The Laker/Lutz News

Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

Seventh Street

Building up Dade City, block by block

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Larry Guilford uses a block party as one of the ways he pays for his charitable endeavors.

There’s a street party on the second Friday of the month, next to The Block, a venue at 14307 Seventh St., that features a brewery, a restaurant, a CrossFit gym and 5,000 square feet of event space.

The Block takes up a whole city block, right in historic downtown Dade City.

Larry Guilford stands in front of the mural at The Block, the historic building that housed automobile dealerships in the 1920s and has been renovated to create a venue space, a brewhouse, a restaurant, a CrossFit gym and more. (Mike Camunas)

Guilford, a longtime commercial real estate agent in Pasco County, is the founder and owner of The Block, housed in a historic building that was an auto dealership in the 1920s, originally operated by Highlands Motor Company.

Guilford also is founder and president of Make a Difference Inc., his 501c nonprofit organization.

The charitable organization that Guilford founded in 2007 is dedicated to helping Pasco County with social, economic and educational resources to improve the quality of life for individuals in need.

“You see the need, but we don’t judge,” Guilford said. “We want to help as many people as we can, especially in East Pasco. You never know that one day you might be in the line waiting for food.”

Make a Difference provides a Mobile Pantry, distributing food in prepacked boxes or through a farmer’s market-style distribution; Shoes 4 School, which is dedicated to providing new shoes to children in the Pasco County school system; and Pasco Difference Makers, which moderates monthly networking meetings to assist local charities in East Pasco.

“What I wanted to do was come back (to Pasco County), to get back into real estate, so I came to Dade City,” Guilford said. “I wanted to do that and make some money to put back into charity work down the road.

“But I always liked this brick building. I always joke with people that its Armature Works, without the $20 million.”

Indeed, Guilford buying and renovating the old building into The Block has essentially revitalized the “North Side” of Dade City just above Meridian Avenue. It has inspired more businesses to consider downtown Dade City and brought a monthly “block party” held every second Friday. Crowds have been out in droves to enjoy food, drinks, entertainment and music.

The Venue at The Block has capacity of 150 to 200 and has been fully renovated. (Courtesy of The Block)

After the third block party on April 8, Guilford said: “They’re getting bigger and better each month! That was part of my vision: to be able to walk Dade City.”

Before, when people reached the corner of Seventh Street and Meridian Avenue, “there was nothing to see,” he said.

Guilford’s impact on the county dates back decades, especially since he helped develop some of the original and early businesses back before Wesley Chapel’s burgeoning growth.

When he arrived, from Michigan, during the late 1970s, he saw the growth that could happen in Wesley Chapel and helped set up the commercial side of State Road 54, including the Comfort Inn and McDonald’s, which still stand today.

“There really wasn’t much out there in Wesley Chapel,” Guilford recalls. “But back then, I was known as the Honorary Mayor of Wesley Chapel.”

After developing that fledgling town in the early 2000s, Guilford decided to focus solely on charitable work and opted to help less-fortunate countries. The work took him back and forth overseas to the Philippines, Columbia and Ukraine, to name a few. Guilford has been doing work tirelessly in the Ukraine since 2003. He helped rebuild orphanages, including restoring buildings and putting in 1,500 beds.

“It’s really tough to see what’s going on there now,” he said.

Eventually, it was time to come back to the states on a more permanent basis, as he did when he decided to take a look at Dade City — a historic town that was begging for revitalization.

“He truly has been a blessing for Dade City,” said Camille Hernandez, the city’s longtime mayor before she stepped away from political life on April 26.

“He always has his thinking cap on — how can I help Dade City? And he hasn’t stopped. He’s that trailblazer, that spark, that leap of faith that’s given confidence to others to invest in this community, too.”

The Block, at 14307 Seventh St., has thrived despite some COVID-related delays. It is bringing new life to an area in historic downtown Dade City.

Guilford isn’t stopping.

Soon, just across the street from The Block, will be ZoneWorx Coworking Space, which will allow businesses to rent office space and amenities. It is, of course, also in a historic building that used to be a car dealership.

“He’s just such a visionary,” said James Shive, who recently became Dade City’s mayor. “To be able to envision (The Block) and be that successful with it and his whole career — it’s just made a huge difference in the downtown north corridor. People are now discovering Dade City, and its bringing in a more youthful group and more young families are coming and moving out here.

“He’s such an amazing person and has given so much to be thankful for. I honestly can’t say enough about him, and what he’s done and going to do for our community.”

Without a doubt, downtown Dade City has seen a boom in businesses from Lanky Lassie’s Shortbread, Dade City BBQ and Ice Cream Company, Uptown Creamery, Prelude Academy of the Arts, the Brew House, and even more to come.

“There has been an influx of about 30 businesses,” Shive said. “I’ve lived here my whole life, I’ve raised a family here, and I think back to all the eclectic shops that used to be in Dade City and you’re seeing that come back.”

Shive noted that the city’s redevelopment agency has plugged more than $4 million into improvements of downtown buildings, while there are 19 more projects on the books. Shive expects that in five to 10 years, Dade City’s population will triple.

“We’re going to develop the city, but go about it the way to preserve the integrity of the small town and its history,” Shive said. “The way (Larry’s) done it.”

Guilford said he visualized downtown Dade City’s possibilities years ago.

“What we had going for us was the historic aspect of downtown,” he said. “Plus the growth corridor (that is Wesley Chapel). It’s coming and maybe even already here, and it’s spreading into Dade City. We’re going to benefit from Wesley Chapel.”

Guilford can already picture his next project, and others are eagerly waiting to find out what it will be.

“He’s just been truly an asset and a blessing to Dade City and to me!” Hernandez said. “He’s so solution-oriented on how we can get it done and make it happen.

“I just can’t wait for his next project — and it’s a secret!”

For more information on Dade City, log onto DiscoverDadeCity.com.

The Block
Where: 14313 Seventh St., in Dade City
Details: Dade City Brew House, KÄN SEPT, CrossFit HCP, Venue at the Block.
Info: Call 352-437-3059, or visit TheBlockDadeCity.com.

UPCOMING
The Venue at The Block is holding a grand opening ribbon cutting ceremony on June 15 from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. The event will cater food and cake tasting, a cocktail bar, wedding vendor booths, music and more. It is free and open to the public.

Published May 18, 2022

Dade City seeks feedback on design plans for Seventh Street

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Dade City leaders are inviting the public to an open house to discuss conceptual design plans for the Seventh Street streetscaping improvement project.

The meeting is scheduled for Dec. 7 from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m., at the Dade City Hall Commission Chambers, 38030 Meridian Ave., in Dade City.

The city hopes to make improvements to help create a downtown area that’s attractive, walkable and bikeable — essentially appealing to everyone who visits the area.

And, the city wants to hear the community’s reaction to possible improvements.

The city is considering the reconfiguration of street sections for traffic calming, and to accommodate sidewalks, bike lanes, landscaping and lighting.

The city has hired Johnson Engineering to develop a streetscape improvement conceptual plan along Seventh Street, from Pond Avenue to Florida Avenue.

Johnson Engineering has prepared first-draft renderings of the possible configurations of each typical section of the corridor.

The sections are:

  • Florida Avenue to Church Avenue
  • Church Avenue to Meridian Avenue
  • Meridian Avenue to Martin Luther King Boulevard
  • Martin Luther King Boulevard to Pond Avenue

The open house is intended to be an opportunity for members of the public to express what’s important to them.

“There’ll be information for people to see, people can come in and ask questions, (and) make comments,” Dade City Manager Leslie Porter said, during a Nov. 9 city commission meeting.

The feedback is important, she added, noting the engineering firm already is making some changes based on initial feedback received from residents and citizens. The city held a similar exercise for the Morningside Drive extension route study.

For information, visit tinyurl.com/j6ekbntz, or call 352-523-5050, ext. 420.

Published Nov. 24, 2021

Pioneer Florida Museum will guide Dade City Christmas Parade

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Dade City kicks off its holiday season each year with the Magical Night Christmas Parade, an event that dates back to at least 1982.

It typically draws thousands of spectators, to see floats, entertainment acts, bands, vendors, seasonal displays and Santa Claus.

The annual Christmas shindig will press on, but under new guidance and leadership.

The Pioneer Florida Museum and Village now will host the downtown holiday event, instead of The Greater Dade City Chamber of Commerce.

The parade is scheduled for Dec. 10 at 7 p.m., in downtown Dade City.

The Dade City chamber indicated it wanted to focus efforts on larger events, such as the signature Kumquat Festival, traditionally held the last Saturday in January, according to Pioneer Florida Museum executive director Stephanie Bracknell Black.

The decision to hand the Christmas parade off to the local museum came after Black recently met with Dade City Chamber executive director John Moors and city administration.

“It was just mentioned to us that the chamber was no longer looking to do the Christmas parade,” Black said.

“They were looking for someone else to take it over…and it just seemed like a good fit for the museum to go ahead and take it over,” she said.

The Christmas parade was canceled last year, due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Attendees shouldn’t expect too much change from the typical holiday format, at least for this year, as the museum takes the reins so close to the date.

The announcement of the parade organization change came in an Oct. 20 press release from the museum.

Many volunteers who have previously worked on the parade with the chamber are expected to continue to assist the museum.

“We’re doing mostly everything pretty much the same,” Black said. “We’ve had the similar requirements and stuff that they had done in the past. It’s going to be the same. We’re going to try to keep it the same as it always has been. It’s worked in years past, so we’re going to go ahead and give it a try and keep everything pretty much the same.”

The official parade route will begin at Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard/Fifth Street, head west on Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard/Seventh Street, south to Church Avenue, and then east to Fifth Street, in front of the local post office.

Simpson Lakes jumped aboard as the parade’s first sponsor and Grand Marshal.

Black, who lives in Zephyrhills, has brought her children and grandchildren to the event many times over, during the parade’s three-decade run.

She’s also been actively involved in the festivities, when she worked for Habitat for Humanity of East & Central Pasco County, which has had floats in the parade previously.

“I think everybody looks forward to the night parade,” she said. “It’s part of everyone’s Christmas tradition in this area.”

It’s customary for people to eat, shop and stroll the city’s downtown area hours before the event kicks off. Attendees also are encouraged to bring lawn chairs and blankets for the night’s showing.

Black acknowledged it’s tough to speculate about how many attendees are expected this year, with lingering pandemic issues, but she noted, “usually every year, it’s one of the bigger parades.”

The museum is currently accepting parade entry applications and other sponsors.

Parade entry applications are due by 5 p.m., Nov. 12.

Registration may close early if the parade entries reach the limited capacity of about 80 floats.

Black noted entries “seem to be coming in pretty quickly.”

The Pioneer Museum is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the historic preservation and education of Florida’s pioneer heritage.

The museum is located a mile north of downtown Dade City, just off U.S. 301, at 15602 Pioneer Museum Road in Dade City.

For more information, visit PioneerFloridaMusuem.org, or call 352-567-0262.

Dade City Christmas Parade
When: Dec. 10, at 7 p.m.
Where: Downtown Dade City

Published November 03, 2021

Dade City seeks public feedback on Seventh Street improvements

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The City of Dade City is accepting public comments and ideas for conceptual traffic and beautification improvement plans for Seventh Street.

The City of Dade City is seeking public feedback on traffic and beautification improvements along Seventh Street. Shown here is a rendering of alternatives for a section on Seventh Street from Church Avenue to Meridian Avenue. (Courtesy of City of Dade City)

City officials seek to create a downtown area that’s attractive, walkable and bikeable, and will appeal to everyone visiting it.

To that end, the municipality has obtained the professional services of Johnson Engineering to develop a streetscape improvement conceptual plan along Seventh Street, from Pond Avenue to Florida Avenue. The type of improvements being considered along the corridor involve a complete street concept — including reconfiguring the sections for traffic calming, and to accommodate sidewalks, bike lanes, landscaping and lighting.

Johnson Engineering has prepared first-draft renderings of the possible configurations of each typical section of the corridor.

They have been broken down into four sections:

  • Florida Avenue to Church Avenue
  • Church Avenue to Meridian Avenue
  • Meridian Avenue to Martin Luther King Boulevard
  • Martin Luther King Boulevard to Pond Avenue

To provide feedback on the streetscape strategy and view renderings, visit DadeCityFl.com/news_detail_T1_R37.php.

For more information, call project manager Tina Mauriello at 352-523-5050, ext. 420.

Published October 13, 2021

Restaurant tabbed for historic buildings in Zephyrhills

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A local restaurant and café is being tabbed for two renovated historic buildings in Zephyrhills.

Before long, the Captain Jeffries House and Carriage House in Zephyrhills are expected to have new tenants — Tina and Joe Novak, of Tina and Joe’s Café in Dade City.

The Novaks have operated the cafe for about seven years, at 14232 Seventh St., in Dade City.

The lunch spot served a variety of fare, including soups, wraps, salads, handcrafted sandwiches, lobster rolls and homemade desserts, including cookies and pie.

A Dade City-based restaurant called Tina and Joe’s Café is expected to relocate to the Captain Jeffries House and Carriage House in Zephyrhills. Lease agreement negotiations are ongoing between the City of Zephyrhills and restaurateurs Tina and Joe Novak. (File)

Over the summer, the City of Zephyrhills opened a request for proposals (RFP) from potential tenants for the adjacent Jeffries House and Carriage House.

The city received three responses — Tina and Joe’s Café, Flowers by Annie and Shell’s Killer Bakery.

An evaluation team ranked the proposals, with Tina and Joe’s Café coming out as the top-ranked firm by a strong margin.

The evaluation team consisted of Zephyrhills Community Redevelopment Agency director Gail Hamilton, Zephyrhills building official Bill Burgess, Zephyrhills senior planner Rodney Corriveau, and Pasco County Economic Development Council director of stakeholder engagement Mike Bishop.

The collaborative exercise was designed with the idea of making those historic spaces a catalyst to inject new life into the city’s downtown and attract more foot traffic to the area.

The Jeffries House and Carriage House are in the downtown shopping district, which includes City Hall, the City Library, as well as multiple retail shops and a microbrewery.

The buildings are a short walk to Zephyrhills Brewing Company, Your Turn Board Game Café, Gentleman’s Quarters Barber Shop, and other destinations.

Extra weight was given to would-be tenants willing to use both the Jeffries House and Carriage House, Hamilton said, in addition to letters of recommendation from customers, bank information, business model and overall track record.

Written evaluation comments shared in a city memo pinpointed Tina and Joe’s Café as being well-established and credit-worthy, with an ability to create jobs as a full-service restaurant.

Besides locating the restaurant and café within the Jeffries House, the Novaks plan to use a portion of the Carriage House for a produce and plant makerspace, Hamilton said.

The committee unanimously ranked them No. 1, Hamilton told city council members at a Sept. 13 regular meeting.

“We wanted to make it something that was a draw for downtown, and we don’t have a restaurant downtown, so that was part of the ranking as well,” she said.

The Zephyrhills City Council voted 5-0 to select Tina and Joe’s Café. The action allows city staff the notice to proceed on a negotiations and lease agreement with the Novaks.

Councilman Lance Smith voiced disappointment that more restaurants didn’t submit bids.

But Smith added: “I’m glad we had one, I’m glad that they (Tina and Joe’s Café) have a track record and they’re not a person that has a dream of starting a restaurant.”

Lease arrangements — including terms and length — will be brought back to the council for final approval.

The lease could start as early as Oct. 1.

Councilwoman Jodi Wilkeson suggested modeling a lease after those used in other municipal historic districts, perhaps encompassing improvement allowances or allowances amortized over time.

“You know, there’s lots of creative ways to make that work, too, so I look forward to seeing what you folks come up with,” Wilkeson said.

Smith added: “We all understand that to create a commercial kitchen in that (Jeffries House) building is going to be very expensive, so we need to get very creative on giving allowances for improvements to the building.”

Hamilton assured council that staffers will work closely with Zephyrhills City Attorney Matt Maggard “to make sure we create a lease that is both creative for the city and for the prospective lessee.”

The Captain Jeffries House, at 38537 Fifth Ave., is named after the city’s founder, Captain H.B. Jeffries, who established Zephyrhills as a retirement area for old Union soldiers.

The 2,365-square-foot structure, built in 1912, was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places on Nov. 29, 1995.

In addition to the interior space, it has a 600-square-foot wraparound porch. It has original hardwood floors, windows, light fixtures, a fireplace and stained glass windows.

Work completed in 2016 included plumbing, electrical and heating, ventilation and air-conditioning (HVAC).

The Carriage House at 5323 Ninth St., was built in 1940. It is a two-story structure of 1,320 square feet, including a balcony on the second floor. It has restored original windows and folding garage doors.

The building has a one-bedroom apartment, with a kitchen and bathroom on the second floor, which has its own entrance.

New plumbing, electrical and HVAC work was completed in the structure during 2020.

Published September 22, 2021

Mural aims to refresh downtown Zephyrhills

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A downtown public art wall project is aiming to refresh the City of Pure Water.

The City of Zephyrhills last month unveiled a vibrant, large-size mural on the south-facing wall of 5210 Seventh St., also home to Painted Pixie hair salon.

The mural, roughly 90 feet wide by 9 feet tall, is titled ‘Ocea,’ which means water goddess in Greek mythology.

The City of Zephyrhills on May 26 unveiled a vibrant large-size mural on the south-facing wall of 5210 Seventh St. The mural, roughly 90 feet wide by 9 feet tall, is titled ‘Ocea,’ which means water goddess in Greek mythology. The vibrant work was completed by Lakeland-based artist Jonathan Sierra, along with assistant artist Fonz Eljaiek. (Courtesy of Kelli Carmack)

The colorful work was completed by Lakeland-based artist Jonathan Sierra, along with assistant artist Fonz Eljaiek. The duo worked throughout May on the project, sometimes laboring 18-hour days, from early morning to midnight, weathering heat, wind and other conditions.

Highlighted by various shades of blue, the mural features a woman’s full face — Ocea — creating ripples in water as she lifts her head right above sea level. Other elements and imagery in the piece incorporate aquatic life, such as a manatee and bass, as well as the sun, a lake, forests and hills, spread across waves of blue.

It’s estimated a couple gallons of paint were used for the $5,000 piece, made possible through partnerships with the City of Zephyrhills, Zephyrhills Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) and Main Street Zephyrhills Inc.

Sierra’s proposal was selected from among 26 submissions to the mural design committee for the public art project.

Main Street Zephyrhills Inc.’s call for art simply asked for designs that represented Zephyrhills as “The City of Pure Water,” forcing respondents like Sierra to use their imagination and creativity in their drafts.

“When Zephyrhills pitched this project…it was a longshot, a shot in the dark,” Sierra said. “I put out a concept of what I thought resonated with what the theme was.”

In preparing his scope of work, Sierra researched what scientists have discovered about the water’s properties to gain a “deeper” grasp of where he wanted to go with the piece.

“We wanted to establish a wave, we wanted to make an impact that evoked a connection that humanity has with water,” Sierra explained of Ocea.

He added the mural otherwise serves to convey intentions of love, peace, unity, creatives and growth.

Main Street Zephyrhills Inc., representatives pose with muralists Jonathan Sierra and Fonz Eljaiek. The nonprofit organization, which fosters business and community events, is spearheading public art projects in the city.

Besides discussing the meaning of the piece in detail, Sierra was complimentary of the Zephyrhills community, during the May 26 unveiling ceremony that drew dozens of residents and stakeholders.

“It has been so overwhelming with the love and support that I’ve experienced with the community here in Zephyrhills,” said Sierra, noting countless locals engaged with the artists during the mural journey.

“The people that came by and honked their horns, gave us a fist bump, gave us two thumbs up, have given us so much great feedback and love, and all of that gives us energy and momentum to keep moving on the job and continues to thrill us. It was really fulfilling, the entire process.”

Sierra acknowledged beforehand, that really all he knew about the city was the bottled-water brand, Zephyrhills Natural Spring Water.

“That’s what everyone usually knows, is the brand,” said Sierra, who runs a firm specializing in advertising, branding and creative designs. “When I started to unpack and find out, (I learned the city) had nothing to do with the water bottle, and the brand at all.”

The mural is a first in what Main Street Zephyrhills — which fosters business and family friendly events in the city’s historic downtown — hopes becomes a full series of public art displays throughout city limits.

Based on fundraising efforts, other murals could be coming to one of the fire rescue stations, as well as the Fraternal Order of Eagles building on Fifth Avenue, for instance.

“This is a special time for the City of Zephyrhills and Main Street association,” said Main Street Zephyrhills president Linda Kerns, during the ceremony.

“Art unites a community and this is our start. We’ll have small (art displays), we’ll have large, but it’s the opportunity for us all to coordinate, to collaborate and become a more solid community.”

The mural likewise helps “increase the visibility of Zephyrhills” to visitors and passers-by, Zephyrhills CRA director Gail Hamilton said.

The city official pointed out public artwork — murals, statues, sculptures —  helps make a city memorable and stand out, referencing St. Petersburg, Winter Park, or Savannah, Georgia.

“It’s what makes a town a town, a city a city, and we’re missing that,” Hamilton said. “We want Zephyrhills to be out there. It’s our hometown and we want other people to enjoy our hometown, whether it’s a day, an afternoon, a lunchtime…”

The mural also should make Seventh Street and the surrounding downtown area more inviting for residents, Hamilton said, where they may be more inclined to discover local businesses and the walkability of the surrounding area. “It amazes me that people don’t know that we have a walkable downtown,” she said.

Sierra took similar views on the significance that public art brings to communities, small and large.

“It brings life to the current residents,” he said.

“It turns what used to be something that’d you’d ignore, walk past and not really pay attention to, but now, it creates a moment that people are inspired by.

“On top of that, it creates a destination spot for Zephyrhills. We can start to build a collection of these going forward with other artists, so that we can bring more people here and continue to grow.”

Meantime, Sierra wishes Ocea is a springboard for other amateur and professional artists to have their work on display throughout the small-town East Pasco municipality.

“I’m hopeful that it opens up opportunities for other artists,” he said. “I’m hopeful that it opens up the city to new eyes and the city continues to grow. There’s a lot more growth coming into the city, thousands of homes are being built, so I’m hoping this starts a wave of new art, a wave of new culture, a wave of community that lasts for ages.”

Main Street Zephyrhills is in the process of raising funds for an ongoing art series, with plans to launch a GoFundMe page for donations.

Visit MainStreetZephyrhills.org for more information.

Published June 16, 2021

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

Dade City to permit alcohol sales on Sunday mornings

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The phrase, “Bottoms Up!” may begin a bit sooner on Sundays in Dade City.

Consumers in Dade City will soon be able to purchase alcoholic beverages on early Sunday mornings  — if an amended citywide ordinance is approved on a second and final reading.

Under the proposed change, Dade City businesses with liquor licenses would be permitted to start selling alcohol at 7 a.m., on Sundays — four hours earlier than currently allowed.

The City of Dade City is set to permit alcohol sales at 7 a.m., on Sundays, earlier than the 11 a.m., blue law restriction that remains in place.

If adopted, the measure would create uniform alcohol sales hours all seven days of the week in Dade City — from 7 a.m. to 2 a.m., the following morning.

The proposal to change the alcohol sales hours passed on a 4-1 vote, with Commissioner Scott Black dissenting.

A second and final reading is expected on Feb. 23.

The ordinance mirrors a recent ruling enacted by the Pasco County Commission, which voted unanimously in November 2020 to change the county’s “blue law,” which had outlawed alcohol sales before 11 a.m., on Sundays.

A blue law generally refers to a state or local law that restricts certain commercial activities on Sunday for religious reasons, in order to observe a day of worship, or rest.

Other nearby municipalities also have repealed their respective blue laws in recent years, including the cities of Tampa, Lakeland and St. Petersburg. The City of Zephyrhills repealed the restriction on early Sunday morning alcohol sales more than a decade ago.

The call for the change in Dade City came at the behest of multiple Dade City establishments as a way to remain competitive, and as a way to avoid confusion for patrons.

In addition to retail packaged alcohol sales at local grocery or liquor stores as early as 7 a.m. Sunday, the ruling also would allow restauranteurs’ wish to sell alcoholic beverages on Sunday mornings, such as mimosas, Bloody Mary’s and so on.

Dade City Mayor Camille Hernandez spoke in favor of relaxing the ordinance, reasoning that it is a “business friendly” measure intended to create “a level playing field” with the rest of the county.

Hernandez said the issue seemingly came to a head during Super Bowl Sunday, when many local shoppers — who were preparing for Game Day festivities — were informed it was too early to purchase alcohol at various grocery stores and other establishments within city limits.

“It’s not so much about drinking a mimosa at certain hours of the day, but having the opportunity to come into a grocery store or other establishment and being a convenience item to be able to do that one-stop shop,” the mayor said.

She also noted that if those shoppers ventured to Wesley Chapel or slightly outside limits, they’d have been able to make those one-stop shop alcohol purchases, which therefore discourages commerce in Dade City.

“People don’t want to go elsewhere,” Hernandez said, but, “if they’re not going to get it here, they’re going to go support other businesses that are outside of the Dade City limits.”

Hernandez also pointed to the city’s reputation as a fun place to shop and dine.

And, that’s likely to get a boost once a new downtown events and entertainment venue called The Block opens up on Seventh Street later on this year.

“We are trying to support businesses in our community and trying to help them with what they need to continue to survive and flourish in our area,” Hernandez said.

The mayor also noted that the Dade City Police Department has not expressed opposition or raised any “red flags” regarding passage of the proposed change.

Published February 17, 2021

Zephyrhills plans to seek state funds for three projects

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The City of Zephyrhills has decided to seek state funding for three improvement projects during the 2021 state legislative session.

Those projects involve improving Seventh Street; expanding the Sarah Vande Berg Tennis & Wellness Center; and, improving a runway at Zephyrhills Municipal Airport. The total costs for all three projects is estimated at $11.6 million.

This is a rendering of what a complete roadway would include, traversing Seventh Street from C Avenue north to U.S. 301. The 1.5-mile section would be converted from a single two-lane, one-way northbound road to a two-lane, two-way road with the addition of a multi-use trail, a sidewalk, on-street parking (where practical), and drainage improvements. (Courtesy of City of Zephyrhills)

The Zephyrhills City Council unanimously approved staff’s recommendation to submit funding requests for these projects at a Jan. 11 regular meeting.

When the Florida Legislature meets, it considers requests from local governments for assistance with projects of local importance.

Zephyrhills must ask state Rep. Randy Maggard, R-Dade City, and state Sen. Danny Burgess, R-Zephyrhills, to sponsor these projects on the city’s behalf.

Staff will work to complete the applications and then submit to both the Florida House of Representatives and Florida Senate, said Zephyrhills City Manager Billy Poe.

Monies would theoretically be made available to Zephyrhills in July, should one or more of those projects be approved by the Florida Legislature and signed off on by Gov. Ron DeSantis.

Here’s a more detailed look at the proposed projects:

  • Seventh Street complete street

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The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) has proposed to convert U.S. 301 and Sixth Street to a one-way pair street network. Because of these improvements, the city correspondingly wants to construct roadway improvements along Seventh Street from C Avenue north to U.S. 301. The roadway would be converted from a single two-lane, one-way northbound road to a two-lane, two-way road with the addition of a multi-use trail, sidewalk, on street parking where practical, and drainage improvements. The length of the street project is approximately 1.5 miles. Estimated cost is $6.3 million.

  • Indoor tennis complex, plus outdoor hard courts

Shown as Phase II on the Sarah Vande Berg Tennis & Wellness Center plans, this includes the construction of a 30,000-square-foot indoor tennis facility with the capability for other sports and activities (soccer, ping pong, banquets, ceremonies), along with associated parking. Additionally, staff would like to construct six outdoor hard courts, allowing for sanctioned hard-court tournaments. Estimated cost is $2.5 million.

  • As part of the Zephyrhills Municipal Airport’s runway 01-19 extension, additional funding is needed for paved runway shoulders, taxiway B extension, stormwater piping and an access road. These projects have a total estimated cost of $2.8 million. (File)

    Zephyrhills Municipal Airport runway extension

The city previously received a state appropriation of $5.9 million for the extension of runway 01-19, which is currently out to bid. However, an engineer’s cost estimate indicates the original appropriation will cover only the design and construction of the runway, and will not cover the paved runway shoulders, taxiway B extension, stormwater piping or the access road. These additional items have a total estimated cost of $2.8 million.

Before deciding to approve the project submissions, there was much discussion during the meeting — mainly concerning the additions to the tennis center and the airport runway extension.

Zephyrhills Council President Charles Proctor, for one, expressed disappointment because the city again must request for additional state funds regarding improvements to the airport runway. He was dismayed, as well, that no state funding requests were presented for improving various city parks facilities, including Hercules Park.

The city manager addressed both matters.

Poe detailed how original airport runway costs were likely underestimated because there was no design at the time of the requests for fiscal year 2018-2019, plus he said there was a short time frame for an engineer to put a package together. Moreover, construction costs have changed somewhat since then, Poe said.

“I agree, it’s crazy to me that $5.9 million doesn’t cover everything we needed out there; unfortunately, that’s where we are on that,” the city manager said.

As for not requesting anything in the way of local parks improvements from the state, Poe suggested next year might be more apt given expected state budget reductions due to the COVID-19 pandemic — where officials have said could hit the $5 billion shortfall range.

He mentioned conversations with various state representatives made it appear they’re likely to sponsor fewer projects on the whole because of the pandemic’s lingering effects. For example, Poe said Burgess previously told him he’d be comfortable sponsoring just two Zephyrhills projects this year.

Poe observed: “Let’s be honest, I think this state budget coming up here is going to be very tight. That doesn’t lend itself to a lot of appropriations, but we could be surprised. I think people are spending more than what we thought they would be throughout this past year, so hopefully projections were off.”

The City of Zephyrhills is seeking state funding for a trio of infrastructure projects. (File)

Meantime, there always had been plans to construct an indoor multi-purpose sports complex holding four tennis courts, at some point.

City council members were taken aback that the proposal also includes the construction of six additional outdoor hard-surface tennis courts to the Sarah Vande Berg Tennis & Wellness Center, situated on 10 acres at 6585 Simons Road.

The facility already features nine Har-Tru clay tennis courts, two hard-surface tennis courts, eight pickleball courts and four padel courts.

If the multimillion dollar expansion project is passed in its entirety, that would give the facility 21 tennis courts in one form or another, plus the pickleball and padel offerings.

Aside from a quartet of indoor/covered courts, Poe explained the reasoning for funding an additional six outdoor hard surface courts is to open the facility to a wider range of tournaments, and to accommodate increasing recreational uses and demands.

In order to host certain tournaments — such as high school district or regional meets — the facility must have a minimum of eight hard-surface courts, he said. (Any indoor courts would not count toward that requirement because they technically have a different playing surface.)

As a further added use — the outdoor hard-surface courts could be converted and taped into pickleball courts as needed, Poe said.

Council Vice President Jodi Wilkeson and Councilman Alan Knight questioned why an extra half-dozen outdoor hard courts weren’t part of original construction plans several years ago.

“It’s unfortunate that we didn’t plan ahead,” Wilkeson said, adding she’d also like to at some point see some concrete economic data generated from tennis tournaments and other events.

“It would be nice for me to look at it from more of a business plan perspective,” she said. “We talk about these amorphous numbers that impact the community tax revenue, but what other source of revenue is there for the city as it relates to these tournaments, or the tennis center.”

Poe wasn’t quite sure why more hard courts weren’t included from the onset, as he wasn’t the city manager at that time.

He suggested this possibility: “I don’t know that it was anticipated that the center would be as successful as it has been this early.”

He also pointed out there was perhaps more emphasis on constructing clay courts at the time: “I think the thought was the future of tennis facilities is to have the Har-Tru courts. With the clay courts, it’s easier on the joints and offers a little more flexibility to its users,” Poe said.

Despite council’s critiques, they ultimately agreed to seek funding to advance the tennis center’s build out.

Councilman Lance Smith underscored the facility’s importance, to put the matter into perspective: “I was over there for some of the (recent) tournaments and there were people from all over Florida that were in Zephyrhills, spending money in our restaurants, and then some of them lived at homes across the street, too, so there’s an ancillary benefit you get from it.”

Smith continued: “To host a high school tournament…that’s not a significant amount of revenue, but it brings people to the area. All of it generates traffic that wouldn’t otherwise be here in Zephyrhills. That being said, we do need to be careful spending our money.”

Elsewhere, regarding Seventh Street enhancements, Poe explained this project still needs to be designed.

Poe also noted: “There are some elements that could be removed or phased in to make that very large number more palatable for funding.”

Published January 27, 2021

Zephyrhills seeking state funding for four projects

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The City of Zephyrhills is pursuing state funding for four projects, although ongoing financial impacts from the COVID-19 pandemic may hamper some, or all of the requests, from being included in the state’s budget.

Zephyrhills City Manager Billy Poe explained the requests during a regular Zephyrhills City Council meeting last month. They call for:

  • Transforming Seventh Street into a complete street, generally from U.S. 301 to South Avenue and C Avenue
  • Building sewer line and sewer capacity expansions and improvements on the north end of town to make way for additional development around the Zephyr Commons Publix Super Market on Gall Boulevard
  • Paving and taxiway improvements at the Zephyrhills Municipal Airport
  • Phase II of the Sarah Vande Berg Tennis & Wellness Center, which calls for a 30,000-square-foot indoor multi-use complex on the northeast portion of the 10-acre property on Simons Road — large enough for four tennis courts, but could also be converted to accommodate soccer, weddings, concerts and other community events or sports

The deadline to submit requests to the state is Feb. 2. Final project submissions and prioritization will come before a formal council vote, likely at a Jan. 11 regular meeting.

Monies would be made available to Zephyrhills in July, should one or more of those projects be approved by the Florida Legislature and signed off on by Gov. Ron DeSantis.

The city manager said each of those projects should be “shovel-ready” for construction by the summer time frame, except for the sewer line initiative, which first needs to be designed.

Published January 13, 2021