city, during a speaking engagement at last month’s East Pasco Networking Group breakfast meeting at IHOP in Dade City.

Zephyrhills City Manager Billy Poe was the guest speaker at the East Pasco Networking Group’s March 9 breakfast meeting, at IHOP in Dade City. (Kevin Weiss)

The city’s residential development is booming, Poe said.

“You see it when you’re driving down the road, driving down (State Road) 56, everywhere you go, anywhere you go, you see the development happening,” he said, during the March 9 breakfast meeting.

There are nine housing developments totaling about 3,000 units on the books, Poe said. The housing styles include townhomes, single-family homes and apartments.

The additional housing is expected to bring an estimated 7,000 new residents to the municipality, when all is said and done, Poe said.

These developments are predominately situated beyond the Zephyr Commons Shopping Center and Walmart off Gall Boulevard, as well as around the Sarah Vande Berg Tennis & Wellness Center along Simons Road. The projects are in varying stages, from preliminary plans to homes under construction, Poe said.

“Zephyrhills will definitely be changing as we move through this, God willing the economy stays the way it’s going for us,” Poe said.

Airport gets a lift
Several enhancements are coming to the Zephyrhills Municipal Airport, which spans some 900 acres of land donated to the city after World War II.

Most notable is moving forward with the extension of Runway 1-19. It’s increasing to 6,200 feet, up from 4,700 feet.

The longer runway will accommodate larger corporate jets and will bolster industry in the surrounding airport vicinity. It also will provide support, in the long-term, for an industrial corridor, in the area of Chancey Road.

The Runway 1-19 project also calls for a Taxiway B extension, paved runway shoulders and construction of an access road.

The $6.5 million runway extension project, funded via state appropriations and Penny for Pasco, is expected to be completed in November. The city recently awarded a construction bid to Plant City-based C.W. Roberts Contracting for the work.

Poe detailed how instrumental State Sen. Wilton Simpson, R-Trilby was in securing funding, given that improved transportation via air travel is one of Florida’s long-range goals for its communities.

Poe put it this way: “Sen. Simpson helped push this project forward, because he saw the importance of having a longer runway and being able to bring in those corporate jets to Zephyrhills.”

Poe also emphasized that the move isn’t a preamble for the airport to eventually expand into  a cargo hub — something recently implemented at Lakeland’s Linder International Airport in partnership with Amazon.

“There’s been some rumblings that, ‘Hey we’re going to go try to look like Lakeland and try to get cargo jets and all that.’ That is not true. Our goal is to be the best general aviation airport around,” Poe said.

For that scenario to even be considered, Poe said, the airport would need to install a tower and an Airport Rescue and Firefighting Station (ARFF) to clear zones and angles, among other considerations. “A lot of things that would have to be done,” he said. “Now, if somebody wants to come in and pay for that, we can have a conversation, (but) the city is not doing that.”

Other boosts are planned for the airport, too.

This includes upgrading its fuel farm, which features a pair of 20,000-gallon tanks some 25 years old. Poe said the state is funding 80% of the fuel farm upgrade, while the city is on the hook for 20%. The bid for this project is expected to be awarded in May.

There’s also plans to rehabilitate Taxiway A — which runs along Runway 5-23 — due to asphalt pavement reaching the end of its useful life. The project is currently in the design phase with projected construction coming in November. Poe said the FAA will fund 90% of the $3.3 million project, with the FDOT (8%) and the city (2%) contributing the remaining sum. “We would not be able to do it without partnerships with DOT, FAA, the state, all of those different grant dollars,” he said.

Installing some more corporate hangars at the airport is another objective, among others Poe said.

Roadwork improvements en route
Aside from the airport, several roadwork projects also are in the pipeline for the burgeoning East Pasco municipality.

Among other roadway improvements, the city has entered the design phase for paving the remaining northern portion of Simons Road, from the Links of Silver Oaks subdivision to Fort King Road. It will create a continuous north-south connector linking Eiland Boulevard to Fort King Road. (Courtesy of City of Zephyrhills)

The city manager said activity is well underway on the U.S. 301/Pretty Pond Road intersection project, which calls for the relocation of an existing signalized intersection from the shopping plaza entrance to Pretty Pond Road, a signalized intersection at Medical Arts Court, and all other required roadway improvements. The addition of signalized intersections at these locations serves to improve the mobility of the northeast section of the city, and become an economic driver for the northeast and northwest corners of Pretty Pond to be developed into a national grocery store, national chain hotel, pet supply store and chain restaurants.

The $2.3 million project is fully funded through a state appropriation.

Meantime, the city has entered the design phase to pave the remaining northern portion of Simons Road, from the Links of Silver Oaks subdivision to Fort King Road, making a continuous north-south connector linking Eiland Boulevard to Fort King Road. Upon completion, residents living on the north end of town will have another option onto Eiland Boulevard, and otherwise helping eliminate congested traffic.

The city manager expects the Simons Road construction project to bid out around October, adding “hopefully by this time next year that road will be open.”

He explained the reason the city didn’t pave the entire road all at once was due to obstructing Duke Energy transmission poles. Now, the utilities company is in the process of relocating those poles at no cost to the city, Poe said, noting it would’ve cost the city around $2 million to move them at the time a couple years ago. “The city works very hard to get those grant dollars and tries to stretch the taxpayer dollars as far as we possibly can,” he said.

He added the city also is seeking grant funding, plus partnerships with the county and Lennar development to add a traffic signal at the Simons Road/Eiland Boulevard intersection, to alleviate traffic coming to and from the Sarah Vande Berg Tennis & Wellness Center, at 6585 Simons Road.

Elsewhere, the city plans to extend Dean Dairy Road from Pretty Pond Road north to Kossick Road. This action, Poe said would “help alleviate some of the traffic going up onto U.S. 301 and being able to access (Zephyr Commons) Publix and things from that back road.”

Poe otherwise detailed how the city spends roughly $400,000 per year repaving and rehabbing its local roadway network, using techniques like full-depth reclamation and micro seal to extend their useful life. The city’s streets department otherwise maintains roughly 66 miles of roadways throughout Zephyrhills, the city manager said.

Published April 07, 2021

Expansion plans unveiled for Zephyrhills tennis center

By

The Sarah Vande Berg (SVB) Tennis & Wellness Center in Zephyrhills has sights on a major expansion to significantly enhance its tennis offerings and also establish a boarding program — all of which may run upwards of $20 million, when all is said and done.

The existing tennis center situated on 10 acres of land at 6585 Simons Road already has garnered much attention for its present slew of amenities, including:

  • 11 regulation-size outdoor tennis courts (nine clay surface, two hard surface)
  • Eight outdoor pickleball courts
  • Four outdoor padel courts
  • Outdoor multipurpose turf field
  • Nearly 8,000-square-foot indoor clubhouse, featuring a full-service restaurant/cafe, fitness center, salt room, yoga room, cryotherapy chamber and pro shop

But, the center could be broadening its reach through an expansion that would be funded by a state appropriation, private investments and financing.

Sarah Vande Berg Tennis & Wellness Center CEO Pascal Collard (Courtesy of Sarah Vande Berg Tennis & Wellness Center)

Preliminary details and various renderings were announced during a special presentation at the facility on Feb. 25.

Perhaps of greatest interest to the general public are proposals to nearly double its tennis offering by installing 10 more courts.

This would include six outdoor regulation hard surface tennis courts, plus a 30,000-square-foot multi-use indoor sports complex with room for four full-size tennis courts, as well as other athletic events, trade shows, banquets and ceremonies.

A nearly $4.7 million state appropriation for the slate of courts is being sponsored by state Sen. Danny Burgess, a Republican from Zephyrhills.

Besides helping to stimulate Pasco’s economy, the initiative would “provide access to low-income residents and children, as well as to provide athletic tournaments and events to east Pasco,” according to the state funding proposal.

If approved in the 2021 state budget, funding would become available around July, with expectations to begin construction by September or October, said Pascal Collard, the CEO of the SVB Tennis & Wellness Center.

Plans call for a half-dozen hard courts to be built on the northeast corner of the tennis center property, while the multi-use complex would be situated on another adjacent 10-acre tract of land southeast of Simons Road purchased by Collard and other private investors a few months ago.

Collard emphasized the need for the court additions during the presentation, citing the facility’s rampant demand since opening October 2020, even in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic: “We have days where there’s a waiting list. We have days where there’s not enough space on the parking lot. We are already too small. We are, literally. There are moments where we don’t have enough courts,” he said, during the special presentation on the proposed expansion.

Adding an indoor component is particularly important, too, Collard said, noting, “sometimes it rains, sometimes it’s too warm for the kids” to play tennis and other sporting activities.

The Sarah Vande Berg Tennis & Wellness Center in Zephyrhills could be in store for a roughly $20 million expansion that calls for an international sports boarding program and a slew of indoor and outdoor tennis courts. (File)

An international sports boarding program?
Aside from further beefing up tennis offerings, Collard and other private investors are pursuing financing to establish an international residential sports academy and boarding program — similar to a scaled-down version Bradenton’s IMG Academy and Wesley Chapel’s Saddlebrook Preparatory School.

The concept calls for an assortment of phased-in student condos, dormitories and houses on the adjacent land tract that would eventually accommodate from 60 to 80 international students. That would be called the Sarah Vande Berg Learning Village.

A shared master plan rendering shows a dormitory building, 31 individual 1,500-square-foot homes and a three-story condo building with nine two-bedroom units and nine one-bedroom units, with walkable or rideable connections to the present tennis center.

Renderings also show the learning village subdivision is slated to feature a community center, pool, park, playground, community garden, and pond and fountain, among other outdoor and recreational features.

Here’s how the sports academy would work: International and out-of-state students would train and reside at the tennis center properties, then get bussed to North Tampa Christian Academy in Wesley Chapel for a more traditional academic setting, Collard said. The academy also would offer training and development packages for youth golfers and soccer players, Collard said, through partnerships with Dade City’s Lake Jovita Golf and Country Club, and Florida Premier FC.

Depending on the amount of amenities and programs (boarding, meals, sports training, academics), costs could run anywhere from $50,000 to $70,000 annually per visiting student, Collard said.

Meanwhile, he added, there will be opportunities for area-based youth to enroll in various portions of the sports academy, while still living at home. Various sports academy scholarships also will be made available for Zephyrhills area youth through the Sarah Vande Berg Tennis Foundation, he said.

“This is going to enhance what we’re trying to do here for the kids,” Collard said. “We went to be special and different, and bringing some stuff to the table that nobody has, and that’s truly what we’re doing with everything. We want to create an atmosphere that kids are loving…”

This rendering shows plans for an international sports academy boarding community on property adjacent to the Sarah Vande Berg Tennis & Wellness Center, at 6585 Simons Road in Zephyrhills. The community would feature dormitories, apartments and housing for international and out-of-state students looking to enhance their athletic skills, in hopes of securing college scholarships or professional opportunities. The concept would be similar to Bradenton’s IMG Academy and Wesley Chapel’s Saddlebrook Preparatory School. (Courtesy of Sarah Vande Berg Tennis & Wellness Center)

Collard acknowledged the boarding program initiative is “not a done deal yet,” though he noted that multiple banks are interested in taking on the project.

Collard indicated initial investment for the boarding campus may be in the ballpark of $10 million to $15 million.

The proposed project also has an ambitious timeline. The idea is to open a portion of the boarding program in conjunction with the multi-use complex around September 2022, he said.

Benefits of the expansion, as outlined in the presentation, include: raising the city’s regional and national profile; additional tax revenue and increased property values (projected up to 15% or more); and, providing a valuable community resource; and, introducing a diverse international presence to Zephyrhills.

The existing $4.9 million Sarah Vande Berg Tennis & Wellness Center is a public-private partnership between Collard and the City of Zephyrhills. The municipality owns the facility while Collard’s company, Tennis Pro Florida LLC, is tasked with management and day-to-day operations.

The facility is named after 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, on Oct. 11, 2015, while a member of the University of South Carolina-Upstate women’s tennis team.

Collard and his team were responsible for leveraging connections and forging partnerships with individuals and organizations to bring aboard some of the facility’s splashier features — such as the salt room, cryotherapy, and restaurant. The city — with the help of a state appropriation and other impact fees — funded the tennis portion of the facility.

Collard brings a varied tennis background, having founded other academies in his native Belgium, and being a former tennis director at Saddlebrook Resort in Wesley Chapel and The Merion Cricket Club, in Haverford, Pennsylvania.

His professional coaching resume includes working with several widely known international tennis pros, including Younes El Aynaoui and Dominique Monami, among others.

Published March 24, 2021

Pasco County tourism decreased in 2020

By

Tourism in Pasco County came back to earth in 2020 — following a record year the year before,  which saw the area surpass the million-visitor mark for its first time.

An informational presentation from Experience Florida’s Sports Coast — the county’s branded tourism arm — reveals some sobering facts and figures in a fiscal year impacted largely by the onset of the coronavirus pandemic.

Adam Thomas, director for Pasco County’s tourism brand, Experience Florida’s Sports Coast (File)

Pasco attracted 959,700 visitors in fiscal year 2020, down 7.6% from fiscal year 2019 when it drew 1,038,700 visitors, according to an analysis by Downs & St. Germain Research Inc., consultants to the county.

Other tourism economic impact indicators registered noticeable reductions across the board for the county when compared to the previous year:

  • Room nights generated — 1,069,849 (12.1% decrease)
  • Direct expenditures — $391,642,500 (15.3% decrease)
  • Total economic impact — $552,216,200 (15.3% decrease)
  • Jobs supported by tourism — 6,790 (13.7% decrease)
  • Wages paid by tourism — $149,461,500 (11.1% decrease)
  • Tourist Development Tax (bed tax) — $2,639,427 (13.2% decrease)
  • Taxes supported — $51,789,400 (14.8% decrease)

County tourism manager Adam Thomas shared these annual findings and other details during a Pasco County Commission meeting last month.

The 113-page visitor report shows that about one in four visitors to Pasco came to visit friends and family, while one in 10 visitors traveled to attend or participate in a sporting event.

The areas within the county attracting the most visitors were New Port Richey, Wesley Chapel, Port Richey and Lutz, according to the report.

Perceptions of Pasco based on coded, open-ended tourist responses generally found the area as a friendly and pleasant place, with tropical Florida weather, and lots to do.

In the way of visitor satisfaction, Pasco earned an 8.3 rating, out of a possible 10, as a place to visit or vacation in 2020, with 95% of respondents saying they plan to return to the county.

Pasco County’s tourism brand, Experience Florida’s Sports Coast, places an emphasis on its state-of-the-art athletics facilities and outdoor recreation opportunities. County visitation decreased 7.6% in 2020 from 2019, as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

About 85% of all visitors drove to Pasco in 2020, while 11% flew in through Tampa International Airport.

Florida made up the bulk of the county’s visitation, with 51% of all visits, followed by the rest of the Southeast (16%), then Northeast (12%) and Midwest (12%) regions of the country. Six percent of visitors were international, while 3% came in from the West.

Relatedly, 60% of all the visitors to Pasco were from 10 states.

Besides a majority of Florida-based visitors, roughly 5% of tourists came in from Georgia and New York. Smaller subsets were from Michigan, Illinois, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, and Tennessee; top origin markets were Tampa Bay (29%), Orlando (6%), Atlanta (4%) and New York City (4%).

Another notable data point is that length of stays were shorter during the past year, according to the report.

A typical visitors length of stay in Pasco measured an average of 4.8 nights in 2020, down from 5.7 nights in 2019. The reduction is believed to be a result of the pandemic.

Despite reversing course in fiscal year 2020, Pasco’s tourism efforts have spearheaded in recent years, following a shift in philosophy to emphasize youth and amateur sports and recreation opportunities.

The Experience Florida’s Sports Coast branding efforts highlight the county’s growing list of modern athletics venues, including AdventHealth Center Ice, the Sarah Vande Berg Tennis & Wellness Center and the Wiregrass Sports Campus of Pasco County. Tourism efforts also showcase the county’s myriad outdoor activities that include golfing, saltwater fishing, skydiving and scalloping.

The county’s day-to-day tourism efforts are under the direction of Thomas, a former minor league baseball pitcher who led the Citrus County Visitor and Conventions Bureau before being hired to Pasco in September 2017.

Bullish on tourism future
Following the annual report presentation, county commissioners commended Thomas and his tourism staff for the work they’ve done of late, and expressed optimism of a rebound — figuring the depressed 2020 was a temporary setback and anomaly because of COVID-19.

Commissioner Mike Moore, who chairs the Pasco County Tourist Development Council, highlighted how the tourism agency achieved national recognition throughout the past year.

Pasco County’s 10-day bay scallop season in July could help boost tourism efforts in 2021.

Experience Florida’s Sports Coast won three Telly Awards, including gold, for its scalloping promotional video. The Telly Awards is recognized as the premier award honoring video and television across all screens. It received over 12,000 entries from all 50 states.

The tourism department also claimed two silver Flagler Awards in 2020 for its website design and meeting planner guide. The Flagler Awards serves to recognize outstanding tourism marketing in Florida.

Continuing on the positives, Moore pointed out bed tax collections actually increased in September 2020 compared to September 2019, despite the pandemic.

Moore gave Thomas kudos for “amazing, amazing work,” to lock in enough amateur and recreational sporting events to make that happen.

Others on the dais also voiced strong approval for Thomas and his tourism staff’s varied efforts.

“I don’t remember what it was like before, but since you’ve been here, it’s really been booming, even with COVID,” Commission Chairman Ron Oakley said of Thomas. “It’s a great team.”

Commissioner Jack Mariano noted Thomas was hired at an ideal time for the county almost four years ago, as projects like AdventHealth Center Ice and the Wiregrass Ranch Sports Campus of Pasco County were on the ramp-up.

Mariano also noted more tourism options on the county’s west side are taking shape, with seawall plans for Hudson Beach and improvements to SunWest Park — the latter of which could pave the way for some major sand volleyball and wakeboarding events in the future. “It’s going to be real exciting times coming forward,” Mariano said.

Commission Vice Chair Kathryn Starkey, too, acknowledged the staff of eight at Experience Florida’s Sports Coast has done a solid job.

As for what more can be done to make the county an attractive tourism destination, however,  Starkey turned to the county’s current slate of nature and parks offerings.

She referenced a point in the report’s visitor surveys that indicated those features generally fell below expectations. Moreover, about 43% of polled visitors desired more outdoor activities, despite the county boasting over 24 miles of coastline to the west, hilly terrain to the east, and more than 100,000 acres of wilderness to explore in between.

Upgrades in these arenas should be on the way, Starkey noted, thanks to a recently approved bond issue. “We haven’t had the money to make all of our parks as premier as we’d like them to be, but it’s coming,” she said.

Published February 17, 2021

Zephyrhills plans to seek state funds for three projects

By

The City of Zephyrhills has decided to seek state funding for three improvement projects during the 2021 state legislative session.

Those projects involve improving Seventh Street; expanding the Sarah Vande Berg Tennis & Wellness Center; and, improving a runway at Zephyrhills Municipal Airport. The total costs for all three projects is estimated at $11.6 million.

This is a rendering of what a complete roadway would include, traversing Seventh Street from C Avenue north to U.S. 301. The 1.5-mile section would be converted from a single two-lane, one-way northbound road to a two-lane, two-way road with the addition of a multi-use trail, a sidewalk, on-street parking (where practical), and drainage improvements. (Courtesy of City of Zephyrhills)

The Zephyrhills City Council unanimously approved staff’s recommendation to submit funding requests for these projects at a Jan. 11 regular meeting.

When the Florida Legislature meets, it considers requests from local governments for assistance with projects of local importance.

Zephyrhills must ask state Rep. Randy Maggard, R-Dade City, and state Sen. Danny Burgess, R-Zephyrhills, to sponsor these projects on the city’s behalf.

Staff will work to complete the applications and then submit to both the Florida House of Representatives and Florida Senate, said Zephyrhills City Manager Billy Poe.

Monies would theoretically be made available to Zephyrhills in July, should one or more of those projects be approved by the Florida Legislature and signed off on by Gov. Ron DeSantis.

Here’s a more detailed look at the proposed projects:

  • Seventh Street complete street

The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) has proposed to convert U.S. 301 and Sixth Street to a one-way pair street network. Because of these improvements, the city correspondingly wants to construct roadway improvements along Seventh Street from C Avenue north to U.S. 301. The roadway would be converted from a single two-lane, one-way northbound road to a two-lane, two-way road with the addition of a multi-use trail, sidewalk, on street parking where practical, and drainage improvements. The length of the street project is approximately 1.5 miles. Estimated cost is $6.3 million.

  • Indoor tennis complex, plus outdoor hard courts

Shown as Phase II on the Sarah Vande Berg Tennis & Wellness Center plans, this includes the construction of a 30,000-square-foot indoor tennis facility with the capability for other sports and activities (soccer, ping pong, banquets, ceremonies), along with associated parking. Additionally, staff would like to construct six outdoor hard courts, allowing for sanctioned hard-court tournaments. Estimated cost is $2.5 million.

  • As part of the Zephyrhills Municipal Airport’s runway 01-19 extension, additional funding is needed for paved runway shoulders, taxiway B extension, stormwater piping and an access road. These projects have a total estimated cost of $2.8 million. (File)

    Zephyrhills Municipal Airport runway extension

The city previously received a state appropriation of $5.9 million for the extension of runway 01-19, which is currently out to bid. However, an engineer’s cost estimate indicates the original appropriation will cover only the design and construction of the runway, and will not cover the paved runway shoulders, taxiway B extension, stormwater piping or the access road. These additional items have a total estimated cost of $2.8 million.

Before deciding to approve the project submissions, there was much discussion during the meeting — mainly concerning the additions to the tennis center and the airport runway extension.

Zephyrhills Council President Charles Proctor, for one, expressed disappointment because the city again must request for additional state funds regarding improvements to the airport runway. He was dismayed, as well, that no state funding requests were presented for improving various city parks facilities, including Hercules Park.

The city manager addressed both matters.

Poe detailed how original airport runway costs were likely underestimated because there was no design at the time of the requests for fiscal year 2018-2019, plus he said there was a short time frame for an engineer to put a package together. Moreover, construction costs have changed somewhat since then, Poe said.

“I agree, it’s crazy to me that $5.9 million doesn’t cover everything we needed out there; unfortunately, that’s where we are on that,” the city manager said.

As for not requesting anything in the way of local parks improvements from the state, Poe suggested next year might be more apt given expected state budget reductions due to the COVID-19 pandemic — where officials have said could hit the $5 billion shortfall range.

He mentioned conversations with various state representatives made it appear they’re likely to sponsor fewer projects on the whole because of the pandemic’s lingering effects. For example, Poe said Burgess previously told him he’d be comfortable sponsoring just two Zephyrhills projects this year.

Poe observed: “Let’s be honest, I think this state budget coming up here is going to be very tight. That doesn’t lend itself to a lot of appropriations, but we could be surprised. I think people are spending more than what we thought they would be throughout this past year, so hopefully projections were off.”

The City of Zephyrhills is seeking state funding for a trio of infrastructure projects. (File)

Meantime, there always had been plans to construct an indoor multi-purpose sports complex holding four tennis courts, at some point.

City council members were taken aback that the proposal also includes the construction of six additional outdoor hard-surface tennis courts to the Sarah Vande Berg Tennis & Wellness Center, situated on 10 acres at 6585 Simons Road.

The facility already features nine Har-Tru clay tennis courts, two hard-surface tennis courts, eight pickleball courts and four padel courts.

If the multimillion dollar expansion project is passed in its entirety, that would give the facility 21 tennis courts in one form or another, plus the pickleball and padel offerings.

Aside from a quartet of indoor/covered courts, Poe explained the reasoning for funding an additional six outdoor hard surface courts is to open the facility to a wider range of tournaments, and to accommodate increasing recreational uses and demands.

In order to host certain tournaments — such as high school district or regional meets — the facility must have a minimum of eight hard-surface courts, he said. (Any indoor courts would not count toward that requirement because they technically have a different playing surface.)

As a further added use — the outdoor hard-surface courts could be converted and taped into pickleball courts as needed, Poe said.

Council Vice President Jodi Wilkeson and Councilman Alan Knight questioned why an extra half-dozen outdoor hard courts weren’t part of original construction plans several years ago.

“It’s unfortunate that we didn’t plan ahead,” Wilkeson said, adding she’d also like to at some point see some concrete economic data generated from tennis tournaments and other events.

“It would be nice for me to look at it from more of a business plan perspective,” she said. “We talk about these amorphous numbers that impact the community tax revenue, but what other source of revenue is there for the city as it relates to these tournaments, or the tennis center.”

Poe wasn’t quite sure why more hard courts weren’t included from the onset, as he wasn’t the city manager at that time.

He suggested this possibility: “I don’t know that it was anticipated that the center would be as successful as it has been this early.”

He also pointed out there was perhaps more emphasis on constructing clay courts at the time: “I think the thought was the future of tennis facilities is to have the Har-Tru courts. With the clay courts, it’s easier on the joints and offers a little more flexibility to its users,” Poe said.

Despite council’s critiques, they ultimately agreed to seek funding to advance the tennis center’s build out.

Councilman Lance Smith underscored the facility’s importance, to put the matter into perspective: “I was over there for some of the (recent) tournaments and there were people from all over Florida that were in Zephyrhills, spending money in our restaurants, and then some of them lived at homes across the street, too, so there’s an ancillary benefit you get from it.”

Smith continued: “To host a high school tournament…that’s not a significant amount of revenue, but it brings people to the area. All of it generates traffic that wouldn’t otherwise be here in Zephyrhills. That being said, we do need to be careful spending our money.”

Elsewhere, regarding Seventh Street enhancements, Poe explained this project still needs to be designed.

Poe also noted: “There are some elements that could be removed or phased in to make that very large number more palatable for funding.”

Published January 27, 2021

Zephyrhills development yields roadway concerns

By

The City of Zephyrhills is experiencing booming growth and development that includes thousands of new homes and myriad commercial projects — and that’s on top of a newfound tourism and visitor rush felt with the opening of the $4.9 million Sarah Vande Berg Tennis & Wellness Center, at 6585 Simons Road.

As the city begins to add new population and outsiders, concerns are increasing about the ability of the city’s road ways being able to sustain traffic arising from all the happenings in the small East Pasco town.

Those qualms were front and center at a Zephyrhills City Council meeting last month.

“We’re having tremendous growth right now, and I think it’s really hard to stay ahead of it, I really do, from a traffic management standpoint,” Councilman Lance Smith said.

Zephyrhills development yields roadway concerns. (Courtesy of City of Zephyrhills)

“We see it in (Pasco County). In the county we see the lag that’s happened, and my gosh, how long have they been working on (State Road) 54, adding additional lanes? I’m just concerned that we stay ahead of it,” the councilman said.

Smith directed attention to the Abbott Square development that will add some 700 units surrounding the new tennis center on Simons Road.

The roadway is already becoming a problem with motorists trying to make left-hand turns off the Simons Road/Eiland Boulevard intersection, without a traffic signal, he said.

He also observed “cars stacked up turning left” during a recent event at the tennis complex, therefore increasing the likelihood of accidents and wrecks.

“People get frustrated when they can’t make that left-hand turn, and they’re willing to take a chance when they do that,” Smith said.  “We need to do something.”

In response, Zephyrhills City Manager Billy Poe explained a signalized intersection improvement is tied into a developer’s agreement with the Abbott Square homebuilder, Lennar Corporation. Meanwhile, the city is looking to time up those signalized improvements and connect Simons Road into Fort King Road by the end of 2021, Poe said.

Smith credited city staff for “doing a really good job” with facilitating various development projects — along with getting some transportation projects in the pipeline, such as the busy U.S. 301/Pretty Pond Road and County Road 54/U.S. 301 intersections.

But he cautioned that those involved must think of any potential issues that might result before construction actually begins on a particular project: “Just put on your thinking cap when you’re looking at these developments, ‘How’s it going to impact the road network around it?’”

Smith brought up the example of consulting engineers not including a right-hand turn lane into the recent State Road 56/Morris Bridge Road project.

He said: “Let’s try and avoid (those mistakes). Somebody holler and say, ‘Hey, you forgot this.’ It’s a shame to open up a new road and have these goat trails on the side where people are coming up and making their own right-hand turn lane.”

Meanwhile, another Zephyrhills roadway issue brewing is the sustainability of Wire Road. Nearby construction is afoot on Abbott Park, a 500-plus unit development popping up on the site of the former Gore Dairy Supply property.

Councilman Alan Knight observed: “Wire Road’s taking a beating already and you know with the new people coming in, and we’re looking at 500 homes — whew, it’s going to be tough (to maintain).”

Poe explained that Wire Road is scheduled to be repaved at some point but has been pushed back due to Abbott Park’s construction. Also, Poe said city officials are having internal discussions to find some way to get a utility transmission pole relocated, so that Wire Road can be connected with Kossik Road. There’s also designed plans — but not yet budgeted —  for Dairy Road to be extended north to connect with Kossik Road, the city manager said.

Meanwhile, Knight and other council members called for additional funding and resources to move such transportation projects forward.

Knight, for one, made a vocal plea for more help from the Pasco County Commission: “There’s a lot of money coming from our county commissioners that are going other areas…and some of that money needs to come to us. I’ll be the first to be very vocal about it. I see where a lot is going to Wesley Chapel; I understand the growth. I understand a lots going, but Zephyrhills needs to get some of that money. We need to get some improvements. We’re growing at a rate that’s unreal.”

Council President Charles Proctor echoed those sentiments: “This city is growing so fast. We all lived here a long time and I believe we’re doing our best to stay ahead of it, but we definitely need to work with the state and with the county to stay ahead of it.”

Published January 13, 2021

Zephyrhills seeking state funding for four projects

By

The City of Zephyrhills is pursuing state funding for four projects, although ongoing financial impacts from the COVID-19 pandemic may hamper some, or all of the requests, from being included in the state’s budget.

Zephyrhills City Manager Billy Poe explained the requests during a regular Zephyrhills City Council meeting last month. They call for:

  • Transforming Seventh Street into a complete street, generally from U.S. 301 to South Avenue and C Avenue
  • Building sewer line and sewer capacity expansions and improvements on the north end of town to make way for additional development around the Zephyr Commons Publix Super Market on Gall Boulevard
  • Paving and taxiway improvements at the Zephyrhills Municipal Airport
  • Phase II of the Sarah Vande Berg Tennis & Wellness Center, which calls for a 30,000-square-foot indoor multi-use complex on the northeast portion of the 10-acre property on Simons Road — large enough for four tennis courts, but could also be converted to accommodate soccer, weddings, concerts and other community events or sports

The deadline to submit requests to the state is Feb. 2. Final project submissions and prioritization will come before a formal council vote, likely at a Jan. 11 regular meeting.

Monies would be made available to Zephyrhills in July, should one or more of those projects be approved by the Florida Legislature and signed off on by Gov. Ron DeSantis.

The city manager said each of those projects should be “shovel-ready” for construction by the summer time frame, except for the sewer line initiative, which first needs to be designed.

Published January 13, 2021

Busy 2021 anticipated for East Pasco communities

By

The East Pasco municipalities of Dade City and Zephyrhills are poised for a busy 2021 in terms of infrastructure, development and other community programs.

Here’s a closer look at some of the highlights in the new year:

Dade City

A rendering of the type of large-sized heart-shaped sculptures that will be installed at city-owned properties in the downtown area. (File)

Let’s get artsy
“The Heart of Pasco County” moniker soon can be taken on quite literally in Dade City — in the form of an outdoor, permanent public artwork exhibit.
The Dade City Center for the Arts in February will celebrate the installation of a new outdoor public art exhibition — in the form of about a dozen 8-foot-tall metal heart sculptures painted by local artists and installed throughout historic, downtown Dade City.
Proposed locations for the 3D heart sculptures, which will have varied artwork patterns on each, include:

  • Hibiscus Park
  • City Hall/Police station alcove entrance or nearby
  • Green space entrance to Hardy Trail
  • Meridian Avenue/U.S. 301 intersection, near Dade City Heritage and Cultural Museum
  • Naomi S. Jones Park
  • Whitehouse historical landmark on Old Lakeland Highway
  • Lock Street/Hardy Trail intersection
  • Agnes Lamb Park near Meridian Avenue
  • Price Park
  • Watson Park
  • Dade City Garden Club
The Dade City Center for the Arts is facilitating more community art programs.

The community initiative is designed not only to color up the downtown area, but also to use public artwork as a photo opportunity and marketing tool, to encourage residents and visitors alike to stroll throughout city limits. More frills include installing QR codes on each sculpture mapping out the location of other city landmarks and providing information about a particular artist or meaning of the artwork itself.
The entire concept is similar to outdoor art events in other cities that bring together artists’ creativity with a sculptural icon that relates to the city. In Dade City’s case, its official seal has a heart shape surrounded by kumquats in its center.
The city’s arts center also has been approved to create a wall mural at the site of the former CenturyLink building at Hardy Trail and Eighth Street.

 

 

Dade City’s visitor information center will be built adjacent to the Roy Hardy Trail on Church Avenue. (City of Dade City)

Visitor’s information center coming
Roy Hardy Trail cyclists and exercisers alike will have a spot to take a breath, relax and learn about the happenings in their community all at once.
It comes in the form of a visitor’s information center adjacent to the Hardy Trail on Church Avenue.
The 1,380-square-foot open floor space will feature informational kiosks and mobile displays for all county tourism amenity partners.
The building also will be accompanied by two porches and a bike rack — its location designed to offer easy access off the Hardy Trail for users to gather and rest. The facility will have two family bathrooms, as well.
A groundbreaking is slated sometime in early 2021, with completion expected in the summer.
The project is funded with the help of a $250,000 grant from the Pasco County Tourist Development Council.

Sprucing up downtown
Dade City leaders have made it a priority for 2021 and beyond to ensure that the city’s historic downtown area is safe, clean and generally more desirable to stroll through.
The city is moving forward with plans to install additional crosswalks along Seventh Street and Meridian Avenue, and is improving stormwater drainage near Seventh Street and Pasco Avenue.
It also is exploring traffic-calming initiatives to reduce vehicle speeds. And, it is making public parking space changes, boulevard additions, and encouraging landscaped parklets to create additional outdoor seating areas.
Additional resources also will be dedicated to downtown cleanup — including mowing, weeding and litter patrol of city-owned properties in the Community Redevelopment Area.
Meanwhile, the city’s public works team is in the midst of enhancing the lighting downtown parking lots, as well as Agnes Lamb Park on Ninth Street.

Could Dade City try to leverage its recreation amenities, such as motocross, as it embarks on a rebranding effort? (File)

Marketing rebrand in the works?
The City of Dade City is plotting a full-scale marketing rebrand to capitalize on residential and tourism growth in Pasco County and Tampa Bay area, at large.

The city has earmarked $40,000 in this fiscal year’s budget toward a marketing and advertising plan, promotional activities and other contractual services.
But, before that money, and possibly much more, is allocated specifically, Dade City commissioners want to hear what the public thinks — and that includes local business owners, residents and other stakeholders.

Efforts to gather input throughout the year could take form in charrettes, surveys, monthly forums, and even door-to-door visits.

How to best promote its current and forthcoming amenities remains the looming question.
Does the city try to emphasize its unique collection of downtown shops and restaurants? Focus more on recreation attractions inside and outside the city limits? Leverage its budding reputation as a location for rural destination weddings? Or, perhaps will it simply brand itself as an ideal location to raise a family?


City of Zephyrhills

The rebuilding Jerry’s Crystal Bar is set to open in early 2021 on Gall Boulevard. (Courtesy of Jerry’s Crystal Bar)

Iconic business to reopen
The longest-operating bar in Zephyrhills is set to reopen in early 2021 — almost two years since it was destroyed by a fire.
The original Jerry’s Crystal Bar had been in business since 1954, at 5707 Gall Blvd.
That all changed in May 2019 when a two-alarm fire electrical in nature suffocated the building’s attic and roof, yielding a total loss.
A complete rebuild of the iconic, family owned establishment is coming along swimmingly since a May 2020 groundbreaking. The bar’s owners expect a grand opening ceremony in January or February.
The new building takes on an elevated, modernized look and is nearly double the size of the old structure. It also falls 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.

A rendering of the U.S. 301/Pretty Pond Road intersection project (File)

U.S. 301 intersection project to spur commercial activity
The completion of an intersection improvement at U.S. 301/Pretty Pond Road, expected in mid-2021, is expected to open up opportunities for increased commercial development.

The $2.3 million state-funded project calls for new traffic signals on U.S. 301 at Pretty Pond and at Medical Arts Court/ Townview Avenue, along with other median and roadway improvements.
Once construction is complete, the area is poised to land Chick-fil-A and Chipotle chain restaurants, among several other businesses and attractions.

Residential developments popping up
Don’t be surprised if “The City of Pure Water” get a little more crowded in 2021 and beyond.

Significant progress or completion is expected on a number of large-scale residential developments throughout the municipality.

With myriad new homes on deck, small town Zephyrhills is going to get a little more crowded. (File)

A slew of new housing communities is actively underway — such as Abbott Square, 700-plus units surrounding the new Sarah Vande Berg Tennis & Wellness Center off Simons Road; and Abbott Park, 500-plus units tucked behind the Zephyr Commons Publix Shopping Center, off Gall Boulevard.

Other notable homesites include the Link at Calusa Springs, north of Silverado Golf & Country Club; the Oaks at Pasco, southeast of Silverado Golf & Country Club; and Skybird Properties, off Alston Road near the municipal airport.

Simply put, the city’s real estate market is “very hot right now,” Zephyrhills Planning Director Todd Vande Berg said earlier this year.

“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,” said Vande Berg.

More bells and whistles for tennis center?
Could the newly opened Sarah Vande Berg Tennis & Wellness Center continue to add to its wide range of features this year?

The northeast corner of the Sarah Vande Berg Tennis & Wellness Center on Simons Road is reserved for a an indoor multipurpose sports complex. (Courtesy of Sarah Vande Berg Tennis & Wellness Center)

Well, the City of Zephyrhills and the Zephyrhills City Council are giving strong consideration to a second request for state funding to expand the state-of-the-art facility on Simons Road.

The northeast corner of the 10-acre property has been reserved for a 30,000-square-foot indoor multi-purpose sports complex — enough room to handle four full-sized tennis courts, and can also be converted to accommodate soccer, weddings and even concerts.

This past year, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis vetoed a $1.5 million appropriation for the Phase II project from the state’s budget amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

But that might not stop city leaders from continuing to push for the project. Appropriation requests for this year must be submitted to the state by early February.

The $4.9 million tennis center, which opened in September, already includes numerous courts and other amenities.

Published January 06, 2021

Tennis center hosts fruitful tournaments

By

The Sarah Vande Berg Tennis & Wellness Center has only been open since September, but it has quickly shown to be a hit among Zephyrhills residents and outsiders alike.

The $4.9 million complex at 6585 Simons Road has already begun delivering on its promise to bring in large-scale racquet sports tournaments, thanks to its portfolio of 11 tennis courts, eight pickleball courts and four padel courts — plus a distinct mix of peak performance treatments in the way of a modern fitness center, cryotherapy, salt room therapy and sports counseling.

The new Sarah Vande Berg Tennis & Wellness Center hosted major pickleball and padel tournaments last month, drawing hundreds of participants. (Courtesy of Sarah Vande Berg Tennis & Wellness Center)

The complex hosted a weeklong pickleball tournament from Dec. 7 through Dec. 11, followed by a weekend padel tournament Dec. 12 and Dec. 13.

The pickleball event attracted over 200 participants, making it one of the largest in the state for the entire year, according to Zephyrhills Planning Director Todd Vande Berg, who updated the Zephyrhills City Council on the facility’s happenings at a regular meeting last month.

Meantime, the padel event’s 118 participants made it one of the largest padel tournaments held in the United States, the planning director said.

The padel event alone attracted a sizable contingent from Miami and the South Florida area, while others came in from as far away as Houston, Las Vegas, New York and even California. It is believed a total of 11 states were represented in all.

“They were coming from all over the country to be here in Zephyrhills to play in that padel tournament,” Vande Berg said of the new but fast-growing racquet sport popularized in Mexico and Spain.

And, more big-time tournaments in Zephyrhills are planned in the new year.

The facility will host a $25,000 professional women’s tennis tournament bringing in some of the top-ranked players in the world, from Jan. 28 through Feb. 1.

Vande Berg also noted “there’s potentially a very large tournament that’s in the works of being investigated that would be super exciting if we’re able to get that, but we’ll continue to talk about that if that continues to pull through.”

Elsewhere, the facility’s youth sports training program — called United Global Academy (UGA) “is growing like crazy,” Vande Berg said.

“Every time you go out there, you see new kids that are training there, either on a full-time or afterschool basis; but just everything we’re hearing from parents that are coming in is, ‘An amazing facility,’” he said.

Even in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, Vande Berg said the tennis center in general has produced “positive results to this point,” also mentioning that its regular Sunday Brunch has become “very successful.”

The complex is owned by the City of Zephyrhills, but privately managed and operated by renowned tennis instructor Pascal Collard, who’s held similar posts at the Saddlebrook Tennis Center and The Merion Cricket Club in Haverford, Pennsylvania.

It’s named in honor of former Zephyrhills High School district champion Sarah Vande Berg, who became a scholarship player on the University of South Carolina Upstate women’s tennis team.
Sarah, the daughter of Todd Vande Berg, died in an automobile accident at the age of 21 in October 2015.

The facility celebrated a soft opening in September and a grand opening in October, more than a year after a July 2019 groundbreaking on construction.

Published January 06, 2021

New year in sports to deliver joy, excitement, adventure

By

As we embark on a new year, the sports world within The Laker/Lutz News coverage area promises to deliver plenty to watch, experience and appreciate.

Here is a sampling of what’s ahead in 2021:

Wesley Chapel’s AdventHealth Center Ice will host the United States Premier Hockey League. (File)

Elite junior hockey at Center Ice
The AdventHealth Center Ice in Wesley Chapel may best be known for housing the 2017-2018 U.S. women’s national ice hockey team in its historic run to winning an Olympic gold medal.

The 150,500-square-foot facility — the largest ice rink south of New York — also will play host to another prestigious hockey group in 2021.

The United States Premier Hockey League — one of the nation’s top junior-level development programs — announced plans to play a six-weeklong, 20-game schedule across Center Ice’s four sheets of ice, beginning in January.

Using a “Hub City” concept, teams and players throughout the country will lodge at nearby Saddlebrook Resort, in between games and practices at Center Ice.

Some these players will wind up playing collegiate and maybe even professional hockey.

Sarah Vande Berg Tennis & Wellness Center in Zephyrhills (File)

Zephyrhills tennis center to host pro tournament
The newly opened Sarah Vande Berg Tennis & Wellness Center soon will begin living up to its promise of being a national and international draw.

The multimillion sports complex will host a $25,000 United States Tennis Association (USTA) Pro Circuit Event from Jan. 25 through Jan. 31.

The competition will feature 32 women’s singles players and 16 doubles teams — which encompasses some of the world’s top pros who are also slated to compete in the Australian Open.

The prestigious tourney is expected to be an annual affair at the facility, at 6585 Simons Road in Zephyrhills.

(Courtesy of Tampa Bay Sports Commission)

Super Bowl LV in Tampa
America’s most-watched sporting event — the Super Bowl — will take center stage at Tampa’s Raymond James Stadium on Feb. 7.

The community and economic impact to the surrounding area — even amid the COVID-19 pandemic — is sure to spread northwards through Hillsborough and Pasco counties, in the form of hotel stays, restaurant patronage and leisure about town. Several ancillary Super Bowl events and outreach programs have already been scheduled in those areas, too.

Also, don’t be shocked if a former local prep star (or more) is a part of contending teams in the 55th edition of the NFL championship game.

Toronto Raptors guard Fred VanVleet hones his shooting at Saint Leo University’s Marion Bowman Activities Center. (File)

Toronto Raptors call Tampa home, temporarily
As if history wasn’t already made with Super Bowl being in Tampa this year, the NBA’s Toronto Raptors are playing at least the first half of its 2020-2021 home slate at Amalie Arena on Channelside.

A limited number of fans are being allowed to the games, so it’s a good opportunity to be a part of a rare occurrence and see some of the sport’s most talented players in the world, not too far from your backyard.

There’s also a further local connection: The Raptors had their two-weeklong preseason training camp at Saint Leo University’s Marion Bowman Activities Center, back in December.

The Bishop McLaughlin varsity boys basketball program may be a state title contender. (Courtesy of Bishop McLaughlin Catholic High School)

Bishop’s ballers
The Bishop McLaughlin Catholic High School varsity boys basketball team has quickly established itself as one of the area’s highest-scoring and high-flying squads since beginning its 2020-2021 season in November.

The team features a junior trio of bona fide Division I prospects in 6-foot-4 guard Antonio Davis Jr., 6-foot-7 forward Dillon Mitchell and 6-foot-4 guard Emanuel Sharp, who last year led the state in scoring (31.9 points per game) while at Tampa’s Blake High School. An example of the Hurricanes dominance: They defeated Land O’ Lakes High School 80-34 in an early December contest. The team is coached by former USF and Israel pro standout Derrick Sharp.

With all that talent, perhaps a state title is in the team’s reach come early March? Wait to see.

Florida’s high school spring sports, like track and field, are expected to make their long-awaited returning after being canceled last March amid the COVID-19 pandemic. (File)

Spring can’t come soon enough
The COVID-19 pandemic wiped out most, if not all, of last year’s Florida high school spring sports season throughout Florida from March onward, as a matter of health and safety.

The long-awaited return of these athletic events — baseball, lacrosse, softball, tennis, track and field, boys volleyball, water polo, boys weightlifting — should yield special (and emotional) moments for countless athletes, fans, coaches and parents alike.

Perhaps a few records will be broken and championships won by locals will occur along the way, too.

Worth noting: The area generates its fair share of the state’s strongest baseball, softball and track and field programs, among others.

Bored? Take a hike
Still suffering from pandemic-induced cabin fever? Perhaps some fresh air and outdoor exercise in a local park or preserve can clear the homebound blues.

Hillsborough County’s Hiking Spree continues through March 31. (Courtesy of Hillsborough County)

That can be done via Hillsborough County’s fifth annual Hiking Spree, which challenges participants to complete at least eight trail hikes from November through March 31.

The Hiking Spree’s trail list this year features 25 different trails at 20 locations throughout the county.

And, several of those sites fall within The Laker/Lutz News coverage area: Carrollwood Village Neighborhood Park, Peterson Road Park, Lettuce Lake Conservation Park, Lake Rogers Conservation Park, Lake Dan Nature Preserve and Cypress Creek Nature Preserve.

Participants may hike on their own, or in a group setting with friends and family. Some sites have entrance and parking fees. Hikers may repeat any trail twice for credit, as long as the hikes occur on different dates.

Aside from the feeling of accomplishment, those who complete the hiking extravaganza earn their choice of a patch, medallion for a walking stick, or a dog bandana.

Tampa Bay Rays manager Kevin Cash, a Lutz native and Gaither High alum (File)

Lutz native again leads Tampa Bay Rays
The new year should again generate another fruitful campaign for Tampa Bay Rays manager Kevin Cash, a Lutz native and Gaither High School alumnus.

Prospects remain high for a Cash-led club that reached Game 6 of the 2020 World Series and finished with the best record in the American League during a pandemic-delayed and shortened season.

Also, expect to see and hear more of the reigning AL Manager of the Year in the new year, given the MLB is seeking terms resembling pre-pandemic levels, probably somewhere in the neighborhood of 130 to 162 regular season games, plus spring training.

However long the 2021 slate, the Rays will be fighting its third-straight playoff berth under the 43-year-old Cash, entering his seventh season as Rays skipper.

Sunlake High School product Tommy Mace is now a standout pitcher at the University of Florida. (File)

Preps to pros
The annual MLB Draft creates an opportunity for boyhood dreams of becoming a professional baseball player to become true.

Each year, about a handful of area high school or college prospects are taken in the draft —offered anywhere from thousands to hundreds of thousands to millions of dollars to play America’s greatest pastime.

At least one name to watch in the July event is former Sunlake High School right-handed pitcher Tommy Mace, now a senior at the University of Florida. Various baseball outlets believe the 6-foot-6 Mace has the potential to be a first round pick, which could mean a signing bonus of several million dollars.

In three varsity seasons at Sunlake from 2015 to 2017, Mace posted a 19-6 record, 1.65 ERA and 196 strikeouts across 165.2 innings pitches. He also guided the Seahawks to the 2017 Class 7A regional finals.

Bay Scallop season in Pasco County runs from July 16 through July 25. (File)

Seeking an outdoor adventure? Try scalloping
Grab a snorkel, a swim mask and some fins because recreational scallop season returns again this summer in Pasco County.

The now annual 10-day bay scallop season in Pasco County is tentatively scheduled from July 16 through July 25. It begins the third Friday in July each year.

The county’s scallop zone encompasses all state waters south of the Hernando-Pasco county line and north of the Anclote Key Lighthouse in northern Pinellas County, and includes all waters of the Anclote River.

The outdoor family friendly activity of hunting for scallops is often referred to as an underwater Easter egg hunt.

Requiring only basic swimming skills, the idea is to float along the top of the water until you spot scallop shells in Florida seagrass beds lying several feet underwater, then you grab them by hand, or with a landing or dip net.

Pasco is the southernmost county in Florida to offer a scallop season.

Published January 06, 2021

2020 eventful for East Pasco communities

By

The COVID-19 pandemic aside, the year 2020 brought myriad new developments and occurrences within the cities of Dade City and Zephyrhills.

Here’s a look at some of the highlights from the past year:

Dade City

Medical marijuana dispensaries allowed
Medical marijuana treatment centers and dispensaries can now set up shop within certain areas of Dade City, following a commission ruling.

Medical marijuana facilities are now allowed in Dade City. (File)

An ordinance approved in January altered Dade City’s land development regulations to make treatment facilities a permitted use in the city’s general commercial zoning district, and an allowed use in commercial and employment center planned development districts.

More specifically, the action ordinance lets medical marijuana facilities be situated along U.S. 301/U.S. 98 south and north of town, and certain pockets of the Community Redevelopment Area (CRA) district, while avoiding much of the city’s historic downtown main street and central business district.

The city previously had a series of concurrent moratoriums on medical marijuana treatment centers within its municipal limits dating back to 2016, to study its possible impacts.

 

Group 4 Commissioner Knute Nathe

New commissioners elected
The 2020 municipal election cycle brought aboard a pair of fresh faces to the five-member Dade City Commission — in Knute Nathe and Normita Woodard.

Normita Woodard

Nathe, an attorney at McClain Alfonso, assumed the Group 4 seat vacated by Nicole Deese Newlon, who chose not to run for reelection. Nathe in his campaign was vocal about controlling development that comes into city limits, to curb “out-of-control” growth seen in Wesley Chapel and San Antonio.

Woodard, a secretary at Lacoochee Elementary School, assumed the Group 5 seat that had been held by Eunice Penix since 1993 (Penix opted not to seek reelection.)

Woodard’s platform focused on building a strong downtown, while also advocating for more accountability and efficiency in municipal services for residents.

Meantime, Group 3 incumbent Jim Shive was elected to serve a third term on the commission.

A $2.5 million construction project was completed to help relieve downtown flooding in Dade City.

Downtown gets stormwater relief
Dade City’s downtown streets and sidewalks have been known to be swallowed in at least 6 inches to 7 inches of standing water for days at a time after heavy summer rains.

This issue was seemingly mostly resolved when construction wrapped up in August on a $2.5 million stormwater capital improvement project.

The project generally took underground concrete piping through multiple downtown streets into an existing conveyance system into a reconfigured Irwin Pond, just past U.S. 98 and the CSX railway.

The new system runs from Seventh Street’s intersections with Church Avenue and Pasco Avenue. Then it heads east on Pasco Avenue to Third Street, before heading north up to Meridian Avenue.

The project was paid for with a combination of state appropriations, and funding from the Florida Department of Transportation and Dade City.

Snow in town?
While slightly outside the city limits, the brand-new Snowcat Ridge Alpine Snow Park has brought an influx of visitors seeking a unique, family friendly thrilling adventure to the Dade City area.

Snowcat Ridge Alpine Snow Park opened in November, at 27839 Saint Joe Road in Dade City.

The theme park hyped as “Florida’s first-ever snow park” opened for business in November,

at 27839 Saint Joe Road in Dade City.

There are three main attractions on the 20-acre site:

  • Snowy Slopes — 60-foot-tall, 400-foot-long snowtubing hill featuring single, tandem and family-style snowtubing.
  • Arctic Igloo  — 10,000-square-foot enclosed circular space that is covered in snow thick enough to build snowmen, and make snow angels and snowballs.
  • Alpine Village — expansive concourse area that exhibits a line of local vendors offering an assortment of food, drinks, beer, wine, craft goods and holiday gift shopping.

The park operates daily, except Christmas, from around November through March. Snowcat Ridge is owned by Point Summit Inc., which also operates TreeHoppers Aerial Adventure Park and Scream-A-Geddon Horror Park.

Zephyrhills

Main Street Zephyrhills garners statewide recognition
Main Street Zephyrhills Inc., annually puts on some of the city’s largest and most popular downtown events, such as the Festival of Lights, the Founder’s Day Parade & Heritage Festival, Music & Motorcycles, and others.

Main Street Zephyrhills in March was designated Florida Main Street Program of the Month. (Courtesy of Main Street Zephyrhills)

The 501c3 nonprofit also works closely with city leadership on other initiatives, such as creating interactive art murals, and installing public Wi-Fi downtown and more public park benches.

The organization’s varied efforts didn’t go unnoticed in 2020.

In March, it was designated Florida Main Street Program of the Month by Secretary of State Laurel M. Lee.

The monthly statewide honor is believed to be a first for Main Street Zephyrhills, which is mostly run by a large contingent of volunteers. The City of Zephyrhills does staff a coordinator to facilitate the group’s events and other programs.

Also, the organization in 2019 achieved national accreditation by the Main Street America program “for generating impressive economic returns, preserving community character, and celebrating local history.”

Attorney Clarke Hobby will serve as co-counsel for the City of Zephyrhills.

Zephyrhills joins water contamination lawsuit
Coincidentally enough, “City of Pure Water” this year joined a massive federal lawsuit regarding contaminated water.

In May, the municipality became a plaintiff in a multi-district litigation case filed against various companies that manufactured firefighting foams, or manmade chemicals found to contaminate groundwater, wastewater and water wells.

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.

High levels of PFOA/PFOS were discovered in Water Well No. 1 utilized by the city’s downtown fire station for training purposes, dating as far back as 2014, officials and experts have said.

Armed with this information, the Zephyrhills City Council unanimously voted to enter negotiations for representation with Cossich, Summich, Parsiola and Taylor LLC., a New Orleans-based litigation firm. Local co-counsel includes Tampa-based firms Hobby & Hobby P.A., and Young & Partners LLP.

Zephyrhills joins 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, Pensacola and Lauderhill.

Bidding adieu to local fire department
The Zephyrhills Fire Department — as it had been known for some 100 years — made its last service call in September when the agency officially became part of Pasco County Fire Rescue, through an interlocal agreement.

The Zephyrhills Fire Department consolidated with Pasco Fire Rescue through an interlocal agreement.

With the merger, the locally controlled fire department’s 24 full-time employees, two stations and apparatus were absorbed into the county’s fire and rescue operations.

The fire stations’ computer and audio systems unified within the county’s 911 operations center, too.

Along with the change, the city’s two stations have been renamed from Zephyrhills Fire Department Station 1 and Zephyrhills Fire Department Station 2, to Pasco County Fire Rescue Station 25 and Pasco Country Fire Rescue Station 29, respectively.

The merger had been inevitable for the past several years.

Besides a ballooning annual budget, Zephyrhills Fire Department over the years battled personnel turnover, staffing shortages and outdated equipment. The city also was without a fire chief for over 18 months, instead dividing those duties among three battalion chiefs.

The consolidation saved Zephyrhills from having to implement what would have amounted to a pricey fire assessment fee on residents and business owners to keep the local agency afloat.

World-class tennis center opens
Lace up the tennis shoes and prep those rackets and balls for play — because the state-of-the-art Sarah Vande Berg Tennis & Wellness Center is now game-ready for local use.

The multimillion dollar Sarah Vande Berg Tennis & Wellness Center is open for public use.

What began as drawings and plans on paper some four years ago has become a reality — in the form a $4.9 million athletic complex situated on nearly 10 acres of land, at 6585 Simons Road in Zephyrhills.

The facility’s centerpiece is 11 regulation outdoor tennis courts (nine clay surface, two hard surface), eight pickleball courts and four padel courts.

Attached is a nearly 8,000-square-foot indoor club housing cutting-edge health and wellness amenities that promote training and recovery via cryotherapy, salt therapy, yoga, athletic training and more. The indoor clubhouse also has a full restaurant and cafe operated by Land O’ Lakes-based caterer Mark Vesh.

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.

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.

Besides public use, the facility is anticipated to be a host to national and international racquet sports tournaments.

A soft opening was held in September and grand opening in October.

Published December 30, 2020