The Laker/Lutz News

Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

Morris Bridge Road

New schools being planned in Pasco

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Pasco County is on the grow and the public school district is planning to increase its capacity.

The Pasco County School Board recently approved the district’s five-year school plant survey, which includes existing conditions and recommended plans.

Kirkland Ranch Academy of Innovation, slated to open this fall, is one of the new schools on the list.

It’s a magnet school that will specialize in preparing students in career fields and technical trades such as automotive maintenance and repair, including diesel; biomedical sciences; building trades and construction technology; cybersecurity; digital media and multimedia design; engineering and robotics; welding; electricity; and, patient care technology.

Kirkland Academy of Innovation is a magnet school that will open in the fall in Wesley Chapel. It will feature a curriculum that allows students to earn a standard diploma, while having the opportunity to earn industry certifications in an array of technical fields. (Courtesy of Pasco County Schools)

Students attending the new high school are primarily coming from Wesley Chapel High, Pasco High, Zephyrhills, some from Wiregrass Ranch, and some from Cypress Creek, according to Chris Williams, director of planning for the school district.

Kirkland Ranch K-8, another school on the list, is expected to begin construction soon.

“As soon as they’re done with the Academy of Innovation, they’re moving to the back of this property. That’s going to be a magnet. Similarly, we expect that to have impact on primarily the east side. Weightman, John Long, Centennial (middle schools),” Williams said.

The elementary school students primarily will come from “Watergrass, Wesley Chapel, San Antonio, and even farther out, Double Branch, Seven Oaks, Wiregrass, that whole region,” he said.

The school plant survey also includes a number of other projects that are either planned soon, or are on a longer horizon.

A 6-12 STEM magnet school, in the emerging community of Angeline in Land O’ Lakes, is a four-story building under construction near Moffitt Cancer Center’s planned Pasco Campus.

The school is expected to open in the fall of 2023, and the school district is delighted by the partnerships it anticipates with Moffitt.

“We’re really excited about the opportunity we’ll have for our students there,” Williams said.

That school also will be the district’s tallest school, the planning director said, noting there is no other four-story school in the system.

A new traditional K-8 is planned on the south side of State Road 54, across the road from the Ballantrae subdivision. The school will be built behind a Ballantrae office complex.

This magnet school, for students in grades six through 12, is expected to open in the fall of 2023. It will feature partnerships with Moffitt Cancer Center, which plans to create its Pasco County campus nearby. It also will be the tallest school in the Pasco County system.

Other plans call for a school campus in the new Two Rivers development off State Road 56, near Morris Bridge Road.

A site has been identified for the campus, but the school district hasn’t purchased it yet, Williams said. The site likely will be co-located with a regional park.

“We have done some preliminary thinking of how that might look. Because we’re going to have a whole campus there, probably K-8 and a high school, along with the park,” he said.

It’s not clear yet whether there will be a joint-use library, although it’s a possibility, he said.

“What are we going to be sharing? Certainly, we’ll be sharing the (athletic)  fields and the parking,” Williams said.

The planning director noted that projects listed in the district’s five-year plan are subject to change because available funding will be influenced by the collection of impact fees, whether the extension of the Penny for Pasco infrastructure surtax is approved by voters, local capital millage funds, and the overall economy.

If there’s a recession, for instance, there will be less construction activity and fewer revenues collected through impact fees.

Also, voters will decide in November whether to extend the Penny for Pasco surtax for 15 additional years.

That being said, a number of  other projects within the Laker/Lutz News coverage area are on the five-year list:

• Starkey Ranch K-8: Expansion for 400 student stations
Work is starting on that immediately, Williams said. When the district opened the school, it knew that the Starkey Ranch development would grow, but it turned out that the magnet school also attracted students who had been attending private schools and charter schools, Williams said.

• West Zephyrhills Elementary: Expansion for 400 student stations
If Penny for Pasco passes, the remodeling of West Zephyrhills Elementary will likely be one of the first projects that’s completed, Williams said. That project would include additional capacity.

• Pasco Senior High: Expansion for 400 student stations
When the first Penny for Pasco passed, the district did a significant project at Pasco Senior High, Williams said. That work did not include substantial work in the cafeteria or kitchen.

The conceptual plan for this project calls for tearing down the one-story building and constructing a two-story structure. The first floor would contain a kitchen and larger cafeteria. The second floor would be classrooms, Williams said. The media center likely would be remodeled, too, he said.

In addition to district projects, Williams said there’s also an expectation of some charter school expansions, as well as some new charter schools that will come online in the next few years.

Long-term school plans
These Pasco County school district projects are possibilities within the next 10 years:
• Classroom wing at these schools: Wiregrass Ranch High; Centennial Middle; and, Chester Taylor and West Zephyrhills elementary schools
• New K-8 school: Villages of Pasadena Hills and in Two Rivers
• New high schools in Bexley Ranch and in Odessa area

Source: Pasco County Schools

Published July 13, 2022

Some county roads are about to get brighter

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The Pasco County Commission has approved two joint partnership agreements with the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT), aimed at improving lighting along two county roads.

One agreement calls for installation of street lights along State Road 56, from Willow Oak Drive to The Shops at Wiregrass entrance. The county will be coordinating with Withlacoochee River Electric Company on the project, which is set to start this summer and be completed by winter 2023.

The second agreement calls for installing the lighting along State Road 56, from The Shops at Wiregrass entrance to Meadow Pointe Boulevard.

The county will coordinate with Withlacoochee River Electric Company for the installation of the street lights. The construction, engineering and inspection phase is expected to begin this summer and be completed by the winter of 2023.

Both projects are each estimated at $60,000, according to backup materials in the county board’s May 17 agenda packet.

In other action at the May 17 meeting, the county board:

  • Approved a moratorium for development near airports, with the exception of Zephyrhills Municipal Airport. The moratorium will allow the county to develop regulations aimed at protecting airports.
  • Approved awarding work to the following companies: Megascapes Landscape and Maintenance Inc., (Megascapes) as the primary vendor; Sunbelt Sod & Grading Company (Sunbelt), as the secondary vendor; and Sod Solutions Inc., (Sod Solutions) as the tertiary vendor for ongoing and as-needed sod and sod installation to be used by the Parks, Recreation, and Natural Resources Department. The total work is not to exceed $250,000 for fiscal year 2022 and $250,000 for fiscal year 2023, for a cumulative amount of $500,000, for the two-year contract ending Sept. 30, 2023.
  • Agreed to purchase 18.28 acres of property from Lynn Heasley, for $400,000, plus closing costs, for the land to be included in the county’s Environmental Lands Acquisition and Management Program. The land is in Land O’ Lakes, on the north and south sides of State Road 52. The property is next to the ELAMP-owned Upper Pithlachascotee River Preserve, and within the North Pasco to Crossbar Ecological Corridor. While the property will be managed as part of the Upper Pithlachascotee River Preserve, the seller has requested that the tract be named after her father, Maj. Billy A. Heasley, a retired veteran of the U.S. Air Force.
  • Approved a rezoning from a general commercial district to a Master Planned Unit Development to allow 376 residential units and 85,500 square feet of retail on 40.05 acres, on the south side of State Road 52, about 840 feet east of Mirada Boulevard.
  • Directed County Attorney Jeffrey Steinsnyder to follow the recommendation made by outside counsel to approve the proposed settlement with Walgreens, and authorize the county attorney’s office to execute necessary documents for Pasco County to participate in the proposed settlement with this defendant.
  • Approved spending $425,000 to purchase affordable housing rental units.
  • Approved a 120-day extension for completion of an intersection improvement at Eiland Boulevard/Morris Bridge Road and State Road 54. The new completion date is set for Aug. 9, 2023.
  • Approved a budget amendment recognizing additional revenue for the library service department, through a state aid to libraries grant award of $144,793. The state aid to libraries grant is received annually, and the funds are used to purchase library books and electronic resources.
  • Approved funding for reimbursement grants from the Florida Sports Foundation to the county’s Destination Management Organization (DMO), in the amount of $32,677.82.

The reimbursement resulted from a higher-than-expected public participation at several events hosted by the DMO.

The board also discussed the need for a working arrangement with Pasco County Schools to open school playgrounds, basketball courts and other facilities, to allow families and children to enjoy using them.

Commissioner Christina Fitzpatrick said she has been working on the issue.

Commission Chairwoman Kathryn Starkey said opening up those facilities is long overdue. She, too, has been interested in making the facilities available for public use.

When there are more people congregated in areas, there’s a reduced chance for vandalism, because there are more people watching what’s happening there, the county board chairwoman said.

Published May 25, 2022

Pasco adopts moratorium regarding vehicle sales businesses

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Pasco County has adopted a temporary moratorium on the establishment or opening of any new or used car, truck or sales business — to give the county time to draft new regulations affecting that industry.

The moratorium, which applies to vehicle sales businesses in unincorporated parts of the county, does not apply to businesses that are currently planning to open a new business or to amend their current site plans, provided they are following the county’s regulations.

The intention is to halt a proliferation of businesses that are opening without following proper procedures, according to Commission Chairwoman Kathryn Starkey, who has championed the 180-day moratorium.

Ultimately, Starkey said, this step will benefit the businesses that either are currently operating within the county’s regulations or are seeking to open or expand their business under county-approved site plans.

The idea is to require everyone to play by the same rules, Starkey has said during previous discussions on the topic.

The county board unanimously approved the moratorium at its March 8 meeting.

An industry stakeholders’ meeting has been scheduled on April 13 to discuss potential changes to regulations, and to gather feedback and suggestions. To find out more about that meeting, interested parties can call Starkey’s district office or the county’s planning and development department.

In other action, the county board:

  • Approved a request by Eddie L. and Elizabeth A. Hill and Lennon, Inc./SR 54 & Morris Bridge Road to rezone slightly over 2 acres from an agricultural residential zoning to a general commercial zoning. The property is on the south side of State Road 54, about 310 feet east of Morris Bridge Road.
  • Approved a change to the county’s land use plan to increase the development potential on approximately 80 acres from one residential unit per acre to three residential units per acre, on a site that’s east of Handcart Road and north of Eiland Boulevard. A rezoning request will follow, seeking to change the zoning designation on the property to a master-planned unit development. The proposed site, Chapel Creek master-planned unit development phase II, will be required to opt into Villages of Pasadena Hills.
  • Approved an amendment to the land use plan to comply with a state requirement for local governments to amend their comprehensive plan to define “solar facility” using a standardized definition and to permit it as a use within agricultural land uses.
  • Approved a rezoning to allow a maximum of 200 single-family attached and detached dwelling units on approximately 40 acres, within Village F of the Villages of Pasadena Hills.

Published March 13, 2022

Work is moving ahead on area road projects

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Construction has restarted on a widening project on State Road 54, from east of Curley Road to east of Morris Bridge Road.

Cone & Graham has been awarded the contract to complete the project.

It began work on Jan. 10. Activities in the first few weeks will involve cleanup, surveying, and other tasks needed to safely resume construction, according to the Florida Department of Transportation’s District 7 website.

The $42.5 million project involves widening the existing two-lane road to a four-lane road with medians, the website says. A sidewalk will be built on the north side of the road and a 10-foot wide multi-use trail will be built on the south side.

The work stopped after the original project contractor notified FDOT on July 28, 2021, that it was stopping work on the project. The FDOT declared that contractor in default on Aug. 3.

FDOT projects have contract bonds issued by a surety company, which is a contract requirement. The surety company was required to obtain a completion contractor, which is Cone & Graham.

In other transportation-related news, a 4.2-mile section of the Ridge Road extension is now open, from Moon Lake Road to the Suncoast Parkway.

The other two lanes of the initial segment are expected to be finished later this year, and the second leg of the extension will extend the road to U.S. 41 in Land O’ Lakes.

That is expected to be completed in 2025, but could be done sooner if efforts by Pasco County leaders to seek $14 million in state funding during this legislative session are successful.

During the county board’s Jan. 11 meeting, Commissioner Mike Moore told his colleagues that he’d been up to Tallahassee to advocate for support for the funding and said he would be making another trip there to continue the push.

At the same meeting, County Administrator Dan Biles told the board that the northbound ramps onto Ridge Road should be open in February.

“We’re working on getting some equipment in place. As soon as the southbound ramps were open, we wanted traffic on it. So, that’s why there’s a different timeline for both of those,” he said.

He expects that segment of the road project to be completed in either late summer or the fall.

Biles said he hopes the county will be able to go out to bid for the extension over to U.S. 41 later this year.

However, Biles noted: “That will depend on whether or not we get part of the legislative ask, to help accelerate that piece.”

Published January 26, 2022

More residential and commercial growth coming to East Pasco

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Zephyrhills is hitting its stride as growth and development gain momentum along the traffic corridors of what is now Pasco County’s largest city.

The signs of new growth are everywhere along Zephyrhills’ major corridors including U.S. 301/Gall Boulevard, and State Road 56.

Construction is changing the city’s landscape.

Heavy equipment prepares land for the construction of a new Radiant Gas Station and other retail on the west side of Gall Boulevard, in Zephyrhills. (Fred Bellet)

New developments include The District at Abbott Square, a master-planned community behind the Sarah Vande Berg Tennis & Wellness Center, and Abbott Park, a residential community off Dean Dairy Road.

The Zephyrhills Municipal Airport is expanding and there’s new retail at Zephyr Commons shopping complex.

These signal the city’s increasing population.

It grew from more than 13,000 residents in 2010 to more than 17,000 residents in 2020, according to data from the 2020 U.S. Census.

In addition to Abbott Square and Abbott Park, Hidden River and the Links at Calusa Springs also are adding rooftops to Zephyrhills.

“The fact is that the need for housing is just exploding statewide. Tampa is running out of space,” said Todd Vande Berg, Zephyrhills’ planning director. “We were the next logical location.”

The view from the exit of Tropical Acres on Blue Lagoon Drive will soon change as ongoing construction site preparation will transform the east side of U.S. 301.

The widening of State Road 56 to four lanes opened Zephyrhills to more development, Vande Berg said.

He also noted that city officials have worked to ensure that residential projects were not “cookie-cutter.”

Abbott Square, as an example, will offer one-story villas, two-story townhouses, and will feature three different lot sizes.

“I think people appreciate that. Not all residential is on 40-foot-wide lots like every other development,” he said.

Preserving trees, installing sidewalks and adding trails are highlights of new residential development.

Zephyrhills is building on Pasco’s countywide efforts to attract tourism through an emphasis on sports facilities such as the Sarah Vande Berg Tennis Center.

In coming months, Vande Berg said the tennis center will add dormitories to accommodate increasing interest in tournaments and training opportunities.

The facility also is attracting new residential including the Abbott Square project. The Lennar Homes development, on Simons Road behind the tennis center, will build about 700 residential units of single-family houses, townhouses, and apartments.

West of Dade City on State Road 52, a new residential development, Abbey Glen, is under construction.

Abbott Park, off Kossik Road near Zephyr Commons, is a new residential community by Metro Places.

Summerstone is a new single-family and townhome development, off State Road 56, west of Morris Bridge Road. It is located in Wesley Chapel, just a short distance west of Zephyrhills.

Chipotle’s restaurant recently opened at Zephyr Commons. Planet Fitness had a recent ribbon-cutting. Chick-Fil-A opened, too, on an outparcel of the shopping center on the northeast corner with Pretty Pond Road.

More retail is anticipated. And plans for the site include about 400 residential units.

The Pretty Pond intersection is becoming a hub for Zephyrhills shoppers, who are adding Zephyr Commons to their destinations along with established plazas along Gall Boulevard (U.S. 301), including Merchants Square, Towne View Square Shopping Center, and North Town Center.

On the west side of Gall Boulevard, at Pretty Pond, the former site of Rainbow Court and Brightside Manor mobile home park, is being prepped for new commercial development. A sign planted at the site advertises a coming Radiant gas station and convenience store. A car wash also is anticipated at the site.

Zephyrhills’ downtown, on Fifth Avenue, is enjoying its own commercial revival.

The opening of Zephyrhills Brewing Company in 2016 set the stage for renewed interest in downtown, said Melonie Monson, president, and chief executive officer of The Greater Zephyrhills Chamber of Commerce.

“It has been an economic driver,” she said. “It’s brought traffic in on weekends.”

New shops opening within the past year include Vintage Chix, a boutique clothing store; A.O.K., a sports bar featuring axe throwing; and Your Turn, a board game café that serves coffee, sandwiches, pastries, and a choice of hundreds of board games to play.

A site preparation worker makes his way through a parcel of land on Gall Boulevard, just south of North Town Center on Gall Boulevard in Zephyrhills.

Tina & Joe’s Café opened recently in the historic Jeffries House, built in 1910 for Zephyrhills’s founder Captain A. B. Jeffries. The café serves salads, sandwiches, lobster rolls and desserts.

Also, Planet Jupiter, a hookah lounge, is “coming soon” to a storefront on Fifth Avenue.

“Our downtown is really growing,” said Monson.

On Gall Boulevard, near downtown, Jerry’s Crystal Bar reopened after being ravaged by fire in 2020.

Checkers on Gall and Culver’s on Eiland Boulevard are new additions to the quick service food options.

The chamber recently hosted a ribbon-cutting for Hoops Heaven, on Chancey Road along the city’s industrial corridor. The indoor training facility offers basketball training for youth in the Zephyrhills and Wesley Chapel area.

Hoops Heaven adds to both Zephyrhills’ and Pasco County’s goal of advocating for sports and ecotourism to build economic growth and bring jobs, Vande Berg said.

“Someone came from out of town and saw a need for youth basketball,” the planning director said.

By Kathy Steele

Published January 05, 2022

State Road 54 work expected to resume this month

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Work on a project to widen State Road 54 — from Curley Road to Morris Bridge Road — is expected to resume on Dec. 20, according to Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) District Seven Secretary David Gwynn.

Gwynn recently updated the board of the Pasco Metropolitan Planning Organization regarding the status of three construction projects that were stalled this summer, when the contractor handling the work defaulted.

“It was the end of July when DAB  (Contractors) defaulted, more or less put us on notice that they were not financially able to continue to complete the projects,” Gwynn said.

The FDOT notified the surety, which provides the bond on the project, that is responsible for bringing in a replacement contractor to complete the work.

It typically takes two to four months to bring a replacement contractor on board, Gwynn said.

In addition to the State Road 54 project, work also was stopped on the diverging diamond interchange project at State Road 56 and Interstate 75; and on the State Road 52 project, on State Road 52, from the Suncoast Parkway to U.S. 41, including a portion of U.S. 41.

Work has resumed on the diverging diamond project, with Superior Construction handling the job. That’s the same company that’s building the realignment of State Road 52 in East Pasco.

“They jumped onto the diverging diamond. One thing they just recently did, it wasn’t really required of them in the contract, but for the Christmas holiday season, opened up an additional lane on State Road 56 to try to help with the merchants in the area and be able to provide a little better service during the shopping season,” Gwynn said.

The contractor expects to have the new configuration completed by summer 2022, Gwynn said.

The State Road 52 project is being handled by a company called PCS (previously known as Pepper). The work has begun, but there’s still about two years left on that project, the FDOT officials said.

“The one that’s given us the most challenge has been State Road 54, for a variety of reasons,” he said.

That work will be completed by Cone & Graham, which is the company that is building the county’s Ridge Road project and that built the State Road 56 extension, Gwynn said.

Gwynn also noted there are some traffic issues at the new leg of an intersection at Meadow Pointe Boulevard and State Road 54, which has to do with an equipment issue. He said that is expected to be corrected in coming weeks.

The Pasco MPO — made up of representatives of Pasco County, Dade City, Zephyrhills, Port Richey and New Port Richey — is the lead transportation planning agency in Pasco County.

Published December 15, 2021

Pasco officials: Open Ridge Road extension ASAP

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Pasco County officials are pushing to open the Ridge Road extension to the Suncoast Parkway interchange, as soon as the road is ready.

But Pasco County Commissioner Jack Mariano said that Florida’s Turnpike Enterprise may want to delay the opening.

“They may not have the tolling equipment in place. They may hold back, opening the road,” Mariano told his colleagues, during the board’s Nov. 9 meeting.

“If they don’t have the toll stuff on the roads ready, I think you guys agree, we should just open the road. Let the people start traveling. It’s the people’s money that built it, one way or the other, anyway. Let’s get it going,” Mariano said.

Commissioner Mike Moore agreed, putting it this way: “We need to open this, in the first of December. If they want to continue with holding this up, I will be out there with an orange vest and a flag. And, I’m the last person they want to see on that road, directing traffic every day.”

County Administrator Dan Biles told the board there are efforts underway to persuade Florida’s Turnpike Enterprise to change its position.

“The road is on the verge of being ready for traffic. We expect sometime in the next 30 days, the road — to include the interchange at the Suncoast (Parkway) — to be ready for traffic,” Biles said.

That would extend Ridge Road from Moon Lake Road all of the way to the Suncoast Parkway interchange.

“The one thing holding up finishing it up is the tolling equipment on the north side of Ridge Road —not, on the south side, because there’s a gantry on the south between Ridge and (State Road) 54, that already exists, already tolls at $1.07 a passenger vehicle.

“That tolling equipment (on the north side) may not be in until sometime next spring,” Biles said.

“Right now, the tolling authority is saying, ‘Hey, we want to wait until that’s in, to open it.’”

But Biles said the county’s position is and has been: “No. The second we can put traffic on Ridge Road and the interchange, we need to put traffic on Ridge Road and the interchange.

“Once it’s ready, it should be opened,” Biles reiterated. “It’s an immediate traffic reliever.”

If discussions don’t resolve the issue, the board authorized Commission Chairman Ron Oakley to write a letter to the Turnpike Enterprise, and others that he and Biles identify, to try to get the road opened as soon as possible.

In a related note, Moore told his colleagues that he has requested Rep. Ardian Zika and State Sen. Ed Hooper to  file a state appropriation request for $14 million to support phase two of the Ridge Road extension over to U.S. 41.

Both legislators have agreed to seek the funding, Moore said, which would speed completion of that segment.

“Hopefully, we’ll be hearing some good news, during the (legislative) session,” Moore said.

In other area roadwork news, the construction company Cone & Graham is expected in coming weeks to begin doing the completion work on a widening project on State Road 54, from Curley Road to Morris Bridge Road, according to an update from the District Seven office of the Florida Department of Transportation.

The construction company also will be doing work for Pasco County, at Eiland Boulevard, according to the information from FDOT.

Construction work on the widening of State Road 54 was halted by the previous construction company and the surety company is responsible for bringing the work to completion through a conclusion contractor.

Published Nov. 24, 2021

Work resumes on State Road 52 widening

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Construction has restarted on State Road 52, near the Suncoast Parkway, in Land O’ Lakes.

A new contractor, PCS Civil Inc., began work on Oct. 25.

The contractor is expected to spend a few weeks doing cleanup, surveying and other tasks necessary to safely resume operations, according to an update from the Florida Department of Transportation’s (FDOT) District Seven office.

Work on the project stopped on July 28, 2021, when the original contractor notified FDOT that it was halting work on the project. The state transportation department declared the contractor in default on Aug. 3.

Pipes await a crew on the south side right of way, along State Road 56. Construction again has started up on a project aimed at easing congestion at the State Road 56 and Interstate 75 interchange, in Wesley Chapel. (File)

The FDOT requires its contracts to have bonds issued by a surety company.

The surety company was required to obtain a completion contractor and chose PCS Civil Inc.

The State Road 52 project calls for widening the road to a six-lane divided highway from the Suncoast Parkway to east of U.S. 41.

The contract also includes widening U.S. 41 for approximately 1 mile, approaching the State Road 52 intersection. A 12-foot wide multi-use trail — to be built along the north side of State Road 52 — is another element of the project.

The estimated cost for the State Road 52 widening is $49.8 million, according to FDOT’s website.

While work has resumed on State Road 52, it is expected to begin again soon on the State Road 54 widening, from Curley Road to Morris Bridge Road, according to the FDOT update.

The prospective completion contractor is sending the surety company an updated price proposal.

A completion contract is expected to be with the surety by Nov. 12, with execution of the contract to follow. Once that occurs, the contractor is expected to begin work within a week.

In the meantime, mowing and litter removal is expected to occur.

Another project that had been halted involves the construction of the Diverging Diamond Interchange (DDI) project being built at the State Road 56 and Interstate 75 interchange.

That work stopped June 25, when the contractor informed FDOT it was halting work on the project. On July 1, FDOT declared the contractor in default.

Work resumed on Sept. 13, after Superior Construction Company Southeast LLC was selected by the surety company to complete the work.

The project, estimated at $33.6 million, is now expected to finished in summer 2022, according to FDOT’s website.

The project will reconfigure the State Road 56/I-75 interchange between County Road 54 and Cypress Ridge Boulevard.

The existing diamond interchange at the intersection will be converted to a DDI.

The main change will be to diverge, or cross, State Road 56 traffic to the left side of the road through the interchange, and then cross vehicles back over to the right side of the road on the opposite side of the interchange, according to a description on FDOT’s website.

The changes will help to alleviate traffic congestion to reduce travel time for motorists in this rapidly growing area.

A DDI was chosen for the State Road 56/I-75 interchange because of the proven ability of this traffic configuration to increase safety and capacity while using a large amount of the existing interchange footprint, including the existing bridge, according to FDOT.

The DDI also was chosen because of its ability to handle heavy left-turn volumes, such as the westbound to southbound movement from State Road 56 to southbound I-75.

For more information about these or other FDOT projects in Pasco or Hillsborough counties, visit FDOTtampabay.com.

Published November 10, 2021

Roadway connectivity is key to Zephyrhills’ economic vitality

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The Zephyrhills area has experienced burgeoning activity in the way of residential growth and commercial development.

Pasco County Commission chairman Ron Oakley has witnessed it firsthand, since being elected in 2016.

“Zephyrhills has been a very good, working city,” said Oakley, who represents District 1, which covers areas in East and Central Pasco.

“Economically, they’ve done very well over the years, and I mean, it just didn’t start here lately, it’s been that way.

Pasco County Commission chairman Ron Oakley was a featured guest speaker during the fifth annual Zephyrhills Economic Summit in October, at Zephyrhills City Hall. (File)

“They have a good council here, and they have good planners and others,” the county board leader said.

But Oakley is especially enthused about the forthcoming roadway connectivity in and out of the city limits — which he detailed as one of the featured speakers at the fifth annual Zephyrhills Economic Summit held last month, at Zephyrhills City Hall.

The Oct. 13 event was organized by the City of Zephyrhills, Greater Zephyrhills Chamber of Commerce, Zephyrhills Economic Development Coalition, Main Street Zephyrhills, Pasco Economic Development Council (Pasco EDC), and AdventHealth Zephyrhills/Dade City.

These were among the finished or active projects that Oakley highlighted:

  • State Road 56 extension, from Meadow Pointe Boulevard in Wesley Chapel to U.S. 301 in Zephyrhills
  • Wire Road pavement rehabilitation
  • County Road 54, east to 23rd Street, which includes traffic signals, turn lanes, and multi-use path
  • U.S. 301/Pretty Pond Road, which includes traffic signals and median improvements

“Those are great things happening, because that’s going to help everybody move around better,” Oakley said.

Some countywide roadway upgrades also will benefit the municipality, too, Oakley noted.

That includes the $33.6 million diverging diamond interchange at Interstate 75 and State Road 56, which is expected to be completed in summer 2022.

Oakley put it like this: “What good is a diverging diamond to Zephyrhills? Well, economically, it helps people get in and out of the area, and it helps them get here, and then also to get out of here.”

There’s also the $64 million interstate interchange on I-75 at Overpass Road, south of State Road 52, scheduled for completion in late 2022 or early 2023.

“That’s going to help divide that traffic up from (State Road) 56, to Overpass to (State Road) 54 and then (State Road) 52,” Oakley said.

By spreading the traffic out, “your movement will be much better,” he explained.

Oakley was quick to point out that these big-ticket roadway infrastructure projects would not be possible without the mobility fees paid by surrounding growth and development.

“None of this happens without the fact that we’re doing a lot of residential development that brings in impact fees (mobility fees) and school impact fees that builds schools, and also pays for the roads that you see,” he said.

Large developments are in progress
Oakley also told the crowd about some of the large-scale developments that he said, “are cropping up everywhere around the city.”

He directed attention to Two Rivers, a master-planned unit development (MPUD) zoning off State Road 56, between Morris Bridge Road and U.S. 301.

Roadway infrastructure improvements — such as the Overpass Road connection with Interstate 75 — were a key theme during the fifth annual Zephyrhills Economic Summit.

The project is substantial.

The county has approved up to 6,400 residences, more than 2.6 million square feet of office and industrial, and 630,000 square feet of commercial uses.

The 3,405-acre property’s southern boundary is on the north side of County Line Road, and its northern boundary is on the north side of State Road 56.

The Two Rivers development also includes a site for an elementary school, middle school and high school, an 80-acre district park and a public safety site.

“All these developments are going to bring more people into the economy of Zephyrhills; very important for that economy,” Oakley said. “Those people coming in will be really helping a lot of businesses here in Zephyrhills.”

The speaker acknowledged the possible strain on services and utilities such as water and sewer, but assured local citizens that the county is well-prepared.

“There’s nothing wrong with good, planned growth,” Oakley said.

The commissioner also shared his vision and standards for new residential developments popping up in East Pasco.

These large developments, the commissioner said, should entail “good architectural views, good landscaping, and a place you’d be proud to live in.”

In the same breath, he pushed back on small-lot housing subdivisions.

“I honestly believe that we shouldn’t have 40-foot lots,” he said. “We have some, and they work, I guess, somewhere, but they’re really too small.”

He continued, “We want to build a whole residential development that’s more of a community, and not houses right beside each other, with no landscaping. We want something to be proud of in Pasco.”

Elsewhere, Oakley mentioned the county is working on plans to help small businesses, in the way of zero-interest loans, grants and other assistance programs.

“They’re pretty much the backbone of our community, when you think about all the small businesses,” said Oakley. “We have the big businesses, and they’re a different source themselves, but small business is very important.”

State Rep. Danny Burgess, R-Zephyrhills

Burgess bullish on Zephyrhills armory
State Rep. Danny Burgess, R- Zephyrhills also participated in the economic summit, speaking virtually from his Tallahassee office.

His remarks focused on the forthcoming Florida National Guard Armory coming to Zephyrhills that is set to be located near the city’s municipal airport.

State lawmakers earmarked $25 million for the construction of the project during the past legislative session.

Burgess described the project as “a first-of-its kind, state-of-the-art armory.”

He said it will employ many full-time Army officers during the week, plus hundreds of soldiers and service people visiting on weekends.

The legislator views the armory as “a big economic driver” for the city, where soldiers and service members “work and eat and stay and play in our community.”

“It’s not just a military installation, it’s not just a home for the National Guard,” Burgess said. “It’s going to be really good, and it’s moving fast, so we should hopefully have some great direction here soon.”

What makes the project even more special, Burgess said, is that Zephyrhills is a community that has deep military roots and a record of support for the armed forces.

The city was founded by Civil War veteran Capt. Howard B. Jeffries, as a retirement area for union soldiers.

The city’s airport property was used by the U.S. Army in the 1940s as a training airfield for combat pilots.

“We should all be very, very proud of this,” Burgess added of the armory.

Burgess went on to praise the city’s windfall in the latest state budget, which included several appropriations, including $6.5 million for water and wastewater improvements on Handcart Road; $4.6 million for improvements to the Sarah Vande Berg Tennis & Wellness Center; and $3 million for improvements to the Zephyrhills Municipal Airport.

Said Burgess, “It’s a testament to our community, to the things that are happening in our community, to the businesses in our community and our community leaders.”

As a sign of the municipality’s wave of progress, back in June Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis appeared at Zephyrhills City Hall for a state budget-signing ceremony— penning into law a record-setting $101.5 billion budget for fiscal year 2021-2022.

The invite-only press conference drew several dozens of area residents, business owners and government officials, in a standing-room only affair.

Burgess also credited Florida Senate President Wilton Simpson (R-Trilby) for his continuous support of Zephyrhills at the state level.

“He has always looked out for that community, and he sees the value in our location geographically and from an infrastructure standpoint, and he just wants to see us succeed,” Burgess said.

Other featured presentations during the summit came from Zephyrhills Planning Director Todd Vande Berg; David Waronker, CBD Real Estate Investment president; Randy Stovall, Zephyrhills Economic Development Coalition chairman; and Tom Ryan, Pasco Economic Development Coalition director of business development.

Zephyrhills is now Pasco’s biggest city
The City of Zephyrhills has surpassed New Port Richey as Pasco County’s biggest city, based on data collected in the 2020 U.S. Census.

The Pasco County Commission discussed the shift during its board meeting on Oct. 26, noting that it will have to make some new appointments to boards that include a representative from the county’s largest municipality.

Census data reports that Zephyrhills had a population of 17,194 on April 1, 2020. Its population was 13,288 as of April 1, 2010.

New Port Richey’s population was 16,728 on April 1, 2020, compared to 14,911 on April 1, 2010.

Census figures for local jurisdictions include:

Jurisdiction                             April 1, 2020               April 1, 2010
Pasco County                          561,891                       464,697
Zephyrhills                              17,194                         13,288
Dade City                                7,550                           6,437
New Port Richey                     16,728                         14,911
Hillsborough County               1,459,762                    1,229,226
Tampa                                     384,959                       335,709

Pasco County Commissioners discussed Zephyrhills’ shift to become the county’s largest city, noting that it will mean that some appointments will need to change next year because certain boards require representation from the county’s largest city.

Published November 03, 2021

Diverging Diamond work resumes

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Superior Construction Company Southeast LLC began working on the completion of the Diverging Diamond Interchange (DDI) last week, at State Road 56 and Interstate 75.

Work activities in the first few weeks will involve cleanup, surveying, and other tasks needed to safely resume construction. The project is expected to be completed in summer 2022, according to information on the Florida Department of Transportation’s website.

Pipes await a crew on the south side right of way, along State Road 56. Construction starts up again in the creation of the diverging diamond road design. (Fred Bellet)

Activities last week were expected to include mobilization of labor, equipment and materials, erosion control, survey, jobsite cleanup of debris and office setup, according to an update provided by Kris Carson, spokeswoman for the District 7 office of the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT).

Minor pothole and erosion control repairs were completed last week by the interim maintenance contractor, the update adds, with maintenance responsibility expected to be fully transitioned to Superior by Sept. 20.

The project will reconfigure the I-75/State Road 56 interchange between County Road 54 and Cypress Ridge Boulevard, in Pasco County.

The existing diamond interchange will be modified and converted to a DDI.

The main change will be to diverge, or cross, State Road 56 traffic to the left side of the road through the interchange, and then cross vehicles back over to the right side of the road on the opposite side of the interchange.

The changes will help to alleviate traffic congestion at this interchange to reduce travel time for motorists in this rapidly growing area, according to information posted on FDOT’s website.

Crews again have begun work on the diverging diamond road design at State Road 56 and Interstate 75. Here, crews work on 1-75, under the State Road 56 overpass. Heavy equipment can be seen moving dirt.

A DDI was chosen for the I-75/State Road 56 interchange because of the proven ability of this traffic configuration to increase safety and capacity while using a large amount of the existing interchange footprint, including the existing bridge, according to FDOT.

The DDI also was chosen because of its ability to handle heavy left-turn volumes, such as the westbound to southbound movement from State Road 56 to southbound I-75.

The new interchange at State Road 56 will reduce vehicle delays by allowing traffic to enter the interstate without waiting at a left-turn signal. To do this, traffic is redirected from the right side of the bridge to the left side.

Signalized crossovers are positioned at each side of the interchange, and are designed to cross eastbound and westbound State Road 56 traffic with no turning movements at these two intersections. This design allows for more efficient signal timing, which reduces delay times, minimizes conflict points, and enables the interchange to more effectively handle higher volumes of traffic while eliminating the more serious crashes associated with a conventional interchange.

These types of interchanges operate under two-phase signal control, which reduces lost time, delays and queue lengths at traffic signals.

Safety features include lower design speeds between ramps and a reduction in the number of conflict points. The lower speeds result in less severe crashes.

The design also fosters increased safety for pedestrians and bicycles, and better sight distance at turns.

The expected benefits for the interchange are an increase in capacity and pedestrian safety while reducing vehicle delays and crashes. These benefits will be achieved by an increased number of lanes, improved pedestrian facilities, more efficient signal timings and reduced vehicle conflict points, the FDOT says.

Future project updates on the diverging diamond will be provided at FDOT’s website, at FDOTTampaBay.com/.

Carson also provided updates on other projects that were halted when DAB Constructors ceased operations.

State Road 52, Suncoast Parkway to U.S. 41
The surety has received bids from prospective completion contractors on Sept. 9 and is evaluating the bids.

Quail Ridge requested additional delineation at entrance; additional barrels were placed on Sept. 17.

New Beginning Family Ministry requested additional mowing at their entrance, which was performed on Sept. 16.

Work continues on necessary pothole and silt fence repairs throughout the site.

State Road 54, from Curley Road to Morris Bridge Road
The surety responded to questions from prospective bidders, posting those responses on Sept. 14. Bids are expected to be received the end of September.

The surety’s subcontractor has been mowing, performing litter control and filling potholes at side streets and driveways throughout the project.

Emerald Striping is receiving school ahead sign panels to be installed by early next week. The flashing beacons for the signs are expected to be installed within three weeks to five weeks.

Also, FDOT maintenance crews have been onsite filling in washouts behind sidewalks project-wide.

Driveways and side streets milling was scheduled to begin on Sept. 18, with paving scheduled to begin this week.

Published September 22, 2021