The Laker/Lutz News

Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

Sunlake Boulevard

Pasco County government buys office space

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As Pasco County grows, so does its need for government office space.

The Pasco County Commission has approved the purchase of the Liberty Professional Center at 8606, 8624 and 8630 Government Drive, in New Port Richey.

The county purchased the three Class A buildings for $4.2 million, plus closing costs. The buildings make up more than 19,000 square feet.

The purchase is in keeping with the county’s Facilities Master Plan.

The location of the office buildings, which is south of and adjacent to the West Pasco Judicial Center, makes it ideal for the county, according to a memo in the board’s agenda packet for its July 12 meeting.

In other action, the county board:

  • Approved a task order for Alfred Benesch & Company in an amount not to exceed $126,856.12 for a Pasco County Greenways, Trailways and Blueways Master Plan. The work will involve planning services that will build upon past and current efforts to lay the groundwork for countywide greenways trails and blueways systems that connects communities, provide recreational opportunities, and complements or supplements existing recreational and transportation infrastructure.
  • Approved a professional services agreement with American Consulting Engineers of Florida LLC, in the amount of $573,434.27 for the Tower Road Route Study and Pond Siting Analysis Report, from west of Sunlake Boulevard to east of U.S. 41.
  • Authorized the county administrator or his designee to make binding incentive offers for parcels to be acquired in eminent domain proceedings for the Wesley Chapel Boulevard (County Road 54) widening project.

Using incentive offers is deemed to be a way to achieve significant savings by avoiding considerable costs that can be incurred in the process, according to materials in the county board’s July 12 agenda packet.

The county board has agreed with the county attorney’s recommendation to allow offers not to exceed 120% of the county’s written appraisal report of the affected property.

  • Approved an amendment to a task order with Williamson Dacar Associates to extend the completion date on the Land O’ Lakes Branch Library project, by 90 days, to Sept. 23. The change also increases the purchase authority by $6,3500, bringing the new not-to-exceed total amount to $211,800. The extension is needed to allow for additional site inspections resulting from unforeseen delays from material shortages.
  • Approved an amendment to a task order with Williamson Dacar Associates to extend the completion date on the Hugh Embry Branch Library to Aug. 8. The change also includes an increase in the purchase authority of $4,450, bringing the new not-to-exceed total to $152,825. The extension is needed to allow for additional site inspections resulting from unforeseen delays from material shortages.

Published July 27, 2022

Dayspring Academy is planning a school in Angeline

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The Pasco County School Board and Creation Foundation, doing business as Dayspring Academy, plan to work together on a new elementary charter school to serve an emerging community in Central Pasco.

The Pasco County School Board approved an agreement at its June 21 meeting, which sets the stage for a new elementary school for 600 students to be built in Angeline, in an area just south of State Road 52 and west of Sunlake Boulevard, according to an agreement in the board’s agenda packet.

Dayspring and the school board have agreed to fund the project through impact fees. The school will serve kindergarten through fifth grade students.

“Dayspring and the school board desire to partner with each other in this endeavor and as such will work to blend the charter school program and curriculum with the future board STEM 6-12 magnet,” the agreement says. The objective is to open the school in 2024.

The agreement also spells out how construction should proceed, how payments will be made, and so on.

Angeline is a new development spanning 6,200 acres, which is south of State Road 52 and east of the Suncoast Parkway. The new 6-12 magnet school already is under construction in the heart of a town center that is near Moffitt Cancer Center’s planned Pasco County campus.

That campus is expected to become a magnet for world-class cancer researchers and life science companies.

The board approved the agreement as part of its consent agenda, meaning it was approved with a number of other agenda items without board discussion.

Published June 29, 2022

Model homes expected soon in new ‘city’ of Angeline

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Crews are busy at Angeline, a new 6,200-acre master-planned community in Central Pasco.

A recent tour of the property, given by Vaike O’Grady, vice president of marketing and communications for Metro Development Group, provided an early glimpse of the emerging development.

Fabric banners proclaim Angeline, on a portion of Sunlake Boulevard, just south of State Road 52.

Angeline is a massive community that’s in the early stages of development. It is being likened to a small city, built from the internet up, by Kartik Goyani, vice president of operations for Metro Development Group. (Courtesy of Metro Development Group)

A welcome center is under construction.

Some street signs already are posted, including Banyan Breeze Boulevard and Anchor Dune Drive.

Vibrant signs proclaim some of the community’s values: Thrive. Nourish. Learn. Connect.

Lennar will build the first homes in Angeline, from its Active Adult Collection, with model homes expected to open this summer.

A multimillion amenity center and clubhouse will be constructed within Lennar’s gated neighborhood — featuring a resort-style swimming pool, fitness center, tennis, pickleball and bocce ball courts, and more.

“We are currently launching with four (builders). Just like in any of our large communities, we would expect to have a very diverse mix — anywhere from eight to 10 builders, over time,” said Kartik Goyani, vice president of operations for Metro Development Group.

“We like to create multigenerational communities, so everything from townhomes, villas, entry-level single-family homes, move up, luxury, for rent, multifamily apartments.

“Our goal is to be able to offer a very diverse product mix, so there’s something in it for everyone,” he said.

Angeline will be massive
When completely built out, Angeline is expected to have about 35,000 people, Goyani said.

The community will be home to H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center’s planned Pasco County 775-acre campus, which is entitled for up to 24 million square feet of planned clinical and research facilities.

Plans include a hospital, research and development space, office, manufacturing, laboratories, pharmacies, educational facility/university, hotel, and commercial space. The multiyear, multiphase project is expected to create 14,500 jobs.

Its footprint is larger than downtown Tampa.

“It’s super exciting. We can’t more thrilled to have an anchor like Moffitt Cancer Center here,” Goyani said.

Recently, Gov. Ron DeSantis vetoed $20 million in funding for Moffitt, which would have been recurring for 30 years. At the same time, he left intact $106 million in funding for infrastructure for Moffitt.

Goyani said the governor’s veto will have no impact on Metro Development Group’s plans in Angeline.

Moffitt issued a statement following the recent legislative session, thanking the governor and legislative leadership for their support of Moffitt’s efforts.

In part, that statement says: “The new funding approved will help accelerate Moffitt’s expansion efforts in Pasco County to better serve more patients, increase our research and education efforts, create new jobs and make our vision to build a global destination to live, work and cure cancer a reality.”

Not far from the planned Moffitt site, Pasco County Schools is building a 6-12 STEAM Magnet School, focusing on science, technology, engineering, the arts and mathematics.

Goyani said the school is significant.

This depicts the 6-12 STEAM Magnet school under construction in Angeline. It’s on a site near Moffitt Cancer Center’s planned Pasco County research and medical campus. (Courtesy of Metro Development Group)

“That’s an integral part of our town center. It’s the first of its kind, not only from an educational standpoint, but from a place-making standpoint that we’ve integrated a four-story school, right within the heart of the town center,” Goyani said.

Angeline also will feature the latest in technology.

“We’re creating an entire city, from the internet up,” said Goyani, obviously passionate about what that will mean to the people who live and work there.

“Angeline is going to have the fastest connectivity in the Tampa Bay area at over 2 gigs —included for everyone who moves into the community.

“At a very fundamental level, we see technology as the great connector and the great equalizer, especially in today’s world.

“Technology is the only thing that can bridge the digital divide.

“So, you could be a school student, you could be a CEO high-level executive, you could be an hourly laborer — but guess what, one thing in common to everyone is technology.

“When I’m looking for a restaurant, I’m connecting to the same level of connectivity. I’m using the same maps, I’m using the same websites that a CEO or an executive or someone else would do, if you bring the same technology to everybody, regardless of where they live.

“They rent an apartment, the live in a townhome, or they live in a multimillion dollar home — we want them to be able to connect, learn, stay healthy, by getting access to the same technology,” Goyani said.

Angeline promotes wellness
The new community in Central Pasco is designed to promote good health.

It will have a professionally managed working farm. It will have a regional park.

(B.C. Manion)

An extensive trail network will weave throughout Angeline and will have connections to the Starkey Preserve, the Connerton Preserve and the Crossbar Ranch Preserve.

“We want to create the healthiest zip code in the country,” Goyani said.

For one thing, people who want to do telehealth appointments are unlikely to encounter problems with the strength of their internet connection.

Besides encouraging good health, the trails provide easy connections between people and the places they want to go, he said.

“You could go on a bicycle, golf cart. You can take an e-bike, you could take a scooter; (or) autonomous golf carts, when they arrive eventually. Or, you could just bike and run,” Goyani said.

“You should be able to get to anywhere within the community without hopping in your car,” Goyani said.

Angeline also promotes sustainability, he said.

It will have state-of-the art battery- and solar-powered streetlights that are completely off-grid and are dark-sky compliant.

It also will retain much of its natural beauty.

“Preserving the natural area is part of our sustainability goal. More than half of the Angeline project is conservation and preserve areas,” Goyani said.

“The way we do that is basically bending our building footprints and subdivision phases around the existing natural areas, and respecting what’s out there that came before us.

“It’s obviously harder. It’s also expensive. But we think that’s the right way to do it,” Goyani said.

One manmade amenity that’s expected to be popular is Angeline’s planned crystal lagoon. The development group established the first lagoon in Florida in Epperson in Wesley Chapel, and another one is under construction in its Mirada development.

This aerial shows the welcome center for Angeline that’s under construction near Sunlake Boulevard and State Road 52. (Courtesy of Metro Development Group)

The lagoon sparks interest, Goyani said.

“So, you’re in California, you’re in New York, you want to move to Florida. Or, you’re living in South Tampa, and you say, ‘OK, why would I go up to Angeline?

“The lagoon provides that visual ‘Wow,’” Goyani said.

He also noted: “What we saw during Covid was that it was just a great way for people to safely gather outdoors, continue with their life.

“It just provides for good, all-around family enjoyment,” he said.

Metro Development Group’s involvement in Angeline began in 2018, when it acquired the property.

“Originally, Lennar had it under contract, and based on what they saw what we’d done at Connected City, the ability to transform an entire region, they approached us to see if we would be interested in taking over Angeline. That’s how we got involved,” he said.

The property’s size and its access to the Suncoast Parkway and State Road 52, as well as the Ridge Road extension running through it, made Angeline appealing to Metro Development Group.

“We want to create something that is of this size and scale, that can also handle traffic for the next 50 years,” Goyani said.

Angeline, a 6,200-acre master-planned community, one day will be like a small city.

Plans for the area, which is south of State Road 52 and east of the Suncoast Parkway, include:

  • Moffitt Cancer Center’s Pasco County campus, a 775-acre life sciences and research park, expected to attract researchers and companies from around the world
  • A diversity of residential options, expected to appeal to be people of all ages in different stages of life
  • A community farm
  • A 6-12 STEAM Magnet School (STEAM stands for science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics).
  • 3,600 acres of green space and an extensive trail system
  • A MetroLagoon
  • The fastest internet in the nation, accessible to all within the community
  • Access to State Road 52, the Suncoast Parkway and Ridge Road. An extension of Ridge Road will run through the property, ending at U.S. 41.

Published June 22, 2022

Mattamy Homes’ Highest Priority Is Its Homeowners

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Mattamy Homes — the largest, privately owned homebuilder in North America — prides itself on giving exceptional customer service to its residents and offering them a meticulously-planned, quality community to live in.

This industry-leading homebuilder recently was awarded Community of the Year (multi-family) and Community of the Year (single-family under 500 units) for Parkview at Long Lake Ranch, along with Best Floor Plan (2000-2999 sq. ft.) for the Elm at Parkview at Long Lake Ranch, at the 2021 Tampa Bay Builders Association Awards of Excellence held in November.

Volanti’s amenities will include a resort-style swimming pool with an open-air pavilion, a barbecue area and a fire pit.

“It’s a huge honor to receive that recognition from the industry and our peers,” says Kathleen Dec, Director of Marketing at Mattamy Homes.

Residents of Parkview at Long Lake Ranch, like Maira Ortiz, couldn’t agree more with the recognition given to Mattamy Homes.

“It feels very safe, family-oriented and comfortable living here,” says Ortiz, “It’s been a great experience so far.”

Ortiz, her husband and their two kids have lived in the Seville model for a little over one year now.

One of the selling features about Parkview for Ortiz was the proximity to everything in the local area.

“You make a right and you’re in Wesley Chapel, you make a left and you’re in Tampa,” says Ortiz, “It’s a great central location.”

Parkview at Long Lake Ranch is located along State Road 54, close to U.S. 41 and Sunlake Boulevard, in Lutz. The community offers single-family homes and townhomes that are available for sale, and six decorated model homes that are open daily for touring.

Husband and wife duo Fernando Vidal Otero and Verónica Negrón Mieles also live in Parkview and purchased the Venice townhome back in late November 2020.

The couple says they loved all the features that came with the home design.

“There is a guest room on the first floor that is in front of a full bathroom, so you can have guests come over and they can have their own separate space,” says Negrón Mieles.

“Plus, the back of the house has a view of the pond, so it’s very nice and relaxing.”

The couple and Ortiz all give a glowing review to Mattamy Homes for its exceptional customer service through the building process.

“Our agent was with us the whole process. That was one of the best things to happen during the process,” says Otero, “And our builder was very communicative about the progress of the home. He was great.”

“They [Mattamy Homes] are very accommodating and willing to help you every step of the way,” says Ortiz, “I just felt like they really cared.”

Last month, Parkview opened a new amenity center, called Parkview Pavilion, that features a resort-style pool, shaded breezeway, cabanas and social gathering areas.

Residents of this gated community also can enjoy another outdoor gathering area that includes hammocks, a comfortable seating area, cornhole and a dog park.

“People of all ages are enjoying it,” says Dec, “It was really important for us to create  gathering areas in the community that homeowners can use for a variety of activities, recreation or just relaxing.

Dec really hopes these new amenities bring a new sense of community.

“That’s exactly what they’re designed to do,” says Dec.

Townhomes Now Open in Wesley Chapel
Nearby in Wesley Chapel, Mattamy Homes has opened four new decorated model townhomes with contemporary exterior styling in its all-new l community of Volanti, located on Wesley Chapel Boulevard at Hay Road. Models are professionally decorated and open for tours daily, with private personalized appointments available.

Volanti is the debut of Mattamy Homes’ new contemporary exterior style of townhomes.

Four floor plans are available, ranging from 1,667 to 2,574 square feet, with three to four bedrooms and 2.5 to three baths. There are three exterior styles available at Volanti — Craftsman, French Country and Contemporary. Base pricing begins in the low to mid $300s.

“Volanti is the debut of our new Contemporary exterior style of townhomes, designed to offer a more modern, fresher look,” said Lisette Minnick, the homebuilder’s Tampa & Southwest Florida Division vice president of sales.

Four distinct floor plans are available at Volanti — Marianna, Ormond, Sebring and Venice. All have one- or two-car attached garages and large lanais.

The gated community will have 200 homes at build out, and fun-filled, family friendly amenities, including a resort-style swimming pool with an open-air pavilion, a barbecue area and a fire pit. Construction on the amenities began in October, and Mattamy Homes expects to have them completed by early summer.

Making the community even more attractive is free lawn maintenance and no Community Development District (CDD) fees. Townhomes are released for sale regularly, but home offerings may be limited for a temporary time frame, due to the current high demand for homes, and labor and material constraints.

Located just 4 miles from Interstate 75, Volanti boasts excellent access to the best of the Wesley Chapel area, including premier shopping and dining destinations.

Citron Grove Coming Soon
Mattamy Homes recently announced that it also is building 60 new townhomes in Citrus Park, on Gunn Highway, called Citron Grove. The Craftsman-style townhomes will have two floor plans available — the Marianna and Ormond. Pre-sales will begin in February. Citron Grove is just 1.5 miles from the Veterans Expressway, 2 miles from Citrus Park Mall, and 12 miles from Tampa’s Westshore Business District and International Airport. The gated community, which was formerly Be Mac Nursery, will offer low-maintenance living, value-oriented price points and outstanding schools. Interested parties should register for updates on the website.

About Mattamy Homes
Mattamy Homes is North America’s largest privately-owned homebuilder, with over 40 years of experience building homes across the United States and Canada. From the beginning, our vision and promise has remained the same: to build thoughtfully designed homes and communities that reflect the needs of the families living in them, ensuring a lifetime of happiness for each. Mattamy Homes is proud to build homes for more than 8,000 families each year.

Mattamy Homes operates in eleven markets across the United States, with headquarters in Orlando, Florida. Other markets include Naples, Sarasota, Tampa, Jacksonville, Southeast Florida, Charlotte, Raleigh, Dallas, Phoenix and Tucson. In Canada, Mattamy communities can be found across the greater Toronto area and Ottawa, Calgary, and Edmonton.

Visit MattamyHomes.com or see a Mattamy New Home Counselor for further details and important legal disclaimers.  This is not an offer in states where registration is required. Void where prohibited by law.

For more information about all of Mattamy Homes’ local communities, go to MattamyHomes.com/florida/tampa.

Published December 29, 2021

Parkview Sebring
Parkview Myrtle
Parkview Myrtle
Volanti Sebring

Pasco County Schools continue to add more school choices

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The Pasco County School Board recently approved the conversion of two existing elementary schools into Science Technology Engineering Arts and Mathematics (STEAM) magnet schools.

The board voted on Dec. 14 to shift the boundaries for Centennial Elementary School, in Dade City and for Marlowe Elementary School in New Port Richey into the boundaries of nearby schools.

The conversion to the new approach to learning will take place beginning in the fall of the 2022-2023 school year.

A new 6-12 STEAM magnet school is expected to open in the fall of 2023, near Moffitt Cancer Center’s planned Pasco campus. The acronym STEAM stands for science, technology, engineering, the arts and mathematics. (Courtesy of Pasco County Schools)

Centennial Elementary will provide a convenient option for students and families in East Pasco, to explore the same educational opportunities as those offered at Sanders Elementary STEAM Magnet School, in Land O’ Lakes. Marlowe will do the same in West Pasco.

Sanders recently received national recognition for the quality of its programs.

Kirkland Ranch Academy of Innovation, under construction on Curley Road in East Pasco, will open during the fall of the 2022-2023 school year.

The school is expected to have an enrollment of 1,000 students and its programs will include digital technology, engineering, biomedical science, transportation and building technology.

The 104-acre school site is about 3 miles due east of Interstate 75.

A number of career and technical education labs are planned, including those designed for digital media, engineering robotics, biomedical and patient care.

Automotive, diesel, welding, construction, electrical and cybersecurity programs are planned, as well. The diesel program will be one of just a few in Florida.

The school district also is expected to open a new 6-12 STEAM magnet program in Land O’ Lakes, near Moffitt Cancer Center’s planned Pasco County campus.

School district and Moffitt officials are already in discussion regarding the vast potential for unique learning opportunities for students who will be attending that school.

The school, which is expected to open in the fall of 2023, is planned on an 18.8-acre site within Angeline, south of State Road 52, north of the future Ridge Road extension and west of Sunlake Boulevard, according to Ajax’s website.

These schools are just a few of the educational options that Pasco parents can choose for their students.

Those wishing to know more can visit the school district’s website to peruse the Pasco Schools Pathways school choice catalog to find out more about program offerings.

The window for applications opens at 8 a.m. on Jan. 6 and closes on Jan. 20 at 4:30 p.m.

Window for school choice opens Jan. 6
The application window for Pasco Pathways School Choice opens on Jan. 6 at 8 a.m. and closes on Jan. 20, at 4:30 p.m.

This will be the only application window for all grade levels, and it will be for all school choice options, including STEM and STEAM magnet schools, Kirkland Ranch Academy of Innovation, Wendell Krinn Technical High School, International Baccalaureate (IB), and the Cambridge Programme.

The Pasco Pathways Innovative Programs and School Choice application will be available for parents via the myStudent parent portal. Parents who don’t already have an account may establish a myStudent account by clicking on the myStudent link.

Go the Pasco County Schools website to find out more. The school district’s website is www.pasco.k12.fl.us/

Published December 29, 2021

Pasco lifts ceiling on commercial hauling rates

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Commercial haulers now can operate in a free market in Pasco County — meaning competition among private businesses will establish the charges.

The Pasco County Commission voted on Oct. 26 to remove the ceiling on the rates. The action brings Pasco into alliance with the approach used by other counties around the state, according to county staffers.

The change does not affect residential hauling rates.

At the same meeting, the county board approved increasing charges associated with water and wastewater connection fees — previously referred to as impact fees.

The board also established new fire line and fire hydrant rates. The increased rates take effect on Jan. 3. For a complete breakdown of the new charges, visit Pasco County Utilities, on the county’s website, PascoCountyFl.net.

In other action, the county board:

• Accepted a check for nearly $2.9 million, in “excess fees” from Paco County Tax Collector Mike Fasano. The tax collector’s office is funded entirely by fees and commissions, with no direct ad valorem dollars. When the office’s total revenues exceed expenses, the “excess fees” are returned to the county board and other taxing authorities on a pro-rata basis at the end of the fiscal year.

• Approved a change to the comprehensive plan on 37.58 acres, east of Old Pasco Road and north of Overpass Road, to allow for commercial development. The board also approved a companion rezoning, allowing a commercial planned development of use to 315,000 square feet of commercial at that site.

• Authorized to shortlist and negotiate agreements for a Tower Road route siting and pond siting analysis for an area that begins east of Sunlake Boulevard to east of U.S. 41. The shortlisted firms are: American Consulting Engineers of Florida, LLC (American); Kissinger, Campo & Associates, Corp. (KCA); NV5, Inc. (NV5); Baslee Engineering Solutions, Inc. (Baslee); and George F. Young, Inc. (George F. Young). The county board authorized negotiations with the top firm, and if an agreement can’t be reached, authorized staff to negotiate with the remaining firms, in the county’s ranked order.

• Authorized to shortlist and negotiate agreements for a Tower Road route study and pond siting analysis for an area from the terminus of Rangeland Boulevard to east of Sunlake Boulevard. The shortlisted firms are Kissinger, Campo & Associates, Corp.; WGI, Inc.; American Consulting Engineers of Florida, LLC; NV5, Inc.; Baslee Engineering Solutions, Inc.; and, George F. Young, Inc. The county board authorized staff to negotiate with Kissinger, Campo & Associates, and if an agreement can’t be reached, to negotiate with the remaining firms, in the county’s ranked order.

• Approved an agreement to accept a $6.5 million grant, through the state Department of Environmental Protection, to provide water and wastewater infrastructure improvements to stimulate economic growth in the currently underdeveloped area of Pasadena Hills. The county will construct a water and wastewater distribution system including a piping system and appurtenances, a lift station, restoration, project management, and all work necessary to complete the project as outlined in the grant work plan. The grant begins upon execution of the agreement and expires on March 31, 2024. No county match is required and this is a cost-reimbursement agreement.

• Approved a change order involving additional work and a time extension of 129 days for the installation of a drain field at Starkey Ranch District Park. The amount of the contract with R.L. Burns Inc., will increase by $455,234.37, bringing the not-to-exceed total to $3,994,628.37. The new completion date is March 14, 2022.

• Authorized to shortlist and negotiate agreements with firms to complete an Orange Belt Trail route study, design and permitting. The firms are: Atkins North America, Inc.; HDR Engineering, Inc.; Rummel, Klepper & Kahl, LLP; Burgess & Niple, Inc.; NV5, Inc.; Baslee Engineering Solutions, Inc.; and Sand County Studios, LLC. If an agreement cannot be reached with Atkins, the board authorized negotiations with remaining firms, according to the county’s ranked order.

• Approved a change to the county’s comprehensive plan to allow commercial development to be considered on 9.24 acres south of State Road 54 and River Glen Boulevard. The land previously was planned for residential development. The proposed change received a unanimous recommendation for approval from the Pasco County Planning Commission on Aug. 26. A change in the land use designation is the first step necessary to change the potential use on the land. A rezoning is required, too, before commercial development could occur.

• Authorized the reappointment of Steven Hickman to the board of the Pasco County Housing Finance Authority and appointed two new members, Jeffrey Sklet, deputy director for the Pasco County Housing Authority, and Stacy Ferreira, vice president of BB&T.

• Adopted a resolution honoring the Friends of the Pasco County Library System, a not-for-profit organization the helps the library through volunteering, fundraising and advocacy.

Published November 17, 2021

School board approves $52.7 million magnet school

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Work is moving ahead on a new magnet school for sixth- through 12th-grade students, which is expected to usher in a broad array of new opportunities for students.

The Pasco County School Board approved a $52.7 million contract with Ajax Building Company, during the board’s Nov. 2 meeting.

The 6-12 school is planned on an 18.8-acre site within the community of Angeline, south of State Road 52, north of the future Ridge Road extension and west of Sunlake Boulevard.

The school board, acting as the Pasco County School Board Leasing Corporation, previously approved the sale of bonds to finance the new magnet school and to complete projects at Hudson and Gulf High schools. The sale of $80 million in bond was completed on Nov. 2.

The school site is within Angeline, which is being billed as a wellness community. Angeline will be developed on thousands of acres of land, east of the Suncoast Parkway and south of State Road 52.

Within that area, Moffitt is planning its Pasco County campus. The cancer center’s presence in Pasco is expected to include a massive research and corporate innovation district. It has site entitlements that encompass 24 million square feet, and include plans for a hospital, research and development space, office, manufacturing, laboratories, pharmacies, educational facility/university, hotel, and commercial space. The multiyear, multiphase project is expected to create 14,500 jobs.

At a previous school board meeting, Ray Gadd, deputy superintendent for Pasco County Schools, reported that Moffitt and Pasco-Hernando State College are working together “to develop a very unique school setting.”

The school is designed for 1,700 students, according to the Ajax contract.

Plans call for a facility with 186,882 gross square feet.

It will have:

  • A one-story administration building
  • A one-story dining/multipurpose area, with a fully functioning kitchen
  • A two-story media and band area
  • A four-story classroom wing

Other parts of the site development include parking, drives, walkway canopies, an aluminum shade system, fencing, a walking trail, sidewalks, underground utilities, landscaping, irrigation and other infrastructure.

Construction is expected to take 18 months, with the closeout taking 1.5 months, bringing the total to 19.5 months, according to the contract.

Substantial completion is expected in April of 2023, with a final completion in June of 2023.

Harvard Jolly is the architect on the school district project.

Published November 10, 2021

Model Townhomes By Mattamy Homes Now Open in Wesley Chapel

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Mattamy Homes has opened four new decorated model townhomes with contemporary exterior styling in its all-new Wesley Chapel community of Volanti, located on Wesley Chapel Boulevard at Hay Road. Models are professionally decorated and open for tours daily, with private personalized appointments available.

“Mattamy Homes is delighted to open these new, thoughtfully designed townhomes in one of Pasco’s most desirable locations,” said Lisette Minnick, the homebuilder’s Tampa & Southwest Florida Division Vice President of Sales. “The community is ideally located in a peaceful setting, but close to everything any homebuyer could want or need.”

Volanti is the debut of Mattamy Homes’ new contemporary exterior style of townhomes.

Four floor plans are available, ranging from 1,667 to 2,574 square feet, with three to four bedrooms and 2.5 to three baths. There are three exterior styles available at Volanti — Craftsman, French Country and Contemporary. Base pricing begins in the low to mid $300s.

“Volanti is the debut of our new Contemporary exterior style of townhomes, designed to offer a more modern, fresh look,” said Minnick. “We are excited to show off our models and invite people to stop by to see all this community has to offer.”

Four distinct floorplans are available at Volanti — Marianna, Ormond, Sebring and Venice. All have one- or two-car attached garages and large lanais. The gated community will have 200 homes at build out, and fun-filled, family friendly amenities, including a resort-style swimming pool with an open-air pavilion, a barbecue area and a fire pit.

Volanti Sebring

Making the community even more attractive is free lawn maintenance, and no Community Development District (CDD) fees. Townhomes are released for sale regularly, but home offerings may be limited for a temporary time frame, due to the current high demand for homes and labor and material constraints.

Located just 4 miles from I-75, Volanti boasts excellent access to the best of the Wesley Chapel area, including premier shopping and dining destinations at Tampa Premium Outlets, The Grove, and The Shops at Wiregrass.

For pleasure or business flyers, the Tampa North Flight Center is close by to Volanti, and provides flight opportunities with an airstrip, hangars and a café.  Many of Tampa Bay’s top employers are within easy driving distance, and Pasco County Schools are highly rated, including Veteran’s Elementary, which is just minutes away on Wesley Chapel Boulevard.

The Volanti community is surrounded by lakes and golf courses, and offers homebuyers endless recreational opportunities, including nearby Saddlebrook Resort, historic Tarpon Springs and the Gulf’s white-sand beaches.

Volanti Venice

Lutz Communities – Parkview at Long Lake Ranch and Avea Pointe
Located along State Road 54, close to U.S. 41 and Sunlake Boulevard, is Parkview at Long Lake Ranch, which offers single-family homes and townhomes. Last month, Parkview opened a new amenity center, called Parkview Pavilion, that features a resort-style pool, shaded breezeway, cabanas and social gathering areas. Residents of this gated community also enjoy a paw park for dogs, tot lots and fun park areas. Homesites in Parkview, which have a low-cost HOA, are released regularly.

Just south in Hillsborough County, on Van Dyke Road, just minutes from the Veterans Expressway, is the townhome community of Avea Pointe. Children at this popular community are assigned to some of the best schools in the area, including Steinbrenner High. Only 11 townhomes remain at this community, and buyers are encouraged to call or visit now while there is still an opportunity to live in this top location.

Volanti Venice

Citron Grove Coming Soon
Mattamy Homes recently announced that it also is building 60 new townhomes in Citrus Park, on Gunn Highway. Called Citron Grove, the Craftsman-style townhomes will be similar to those at Avea Pointe, with updated exterior styles. Two floor plans will be available — the Marianna and Ormond. Pre-sales will begin in January. Citron Grove is just 1.5 miles from the Veterans Expressway, 2 miles from Citrus Park Mall and 12 miles from Tampa’s Westshore Business District and International Airport. The gated community includes a number of trees and was formerly Be Mac Nursery. It offers low maintenance living, value-oriented price points and outstanding schools. Potential buyers of Citron Grove, who want to see similar floor plans before its grand opening, can visit Avea Pointe’s sales center, which is just 10 minutes away.

Mattamy Homes Sales Process
Mattamy Homes is thrilled that the level of interest and excitement for our communities is heightened. Mattamy takes pride in providing a fair and easy process to allow prospective homebuyers an opportunity to purchase homes, as they become available. The availability of homesites vary in each Mattamy Homes community, and New Home Counselors can provide guidance on how and when buyers will have an opportunity to purchase. Please call or visit to learn more.

About Mattamy Homes
Mattamy Homes is the largest, privately owned homebuilder in North America, with 40-plus years of history across the United States and Canada. Every year, Mattamy helps more than 8,000 families realize their dream of homeownership. In the United States, the company builds homes in Dallas, Charlotte, Raleigh, Phoenix, Tucson, Jacksonville, Orlando (where its U.S. head office is located), Tampa, Sarasota, Naples and Southeast Florida.

For more information about all of Mattamy Homes’ local communities, go to MattamyHomes.com/florida/tampa.

Published October 27, 2021

Moffitt and Pasco Schools have big plans

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Pasco County Schools and Moffitt Cancer Center envision great possibilities of working together when the school district builds its planned 6-12 magnet STEAM school on land near Moffitt’s planned campus in Land O’ Lakes.

Ray Gadd, deputy superintendent for Pasco County Schools, recently updated the school board about a meeting between school district and Moffitt staff members.

“We had our first real, live, meeting with the administrative staff of Moffitt Cancer Center. And, it went really very, very well,” Gadd told the school board on Oct. 5.

“On the Angeline property, as the crow flies, is kind of back behind Land O’ Lakes High School, Moffitt is putting in a hospital and a big research center, and we have a school right across the street,” Gadd said.

“That school, we’ll start construction on that, I think, about mid-October. We’ll probably be the first building up out there. And, we are currently working with Moffitt and Pasco-Hernando State College to develop a very unique school setting.”

The campus will serve students in grades six through 12.

“More than likely, the upper classmen will have an opportunity to interact in the Moffitt hospital, with Moffitt researchers; (and) participate in apprentice programs and internships.

“It would be something that is very unique to the Pasco school system,” Gadd said, noting that Dr. Kim Moore, assistant superintendent who oversees the district’s career and technical programs, was at the meeting, as well as Dr. Monica Ilse, assistant superintendent for high schools, and Steve Hegarty, public information officer.

“We had a very, very positive reception from the Moffitt folks,” Gadd said.

In remarks to her school board colleagues, Cynthia Armstrong said it’s exciting “that we’re going to have a magnet school right next to their campus, which is going to be huge. So, we’re very excited about that.”

That meeting was a follow-up to a previous session between Gadd and Dr. Patrick Hwu, president and CEO of Moffitt.

Gadd previously briefed school board members about his meeting with Hwu.

During that briefing, Gadd told board members that he’d “heard through the grapevine that he (Hwu) was a big supporter of education, public education.”

But Gadd added: “My meeting with him was beyond expectations. I went there with a few ideas and he had hundreds of ideas about how our new STEM magnet in the Angeline area could be a partner with Moffitt.”

Gadd noted: “We’d have to work through all kinds of legal issues, as he and I discussed, but having students actually sit in, participate in procedures, surgeries, internships. Having graduate students and doctors actually come to the school building and teach courses and work with us, district-wide on virtual programs for kids, who are in nursing programs, health programs, biomedical engineering and those kinds of things.

“He was exuberant, and we made arrangements to connect my staff with his staff. I am really looking forward to the potential we have to work with Moffitt,” Gadd said.

Funding for the construction of the district’s planned 6-12 school in Land O’ Lakes was approved on Oct. 5, when the school board adjourned, then reconvened as the Pasco County School Board Leasing Corporation to approve $85 million in financing that will pay for the lease‐purchase financing of that school, and projects Hudson and Gulf high schools.

The new Angeline mixed-use community — which is being billed as a wellness-themed community — will be developed on thousands of acres of land, east of the Suncoast Parkway and south of State Road 52.

Moffitt plans to create a massive research and corporate innovation district.

Site entitlements for Moffitt’s project, which encompass 24 million square feet, include plans for a hospital, research and development space, office, manufacturing, laboratories, pharmacies, educational facility/university, hotel, and commercial space. The multiyear, multiphase project is expected to create 14,500 jobs.

The school district’s new school in Angeline will be designed for 1,694 student stations, which at 90% capacity translates to about 1,530 students, according to a previous report in The Laker/Lutz News.

The school board hired Ajax Building Company at its Sept. 15, 2020 meeting to do pre-construction work at the 6-12 STEAM school site.

The school is planned on an 18.8-acre site within Angeline, south of State Road 52, north of the future Ridge Road extension and west of Sunlake Boulevard, according to Ajax’s website.

“Campus plans include a one-story administration area, a one-story dining and multipurpose area with a full kitchen, two-story media, band and art areas, and a four-story classroom wing, with all areas connected by a one-story and two-story atrium/central corridor, the website post says.

The site development also includes “walkway canopies, aluminum shade system, fencing, walking trail, sidewalks, chiller/generator plan, site lighting, underground utilities, landscaping and irrigation,” according to information posted by Ajax.

Harvard Jolly is the architect on the school district project.

Published October 13, 2021

Intersection planned on State Road 52, at Sunlake

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Pasco County has approved a local funding agreement with the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) regarding the construction of an intersection improvement at State Road 52 and Sunlake Boulevard/Rhombus Court.

The Pasco County Commission approved the agreement, as part of the consent agenda, during the board’s Sept. 15. When an item is on the consent agenda that means there is no public discussion and it is voted on along with a number of other agenda items, in a single vote.

The intersection improvement is part of the State Road 52 reconstruction project, from east of the Suncoast Parkway to east of U.S. 41, according to the board’s backup materials.

The intersection improvement project cost is $709,460, the agenda packet says.

Under the approved local funding agreement, the state transportation department will construct the intersection improvement, but the work will be paid for by the county.

The FDOT is constructing the widening improvements on State Road 52, from east of the Suncoast Parkway to east of U.S. 41.

The developer for State Road 52 Industrial LLC, will require access from State Road 52 to their future development, on the north side of State Road 52, west of U.S. 41, according to the board’s agenda packet.

This access will be provided through Rhombus Court, which is located on the north side of State Road 52, and aligns with North Sunlake Boulevard on the south side of State Road 52.

The developer has prepared design plans for the improvements that will be needed on State Road 52 at the connections of North Sunlake Boulevard and Rhombus Court.

These plans were reviewed and accepted by the FDOT.

Since the widening project on State Road 52 is already under construction, the FDOT has agreed to include the intersection improvements as part of its construction project, if the county provided funding for the intersection project.

The improvements include a full median opening, eastbound and westbound left and right turn lanes, pedestrian improvements, and additional lighting.

The contractor for the State Road 52 widening project (D.A.B. Constructors Inc.), has been found in default and the FDOT is in the process of rebidding the project, the agenda packet says.

The construction of the intersection improvements was already included and scheduled as part of the State Road 52 widening project prior to the default and will be included in the new bid package.

The estimated cost of the improvements is $709,460.00. The developer for State Road 52 Industrial LLC and the county have entered into a funding agreement, in which the developer paid it a proportionate share of the cost of improvements, in the amount of $199,205.80.

The county has agreed to fund the balance of $510,254.20.

Under the agreement with the FDOT, the county will pay a lump sum to enable construction to proceed.

This payment is due to the FDOT by Oct. 4. If the cost is less than estimated, the funds will be returned to the county.

Published September 29, 2021