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Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

Watergrass

Summit speaker shares optimism about Pasco’s prospects

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From manufacturing hubs and roadway improvements, to myriad residential developments on tap — Pasco County has much to be thankful for during these unique and challenging times.

That was the overarching message put forth by Pasco County Commissioner Ron Oakley at the annual Zephyrhills Economic Summit, held in October at Zephyrhills City Hall.

Pasco County Commissioner Ron Oakley was a guest speaker at the annual Zephyrhills Economic Summit last month. (File)

The county commissioner was among featured speakers during the event organized by the Greater Zephyrhills Chamber of Commerce.

Oakley exuded optimism about Pasco’s future, from the moment he stepped up to the microphone: “Goodness gracious, you couldn’t ask for a busier county, and a busier East Pasco county,” he said.

He’s particularly bullish on an influx of manufacturing opportunities throughout East Pasco.

One case in point: A new industrial park in Lacoochee, headlined by a 25-acre precast concrete plant, with room for additional tenants.

The little town just north of Dade City has struggled to find development for decades — since Cummer’s lumber mill closed back in 1959.

Upgrades to Cummer Road and Bower Road in the area, plus workforce housing opportunities, provide “improvements we need for that manufacturing going there,” Oakley said.

There’s other potential boons, too, such as the 99-acre wastewater spray field on Old Pasco Road in Wesley Chapel that’s being developed as a commercial park by the Atlanta-based Rooker Company.

Oakley also mentioned two warehouses that, taken together, total more than 900,000 square feet, and are set to be developed along State Road 52 and Interstate 75.

“Most people haven’t heard about them, but they’re coming. I’ve been told by the developer that they’re coming. They’re going to provide 600 to 800 jobs,” Oakley said.

People moving to the area for work are going to need places to live, of course.

That’s no problem, as the area continues to add to its residential options.

Oakley pointed to thousands of new homes that are underway, or will be, in large subdivisions in Zephyrhills, and in master-planned developments, including Mirada in San Antonio, and Connected City and WaterGrass in Wesley Chapel.

Oakley also highlighted some major transportation improvements.

Those projects include:

  • Widening County Road 54
  • Improving the intersection at State Road 54 and Eiland Boulevard/Morris Bridge Road
  • Creating the diverging diamond at Interstate 75 and State Road 56
  • Building a new interchange at I-75 and Overpass Road
  • Realigning the intersection at U.S. 301/U.S. 98/Clinton Avenue
  • Widening State Road 50, from North Pasco across the Hernando County line
  • Paving projects on Eighth Avenue and on Jerome Road

Oakley underscored the significance of improving the roadways and transportation connections — in the quest to boost the region’s economy.

Pasco County is poised to be home to some manufacturing hubs, major roadway improvements and a slew of large-scale residential developments.

“You connect all these roads, and you look at the transportation value you have in the roads, and moving of people and products across our county, and with manufacturing and being able to move out from this area to other parts, and come into this area.

“Think about all the road projects, and if they get done. What a change that’ll be to our county and the way we move traffic,” the commissioner said.

In summation, the area’s complementary blend of infrastructure, industrial jobs and housing opportunities signal more positive economic times ahead for the region, Oakley reasoned.

“You’ve got everything that’s going to make this economy boom. You’re talking about a stimulus where, ‘You build and they’ll come.’ People are coming. People are coming from the north, from other areas into this area.

“It’s just amazing what’s going to happen in our area, and it’s a change. Think about three or four years down the road, how these things come about, so it’s great things to look forward to,” Oakley said.

He also pointed to the county’s efforts to reduce bureaucratic red tape that can hamper progress.

Besides being a commissioner, Oakley’s experience includes working in his family’s citrus and agriculture business with his brother and father, and serving as vice president of the family’s transportation company, Oakley Transport, which hauls liquid food commodities in stainless steel tanks.

He understands the need for government efficiency.

“I’ve had my hand in a lot of different businesses and all. I know what we don’t want to see when we go to get a permit, and what we do want to see is a happy face and, ‘Here’s how you get through the process.’ We try to streamline things and make things better for everyone,” Oakley said.

Published November 11, 2020

Pasco seeks to hike fees for market-rate apartments

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The Pasco County Planning Commission is recommending approval of an ordinance that would raise mobility fees charged for market-rate apartments.

The proposed ordinance also would eliminate mobility fees for single-family and multi-family projects that qualify under the county’s definition of affordable housing.

In recommending approval, the planning commission suggested that the higher rates take effect on Jan. 1, 2021. The changes had been proposed to take effect on Aug. 10.

The Pasco County Commission will have the final word on the issue.

Planning commissioners decided to recommend a delay in implementation based on their concerns about the current economy, and after hearing those same worries expressed by the public.

Ed Rogers with Florida Design Consultants, who spoke on behalf of Crown Community Development, urged commissioners to delay implementing higher fees.

“Crown Community Development currently has two projects under active development that are fully entitled and have multi-family components. Chapel Crossings is in the urban service area and Watergrass is in the suburban area.

“In both projects, Crown has contracts pending with market-rate apartment developers who are on the cusp of moving forward,” Rogers said.

He referred to a County Commission workshop, when that board decided to seek higher mobility fees for market-rate apartments and to drop the fees for affordable housing.

“We were living in a different economy back in February,” Rogers said. “In fact, the first item on the workshop agenda that day was the county budget for the next fiscal year, and the OMB (Office of Management and Budget) presented to the board a glowing picture of the economy, which was vibrant at the time.

“The COVID-19 crisis and its significant economic impacts hadn’t yet made its imprint on anybody’s consciousness at that point.

“But, we now live in a different world where more than 30 million Americans have sought unemployment benefits because of the effects of the coronavirus on the economy,” Rogers said.

Raising the fees now could jeopardize Crown’s pending multi-family sales, he said.

He asked that consideration of the proposed fee increases be tabled until the economy is “on a more certain and positive track.”

Attorney Barbara Wilhite, who also spoke on behalf of Crown Community Development, cited similar concerns.

Planning Commission Chairman Charles Grey also questioned the timing of the proposal.

“I think this is probably not a good time to increase fees to anybody that wants to bring a benefit to our county. It’s a fact that would discourage them. We need growth.”

“To me, this is a bad time to do it,” Grey said.

Planning Commissioner Chris Poole agreed, noting that he’s read about the state’s sales tax being decimated in March and that the numbers are expected to be even worse for April.

“Given the uncertainty that we’re facing, I really think that this is an issue that should be tabled and picked back up at a later date,” Poole said.

One representative for the Bay Area Apartments Association spoke in opposition of the higher fees for market-rate apartments, while another representative of that association spoke in favor of eliminating the mobility fees for affordable housing.

Ultimately, planning commissioners voted to recommend that the proposal be found consistent with the county’s comprehensive plan.

The proposed rate changes now go to the Pasco County Commission for consideration.

Published May 27, 2020

East Pasco land donated for fire station

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The Pasco County Commission passed a resolution at its March 10 meeting recognizing Schikedanz Bros.-Hammock Pines Ltd., for its donation of 3.8 acres for a fire station to improve fire rescue services in East Pasco County.

Scott Cassin, fire chief for Pasco County Fire Rescue, expressed appreciation for the gift.

The site is just east of Fox Ridge Boulevard, on the south side of State Road 54, in Wesley Chapel.

Construction is tentatively set for 2023, and when it opens it will be known as Station 4.

The station will enhance services to Watergrass, Meadow Pointe and Zephyrhills, Cassin said.

“This is a great location, it’s going to serve so many people,” the fire chief added, noting that the station will be constructed using funding provided through general obligation bonds approved by county voters.

Gunther Flaig, who spoke on behalf of the land donor, said, “As a father of a current EMS student, trying to become an EMS worker, I know a little bit about the difficulty that you’re facing.”

He said the company was happy to “do a little bit” for the county.

Commissioner Kathryn Starkey also expressed gratitude for the donation, noting that she and Flaig have been friends for a long time.

Commission Chairman Mike Moore said, “We very much appreciate your donation.”

As the county continues to grow, Moore said, so will its need for more fire stations.

Published March 18, 2020

New fire station opens in Wesley Chapel

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Pasco County has opened Fire Rescue Station 38, a new station built to serve Wesley Chapel.

A ribbon cutting took place on Aug. 27 to celebrate the new station, which began operation several weeks ago.

This is the first station added to a fire coverage area in the county since 2009, and is intended to reduce emergency wait times.

Pasco County Fire Rescue Station 38 had its grand opening ceremony on Aug. 27. The Wesley Chapel facility is located in the Watergrass community and will help cut down on response times during emergencies. (Brian Fernandes)

A big crowd gathered to celebrate the moment, including Pasco County officials and firefighters, as well as Fire Chief Scott Cassin.

“This is yet another great day for Pasco County Fire Rescue, and [an] absolutely awesome day for citizens of Pasco County,” the fire chief said.

The estimated $3.5 million project broke ground last September and has been a decade in the making. This was funded primarily by the county’s fire impact fees.

The fire station is situated in the Watergrass community, off of Overpass Road.

“This station, itself, will help the response time to get better safety, emergency help, and fire help [to the] community, and strengthen the fire services for the entire county. That’s so important to our residents,” Pasco County Commission Chairman Ron Oakley said, during the ceremony’s opening remarks.

“With the ever-growing emergency call volume here in the Wesley Chapel area, and the other surrounding portions of Pasco County, this additional capacity stands to do just that,” Cassin added.

The 10,850-square-foot facility is the county’s second largest fire station. It can accommodate up to 13 firefighters.

The station is equipped with four bi-fold, bay doors that slide open at a quicker rate than the traditional overhead doors that roll up.

Pasco County Administrator Dan Biles, left, Pasco County Attorney Jeff Steinsnyder, Chief Scott Cassin, Pasco County Commissioners Ron Oakley and Jack Mariano, Kathy Creighton and Andy Taylor take part in the ribbon cutting for Fire Rescue Station 38. Pasco residents were welcomed to celebrate the Wesley Chapel facility’s opening on Aug. 27.

It now has a paramedic engine and an EMS supervisor SUV, but it can house up to eight vehicles at once.

“The station is also environmentally friendly, highly energy-efficient and storm-hardened, which are all critical elements of today’s infrastructure,” Cassin said.

Features include a vehicle exhaust extraction system – the first to be installed in a Pasco County fire station. This helps to deter the spread of diesel fumes, which have been identified as creating an increased risk of lung cancer.

The station’s call alert system is designed to handle a high demand of inquiries, with six to eight crew members working on any given shift.

Amenities at the station include a kitchen, a gym, multiple bunk rooms and climate-controlled storage rooms.

Several housewarming gifts were presented to add to the station’s interior. Those included a signed promotional poster for actor John Cena’s upcoming film. The Pasco County resident was not present at the event.

County officials joined the fire chief in a ribbon cutting, which was followed by a tour of the station and refreshments.

Published September 04, 2019

International music composer calls Wesley Chapel home

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When it comes to music, Wesley Chapel’s Nick Coetzee does a little bit of everything.

He’s a songwriter. He’s a composer. He’s a producer. He’s a worship leader.

“I love being creative,” Coetzee said. “I love doing something different every day.”

An ear for melodies has led to a lasting 30-year career that’s taken him pretty far — literally.

International music composer Nick Coetzee operates his own recording studio from his Wesley Chapel home. He’s noted for producing more than 150 contemporary Christian and worship albums. (Courtesy of Nick Coetzee)

Born and raised in South Africa, Coetzee’s first big break came in Australia in the early 1990s, when he was tasked with helping churches craft contemporary style music programs.

“I started getting into programming music for songwriters, and I started writing my own songs and creating my own albums,” Coetzee explained.

Opportunities followed for Coetzee while in the land Down Under.

He scored music for more than 250 episodes of an Australian television drama series called, ‘Paradise Beach.’ He used a guitar to score the five-night-a-week soap opera, which also aired in several European countries in the early 1990s.

Coetzee is modest about the TV project, though.

“It was like a low-budget ‘Baywatch,’” Coetzee said, but added, “the residuals were really good.”

Meanwhile, Coetzee wrote the halftime music for an international rugby final between South Africa and Australia in 1993, at Ballymore Stadium.

The match was significant, as it marked the first tour of a South African team to Australia since 1971, when the former was subjected to a variety of international boycotts due to its apartheid policy.

“It was a big event with 35,000 people. I was on the stage there with my band and we performed the song,” Coetzee recalled.

Coetzee started reaching into America shortly thereafter, in the mid-1990s.

He first landed in South Carolina, then Florida, orchestrating music training workshops for community churches, steering them from classical hymns and choirs to more contemporary “kind of rock band” style.

“I’ve always traveled, I’ve always recorded, and I’ve always led worship in churches. Like those three things have been constant,” Coetzee explained.

While in the States, Coetzee also wrote and composed a theme song for the RP International Vision Awards in Los Angeles, which celebrates some of the most prolific actors, directors and producers in the world.

Coetzee would go on to perform at the event for more than a decade, rubbing shoulders with the likes of Josh Groban, Phil Collins, Hans Zimmer and other celebrities.

Said Coetzee: “It was a really interesting sort of angle that I had writing songs. I became this sort of songwriter for big themes; I’ve written quite a lot of songs.”

That he has — mainly through his work with multiple Christian-based record labels.

He’s produced more than 150 contemporary Christian and worship albums, including an instrumental jazz album, Reflections, which sold over 300,000 copies worldwide.

One of his most noted works came in 1995.

That’s when he was hired to produce the first U.S. release of Darlene Zschech’s ‘Shout to the Lord,’ at the time one of the world’s top gospel songs.

Being the first person to ever produce the song for the U.S. market, Coetzee calls it his “claim to fame.”

“It’s kind of helped me get work. I mean, it’s become prestigious,” Coetzee said.

He also said of the song: “It’s been recorded probably 500 times or more by artists all around the world. ‘Shout to the Lord’ it’s kind of like (the Beatles’) ‘Let it Be’ in the world. I mean, it’s the most famous (gospel) song in the world.”

Over the years, Coetzee has gone on to work with and produce for other big names in the music industry, including Abraham Laboriel, Pedro Eustache and Genesis’ Chester Thompson.

“I’ve been involved in a lot of interesting kind of projects over the years,” he said. “Sometimes I forget all the things that I’ve done.”

However, these days, at 58 years old, Coetzee keeps a bit of a lower profile.

He does much of his work from his own recording studio, conveniently located on the second floor of his Watergrass home.

The soundproof room is equipped with all sorts of instruments, from guitars to banjos to keyboards, along with various recording hardware and software, nestled into a cozy, relaxed atmosphere.

“I don’t know if there’s many home studios like this in Wesley Chapel,” Coetzee said with a chuckle.

It’s where he goes to work on his next major project — co-writing songs for Netflix original programming, building up an action sequence or a dramatic moment.

It’s also where the South African works with local songwriters and musicians of all genres.

Developing local talent and maximizing their musical gifts, has become one of his most enjoyable initiatives.

He most recently helped record some tracks with Phase III, a Dade City-based folk band that frequently performs live shows at local hot spots like Ukulele Brand’s, Zephyrhills Brewing Company and Prime 19.

“I really love to help people that maybe have got something to say with their music,” Coetzee said. “I enjoy being able to pour into people and see their results. That’s part of who I am, is really like a coach and a mentor to see the next generation raised up.”

And, it’s something he foresees doing for years to come in the East Pasco community he and his wife have lived since 2014.

“We like Wesley Chapel,” he said. “Part of my goal is to help unlock people’s creativity. There’s a huge creative community here in Pasco.”

Published April 03, 2019

New fire district a first in Pasco in nearly a decade

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Pasco County firefighters, county officials and first responders gathered on Sept. 17 to mark the beginning of construction for a new Wesley Chapel fire station.

The groundbreaking ceremony for Station 38, which began at 8 a.m., was held at the fire station’s future location on Overpass Road.

Chief Scott Cassin gave opening remarks on Sept. 17 at the development site for the future Fire Station 38 in Wesley Chapel. Cassin oversees all Pasco County fire stations. (Brian Fernandes)

The ceremony marked the first addition of a new fire coverage area in Pasco County since 2009.

The fire station is situated within the Watergrass community, a residential area, which also includes a local elementary school.

The project comes in response to an increasing need for shorter wait times in that growing region of Wesley Chapel.

In his remarks, Fire Chief Scott Cassin talked about the amenities and advancements the new station will have.

The new 10,843-square-foot station will have a four-bay garage for trucks and supplies. It will have a kitchen and residential area, and a sheriff’s substation will be housed there, too.

The station will have a new call alert system that will be implemented to simultaneously dispatch numerous calls at the same time.

The installation of a Plymovent Diesel Exhaust Capture System will set Station 38 apart from other Pasco fire stations. The feature will lessen exposure to carcinogenic chemicals.

This is a customary image of the groundbreaking, taken at the Sept. 17 event, to mark the beginning of construction for Fire Station 38. From left: Erik Breitenbach, Manny Long, Michael Cassano, Scott Cassin, Andrew Fossa, Ron Oakley, Gary Joiner, Tait Sanborn and Todd Wyne.

“Station 38 will have atmospheric conditioning that will protect our firefighters from that gas,” said Deputy Chief Michael Cassano.

Going forward, existing and future stations in the county are planned to be equipped with the system.

Cassin has been visiting Pasco fire stations to get feedback on what improvements could be incorporated into Station 38.

“We’re trying to think long-term,” the chief said.

Pasco County Commissioner Ron Oakley offered a few words, too, before a customary snapshot was taken of shovels flinging dirt.

Station 38 has been four years in the making and will cost an estimated $3.6 million to build. Construction is expected to be completed in the fall of 2019.

Published September 26, 2018

Economic recovery slow, but steady

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The national economy is recovering from one of the worst downturns in the nation’s history, but it is a recovery that is just “muddling along,” according to Sean Snaith, director of the Institute of Economic Competitiveness at the University of Central Florida.

“It was the worst recession since the Great Depression,” he said. “The recovery is also historical. It’s historically weak.”

The good news for Florida and for Pasco County is that they are seeing better growth than the nation as a whole.

On the plus side for Pasco, people are moving into the county.

Tim Fredritz, account executive at Dex Imaging Co., expects new business opportunities to emerge in Pasco County. (Kathy Steele/Staff Photo)
Tim Fredritz, account executive at Dex Imaging Co., expects new business opportunities to emerge in Pasco County.
(Kathy Steele/Staff Photo)

“More people brings more economic activity,” said Snaith, who was a guest speaker at the Annual Economic Forecast Luncheon hosted by the Pasco Economic Development Council on Feb. 5 at the Tampa Bay Golf & Country Club.

“People and employment growth will continue. We see some momentum. There’s a lot of construction activity on the way.”

Florida’s growth is outpacing the nation, he said. Florida’s growth rate is about 4 percent, compared to a national rate of 2 percent.

The state also posted good numbers for job creation in the last quarter of 2015, and that likely will continue.

“That’s our launching pad,” Snaith said. “We still have momentum on our side.”

He is especially bullish on the Interstate 4 corridor, which he described as the “bread basket for growth.”

According to Snaith, the recession ended in 2012. But, Craig Weber, general manager of Crown Community Development,

saw signs of recovery in the Wesley Chapel area of Pasco as early as 2010. Signs continue to be good, he said.

Crown is the developer of Seven Oaks and Watergrass.

“Sales of lots are really strong,” Weber said.

Interstate 75, State Road 56, the widening of State Road 54 and The Shops at Wiregrass led the way.

More development has followed, including Tampa Premium Outlets and Cypress Creek Town Center. “All of this makes it the new center for Tampa Bay growth,” Weber said.

Locally, businesses are benefiting from the area’s growth as well, said Tim Fredritz, account executive at Dex Imaging Co.

The national chain has 25 offices in Florida, including one in Hudson. The company had healthy growth even during the bad economy, Fredritz said. “People always need copiers.”

But, new businesses in Pasco, including Wesley Chapel, mean new opportunities, he said.

There are caution signs, Snaith warned.

Global economies are slowing, notably in China. Brazil could be headed into its worst recession in 100 years. Greece has 25 percent unemployment overall, with youth unemployment at 50 percent.

One in eight Canadians come to Florida each year, but Snaith said the Canadian dollar has fallen in value against U.S. currency.

“That’s going to change behavior and how they spend when they are here,” Snaith said

There also is the potential for a national recession, though not on the scale of the last one.

“Don’t go into your panic room,” Snaith said. “Generally speaking, you’re in a region that’s growing faster than the state and generally faster than the nation. This is a pretty good place to be.”

Published February 10, 2016

 

Pasco’s budget approaches $1.3 billion

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Pasco County’s budget for fiscal year 2016 will be about $1.3 billion. But that outsized number won’t stretch far enough to meet all the county’s needs, including a pay hike requested by Pasco County Sheriff Chris Nocco.

Pasco County commissioners were scheduled to set a tentative millage rate, on July 21 — after our deadline for going to press.

However, the budget is still open for discussion and won’t be approved until September.

Pasco County Sheriff Chris Nocco might not get the money he requested for pay hikes. (File Photo)
Pasco County Sheriff Chris Nocco might not get the money he requested for pay hikes. (File Photo)

As it stands now, Nocco will get about $2.7 million of the $6.5 million increase he requested. His overall request of $104 million was about 6.7 percent higher than the budget approved by Pasco County commissioners last year.

The additional funds were meant to cover pay raises and benefits, as well as ongoing expenses for body cameras and helicopter maintenance.

According to Nocco, County Administrator Michele Baker’s proposed budget only provides enough money to give his employees a 1 percent pay boost.

But Baker said the budget proposal provides a 3 percent pay raise for all county employees, without raising the millage rate.

Nocco’s supporters are clearly not satisfied with the county administrator’s proposed budget.

On July 14, employees from the sheriff’s office and fire rescue packed the Dade City Courthouse meeting room as the commissioners received their first public briefing on the budget.

“We’re out here fighting for the sheriff’s budget,” said Sgt. Justin Ross, the department’s union representative.

According to data collected by the sheriff’s department, the starting pay for a Pasco County deputy is just under $40,000. With five years’ experience, pay rises to more than $42,000.

However, the average starting pay in surrounding counties is nearly $43,000. At the Tampa Police Department, a deputy would start at about $47,000. With five years’ experience, pay increases by nearly $10,000.

“You have a bunch of deputies out there unhappy,” said Ross. “They are looking to go elsewhere. Really, we need to start now. It’s imperative.”

Nocco told the commission members he expects to lose up to 60 deputies by the end of the year. That’s an increase over the 44 deputies who left last year.

To meet all of Nocco’s needs, the millage rate would have to be increased about a quarter percent over its current rate of 8.9, according to Assistant County Administrator Heather Grimes.

That equates to a tax bill increase of about $28.50 a year for a homeowner with a $150,000 house.

The total $1.3 billion budget is about $90 million more than the current budget. But, the operating budget of about $450 million is a decrease of just under 1 percent.

The county has had modest growth of about 4.5 percent. Property valuations rose by about $1 billion, translating to an additional $7.7 million in county coffers. But much of that is from new construction.

Existing homes are protected by the state’s Save Our Homes provision that pegs increases to the Consumer Price Index, which is less than 1 percent. The index periodically measures the prices for goods and services paid by households.

“Revenue is not going to recover at the same rate as property valuations,” said Baker.

The county could run out of its general fund reserves – currently about $8.5 million – within three years based on increasing expenses year to year. And, operating reserves of about $24 million would only cover about six weeks of expenses during a natural disaster such as a hurricane.

Baker said the county’s budget is focused on more efficiencies and eliminating waste.

“Money may not be there for a lot of things that we want to do,” she said.

Among highlights in the budget are $1.4 million for a one-time purchase of security cameras at the jail, and maintenance for the helicopter unit. Funds also are allocated for two pilot programs for an inmate work program and a unit that goes after unlicensed contractors.

An annual storm water fee to upgrade failing drainage systems will increase from $47 to $57.

The county will cover the costs of eliminating a $10 recreation fee for each child who plays in noncompetitive sports leagues.

Unless a tax hike is approved, vehicles for three fire stations and construction of a station on Overpass Road in the Watergrass subdivision in Wesley Chapel will remain unfunded. Money is available for those one-time expenditures, Baker said, but there are no funds for recurring personnel costs.

That didn’t sit well with Pasco County Commissioner Kathryn Starkey. “I’m a little unhappy,” she said. “Who made the decision?”

Baker took responsibility. “We just couldn’t get it done without making cuts somewhere else,” she said. “It was too big a nut to be funded.”

Published July 22, 2015

Chapel Crossings could bring new rooftops to Wesley Chapel

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Crown Community Development got the go-ahead from the Pasco County Commission to build Chapel Crossings, a mixed-use development that will be located north of State Road 54 and east of Curley Road.

More than 1,000 single-family homes and apartments are planned. There also would be about 175,000 square feet of retail and about 50,000 square feet of office space.

“This is a great project,” said attorney Barbara Wilhite, who represented the developer at the public hearing to rezone the property. “We’ve worked really hard on it. (Pasco County) staff worked really hard on it.”

But the approval didn’t come without a kerfuffle over the construction of roads that will bisect the approximately 300-acre site in Wesley Chapel.

Crown Community Development plans to spend about $6.6 million to build extensions to Curley Road and a portion of the Zephyrhills Bypass Extension. The roads intersect in the center of Chapel Crossings.

The disagreement focused on the types of roads that are required, and whether Crown Community Development needed to build a second north/south road through the property at an additional cost of about $990,000.

It wouldn’t be a road that served Chapel Crossings, said Craig Weber, vice president of Crown Community Development, whose company also developed WaterGrass and Seven Oaks in Wesley Chapel.

Weber claimed that the county was holding him to a standard “that doesn’t exist. I don’t get it. Let’s just not make it up as we go along.”

It also isn’t certain, he said, that the road would ever be needed to connect with potential development to the north.

His project is southwest of the Villages of Pasadena, a planned community with potential for a range of 22,000 to 25,000 homes.

“We don’t believe the code requires a second north/south road, one-third of a mile from Curley Road,” said Wilhite. “My client thinks he has met the standard.”

But Chairman Ted Schrader and Commissioner Kathryn Starkey raised concerns about a road design that didn’t go far enough to give people alternatives to driving on major thoroughfares that already are in gridlock.

Newer subdivisions that direct traffic onto State Road 54 compare unfavorably, Starkey said, to older neighborhoods in west Pasco County that do have neighborhood roads.

“You have got to have interconnectivity between neighborhoods or you’re going to have gridlock everywhere,” said Starkey, who had to leave the hearing prior to the vote. “One of the basic qualities of life is to be able to move around within a community and not have everyone on the same road.”

Other commissioners were more supportive.

“It could end up being a road to nowhere,” said Commissioner Mike Moore. He also suggested that the second road might not be environmentally doable because of wetlands.

That argument, in the end, persuaded Schrader to join with other commissioners in approving the project.

“I think you have to have interconnectivity,” he said. “I think that is better planning. But when I look at the map, I see some real challenges to making that happen.”

Published July 1, 2015

Pasco now welcoming developers with much higher fees

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With a single unanimous vote, the Pasco County Commission has made it much more expensive to develop land in the county, raising some government services fees as much as 400 percent.

But surprisingly, developers are not up in arms. In fact, one of the major builders associations actually encouraged county officials to raise rates — as long as they vastly improve service as well.

New development fees passed by the Pasco County Commission could affect a number of projects in the near future, but will have little impact on some building already underway, like the new Pep Boys location planned on State Road 54 near Catfish Lake Lane. (Michael Hinman/Staff Photo)
New development fees passed by the Pasco County Commission could affect a number of projects in the near future, but will have little impact on some building already underway, like the new Pep Boys location planned on State Road 54 near Catfish Lake Lane.
(Michael Hinman/Staff Photo)

“The county has agreed with our developers that they don’t like the level of service they’re providing,” said Jennifer Doerfel, executive vice president of the Tampa Bay Builders Association. “When they started drilling down into it, they looked at why are we doing this, and why are we doing that. And it’s all because there is a severe lack of funding.”

Before last week, Pasco was one of the cheapest counties in Florida to develop land and build, at least when it came to government fees. For instance, a preliminary development plan for a non-residential project that once cost $50 an acre would now cost $5,000, plus $150 an acre. That means the cost to review a preliminary development plan of a 100-acre project will go from $5,000 to $20,000.

“We have had an increase in development activity, but we’ve had fees that have not been comparable to what other communities charge,” said Carol Clarke, assistant planning and development administrator for the county. “As we looked at all of this, we realized that if we were going to get our staff the technology and resources they would need to do all the things we need them to do, we would have to raise fees.”

The county’s development department is constantly set on overdrive, constantly working overtime and using technology that is easily 20 years old, Clarke said.

“We are on a mainframe,” she said. “Do you know anyone who is still working on a mainframe?”

Because of that, the county would take triple the time neighboring counties would to help get development projects moving. And that’s something county commissioner Kathryn Starkey said during a meeting Aug. 19 that could cost developers a fortune.

“When the permits are held up … one of the developers said $64,000 a day is what it’s costing them,” she said. “And one of them had a two-month delay, so add that up. They are willing to pay $15,000” to prevent having those kind of review delays.

The additional fees will allow the county to immediately hire eight new people for development review, which should speed up some of the permit requests that slowed from lack of manpower. Money also will become available to fund the technological upgrades needed to reduce paperwork and time, and allow developers to easily track progress of their requests online.

It also will eliminate the need to use more than $600,000 each year from property tax coffers currently being used to subsidize the county’s development review department.

“What we looked at was how much was the general property taxpayer underwriting the general review process, and was that appropriate,” county administrator Michele Baker said. “We are stuck between a rock and a hard place. They cannot process any faster, and they can’t report any better. So we need a combination of staff and technology.

“The unfortunate circumstance is that we need resources in order to do that, and this is how we’re proposing to help pay for those resources,” she said.

The new fees will bring Pasco more in line with many of its neighboring counties, Clarke said. For instance, a development agreement in Pasco will now cost $10,000. Hillsborough County developers can pay anywhere between $2,500 and $9,800, while in Manatee County, the cost is $15,000, plus advertising. Pinellas County, which is completely built out, charges $1,500.

A preliminary site plan for 100,000 square feet of space on 50 acres will cost $12,500 — higher than both Hillsborough ($3,525) and Pinellas ($7,794), but far cheaper than the $30,000 Manatee charges.

However, not all developers are on board. Craig Weber, a vice president at Crown Community Development involved in such communities as Seven Oaks and WaterGrass, told commissioners during a recent meeting that rates are guaranteed to go up, but service is not guaranteed to improve.

“Here we are with a 400 percent increase,” Weber said. “We are still trying to scratch our way out of a recession and now we’re being hit with this.

“Maybe the fee increase is justified, but there needs to be a corresponding improvement in services and review times in order for it to be competitive.”

The TBBA agrees, and sent a memo to the county late last month to ensure officials are looking to improve response time, so that costly delays in development can be avoided. That means getting back initial comments from an application within 20 days instead of the current 45 days. It also means getting safety inspections done within 24 hours of being requested — and staying focused on only safety.

“I can cite several instances where inspectors are spending an unusual amount of time on an inspection, and comments of concern are focused on items that are not related to site safety,” Doerfel said in the memo. That has required what she has called an “excessive” level of detail.

Commissioner Jack Mariano voted with the rest of the commission to accept the new fees, but said he was a little uneasy about what this might lead to.

“My biggest fear of moving forward with this is that there are more objections out there,” he said. “What I don’t want to do is put us in an uncompetitive situation. I just don’t want to put us in a situation where we get that reputation that we are open for business, and now we have the highest fees.”

See how much Pasco County’s development fees have gone up. Visit tinyurl.com/PascoBuildFees.

Published August 27, 2014

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