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Bower Road

Light industrial development proposed for Lacoochee

March 15, 2022 By Special to The Laker/Lutz News

The Pasco County Commission has approved a land use change that is expected to set the stage for a light-industrial development in Lacoochee.

The land use change, approved by the county board on March 8, converted a 33-acre site from a residential designation to one that allows consideration of light-industrial uses.

The site is south of Coit Road, west of Bower Road, east of the CSX Railroad and north of Cummer Road.

The proposed One Lacoochee Center is expected to generate jobs for the Lacoochee-Trilby area.

The application was submitted through the county’s Office of Economic Growth.

There is a 0.21-acre parcel at the southwest corner of Chapman Street and the CSX Railroad, which is not included as part of this comprehensive plan amendment.

To the north of the subject side is the Pine Products Road right of way, Coit Road and the First Baptist Church of Lacoochee.

To the south is Lacoochee Elementary, Mt. Moriah Baptist Church, Citrus Villas I and Cypress Villas, I and II.

To the east of the property is the Bower Road right of way and the CSX Rail Line.

To the west is the West Cypress Manor wastewater treatment facility plant, Pine Products Road right of way and the CSX Rail Line.

The applicant also has filed a companion request for a rezoning to convert the existing zoning to a light-industrial park district.

Published March 13, 2022

A closer look at Pasco County’s economic growth

July 20, 2021 By Kevin Weiss

Not many people understand the inner workings of Pasco County’s economy quite like David Engel, director of the county’s Office of Economic Growth.

Engel shared some of those insights as the featured guest speaker during The Greater Zephyrhills Chamber of Commerce July business breakfast at Golden Corral in Zephyrhills.

Engel’s office serves as the fiduciary and administrator of Penny for Pasco. It is tasked with executing the goals and strategies outlined in the county’s adopted Economic Development Plan and the Pasco County Commission’s adopted Strategic Plan.

In his role, Engel promotes economic development, job creation, and targeted industry recruitment and expansion for the Jobs and Economic Opportunities Trust Fund (Penny for Pasco) program.

David Engel (Courtesy of Pasco County)

Engel also provides oversight to the county’s Jobs and Economic Opportunities Committee.

He brings wide-ranging experience to the role, including more than 16 years of experience as a municipal planning director and transit-oriented development manager.

He also spent 10 years on Wall Street, as a senior research analyst, specializing in public finance, transportation and energy technology systems.

Workforce demographics
Engel’s 30-minute talk — during the July 1 gathering — was replete with details about Pasco’s evolving labor demographics.

In 1990, about 23% of the Pasco’s workforce commuted outside the county, which at that time was essentially a rural and agricultural county, Engel said.

By 2000, the out-of-county workforce commuter figure ballooned to 42%, and now, it’s roughly 46%.

Engel put those facts into perspective: “What that means is there’s 200,000 people that are working in this county, 46% of them get in the car and drive elsewhere, and that’s why, driving over today at 5:50 this morning, I hit traffic on (State Road) 54, if you can believe it, because the Suncoast Parkway’s the main commuter for the Tampa Bay area.”

Despite frustrating traffic pileups, Engel emphasized that the Pasco County Commission is “committed to a balanced lifestyle” incorporating a place for residents to live, work, play, learn and celebrate culture.

Engel is a member of the American Institute of Certified Planners and holds a master’s in city and regional planning from Rutgers University.

He said through smarter development initiatives, the county is “providing a more inclusive environment so that people that live here can work here, they can send their kids to good schools, (and) there’s options.”

The county, he said, is refocusing its intention to create development that’s aesthetically pleasing and provide more than houses.

“We’re creating communities, not subdivisions,” Engel said.

His office also focuses on job skills training.

He said that the No. 1 question prospective businesses have is: “Where are my people going to live, and how am I going to get to work?”

Pasco’s unemployment rate is below both the state and region’s jobless rate.

He attributes that to the county’s “very sustainable, good economy.”

Engel also touted the benefits offered through programs such as CareerSource and AmSkills. The programs help people to attain skills, which improves their opportunities to land good jobs. And, it helps companies that have a need for trained workers.

Only 4.6% of the jobs in the county are in the manufacturing sector, Engel said.

But, he said, they are high-paying jobs and give young people good opportunities.

Engel also highlighted the increasing need for private employers to find buildings that are ready to house their operations.

When he joined the county three years ago, Engel said, inquiries would come in from companies looking to relocate to the area that would require 10,000 square feet to 15,000 square feet of workable space, within two months.

Satisfying the surging demand was a problem at the time.

“We had no inventory,” he said. “We really didn’t have the infrastructure to deal with the demand in the county.”

To resolve this matter, the county has what’s called Pasco Accelerated Development Sites (PADS) and Pasco Occupant-Ready Structure programs (PORS), funded through Penny for Pasco.

The programs provide “loans to support office and industrial-type development to provide the inventory here to absorb the demand that is coming in the door,” Engel said.

The county now has several hundred thousands of square feet of Class A office space up along the Suncoast Parkway and Northpointe Parkway (called NorthPointe Village), as well as State Road 54, near Ballantrae (called 54 Crossings). Asturia Corporate Center — a flex-industrial space along Lakepointe Parkway, in Odessa, has gone up, too.

There’s also demand for more light-industrial buildings — think spaces with 30-foot ceilings and loading docks — especially throughout East Pasco, the economic development expert said.

“We have so much demand for that. The east side needs it bad,” Engel said.

‘Trophy projects’ abound
The speaker went on to discuss a trio of what he referred to as “trophy projects,” in the county’s pipeline.

He first outlined Overpass Business Park, set on a 100-acre property at Old Pasco Road, that was formerly a county spray field.

The targeted industrial and office development master plan will support about 860,000 square feet, projected to create at least 1,500 new full-time jobs.

Commissioners approved a proposed incentive package to encourage the Rooker Company, based in Atlanta, to create an industrial park on the land.

It was initially made possible through a state grant in the waning days of former Florida Gov. Rick Scott’s administration, Engel said. The grant was to rip out old infrastructure and create a development-ready site.

Work began in February. A ribbon-cutting for the first industrial building is expected next summer.

This is a rendering of Avalon Park Wesley Chapel, an urbanized mixed-use development off State Road 54, including a mixture of residential, commercial and general office use.

The project is both ahead of schedule and under budget, Engel happily added.

A second notable project is the build out of the Lacoochee Industrial Area, which spans 90 acres near Bower and Coit roads.

The project area eventually will accommodate approximately 700,000 square feet of industrial/light industrial development to generate up to 1,000 new full-time jobs.

Community Development Block Grant and state appropriations are being combined toward rebuilding and repaving Coit Road, Bower Road and Cummer Road, he said.

Plans are in motion, as well, to construct a rail spur in the industrial area.

A targeted industry is already in place — The Reinforced Earth Company, which is a concrete product supplier that’s been hiring.

“Those are probably the first (new) jobs in Lacoochee in probably three or four decades that have been created,” Engel said.

The revitalization seeks to stimulate a community, in northeast Pasco, that’s been struggling since the sawmill company closed in 1959.

“It’s one of the most impoverished areas in the state of Florida. It’s sad, actually,” Engel said.

“When I first came here, I took a tour of the county. I saw a sign at a church that said, ‘No meals today,’ that’s how poor it is. The churches, because of the demand, had to turn people away for nourishment.

“They’re isolated and stranded, don’t have broadband service, the roads are in bad shape, people are living in actual shacks with metal roofs and vegetation (is) growing on them.”

Meanwhile, the picture is quite different in the Avalon Park Wesley Chapel development, which is located along State Road 54.

The urbanized mixed-use development situated on 215 acres will feature multi-story buildings with residential, commercial and general office uses.

The project calls for 2,695 residential units, 165,000 square feet of Class A office space and 190,400 square feet of commercial development. It is expected to generate 1,065 new full-time jobs, situated in a walkable neighborhood.

The owner-operator of the project is integrating public infrastructure, such as parking decks and roads, to meet the needs of the concentrated area.

Avalon Park Wesley Chapel will offer places to shop and work in its downtown hub that will be connected to its residential neighborhoods by tree-lined streets, walkways and bike paths.

Imagine restaurants, bakeries, coffee shops, bars and entertainment, hair and nail salons, as well as activities such as dance, gymnastic and karate studios.

The county offered up $32 million in ad valorem tax rebates to see the project through — with an expectation it will generate about $90 million in tax dollars on the backend.

Engel described Avalon Park as “a great project” creating “a downtown urban development for Wesley Chapel.”

Having a downtown area will help create a sense of place, where the community can gather, Engel observed.

He also noted its close proximity to Zephyrhills, making it convenient for the city’s residents to take advantage of Avalon Park’s offerings, if they choose to do so.

Challenges ahead
Elsewhere, Engel touched on multiple big-picture challenges the county faces in present and future.

One major task, he said, is identifying redevelopment opportunities, chiefly along older commercial corridors such as U.S. 19 and U.S. 301.

The corridors have the necessary infrastructure, but have long been synonymous for blight, graffiti and homelessness, issues that otherwise “really detracts from the hard-working community,” he said.

“That is stigmatizing this county,” said Engel. “You go out to other parts of this (Tampa Bay) area, (people) haven’t been up to Pasco in 20 years, and they’re just talking about U.S. 301 and U.S. 19 and how bad it looks, and they don’t have a clue, and we have to reeducate people using smart redevelopment.”

Another challenge for Engel’s office is finding additional ways to support Pasco’s small businesses — noting 80% of county businesses have fewer than 25 employees.

Penny for Pasco, in its current iteration, is only allowed to address target industries.

So, Engel and one of his staffers are using a small business engagement survey to better understand those business needs and desires.

A data-driven report will be presented to the county board, as Penny for Pasco funds are being authorized, Engel said.

Published July 21, 2021

Pasco allocates funds for new central office design

January 19, 2021 By B.C. Manion

The Pasco County Commission has approved a task order with CPH Inc., for the design of a new central office and warehouse for its facilities management department.

The agreement, which calls for an amount not to exceed $339,920, is being made under a continuing professional services agreement with CPH, according to backup materials in the board’s Jan. 12 agenda packet.

The county’s facilities management department currently shares space inside Fire Station No. 22, on U.S. 41.

That fire station is scheduled to be replaced by a new facility on the Asbel Road extension, which is expected to be completed in August 2022.

The existing fire station will be demolished to allow future development of a Public Service Center for the Pasco Sheriff’s Office.

The new facilities management office and warehouse will be built on the existing central Public Safety Campus to house facilities management personnel that provide services in the central zone of the county.

In Wesley Chapel, meanwhile, construction has begun on the Overpass Road interchange.

“That interchange will be open to traffic in the Summer of ’22. So that’s just around the corner,” County Administrator Dan Biles told commissioners during their Jan. 12 meeting.

“It actually may be open to traffic before the Diverging Diamond,” Biles said.

By closing Overpass Road during construction, the project will be accelerated by six months to nine months, Biles said.

In connection with the Overpass Road project, commissioners also adopted a resolution authorizing the rerouting of Blair Drive. The Overpass Road/I-75 Interchange Project requires Overpass Road at Blair Drive to be limited access for the safety of the public traveling on Blair Drive and on Overpass Road through the new interchange. To accommodate this requirement, an extension of Blair Drive is being constructed to connect to Old Pasco Road.

Blair Drive at Overpass Road will be closed and reconstructed as a cul-de-sac.

In another action, commissioners approved a state-funded grant agreement between the Florida Department of Transportation and Pasco County, relating to Lacoochee Industrial Area right of way improvements.

The project is aimed at supporting the creation of new jobs in Lacoochee using $5,469,395 approved by the Florida Legislature last year.

The funds will be distributed on a reimbursable basis.

The scope of work for this project consists of:

  • Reconditioning Bower Road from Cummer Road to State Road 575 (approximately 3,200 feet) through the use of full depth reclamation
  • Milling and resurfacing of Cummer Road from U.S. 301 to Bower Road (approximately 4,700 feet)
  • Adding a new right-turn lane on Cummer Road at U.S. 301
  • Providing driveway aprons, as needed and new signing and pavement markings
  • A new right-turn lane on SR 575 at Bower Road, new signing and pavement markings, and preparation of maintained right of way maps, in coordination with FDOT, along Bower Road and SR 575.

To avoid construction delays, the design and permitting phase of the project was

expedited with local funds.

Funding, in the amount of $300,000, was approved through the Office of Economic Growth in the Spring of 2020, to start the design and permitting phase of the project.

The project scope was split into two segments for the purpose of design and permitting. Segment 1 affects county roads, while Segment 2 affects the state highway system.

The design of both segments is currently underway with design and permitting of

Segment 1 to be completed by January 2021, while Segment 2 will be completed by June 2021.

The agreement also notes that the design and permitting phase will not be reimbursed by FDOT because that work preceded the agreement, but the grant support services associated with the design — a separate task order — will be.

Published January 20, 2021

Summit speaker shares optimism about Pasco’s prospects

November 10, 2020 By Kevin Weiss

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

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The Central Pasco Republican Club will meet on May 23 at Copperstone Executive Suites, 3632 Land O’ Lakes Blvd. The guest speaker will be Pasco County School Board member Megan Harding, who will present a rundown on the state of education in Pasco County, and what the school board can and cannot do in today’s world. A social will begin at 6 p.m., followed by the meeting at 6:30 p.m. For information, call 813-996-3011. … [Read More...] about 05/23/2022 – Republican Club

05/26/2022 – Food distribution

Farm Share, the Pasco Sheriff’s Office, Pasco Sheriff Charities, the Pasco County NAACP, and the Boys & Girls Clubs of Tampa Bay will partner for a free food distribution on May 26 starting at 9 a.m., at the Boys & Girls Club of Lacoochee, 38724 Mudcat Grant Blvd., in Dade City. Food will be given out on a first-come, first-served basis, while supplies last. The event is a drive-thru, rain or shine. … [Read More...] about 05/26/2022 – Food distribution

05/28/2022 – Memorial Day Concert

The “Let’s Do Good Memorial Day Concert” is scheduled for May 28 from 1 p.m. to 7 p.m., at Land O’ Lakes Heritage Park, 5401 Land O’ Lakes Blvd., to benefit the Tunnel to Towers Foundation. Tunnel to Towers provides mortgage-free homes to Gold Star and fallen first responder families with young children, and builds custom-designed smart homes for catastrophically injured veterans and first responders. The foundation is committed to eradicating veteran homelessness and aiding the victims of major U.S. disasters. The event will include vendors, gifts, a Forget-Me-Not Garden, and more. Entertainment will be provided by Fred Chandler, Charles Goodwin, Cruz Er Mac, Mike Henderson, and Travis White. Special guests include Congressman Gus Bilirakis and State Sen. Danny Burgess. Rain date is Sept. 10. … [Read More...] about 05/28/2022 – Memorial Day Concert

05/28/2022 – Seafood Festival-CANCELLED

The North Tampa Bay Chamber’s Summer Seafood Festival is scheduled for May 28 from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., at the Tampa Premium Outlets, 2300 Grand Cypress Drive in Lutz, between the outlets and At Home. There will be seafood, crab races, a kids zone, live bands, craft beer, a local market, a Nautical Art Show, and a crab claw-eating contest. For information, call 727-674-1464. … [Read More...] about 05/28/2022 – Seafood Festival-CANCELLED

06/04/2022 – D-Day reenactment

The Zephyrhills Museum of Military History, 39444 South Ave., in Zephyrhills, will present “D-Day, Invasion of Normandy” on June 4 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. There will be an opening ceremony at 11 a.m. The event will include skydivers, reenactors, World War II veterans, and WWII vehicles/aircraft on display. Visit zmmh.org/events, for additional information. … [Read More...] about 06/04/2022 – D-Day reenactment

06/11/2022 – Community cleanup

Save the date: A Dade City Community Cleanup is scheduled for June 11 from 8 a.m. to noon. The city will provide two garbage trucks and one roll-off to dispose of household waste. Residents will be able to drop off unwanted items at three locations. Volunteers also are needed and can register online at DadeCityFl.com. More information will be forthcoming. … [Read More...] about 06/11/2022 – Community cleanup

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