The Laker/Lutz News

Gall Boulevard

Jeremiah’s Italian Ice sets up shop

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Orlando-based Jeremiah’s Italian Ice is now serving up its frozen treats in Zephyrhills — ushering in the brand’s first shop in the area.

Jeremiah’s Italian Ice, at 7936 Gall Blvd., is owned and operated by Pete Patel and Dru Patel, according to a news release.

The duo also plans to open two other locations in Wesley Chapel, according to a news release.

Each Jeremiah’s boasts an upbeat atmosphere and offers over 40 flavors of Italian Ice, as well as rich and creamy soft ice cream. The Jeremiah’s Gelati, which features layers of Italian Ice swirled with thick, homemade soft ice cream, offers a multitude of flavor combinations and is a popular selection, the release says.

The roughly 1,200-square-foot Zephyrhills location features indoor dine-in service. Third-party delivery options will be available in the future.

The Zephyrhills opening marks the next step in the brand’s continued expansion throughout the Sunshine State. For more information, visit JeremiahsIce.com, or call 813-438-5754.

Pace of growth quickens in Zephyrhills

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Burgeoning residential and commercial growth has been a prime theme of late, within the City of Zephyrhills.

Thousands of new homes are on the books, and there’s an influx of new businesses, too.

The city now claims a Chick-fil-A, Chipotle, Starbucks, and Wawa, too.

The surging growth is keeping the city’s building department busy.

Longtime building official Bill Burgess shared just how busy they’ve been — during an Aug. 9 Zephyrhills City Council meeting,

The department issued 1,765 permits, from Oct. 1 through July 30, according to Burgess’ report.

The Zephyrhills Building Department issued 1,765 permits from Oct. 1 through July 30. The department also handled 6,226 site inspections during that time frame. (File)

General residential building accounted for the bulk of the work — with 788 permits issued for miscellaneous home upgrades like screen rooms, roofs, sheds, air conditioning changeouts and solar panel installations. That represents 44% of total permits issued.

“We’re getting solar permits left and right,” Burgess said.

There’s also been significant demand for new residential building construction — with 407 permits issued for single-family dwellings and multi-family units. That represents 23% of the total permits issued.

Residential additions and alterations accounted for 162 permits, representing 9.2% of the total;  electric service replacement, 159 permits, for 9% of the total; general commercial building, 104 permits, for 5.9% of the total; and, new fire systems, 77 permits, representing 4.4% of the total.

The department also issued 20 new commercial building permits. However, he was quick to point out that those permits don’t necessarily mean that many brand-new buildings are coming aboard.

Some of those permits, he explained, are for signage and other ancillary items.

The building department handled 6,227 site inspections during the October to July timeline, which equates to roughly 35 inspections each business day, Burgess said.

Given the level of activity, the department’s seven staffers — who handle permitting, inspections, code enforcement and other duties — have had their hands full, Burgess said.

“We’ve been busy,” Burgess told council members, noting it has been good for the city and the city’s finances.

“It has been a good year,” he said. “I think it’ll help the budget.”

Times certainly have changed, noted Burgess, who has worked for the city since 1990.

He recalled, with a chuckle, how he used to know just about every person who came into the building department for a permit, inspections and other matters.

“That’s not the case anymore,” he said.

Still, the department tries to maintain its “hometown” feel, he said.

“As we get bigger, it gets a little harder,” Burgess said.

In the discussion with council members, Burgess acknowledged the need for succession planning and boosting departmental staffing in the near future — perhaps in fiscal year 2022-23.

“If things continue the way they are, I will be coming to you all to talk about staff,” Burgess told the council.

“We were comfortable this year, I think this coming fiscal year we’ll be OK…so I think we’re in good shape and we can handle it for another one,” Burgess said.

Councilman Lance Smith, however, noted the cyclical nature of the real estate market and cautioned that the city’s growth may slow in coming years.

Burgess agreed that outcome is possible, but he posited the East Pasco community’s nearby distance to Tampa likely will equate to measured growth for a while.

“I think we’re going to be in a good place for several years, just my feeling, just because of our proximity to Tampa and everybody pushing out,” he said.

Councilwoman Jodi Wilkeson queried Burgess about the department’s ongoing code enforcement efforts and legal resolutions.

The building official said the coronavirus pandemic “put a damper” on the time frames of trials and arraignments to settle outstanding issues. This included about a six-month lull in such court system meetings, he said.

Though activity picked up in recent months with the courts, Burgess said, questions remain if measures again will begin to slow down amid the surge of COVID-19 cases due to the Delta variant.

“Who knows with this new variant if they’ll make a change again,” Burgess said.

After Burgess’ presentation, Councilmen Alan Knight and Charles Proctor commended the building department’s overall level of professionalism and proactiveness in dealing with the public at large.

City Manager Billy Poe echoed those sentiments, sharing a positive testimonial from the owner-operator of the new Chick-fil-A on Gall Boulevard, which celebrated its grand opening late last month.

Poe relayed how the Chick-fil-A manager “had nothing but praise for the building department and how well the building department worked with them.”

Poe also mentioned Chick-fil-A officials being satisfied with the efficiency of the city’s site plan review and permitting process, compared to locations in other municipalities: “They said, that if they were building anywhere else, (the grand opening) would’ve been two weeks to a month later, because the hassles, I guess, they get from other municipalities, so I thought that was good to hear and needed to be passed along.”

Published September 01, 2021

Chick-fil-A opens in Zephyrhills

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Chick-fil-A Zephyrhills officially opened for business on July 29. The restaurant offers dine-in, drive-thru and carry-out options.

Instead of the tradition First 100 Grand Opening celebration, this location, at 7490 Gall Blvd., has identified 100 local heroes who are making an impact in the Zephyrhills community and surprised them with free Chick-fil-A for a year.

Chick-fil-A also has partnered with Feeding America to make a $25,000 donation to a local food bank.

The restaurant is located near the intersection of Pretty Pond Road and Gall Boulevard.

It is open 6 a.m. to 10 p.m., Monday through Saturday.

Other recent grand openings in The Laker/Lutz News coverage area include:

  • The Lakes Social, a family owned small business at 7902 Land O’ Lakes Blvd., in the Connerton area of Land O’ Lakes. It’s a place to enjoy gourmet meal replacement shakes, and energy teas. It had its grand opening on Aug. 8.
  • Lyons Den Sports Performance, at 27217 State Road 56, in Wesley Chapel, had its grand opening on Aug. 7.

Improvements keep coming to Zephyrhills redevelopment area

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The concept design plan for Hercules Park renovations is being updated to include public requests for restrooms, artwork, educational signage, a retention pond, and Wi-Fi, among several other features such as playfields and pathways.

Initial design plans for a BMX bike track were not well-received during a workshop, so that piece is being removed from the scope, according to Gail Hamilton, director of the Zephyrhills Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA).

The 12-acre park property is at the corner of County Road 54 and Gall Boulevard, next to Zephyrhills High and Woodland Elementary schools.

Upgrades continue to occur in the redevelopment district that is under the jurisdiction of the Zephyrhills Redevelopment Agency. (File)

Hamilton provided an update on the CRA’s activities in a number of areas during the agency’s last meeting. The Zephyrhills City Council serves as the board of the CRA.

The CRA is a dependent special district in which any future increases in property values are set aside in a Trust Fund to support economic development and redevelopment projects within the designated district.

The Zephyrhills CRA redevelopment district is approximately 501 acres. It encompasses the center spine of the city, generally between Hercules Park to C Avenue, and from Zephyr Park to 17th Street. Within those boundaries are the following historic neighborhood districts: Hercules, Historic Jeffries, Historic Abbott, Moore’s Estate, Zephyr Lake, Oakside, and Plaza.

Other notable updates on activities within the district were shared during last month’s meeting. They include:

  • A CRA commercial matching façade and signage grant totaling up to $6,000 has been approved for Tara Hornbeck, doing business as Mulligan’s Tavern, at 5420 Gall Blvd.

Upgrades for the new Irish pub are slated to feature an aluminum frame cloth awning by the front door entrance, as well as replacement of rotted windows and doorframe.

The building was formerly the home of Salsa’s Mexican Grill, which has been closed for more than a year, Hamilton said.

Several other improvements outside the grant’s scope also will be completed — including parking lot repaving and landscaping — at the restaurateur’s expense. “We will have a nice looking building when it’s all said and done,” Hamilton told CRA Commissioners.

  • A $5,000 CRA residential ownership incentive grant has been approved for Elis Jose Burgos-Berrios, at 4929 16th St.

The grant’s purpose is to encourage home purchases within distressed neighborhoods as a catalyst to improve the owner-occupancy rate and neighborhood, one street at a time.

The grant requires Burgos-Berrios to file a homestead exemption on the property for five years.

Burgos-Berrios is a city employee, tasked with maintaining the city’s Oakside Cemetery, at 5301 First St.

  • Public Wi-Fi now is installed for Fifth Avenue, but the CRA is working with a consultant and the city’s IT department on developing a website landing page that Main Street will eventually oversee.
  • Zephyrhills Public Works has installed a slew of black benches throughout downtown, matching the color scheme of trash cans, signs and poles.

• The CRA has partnered with Main Street and public works to install blue Adirondack chairs (made of recycled plastic water bottles) attached with concrete slabs at Transplant Park, a pie-shaped area at 12th Street and Fifth Street. A neighborhood happenings sign promoting downtown parades and events also will be installed at the pocket park.

Published July 28, 2021

Zephyrhills council to weigh in on city manager

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Zephyrhills City Council soon will be sharing their evaluation of how well City Manager Billy Poe has been performing his job during the past year.

Council members will be completing an annual performance evaluation of Poe, with the aim to “provide important feedback to the city manager identifying areas of strengths and accomplishments, as well as areas in which improvement may be needed,” according to a city memo dated June 14.

Zephyrhills City Manager Billy Poe

The evaluation covers a period from June 2020 to June 2021.

Council members are expected to complete the evaluation form and submit to Mayor Gene Whitfield by June 25.

Whitfield will summarize a report during the next regular council meeting scheduled for July 12 at 6 p.m., at Zephyrhills City Hall Council Chambers, 5335 Eighth St., in Zephyrhills.

The 12-page evaluation form consists of 10 key performance measures — personal, professional skills and status, relations with elected members, policy execution, reporting, citizen relations, staffing, supervision, community, and fiscal management.

Performance levels are factored based on a rating scale numbered from 1 (needs improvement) to 5 (exceeds above expectations).

The evaluation also contains a section with an opportunity for council members to enter responses to specific questions and list any comments pertinent to the rating period, such as the city manager’s strengths and performance areas that need improvement, with additional room for constructive suggestions.

The evaluation period coincides with several noteworthy changes for the municipality, including consolidation of the city’s longstanding fire department into Pasco County; opening of the multi-million dollar Sarah Vande Berg Tennis & Wellness Center; progress on the U.S. 301/Pretty Pond Road signalized intersection project to pave way for commercial development such as a soon-to-be Chick-fil-A and Chipotle franchises along Gall Boulevard; the launch of the city’s first social media accounts and the hiring of its first public information officer, among other happenings.

Poe has deep ties to the East Pasco community.

Born and raised in Zephyrhills, he began his career as an intern with Zephyrhills city administration, then spent several years working as an assistant city planner.

Poe landed the role of city manager role in Dade City in 2008, a position he held for over a decade.

He left Dade City to become the assistant city manager in Zephyrhills, in November 2018, then stepped up to replace retiring city manager Steve Spina in July 2019.

Poe became Zephyrhills’ city manager during a period of massive residential growth in the city — with over 2,400 homes under construction, not including the numerous developments currently in the negotiation stage. As a result of the growth, an estimated 6,000 people could move into the city within the next two to five years.

Published June 23, 2021

Hercules Park workshop set June 10

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Zephyrhills residents will have an opportunity to weigh in on the future development and proposed amenities of Hercules Park.

Attendees are encouraged to bring their ideas and opinions to a public workshop meeting on June 10 at 6 p.m., at Zephyrhills City Hall, 5335 Eighth St., in Zephyrhills.

The City of Zephyrhills will host a workshop on June 10, to gather public input about the development of Hercules Park. Renovations could feature a circuitous BMX bike track with jumps and rollers, plus other passive amenities, based on this conceptual sketch from the project’s consultant, Kimley-Horn. The 12-acre park site is situated at the corner of County Road 54 and Gall Boulevard. (File)

Other stakeholders in attendance are expected to include the city’s parks and recreation advisory board, CRA (Community Redevelopment Agency) board and representatives from the project’s consultant, Kimley-Horn.

The City of Zephyrhills in recent months has pondered ways to spruce up the languished 12-acre park property at the corner of County Road 54 and Gall Boulevard, next to Zephyrhills High and Woodland Elementary schools.

One possibility for the park’s update includes installing a BMX (bicycle motocross) track where youth and adult bike enthusiasts traverse winding trails and thrilling jumps, in a safe and comfortable setting.

The latest conceptual sketch plan from Kimley-Horn shows a circuitous riding trail spanning roughly 5.29 acres of the park property, albeit with many details still to be hashed out.

Height levels on jumps and bumps haven’t yet been determined, but the track is expected to have variations for beginner, intermediate and advanced bikers — keeping safety in mind, too.

Surface material hasn’t been decided, either, though one option is a dirt track with wooden features for jumps and stunts.

Also proposed is a paved pathway encircling the BMX course for parents, walkers and runners to use for general exercise purposes.

Based on renderings, remaining Hercules Park property upgrades would then take on a mostly passive vibe — with a nearly 1-acre open playfield, 1.42-acre playground and picnic/shelter area, and a soft walking trail surrounding an existing retention pond and lighted fountain spray.

An open playfield —situated at the former Hercules Aquatic Center — would offer a grassy space for throwing footballs, Frisbees and so on.

A playground, meanwhile, could include some nature-based equipment beyond conventional slides and swings — think rock climb, bridges, tunnels, rope play structures and more.

The budget for the entire Hercules Park renovation will be determined from the workshop, where amenities could be added or removed based on community feedback, Zephyrhills CRA director Gail Hamilton wrote in an email to The Laker/Lutz News.

Final design and construction is expected sometime after park funding is identified for the city’s 2021-2022 fiscal year, Hamilton says.

Depending on the amenities and project cost, the development could be completed in a year, or built out over multiple years, she says.

City officials also have previously mentioned facilitating public-private partnerships for some of the park’s improvements.

In addition to its proximity to local schools, Hercules Park borders a busy Wawa gas station and Culver’s fast food restaurant, which could prompt those patrons to drop by the park to have a relaxing meal.

The park also is accessible to surrounding neighborhood developments through Henry Drive.

Should the BMX concept follow through, it would create an amenity otherwise not readily available to the East Pasco community. (Local BMX enthusiasts have previously tried accessing the Zephyrhills Skatepark at Krusen Field for those purposes.)

The closest public BMX pump tracks in the surrounding Tampa Bay area include Tampa BMX in Lutz and Oldsmar BMX.

City leaders for years have been calling for an action plan for vacant park land that once had a buzzing aquatic center and swimming pool.

Ownership of the land was transferred to the city from the Pasco County School Board in June 2018.

The park land is a legacy from about 80 acres once owned by the Hercules Powder Co.

The company, which converted pine stumps into resin and turpentine, had been the city’s largest employer at one point.

During a city council meeting last month, City Manager Billy Poe deemed the upcoming Hercules Park workshop “important” to provide additional information, plans and ideas to the public and other interested parties.

Published June 09, 2021

Federal help sought for sewer project

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The City of Zephyrhills is pursuing federal dollars to help pay for a new master lift station located in the vicinity of Otis Allen Road and 23rd Street.

The project — yet to be designed — calls for a new duplex master lift station with provisions to be upgraded to a triplex station when needed; an emergency generator; and, 17,000 linear feet of 8-inch and 10-inch HPDE (High Density Polyethylene) force main piping.

Zephyrhills is requesting $1.5 million in federal funding, which equates to 37.5% of the overall cost of the estimated $4 million project.

Zephyrhills City Manager Billy Poe (File)

Zephyrhills City Manager Billy Poe said the opportunity to secure federal dollars comes about as federal lawmakers recently reinstated the process of earmarking for local governments and nonprofits, otherwise referred to as community project funding.

With that, an approved congressional request package has been sent to the office of U.S. Rep Gus Bilirakis, R-Palm Harbor, who’s told city leaders he will offer his support for the project through the legislative budgeting process.

The action approving the latest drafted package for the congressman’s office came during an April 26 regular meeting of the Zephyrhills City Council.

Zephyrhills has not been given a time frame regarding when they will know whether their grant request has been approved.

However, the plans to move ahead on the project are not contingent on receiving the federal money, Poe said. It will need to evaluate other funding options, if the federal request is denied, he said.

Based on prepared documents, the municipality looks to have the project’s design and bidding process complete by January, which includes determining the location of the station and the best route for the piping.

If on track from there, construction is expected to begin sometime in February and run through December, with the project being fully online and operational by January 2023.

Poe explained the need for the project, in a memo to council members.

The city’s existing wastewater infrastructure is at capacity and cannot accommodate additional flow from the north side of the city to the advanced wastewater treatment facility on the south side of the city, Poe explained in the memo.

The initiative is intended to assist with wastewater systems improvements to allow the city to balance wastewater flow, to provide water quality protection, and to support water supply needs in the Hillsborough River Basin.

The proposed improvements include a force main and associated lift stations that will allow the city to take approximately 200 residents off either septic systems or aging package plant facilities and instead send this wastewater flow to the city’s AWT (Advanced Wastewater Treatment) plant.

Poe and other city officials also said the project will ensure that future development will connect to centralized wastewater disposal facilities, therefore preventing installation of future septic systems and package plants near sensitive ecosystems.

In simpler terms, Poe said, “This will help to accommodate growth and take some pressure off the existing system.”

The City of Zephyrhills is seeking a $1.5 million federal grant for a new master lift station in the vicinity of Otis Allen Road and 23rd Street.

Councilman Ken Burgess supports the improvement, saying, “I think this is a much-needed project.”

The Greater Zephyrhills Chamber of Commerce and the Zephyrhills Economic Development Coalition also sent letters to Bilirakis, supporting the project.

In part, Melonie Monson, chamber director, wrote: “East Pasco County, including the Zephyrhills community, is experiencing accelerated growth in recent years, and is poised to become the number one place to live. The addition of this new lift station would grant future development the ability to connect to the city wastewater with confidence and ease.

“We know you recognize the need to move away from old septic systems, which could hold potential risk, and into a streamlined and safe wastewater disposal system. It is important for our city to offer adequate infrastructure to its residents and this wastewater system improvement and would be a step in that direction. We applaud our state and city leaders who are working to better our community.

“We ask for your support in this effort to improve the amazing community in which we live, work and play,” Monson concluded.

Other updates shared during the council meeting, included:

  • Work on the Zephyrhills Municipal Airport runway extension 1-19 project officially began in mid-April, with completion expected sometime around November or December.
  • New mast arm traffic signals are now set to be erected as part of the U.S. 301, Pretty Pond and Townview shopping center intersection project.
  • Walls are up on a standalone Chick-fil-A franchise, with an anticipated opening in late July or early August, at 7490 Gall Blvd.
  • Construction is moving forward on a standalone Chipotle franchise, though there is not a known time frame for opening, at 7642 Gall Blvd.

Published May 05, 2021

Rising from the ashes — an iconic bar begins a new era in Zephyrhills

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Two days after a devastating fire tore through Jerry’s Crystal Bar, Bob Geddes could be seen walking around the burnt-out shell of the building.

Geddes, one of the building’s owners, appeared to be in a bit of a daze — as he maneuvered through the aftermath, clutching a battery-powered drill in his hand.

The Crystal Bar’s old metal sign hangs over the stage area in the newly rebuilt watering hole. The sign was salvaged from the 2019 fire that destroyed the original bar. The bar’s founder, Bob Geddes, repainted an old Western Auto sign, decades ago, to create the sign for his establishment. (Christine Holtzman)

The fire was on May 2, 2019 — and it wasn’t certain what the future would hold.

After all, the beloved Gall Boulevard watering hole had been the longest-operating bar in Zephyrhills.

Founded in 1954 by his parents, Bob and Geraldine, the bar had become a community fixture.

It wasn’t just the loss of a building.

The yellow caution tape around the parking lot’s perimeter signaled the end of an era.

After the fire, Crystal’s Facebook page was flooded with stories about people finding love there, having fun there and feeling ‘at home’ within the bar’s walls.

Jimmie Rex Harper, better known as the famous ‘Zephyrhills Shirtless Cowboy,’ enjoys his favorite brew straight from the pitcher during the Crystal Bar’s soft opening on March 26.

People wondered: Will the bar be rebuilt?

Shortly after the fire — while the pungent smell of burnt wood still lingered in the air — Bob Geddes wasn’t certain.

But, last month that question was answered, as the iconic business held a soft opening of a new building that looks different from the previous bar, but seems to have preserved the loyalty of its patrons.

The new bar appears to be two stories tall.

The structure also is closer to Gall Boulevard, with a wide sidewalk out front and parking in the rear — changes required to the city’s form-based code, for a reimagined U.S. 301/Gall Boulevard corridor area, according to Kurt Geddes, another one of the owners.

Rebuilding the bar was a unanimous decision for him and his five siblings who share ownership, he said.

They wanted to rebuild because it is their legacy, he explained.

Tom Jones, of Zephyrhills, left, enjoys a cocktail at Crystal Bar, with his brother-in-law David Lutat. They’ve been coming to the bar since 1990, and their favorite drink is a Crown and Soda.

“We’re all townies. We all went to school here and graduated here. We got married here. The bar is an icon, an institution. It’s a rite of passage to go to the Crystal to have a drink.”

He is quite the popular figure, as he sits at the bar.

A sea of familiar faces gathers — vying for his attention.

Next to him is Maria Laudenbach, of Zephyrhills, a patron at Crystal for 15 years.

She points at Kurt Geddes and says, “They’re not just family (meaning all the Geddes siblings) — they’re everybody’s family.”

Rene Hill, another sibling and owner, expressed how she couldn’t contain her happiness in the days leading up to the soft opening – which happened to fall on her late mother Geraldine’s birthday.

Norman ‘Stormin Norman’ Bureau, right, studies his next move while playing a billiards game at the bar’s soft opening last month. Bill Therrien, center, and bar owner Kurt Geddes, left, both play in the same billiards league.

“Every time I’ve come into work, I’ve had a smile on my face. I haven’t smiled in two years,” Hill said.

Others enjoying the evening also had their stories about what the reopening meant to them.

Rob Hubbard, of Zephyrhills, said he first came to the bar as a young boy in the 1980s – when his mother was a bartender there.

Sipping his beer, he summed up his feelings this way: “This bar means a lot. I’ve known the (Geddes) family a long time and they’ve always been good to me. It’s just a great place to come.”

He admitted: “It’s a little odd now, because this place is completely different. It’s a lot bigger place, it’s a whole different look.”

Bartender Teresa O’Malley, of Dade City, who has worked at Crystal Bar since 1998, puts the finishing touches on a couple of cocktails. This is her take on the bar: ‘It’s community, a camaraderie, the local hometown feel, good people, good times, you know, it’s just wonderful.’

But that didn’t stop him from dropping by.

Norman ‘Stormin Norman’ Bureau, of Zephyrhills, was at the soft opening playing billiards with his friend, Bill Therrien.

Bureau, a patron at the bar for 30 years, compared its vibe to the “Cheers” bar featured in a popular 1980s-sitcom.

“Everyone knows your name. It makes you feel good inside,” Bureau said, adding that the regulars at the bar “are tighter than Grandma’s knitting.”

Therrien, also of Zephyrhills, has a shorter history with the bar — roughly six years — but feels equally at home.

He’s also enthusiastic about the bar’s new digs.

“I love it. I love what they’ve built here, I love what they’ve done. It’s awesome,” Therrien said.

Arguably one of the bar’s most colorful characters is Jimmie Rex Harper, also known as the famous ‘Zephyrhills Shirtless Cowboy.’

At the soft opening, the 46-year-old is seated at the bar – wearing his cowboy hat, and drinking beer from a pitcher.

He’s been a customer at the bar since he turned 21.

The sun sets behind the new Jerry’s Crystal Bar, 5707 Gall Blvd., Zephyrhills, on March 26, the day of its soft opening. A new building has replaced the previous one that was destroyed by fire on May 2, 2019.

When he began frequenting it, founders Bob and Geraldine were still alive and running the bar.

Over the years, Harper said, every single Geddes family member has thrown him out of the place for being rowdy — with the exception of the elder Bob, who had a soft spot for him.

Harper had just been allowed back into the bar — following his most recent ban — just two weeks before the fire destroyed the building.

The new building might inspire him, he said, to try to not get banned again.

The bar held its grand opening celebration on April 23, with prizes, giveaways and live music.

Bob Geddes said the family had a simple motivation for wanting to reopen.

“We were thinking that we had been here for 65+ years, and we decided we didn’t want it to end,” he said.

By Christine Holtzman

Published April 28, 2021

Growth is coming to Zephyrhills

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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

Pasco Commission approves East Pasco flooding study

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The Pasco County Commission has authorized a task order for the development of a cost-effective conceptual improvement plan for the Bailey Hill Road and Zephyr Ranch Area, in East Pasco.

Board members approved a staff recommendation to have DeLoach Engineering Service complete the task for an amount not to exceed $74,840, according to agenda background materials for the board’s March 9 meeting.

“The conceptual plan will provide a rigorous assessment of the condition of the existing stormwater drainage system, identify deficiencies within the system, evaluate design alternatives for flood abatement, develop cost estimate for the selected design alternative, and derive benefit to cost ratio. A cost-effective conceptual plan may lead to detailed design and construction of the project,” the agenda backup says.

Bailey Hill Road is an unpaved rural road that extends east to Gall Boulevard and west to Fort King Road.

The project area is within the East Pasco Watershed.

There is a history of structural and property flooding, as well as roadway flooding and scouring.

DeLoach has 180 days from the notice to proceed, to complete the project.

Funding for the conceptual improvement plan is coming from the stormwater management fund.

Published March 24, 2021