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The Laker/Lutz News

Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

       

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Mariella Smith

7-Eleven approved off U.S. 41 in Lutz

August 2, 2022 By B.C. Manion

The Hillsborough County Commission has approved a rezoning request to allow a 7-Eleven at 18601 N. U.S. 41, which is north of the intersection of U.S. 41 and Sunset Lane, in Lutz.

The request came despite opposition from a nearby resident, from representatives of the Lutz Civic Association, the Lutz Citizens Coalition and from a professional planner representing opponents.

The application found support, however, from planners with the county and with the Hillsborough County City-County Planning Commission, as well as a recommendation for approval from Land Use Hearing Officer Susan Finch.

The county board voted 7-0 to approve the request at its July 26 meeting.

Previously, the board had remanded the application for further review.

The request the board sent back included a proposed car wash as part of the application.

That caused some commissioners to question whether a septic system would be capable of handling the discharge from the car wash.

They said they were concerned because of the area’s lakes, private wells and wetlands.

They asked staff to have the county’s Department of Environmental Protection take a closer look at that issue.

In supporting the remand, Commissioner Mariella Smith said the hearing can explore other issues, too.

“I would not have it limited,” she said, noting that citizens are free to discuss other topics, such as light pollution and compatibility.

In response to concerns, the applicant, RKM, dropped the car wash request.

It also agreed to restrictions on exterior lighting that exceed the county’s code, Cami Corbett, attorney for RKM said.

During the county board’s July 26 hearing, opponents reiterated many of the concerns they raised during previous public hearings.

They challenged the project’s compatibility, cited potential for negative impacts on the areas wetlands and expressed concerns about the potential loss of habitat for wildlife.

Susan Guess raised concerns about a loss of refuge for the area’s animals and birds.

She also asked the board to consider the impact on an existing gas station in the area.

“Blessings (the gas station) has been in our neighborhood for almost 30 years,” Guess said. “They provide a good service to our community. They care about our community. This prospective 7-Eleven store will definitely put them out of business,” she said.

She asked the board to reject the rezoning request.

Daryl Max Forgey, a planning consultant representing the opponents, said the request is not consistent with the county’s comprehensive plan.

Sam Calco, of the Lutz Citizens Coalition, said the meeting should be continued because there was no signage on the property announcing the meeting. Signs had been posted for previous hearings, he said.

Jay Muffly, of the Lutz Civic Association, began to address his concerns about impacts from potential runoff from the new convenience store — but his remarks were cut short because the 10-minute for opposition testimony ran out.

Muffly asked why there was a 10-minute limit, instead of 15 minutes.

He was informed that’s the limit set by county code.

Corbett told county board members that the proposed gas station is a modern building, designed specifically to fit within the character of Lutz.

The request complies with both the Lutz Community Plan and the county’s comprehensive plan, she said.

She also noted it is within the node that’s specifically designated for neighborhood commercial development within the Lutz Community Plan.

The wetlands on the site turned out to be larger than initially believed, so her client purchased additional land to ensure there are no negative impacts, Corbett said.

She presented two experts to address issues raised regarding potential environmental impacts.

Corbett also disputed Calco’s claim regarding insufficient public notice and the opponents’ planning consultant’s contention that the request is contrary to the county’s comprehensive plan.

The county board approved the request without comment, except for some observations by Board Chairwoman Kim Overman.

Overman noted: “This is sort of in-between two urban areas,” with the city of Tampa to the south and more developed areas leading to Pasco County, to the north.

“This is U.S. 41. This is a U.S. highway that runs through the middle of this area where commercial development has been encouraged as part of the commercial plan,” she said.

Published August 03, 2022

Remand on Lutz Rezoning set for Dec. 13

November 9, 2021 By Special to The Laker/Lutz News

A Hillsborough County zoning hearing officer is scheduled to listen to more testimony on Dec. 13, regarding a request to allow a 7-Eleven, gasoline pumps and car wash on U.S. 41, north of Sunset Lane.

The Hillsborough County Commission voted 4-3 to send the request back for further review.

Commissioners favoring the remand are interested in hearing additional information from the county’s environmental staff regarding whether the planned septic system at the development would be capable of handling the discharge from a carwash.

Commissioners raising those questions noted that the area has lakes, private wells and sensitive wetlands.

Commissioner Mariella Smith also noted that the remand hearing should be open for testimony exploring other issues, too, such as light pollution and compatibility.

The request, by RKM and 7-Eleven, has drawn both support and opposition. A hearing had been set for Nov. 15, but county staff called for the delay until December.

The zoning request will be considered on Dec. 13 at 6 p.m. In-person and remote hybrid Zoning Hearing Master meetings take place at Robert W. Saunders Sr. Public Library, in the Ada T. Payne Community Room, at 1505 N. Nebraska Ave., in downtown Tampa.

Revised Nov. 12, 2021

Request for Lutz 7-Eleven is delayed

October 19, 2021 By B.C. Manion

The Hillsborough County Commission voted 4-3 to remand a rezoning request for a gas station and carwash off U.S. 41, north of Sunset Lane, in Lutz.

Commissioners Ken Hagan, Kimberly Overman, Mariella Smith and Chairwoman Pat Kemp voted to remand the request and Commissioners Harry Cohen, Gwen Myers and Stacy White dissented.

Those who voted to send the case back to the zoning hearing master for further review specifically said they want the county’s Department of Environmental Protection to take a closer look at whether a septic system will be capable of  handling the discharge from a proposed carwash.

They voiced concerns about potential problems because the area has lakes, private wells and sensitive wetlands.

Commissioner Smith said the hearing can explore other issues, too.

“I would not have it limited,” she said, noting that citizens are free to discuss other topics, such as light pollution and compatibility, she added.

During the Hillsborough board’s Oct. 12 public hearing, Smith said the county also needs to take a closer look at its rezoning process.

Under current procedures, no testimony can be presented to commissioners during a rezoning hearing unless it was part of the record before the zoning hearing master.

The zoning hearing master recommends approval or denial on zoning cases, but the county board has the final word.

The request, by RKM and 7-Eleven, drew both support and opposition at the county board’s hearing and also at the zoning hearing master hearing on Aug. 16.

Attorney Cami Corbett, representing the applicants at both hearings, described the proposed gas station as a modern building, designed specifically to fit within the character of Lutz.

She said it is within the node that’s specifically designated for neighborhood commercial development within the Lutz Community Plan.

Natalie Davis, of 17880 N. U.S. 41, in Lutz, spoke in favor of the request at both hearings.

She noted that Lutz typically has wanted to slow development — but even so, a significant amount of new projects have popped up along U.S. 41.

Those developments have included a Publix, a Dunkin’ Donuts, restaurants, McDonald’s, a self-storage unit, a Walgreens, a bank, and professional office parks, as well as new neighborhoods.

Davis favors growth along U.S. 41, which she noted is a six-lane road, and questioned why a gas station should be excluded.

“I am here to represent the next generation of Lutz,” she said.

Gus Weekley, who owns the property up for rezoning, along with his brother, said the family has deep roots in Lutz.

The proposed site of the gas station is land that was owned by his grandmother and where she sold fruit raised on the land to those traveling by on the only major road into Tampa.

“We believe that Lutz is a special community,” he said, adding the 7-Eleven will be a good fit.

Sam Calco, president of the Lutz Citizens Coalition, spoke against the request.

He noted an error in the hearing master’s record and said that was sufficient to merit a remand.

County staff, however, said that the hearing officer’s recommendation was based on accurate information, despite the error in the report.

Jay Muffly, a longtime community activist, was direct: “I oppose this rezoning because it is not compatible with the Lutz community. Period.”

He also expressed concerns about potential negative impacts from light pollution.

Both Kemp and Overman voiced concerns about allowing a car wash to operate on a septic system.

The idea of dropping the carwash from the application was raised, but the applicant indicated no interest in taking that approach.

The project would hook onto public water and sewer, but it is not available, Corbett said.

Questions also were raised about whether the proposed development meets the county’s locational criteria.

That standard says the project should be within 900 feet of the intersection of U.S. 41 and Sunset Lane. But a portion of the proposed project is 960 feet away from that intersection, according to testimony provided during the county board’s discussion.

Commissioner Hagan initially said he wasn’t sure the board had legal grounds to deny the rezoning.

Ultimately, though, he went along with three of his colleagues when they called for a remand to pursue additional information.

The next hearing has been set for Nov. 15 at 6 p.m.

In-person and remote hybrid Zoning Hearing Master meetings are held at Robert W. Saunders Sr. Public Library, in the Ada T. Payne Community Room, at 1505 N. Nebraska Ave., in downtown Tampa.

Published October 20, 2021

Results are in for Florida’s primary

September 5, 2018 By B.C. Manion

Florida’s voters went to the polls last week in a primary that captured national attention when Democratic gubernatorial candidate Andrew Gillum stunned political prognosticators by defeating the predicted winner Gwen Graham.

If he wins in November, Gillum would become Florida’s first black governor.

On the Republican side of the ledger, Congressman Ron DeSantis — endorsed by President Donald J. Trump — carried the day, defeating Adam Putnam, a longtime Florida politician, who had served as Florida’s Commissioner of Agriculture and five terms in Congress, representing Central Florida.

Locally, 85,907 voters cast their ballots in Pasco County, representing a 24.84 percent turnout of the county’s 345,879 registered voters.

“The turnout was considerably higher than I expected and, in this case, I’m never more happy to be wrong,” Supervisor of Elections Brian Corley said, via email.

The 2018 Primary turnout represented a 66 percent increase from the last midterm primary in 2014, Corley said.

“It’s apparent the voters are more engaged than in previous cycles,” the supervisor of elections added.

Hillsborough County experienced a slightly higher turnout, with 219,118 ballots cast, representing a 26.16 percent turnout of the county’s 837,681 registered voters.

DeSantis and Graham garnered the most votes in the governor’s race among Pasco voters, while DeSantis and Gillum were the top vote-getters in that race in Hillsborough County.

While many races on the ballot were true primary choices, with voters deciding which candidate should represent the Democrats and Republicans in the general elections, the races for judges and school board members were nonpartisan, meaning winners could be named if a candidate secured more than 50 percent of the vote.

That happened in two of the three Pasco County School Board races on the ballot.

Allen Altman and Cynthia Armstrong were both re-elected to another term, which the winner of the seat vacated by retiring Steve Luikart will be decided in the general election, with a run-off between Megan Harding and Tara M. O’ Connor.

The Pasco race for the Circuit Judge 6th Judicial Circuit, Group 4, also will require a run-off in November between Davis Ellis and Roxanne Fixsen. In that race, none of the three candidates secured more than 50 percent of the vote.

TOP VOTE-GETTERS IN KEY RACES

Pasco County Republicans
Federal
U.S. Senate: Rick Scott

State
Governor: Ron DeSantis
Attorney General: Ashley Moody
Commissioner of Agriculture: Baxter Troutman
State Representative District 37: Ardian Zika

Pasco County Democrats
Federal
U.S. Rep. District 12: Chris Hunter

State
Governor: Gwen Graham
Attorney General: Sean Shaw
Commissioner of Agriculture: Nicole ‘Nikki’ Fried
State Senator District 20: Kathy Lewis

Local races, No Party Affiliation
Pasco County
Circuit Judge 6th Judicial Circuit

Group 9: Christine Helinger
Group 36: Doneene D. Loar
Group 40: Thomas H. “Tommy” Minkoff
Group 45: Rebecca Hamilton

County Judge
Group 7: Kent Compton

Pasco School Board
District 1: Allen Altman
District 3: Cynthia Armstrong
District 5:  A run-off will be held between Megan Harding and Tara M. O’Connor in the November general election.

Hillsborough County Republicans
State races
Governor: Rick DeSantis
Attorney General: Ashley Moody
Commissioner of Agriculture: Baxter Troutman
State Representative, District 64: James Grant

Local races, Republican
Hillsborough County Commission, District 2: Ken Hagan
Hillsborough County Commission, District 5: Victor Crist
Hillsborough County Commission, District 7: Todd Marks

Hillsborough County Democrats
Federal
U.S. Congress, District 12: Chris Hunter

State races
Governor: Andrew Gillum
Attorney General: Sean Shaw
Commissioner of Agriculture: Nicole ‘Nikki’ Fried
State Senator, District 20: Kathy Lewis

Local races, Democratic
Hillsborough County Commission, District 5: Mariella Smith
Hillsborough County Commission, District 7: Kimberly Overman

Hillsborough County School Board (No political affiliation)
District 1: William Henry Person and Steve Cona will have a run-off in the November general election
District 2: Stacy Hahn
District 4: Melissa Snively
District 6: Karen Perez and Henry “Shake” Washington will have a runoff in the November general election.

Complete results can be found at PascoVotes.com and VoteHillsborough.org.

Published September 5, 2018

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08/20/2022 – Food Drive

St. Mark’s Chapter of The Order of the Daughters of the King in partnership with The Community Food Pantry will host a Food Drive on Aug. 20 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., at St. Mark’s Episcopal Church, 13312 Cain Road, off Gunn Highway in Tampa. Items needed include canned vegetables, fruit, chicken, tuna, beans and soup; breakfast cereal and grits; granola bars; macaroni and cheese; and peanut butter and jelly in plastic containers. Visit the pantry online at TheCommunityFoodPantry.com. For information, call 813-962-3089, or visit StMarksTampa.org. … [Read More...] about 08/20/2022 – Food Drive

08/20/2022 – Talking Tots storytime

The Starkey Ranch Theatre Library Cultural Center, 12119 Lake Blanche Drive in Odessa, will host a “Talking Tots” storytime on Aug. 20 at 11 a.m. Speech therapist Bridget Cibulskis will share tips and tricks for increasing a child’s language development at home, and will read a book to the kids while modeling skills for parents. There also will be a Q&A session. Register online at PascoLibraries.org. … [Read More...] about 08/20/2022 – Talking Tots storytime

08/21/2022 – Book club for adults

The Pasco County Library Cooperative will host “Novels on Tap” on Aug. 21 at 2 p.m., at the Wicked Pour taproom in Odessa, for ages 21 and older. This month’s selection is “Little Fires Everywhere” by Celeste Ng. Masks are recommended, but not mandatory. Registration is required online at PascoLibraries.org. … [Read More...] about 08/21/2022 – Book club for adults

08/23/2022 – Active shooter seminar

Zephyrhills Police Chief Derek Brewer will host an Active Shooter Vigilance & Sign Recognition seminar on Aug. 23 at 1 p.m., at The Genesis Community Center, 38112 15th Ave., in Zephyrhills. To register, call 813-616-2601. … [Read More...] about 08/23/2022 – Active shooter seminar

08/23/2022 – Learn about shapes

The New River Library, 34043 State Road 54 in Wesley Chapel, will host story times about shapes on Aug. 23 and Aug. 24. Toddlers can attend at 10:15 a.m., and preschoolers at 11:15 a.m. Each session includes songs, stories and movement. Register online at PascoLibraries.org. … [Read More...] about 08/23/2022 – Learn about shapes

08/23/2022 – Ride free to polls

GoPasco County Public Transportation will offer free bus rides to the polls on Primary Election Day, Aug. 23 from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Riders must present a valid Voter Information Card to use the free service. For more information on poll locations, contact the Supervisor of Elections office at 800-851-8754, or go to bit.ly/PrecinctsPasco. To learn more about GoPasco, visit GoPasco.com. … [Read More...] about 08/23/2022 – Ride free to polls

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