The Laker/Lutz News

Pasco Avenue

Efforts set to begin to address flooding problems at intersection

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Stormwater drainage improvements are coming to the intersection of 15th Street and Main Avenue in Dade City — an area officials say has been long plagued by flooding problems.

Long-awaited stormwater issues will soon be resolved at the 15th Street and Main Avenue intersection in Dade City. (Courtesy of Dade City Public Works Director Bryan Holmes)

The intersection runs between Cox Elementary School and Watson Park. It also is near the future site of The Cove, a 10-unit Habitat for Humanity residential development.

Dade City Commissioners on March 9 voted unanimously to award the construction project to Tampa-based Kamminga & Roodvoets Inc. The company’s bid of $94,753 was the lowest of four submitted. Others came in at $122,460.25, $125,750 and $147,130.

The project scope calls for installing curb inlets and storm pipe at the intersection; constructing concrete curb; installing pavement and an asphalt wing; installing a ditch bottom inlet and constructing ditch pavement to match the street’s existing ditch grade, among other improvements. The contractor has 100 calendar days to achieve substantial completion.

The project was originally budgeted for $95,000, from the Penny for Pasco local government infrastructure surtax fund.

The city, in 2019, obtained engineering design services of Wood Environmental and Infrastructure Inc., to prepare bid-ready construction drawings for the drainage improvements. The engineer’s cost estimate at the time was $89,120.

Mayor Camille Hernandez described the project as “long-needed” and “overdue.”

“I’m very pleased to see this and happy that we awarded that (bid),” Hernandez said. “The folks (in the neighborhood) we have met at different times and stages are looking forward to that, and there’s a lot of development happening with The Cove and other things.”

Kamminga & Roodvoets also was the contractor on the city’s recent multimillion downtown stormwater piping system spanning Seventh Street, Pasco Avenue, Third Street, Meridian Avenue and other areas.

Published March 24, 2021

Busy 2021 anticipated for East Pasco communities

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The East Pasco municipalities of Dade City and Zephyrhills are poised for a busy 2021 in terms of infrastructure, development and other community programs.

Here’s a closer look at some of the highlights in the new year:

Dade City

A rendering of the type of large-sized heart-shaped sculptures that will be installed at city-owned properties in the downtown area. (File)

Let’s get artsy
“The Heart of Pasco County” moniker soon can be taken on quite literally in Dade City — in the form of an outdoor, permanent public artwork exhibit.
The Dade City Center for the Arts in February will celebrate the installation of a new outdoor public art exhibition — in the form of about a dozen 8-foot-tall metal heart sculptures painted by local artists and installed throughout historic, downtown Dade City.
Proposed locations for the 3D heart sculptures, which will have varied artwork patterns on each, include:

  • Hibiscus Park
  • City Hall/Police station alcove entrance or nearby
  • Green space entrance to Hardy Trail
  • Meridian Avenue/U.S. 301 intersection, near Dade City Heritage and Cultural Museum
  • Naomi S. Jones Park
  • Whitehouse historical landmark on Old Lakeland Highway
  • Lock Street/Hardy Trail intersection
  • Agnes Lamb Park near Meridian Avenue
  • Price Park
  • Watson Park
  • Dade City Garden Club
The Dade City Center for the Arts is facilitating more community art programs.

The community initiative is designed not only to color up the downtown area, but also to use public artwork as a photo opportunity and marketing tool, to encourage residents and visitors alike to stroll throughout city limits. More frills include installing QR codes on each sculpture mapping out the location of other city landmarks and providing information about a particular artist or meaning of the artwork itself.
The entire concept is similar to outdoor art events in other cities that bring together artists’ creativity with a sculptural icon that relates to the city. In Dade City’s case, its official seal has a heart shape surrounded by kumquats in its center.
The city’s arts center also has been approved to create a wall mural at the site of the former CenturyLink building at Hardy Trail and Eighth Street.

 

 

Dade City’s visitor information center will be built adjacent to the Roy Hardy Trail on Church Avenue. (City of Dade City)

Visitor’s information center coming
Roy Hardy Trail cyclists and exercisers alike will have a spot to take a breath, relax and learn about the happenings in their community all at once.
It comes in the form of a visitor’s information center adjacent to the Hardy Trail on Church Avenue.
The 1,380-square-foot open floor space will feature informational kiosks and mobile displays for all county tourism amenity partners.
The building also will be accompanied by two porches and a bike rack — its location designed to offer easy access off the Hardy Trail for users to gather and rest. The facility will have two family bathrooms, as well.
A groundbreaking is slated sometime in early 2021, with completion expected in the summer.
The project is funded with the help of a $250,000 grant from the Pasco County Tourist Development Council.

Sprucing up downtown
Dade City leaders have made it a priority for 2021 and beyond to ensure that the city’s historic downtown area is safe, clean and generally more desirable to stroll through.
The city is moving forward with plans to install additional crosswalks along Seventh Street and Meridian Avenue, and is improving stormwater drainage near Seventh Street and Pasco Avenue.
It also is exploring traffic-calming initiatives to reduce vehicle speeds. And, it is making public parking space changes, boulevard additions, and encouraging landscaped parklets to create additional outdoor seating areas.
Additional resources also will be dedicated to downtown cleanup — including mowing, weeding and litter patrol of city-owned properties in the Community Redevelopment Area.
Meanwhile, the city’s public works team is in the midst of enhancing the lighting downtown parking lots, as well as Agnes Lamb Park on Ninth Street.

Could Dade City try to leverage its recreation amenities, such as motocross, as it embarks on a rebranding effort? (File)

Marketing rebrand in the works?
The City of Dade City is plotting a full-scale marketing rebrand to capitalize on residential and tourism growth in Pasco County and Tampa Bay area, at large.

The city has earmarked $40,000 in this fiscal year’s budget toward a marketing and advertising plan, promotional activities and other contractual services.
But, before that money, and possibly much more, is allocated specifically, Dade City commissioners want to hear what the public thinks — and that includes local business owners, residents and other stakeholders.

Efforts to gather input throughout the year could take form in charrettes, surveys, monthly forums, and even door-to-door visits.

How to best promote its current and forthcoming amenities remains the looming question.
Does the city try to emphasize its unique collection of downtown shops and restaurants? Focus more on recreation attractions inside and outside the city limits? Leverage its budding reputation as a location for rural destination weddings? Or, perhaps will it simply brand itself as an ideal location to raise a family?


City of Zephyrhills

The rebuilding Jerry’s Crystal Bar is set to open in early 2021 on Gall Boulevard. (Courtesy of Jerry’s Crystal Bar)

Iconic business to reopen
The longest-operating bar in Zephyrhills is set to reopen in early 2021 — almost two years since it was destroyed by a fire.
The original Jerry’s Crystal Bar had been in business since 1954, at 5707 Gall Blvd.
That all changed in May 2019 when a two-alarm fire electrical in nature suffocated the building’s attic and roof, yielding a total loss.
A complete rebuild of the iconic, family owned establishment is coming along swimmingly since a May 2020 groundbreaking. The bar’s owners expect a grand opening ceremony in January or February.
The new building takes on an elevated, modernized look and is nearly double the size of the old structure. It also falls under the requirements of the city’s form-based code for the U.S. 301/Gall Boulevard corridor area, whereby the facade is aligned right up to the street with a wide sidewalk and all parking is situated behind the bar.

A rendering of the U.S. 301/Pretty Pond Road intersection project (File)

U.S. 301 intersection project to spur commercial activity
The completion of an intersection improvement at U.S. 301/Pretty Pond Road, expected in mid-2021, is expected to open up opportunities for increased commercial development.

The $2.3 million state-funded project calls for new traffic signals on U.S. 301 at Pretty Pond and at Medical Arts Court/ Townview Avenue, along with other median and roadway improvements.
Once construction is complete, the area is poised to land Chick-fil-A and Chipotle chain restaurants, among several other businesses and attractions.

Residential developments popping up
Don’t be surprised if “The City of Pure Water” get a little more crowded in 2021 and beyond.

Significant progress or completion is expected on a number of large-scale residential developments throughout the municipality.

With myriad new homes on deck, small town Zephyrhills is going to get a little more crowded. (File)

A slew of new housing communities is actively underway — such as Abbott Square, 700-plus units surrounding the new Sarah Vande Berg Tennis & Wellness Center off Simons Road; and Abbott Park, 500-plus units tucked behind the Zephyr Commons Publix Shopping Center, off Gall Boulevard.

Other notable homesites include the Link at Calusa Springs, north of Silverado Golf & Country Club; the Oaks at Pasco, southeast of Silverado Golf & Country Club; and Skybird Properties, off Alston Road near the municipal airport.

Simply put, the city’s real estate market is “very hot right now,” Zephyrhills Planning Director Todd Vande Berg said earlier this year.

“I don’t know where all these people are coming from, but these housing subdivisions are selling homes for over $300,000 with HOAs and CDDs. I wasn’t sure how that’d work in Zephyrhills, but you drive up to Silverado and before the lot infrastructure is completed, you’re seeing a ‘Sold’ sign, so it is amazing.

“Even through this COVID-19 environment, the residential housing…has really stayed very strong, which helps the city from a budget and revenue standpoint,” said Vande Berg.

More bells and whistles for tennis center?
Could the newly opened Sarah Vande Berg Tennis & Wellness Center continue to add to its wide range of features this year?

The northeast corner of the Sarah Vande Berg Tennis & Wellness Center on Simons Road is reserved for a an indoor multipurpose sports complex. (Courtesy of Sarah Vande Berg Tennis & Wellness Center)

Well, the City of Zephyrhills and the Zephyrhills City Council are giving strong consideration to a second request for state funding to expand the state-of-the-art facility on Simons Road.

The northeast corner of the 10-acre property has been reserved for a 30,000-square-foot indoor multi-purpose sports complex — enough room to handle four full-sized tennis courts, and can also be converted to accommodate soccer, weddings and even concerts.

This past year, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis vetoed a $1.5 million appropriation for the Phase II project from the state’s budget amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

But that might not stop city leaders from continuing to push for the project. Appropriation requests for this year must be submitted to the state by early February.

The $4.9 million tennis center, which opened in September, already includes numerous courts and other amenities.

Published January 06, 2021

Dade City flood relief in final stages

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Construction is nearing completion on a project in downtown Dade City — which aims to address flooding that plagued the area for years.

The project involves installing new underground stormwater piping.

The concrete pipeline has been lengthened longer than its initial 2,400-linear-foot projections, said Abu Nazmurreza, Dade City’s public works director. New curb drains also have been incorporated.

Behind Dade City’s City Hall, a portion of Pasco Avenue is being unearthed to facilitate new piping. This is one of several routes to see pipe placement that will help diminish flooding in the downtown region. (File)

These improvements will ease the flow of rainwater as it goes down the piping system, passing U.S. 98 and the CSX railway, to the east. The water is then stored in Irvin Pond.

The new system runs from Seventh Street’s intersections with Church Avenue and Pasco Avenue. Then it heads east on Pasco Avenue to Third Street, before heading north up to Meridian Avenue.

Although the majority of construction has been completed, work on Pasco Avenue still needs to be done, Nazmurreza said.

“We are installing a new 6-inch water main through Pasco [Avenue] between Eighth Street and Fifth Street,” he added.

Currently, there are sections of Pasco Avenue that are still unearthed and await repaving.

The Florida Department of Environmental Protection has to certify the completion of the project by analyzing water pressure, and checking for any bacterial content.

At that point, the existing pipeline will connect with the new one, and Pasco Avenue will be resurfaced.

Modifications also have been made to Irvin Pond to better accommodate the additional stormwater.

The body of water has been expanded by 50% from its original width, according to Nazmurreza.

“The pond on Canal Street was not sufficient enough for taking all the water from the downtown area,” he explained.

The wider area also will extend the time period for the wastewater to be treated.

And Canal Street, east of the pond, has had its culvert pipe reconfigured, as well.

The metal pipe has been replaced with concrete piping, due to rusting.

The street will have to undergo repaving now that the new culvert pipe has been installed.

The road has been temporarily laid with gravel for motorists.

The $1.8 million project is scheduled to wrap up in the coming weeks, Nazmurreza said.

Currently, a detour has to be made on Pasco Avenue. Shop owners, however, are not currently affected by construction.

Published March 18, 2020

Dade City announces road closures for stormwater project

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The City of Dade City has announced updated road closures that will take effect after the Kumquat Festival, for when construction resumes on the city’s downtown stormwater capital improvement project.

Following the Jan. 25 festival, Seventh Street will be closed between Church Avenue and Pasco Avenue, for approximately one month to complete construction of the stormwater improvements, and provide a staging area for equipment and materials. Pasco Avenue will remain open to two-way traffic between Seventh Street and Fifth Street until the water main construction, anticipated in March.

While Seventh Street will be closed, the city has secured permission from several private property owners to be able to utilize their existing parking areas for public use.

Customers can utilize the city’s public parking areas on Eighth Street and Pasco Avenue, as well as Bank of America and the former site for San Antonio Credit Union on Church Avenue. Additionally, on-street parking will be available in surrounding blocks.

City officials are encouraging visitors traversing the downtown area to watch for construction crew members, and yield to all the construction signs and workers. Traffic patterns and detours will change in the upcoming weeks as construction continues, city officials say.

The city will be posting regular updates in the upcoming weeks on their website at DadeCityFl.com.

For more information, call (352) 523-5050.

Published January 08, 2020

Dade City project put ‘on hold’ for Kumquat Festival

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Trying to ease concerns from downtown merchants, the City of Dade City’s massive downtown stormwater capital improvement project will be halted until after the Jan. 25 Kumquat Festival.

The work stoppage will come with a price tag not to exceed $65,000 — as contractor Kamminga & Roodvoets (K&R) will need to place temporary asphalt from Pasco Avenue to Sixth Street, and remove all construction staging equipment for the week leading up to and after the festival.

Heavy construction machinery is spread out all along Pasco Avenue, as work is underway on Dade City’s $2.3 million downtown stormwater improvement project. The area will be cleaned up and temporarily paved for the week of the Kumquat Festival. (Kevin Weiss)

Commissioners unanimously approved the construction change order “not to exceed $65,000” during a Dec. 17 special meeting.

Under the work order, the contractor will install the asphalt, then remove it after the Kumquat Festival, so crews can resume installing pipes, generally from Pasco Avenue to Seventh Street to the intersection of Pasco Avenue and Fifth Street.

Commissioners took the action after downtown business owners and merchants pleaded with city officials earlier this month to pause the project. They feared that construction work zones could negatively impact the safety and overall experience of festival vendors and attendees, and in turn, local businesses.

The annual festival, in its 23rd year, is expected to draw more than 400 vendors and 35,000 visitors, with an estimated economic impact of almost $900,000.

Dade City business leaders originally called for the stormwater project to be delayed until April altogether, so as to not disrupt the busy winter season where northern snowbird residents and other visitors flock to the city.

But, that suggestion was strongly discouraged by Doug Benjamin, K&R’s vice president of Florida field operations, at the Dec. 17 meeting.

He told commissioners delaying the project until April “is a very bad idea,” noting it would create scheduling conflicts with K&R crews scheduled to be on other jobs, and interfere with Florida’s wet season, which could yield further delays.

Benjamin put it like this: “We’re in the dry season — this is when we can work, without dewatering and without additional costs.”

Benjamin said he understands the inconvenience for local business owners, but it’s all a reality with any downtown stormwater project: “There’s always an economic impact when we work in cities and towns – that’s what we do. What you see out here is what we do day in and day out, all over the Tampa Bay area, and there’s always an impact, there just is.”

Local business owners also have taken issue with the amount of heavy machinery equipment and concrete piles blocking off parts of the downtown and access to parking around Pasco Avenue and near the Historic Courthouse. Some have called for staging areas to be placed somewhere west of Seventh Street once construction resumes.

Benjamin rebuffed those suggestions, too. He stressed that area really needs to be shut down when work crews proceed with the project’s water main portion, also noting there’s additional liability associated with the further away equipment is placed from a work zone. “You can do anything for a cost, but there’s a huge cost associated with that, and it’s going to slow the project way down,” he said.

“The more hurdles you put in our way, the longer it’s going to take,” he said

The $2.3 million stormwater project is funded by state appropriations, as well as the Florida Department of Transportation and Dade City. It seeks to address flooding problems that have plagued the area for years, where downtown streets and sidewalks have been known to be swallowed in at least 6 inches to 7 inches of standing water for days at a time after heavy rains.

The scope of the project generally takes underground piping through multiple downtown streets into an existing conveyance system into a reconfigured Irwin Pond, just pass U.S. 98 and the CSX railway.

Work began in August, but was delayed more than a month because TECO and Centurylink needed to clear their utility complex around construction zones. The project has a yearlong timeline for completion.

Mayor Camille Hernandez said the decision to temporarily pause construction to accommodate the Kumquat Festival “is not perfect by any stretch of the imagination, but we’re trying to do what’s in the best interest of the merchants in Dade City.”

Hernandez, like fellow commissioners, said she would have preferred to delay construction until the springtime so downtown business owners can capitalize during the busy winter months.  “We’re throwing money away, but I don’t think we have a lot of other options at this point. We’re trying to salvage what we can for the holiday season,” she said.

Commissioner Nicole Deese Newlon said the plan doesn’t go far enough to help merchants, but added, “I don’t know that there’s much alternative at this point.”

Meanwhile, Commissioner Jim Shive called the brief construction postponement “a workable solution.”

Published December 25, 2019

Dade City’s downtown soon to receive flood relief

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The completion of a project now underway in downtown Dade City aims to address flooding problems that have plagued the area for years.

The public works project, which began in August, involves the installation of new stormwater piping.  Joseph DeBono, Dade City’s public works director, is overseeing the project.

Behind Dade City’s City Hall, a portion of Pasco Avenue is being unearthed to facilitate new piping. This is one of several routes to see pipe placement that will help diminish flooding in the downtown region. (Brian Fernandes)

The work is being done to address major flooding that hinder parts of downtown, DeBono said.

“What this project does is to aid in mitigating a lot of that sheet flow, by channeling the water in new drains – curb drains, street drains – in various configurations,” the director said.

Sheet flow refers to the water that settles at ground level or higher.

DeBono added: “What we’re doing is we’re actually bringing it (water) down below grade with the stormwater collection system, to basically help cars navigate down the roadway instead of having 6 (inches) to 7 inches of water that they have to go across.”

The concrete-made pipes will be placed underground, spanning 2,400 linear feet and ranging in size.

New curb drains will relieve roadways of rain water by sending it directly into the piping system.

The construction will begin at Seventh Street’s intersections with Church Avenue, and Pasco Avenue – further north. Then it heads east on Pasco Avenue to Third Street, where it will head north up to Meridian Avenue.

The piping will head east passing U.S. 98 and the CSX railway, eventually dumping the water into Irvin Pond.

The pond will be reconfigured and widened to accommodate the additional water it will receive. A larger surface area also will grant more time for the wastewater to be treated.

Canal Street, just east of Irvin Pond, will undergo modifications as well.

Underneath the roadway, a culvert pipe is currently situated for better ease of water off the street. There are plans to expand this structure as well.

The project will benefit both shop owners and those going through downtown, DeBono said.

Signs indicate where construction is taking place. Detour routes have been established, too.

The director also mentioned the installation may impose some inconvenience, as it is being done during the day.

“We understand that there’s businesses there along most of the corridor that we’re going down, and we make a best effort for allowing patrons to actually get to their locations,” he said.

The estimated $2.3 million-project is funded by state appropriations as well as the Florida Department of Transportation and Dade City.

Construction is set for completion for some time between the middle and later part of next year, DeBono said.

Published October 09, 2019

Dade City outlines priority projects

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Municipal business in Dade City is proceeding as usual, even as it continues its search for its next city manager.

Dade City finance director Leslie Porter, who’s serving the role of interim city manager, outlined several priority projects for the near term, ranging from personnel issues to facility upgrades to transportation updates, during a Feb. 26 regular commission meeting.

Dade City finance director Leslie Porter is also serving as the city’s interim city manager. (Courtesy of Dade City)

Porter said the city’s human resources department has begun reviewing personnel rules with city staff — looking to update any policies that may need to be tweaked and introduce any new ones that don’t currently exist.

Porter added the department is working to standardize employee evaluations to ensure each city employee has an annual review “so they know where they stand, what they’re doing right and what they can strive to do better.”

Developing a retail strategy is another ongoing priority during the city manager vacancy, Porter said.

The city is currently seeking professional firms for the creation of a retail market analysis and development plan, to help understand the retail landscape in the city’s market and broker potential business prospects.

Request for proposals for that project are due March 7.

From there, Porter said city administration will organize a special workshop or presentation, depending on the number of responses.

“We’ll see how many we have and come up with a game plan,” Porter said.

Porter said amending the city’s water rate ordinance is another objective — with plans to schedule a workshop in early April.

The interim city manager told commissioners she’s had preliminary discussions on water rates with City Attorney Nancy Stuparich and found “there are multiple areas that we feel need to be addressed.”

In 2017, commissioners approved a 2 percent water rate increase and 6.5 percent sewer rate increase each year over the next five years. It marked the first time those rates were raised in eight years.

Porter also noted city staff members are consulting with the Florida Department of Transportation to gain approval to install entrance signs at the city’s north and south apex. They also are working with the state transportation department on various other road projects within city limits.

Meanwhile, the interim city manager received direction from commissioners on a handful of other projects.

Commissioners appeared to be particularly interested in improving the restrooms and concession stand at Mickens Fields.

Multiple citywide projects are set to be addressed by interim city manager Leslie Porter, who’s also the city’s finance director. (File)

They directed Porter to obtain cost estimates on renovating or rebuilding those facilities and to bring that issue up as an agenda item within the next few meetings.

That particular fix-up project has come to the forefront of late with the Dade City Youth League’s Mickens Wildcats planning to use the football field this year.

The fields are located at 14318 Canal St.

“We owe it to that community to have (upgrades) out there, whether it’s for that group or for somebody else,” Mayor Camille Hernandez said.

“(Even) if the Wildcats aren’t coming, those bathrooms and that concession stand are in need of desperate repair and rehab, so either way we need to do it.”

Commissioner Scott Black concurred: “If we want that to be a viable ball field well into the future, we need to have those facilities there.”

The city previously obtained quotes on the Mickens Field repairs about a year-and-a-half ago, but no action was taken at the time, Porter said.

Elsewhere, commissioners advised Porter to gather real estate appraisals on the former police department building on Pasco Avenue, which has sat vacant since 2015.

Some possible options include selling the property, or demolishing the building and selling the lot.

The mayor called the vacant building an “eyesore” to the community.

“We want to put our best foot forward and that’s not our best foot forward over there,” Hernandez said. “Keeping status quo over there just like that and doing nothing is not an option.”

Also during the meeting, Hernandez thanked Porter for “keeping the ship sailing” by stepping into the interim city manager role.

Longtime Dade City manager Billy Poe left his post on Feb. 7, taking a similar position with the City of Zephyrhills. He announced his exit from Dade City in November.

The commission named Poe’s replacement in January, but were unable to come to a contract agreement last month.

“I know there’s lots to do on the project side as well as the personnel side, so I appreciate (Porter’s) willingness to do that, to keep us moving forward at this time,” the mayor said.

Applications for the new city manager will be accepted through March 15 at 5 p.m.

Published March 06, 2019

Dade City Mayor provides ‘state of the city’ talk at chamber breakfast

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Dade City Mayor Camille Hernandez is bullish on the future of the community she governs.

During a recent Greater Dade City Chamber of Commerce breakfast meeting, Hernandez told the audience about newly proposed planned residential developments, to projects aimed at improving the city’s infrastructure and recreational projects,

“I am enthusiastic about Dade City,” Hernandez said, addressing the chamber audience at Florida Hospital Dade City.

Dade City Mayor Camille Hernandez, the featured guest speaker at The Greater Dade City Chamber of Commerce’s October breakfast meeting, gave the audience a look ahead at coming projects in her city. The breakfast was at Florida Hospital Dade City. (Kevin Weiss)

“We’re finally at the point where we can put our emphasis on what I call some sexy things —

some things you can actually see (and) some things that will attract businesses and really make it worth their while to come in and call Dade City home.”

Hernandez has been Dade City’s mayor since 2012 and was reelected in April.

One of the city’s chief priorities is to address its lingering stormwater problems, she said.

Bids will go out next month — and work will begin in February — for the city’s downtown stormwater management system, to alleviate flooding that’s plagued Pasco Avenue and Seventh Street.

Over the past two years, the city has received a total of $1.8 million in state appropriations to use for the stormwater project.

That work, Hernandez said, “is so important for all of our folks working in the government offices, and all our retailers and businesses that we’re trying to attract in town.”

Another ongoing stormwater project is the Beauchamp Pond Expansion, whereby the city is combining two ponds located at the southeast and northeast corners of 17th Street and Beauchamp Avenue, which aims to address chronic flooding in that particular area.

Plans call for the area near the pond site to ultimately become a passive park that would include a boardwalk, trail and landscaping.

Hernandez also mentioned that several residential developments and subdivisions have been proposed within city limits — marking another progression for Dade City’s long-term future.

Two of those developments — Abbey Glenn 2 and Suwanee Lakeside — total more than 400 homes and will be located across the street from Pasco High School.

About 700 more dwelling units are planned in several other developments, the mayor said.

“That’s really going to have an impact,” she said.

Impacts from those projects include an expanded tax base, additional city services and more traffic coming to downtown Dade City.

Hernandez also noted that Dade City is starting to gain a positive reputation for its eclectic mix of farm-to-table restaurants.

And, she noted that city officials will continue to promote and market its various food initiatives and agricultural lands “to draw folks to Dade City.”

“I think we finally are learning kind of what our niche is and where we want to go,” Hernandez said.

Park and trail improvements were another talking point for the mayor.

Hernandez mainly discussed the northern extension of the existing Hardy Trail, from Church Avenue to Lock Street.

Work on that extension is expected to start in early 2019 and be completed by the end of that year, said Hernandez, noting that the project is benefiting from $1.1 million in state funding.

The trail is part of a larger trail network planned for the U.S. 301 corridor extending from south of Zephyrhills to north of Dade City. Ultimately, it will extend to the Withlacoochee State Trail trailhead.

“It fits right in with what we promote here in Dade City — quality of life, healthy lifestyles, health and wellness — so we’re very excited it’s finally a reality for us here,” the mayor said.

She also pointed to another initiative in the recreation arena: A bike-share hub to be built in Dade City. The Pasco County Tourist Development allocated $250,000 for that project.

However, the mayor noted that the city is still working to choose a location, which would encompass not only the bike hub, but a splash pad and pavilion, and other features that could be used to host festivals and other community events.

The mayor also noted there will continue to be “up to the year maintenance” on its local park system — namely, Price, Watson and Agnes Lamb parks.

Elsewhere, Hernandez touched on the city’s recently passed $16.4 million budget for the 2018-2019 fiscal year.

Hernandez said the budget is about a 12 percent increase from the prior fiscal year’s budget of $14.6 million, due mainly in part to rising personnel costs and health care premiums. The millage rate of 7.14 mills remained the same as last fiscal year.

Highlights from the new city budget include 3 percent raises for all city employees, with an extra “Years of Service” salary bump for longtime city employees.

The city also raised its retirement contributions, ranging from 4 percent to 8 percent, for all employees.

“One of the things that we try to do is we want to take care of our employees,” Hernandez said.

“That was something we wanted to do and felt that was important to do for our employees.”

Published October 24, 2018

Downtown Dade City to get flood relief

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Puddle jumping in downtown Dade City is often a rainy day sport especially along Seventh Street, the spine of downtown’s business district.

Sidewalks can quickly overflow, forcing pedestrians to hunt for spots less than ankle deep to cross from one side of the street to the other. Other downtown streets, including Meridian, Pasco and Live Oak avenues, also see the waters rise.

(Courtesy of 54realty.com)

But, $1.4 million embedded in the state’s 2018 budget could go a long way toward easing the chronic flooding. The funds are among local requests that survived the budget veto pen of Gov. Rick Scott.

The money will pay to retrofit Dade City’s stormwater system by expanding a retention pond and installing a larger culvert system to drain off the rainfall.

According to the application presented to the state legislature, the project will “improve safety, attract new businesses and improve the local economy.”

It is something area business owners have wanted for a long while. They worry that the flooding keeps some customers from venturing downtown.

“We hope it will make an economic impact on our businesses,” said Joseph DeBono, Dade City’s public works director.

On rainy days, for instance, shoppers need more than an umbrella to try and stay dry in downtown Dade City. They likely need a pair of rain boots.

“It definitely is an issue, and this will help,” said John Moors, executive director for The Greater Dade City Chamber of Commerce.

Bids for the project will go out after Oct. 1, when the new fiscal year begins.

Roads included in the project are Seventh, Pasco, State Road 52 and U.S. 98. The city-owned Irvin pond will be enlarged to accommodate more runoff. The estimated cost of $400,000 will be paid with a grant from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection.

Permits for the work have been approved.

Details on a work schedule for the entire project are to be determined, but the pond renovations will be the starting point, said DeBono.

Other community requests that were approved in the 2018 state budget include:

  • $500,000 for Youth and Family Alternatives
  • $150,000 for the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office for a pilot program to help first-responders suffering post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
  • $1.2 million for a campus of “therapeutic safe homes” for child victims of sex trafficking.

Published July 5, 2017

A ‘Safe Place’ for Dade City

By

The door is always left open — until someone is in danger.

It’s called “Safe Place.”

And it’s situated directly inside the lobby of the new Dade City police station, at 38030 Meridian Ave.

Signage went up last month for ‘Safe Place,’ an 8-by-12 room designed for citizens seeking shelter from danger, abuse or both.
(Kevin Weiss)

While “Safe Place” signage was installed just last month, the 8-by-12 room has been operable since the 12,000-square-foot building opened in January 2016.

Geared toward protecting against domestic violence incidents, citizens seeking shelter from danger, abuse or both can enter the chamber and simply shut the door.

Once closed, the room locks, dispatch is alerted and a Dade City police officer is summoned from an adjacent back door.

The area, replete with comfortable lounge chairs, is soundproof and bulletproof.

It’s under video surveillance, too.

In domestic incidents, an officer intervention is required before an individual may exit, said Brian Uppercue, the department’s spokesman.

“Once that door is closed, there’s no way for them to get out, even if they had a change of heart,” Uppercue said.

“We’ve had a couple uses for it already,” added Dade City Police Chief Ray Velboom.

Fingerprinting and noncustodial interviews— of victims and witnesses — are also conducted inside the “Safe Place” confines.

According to Uppercue, the space supplements the department’s ‘soft’ and ‘hard’ interview rooms, specifically in complex cases, “to keep all the parties separate.”

The Dade City police station became operable in January 2016.
(Courtesy of Dade City Police)

That way, folks aren’t passing through “the belly of the police department.”

Besides dire instances, the “protected” area is also employed for property returns and pickups.

The “Safe Place” concept materialized in the station’s design phase a few years ago, Velboom said.

In the old building, at 38042 Pasco Ave., residents often would file police reports in the lobby.

“There was no place to talk to those folks, so they were being interviewed right out in the lobby, in the open,” Velboom said. “We wanted…something that was a little more secure, a little more private.”

The idea follows another public-use offering, initiated by the department.

Last April, the department unveiled a “Safety Exchange Zone,” in its parking lot, permitting locals to meet up to sell or buy items through eBay, Craigslist or other websites.

The department currently has two parking spaces designated in its main lot off Pasco Avenue, behind the new municipal complex on Meridian Avenue.
The area is lighted and has video surveillance.

The safety zone helps reduce the potential danger of meeting with strangers to make a purchase, which was arranged online.

One such transaction, which was conducted in an east Tampa neighborhood in February, turned deadly.

James Beck, a 44-year-old Holiday resident, was shot dead Feb. 2 during a dirt bike sale arranged through Craigslist, multiple outlets reported.

Beyond transactions, the “Safe Exchange Zone” is used for custody exchanges.

“If you’re in a bad relationship, and you’re meeting at the police station, it’s going to temper everything down a little bit,” the police chief explained.

“It’s just a nice, safe, neutral area,” Uppercue added.

The “safe” areas are just two of the many features at the Dade City police station.

Besides its four holding cells, there’s enhanced evidence-processing laboratory, extra space for K-9 officers and evidence, and a high-tech Emergency Operations Center (EOC).

There’s also a designated room for weapons cleaning, equipped with an ultrasonic cleaner, air gun and vent system.

The $6.2 million building, which is combined with City Hall, was handled by St-Petersburg-based Wannemacher Jenson Architects, though some work at the police department was subcontracted to Generator Studio, an architecture firm in Kansas City, Missouri.

“We used the best concepts of a lot of police designs all around the country,” Uppercue said.
And, it sure beats the department’s previous digs.

“It was just this little cracker box; it didn’t have the technology this building has,” he said.

Published May 3, 2017