The Laker/Lutz News

Sunlake

Ridge Road construction moves forward

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By summer, motorists could take their first spins along the initial segment of the Ridge Road extension from Moon Lake Road/DeCubellis Road to Town Center Boulevard.

“We’re hoping we open that leg by the start of August, for the start of the school year,” said Sam Beneck, Pasco County’s property manager. “They are pulling out all the stops to get it done. It’s going to be a real challenge.”

The roadwork is expected to ease traffic for River Ridge high school and middle school along Town Center.

This aerial view shows the area where Ridge Road construction will begin at Moon Lake in west Pasco County. (Courtesy of Pasco County)

This short jog forward is the beginning of a two-phased road project, with a final completion date in 2025. By then, the approximately 8.6-mile extension of Ridge Road, from west to east, is expected to cross over Suncoast Parkway and come out at U.S. 41, opposite an entrance into the master-planned community of Connerton in Land O’ Lakes.

Pasco County officials celebrated the kick-off to Ridge Road’s extension in January. It was the culmination of more than two decades of pushing the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to issue a permit that would allow the new road to cut through sensitive environmental land in the Serenova Tract of the Starkey Wilderness Preserve.

For years, county officials identified the east/west route as an essential evacuation route during hurricanes and other emergencies. They expect it to take pressure off existing east/west routes of State Road 52 and State Road 54, and cut evacuation times down by hours. In addition, traffic capacity is expected to increase by 10%.

“It’s really to improve traffic capacity and east/west access to improve hurricane evacuations,” said Beneck. “We really, really see it as a significant evacuation improvement with multi-hour benefits in reaching our evacuation goal and traffic capacity. There was never another alternative that provided these benefits.”

Environmentalists suggest that the north/south route of U.S. 19 makes more sense for evacuations, and would avoid harm to the Serenova.

“We need to maintain our natural systems and forests to mitigate against climate change,” said Tim Martin, conversation chairman for the Sierra Club Florida. “We just need to leave our natural systems and keep our preserves preserved.”

Sierra Club Florida Conservation filed a lawsuit against the Army Corps in February in the U.S. Middle District of Florida. However, a judge denied an emergency injunction to stop the roadway. Pasco County, which is not a defendant in the lawsuit, was granted permission to intervene in the case.

The Sierra Club alleges that the Army Corps violated the National Environmental Policy Act and failed to adequately evaluate the harm to threatened and endangered species within the Serenova, and to their habitats and wetlands.

Martin said county taxpayers need to understand they could be the losers if the lawsuit is successful and Pasco is ordered to restore wetlands that the roadway is destroying.

Beneck said the county is sensitive to the impacts to the Serenova. County staff and the Fish and Wildlife Commission have provided guidance on mitigation efforts, including relocating gopher tortoises found on site.

The court date is pending.

When completed, the roadway through the Serenova will have 16 bridges that cross over wetlands, and wildlife crossings at 15 of those bridges.

Landscaping and multi-use paths will be installed with nature overlooks that allow for relaxation and observation.

The total estimated cost of the project is more than $149 million, with the largest share – about $93.2 million – paying for phase one from Moon Lake to the Suncoast. Suncoast to Sunlake is estimated to cost about $12.7 million. Funding sources for the $44 million final segment from Sunlake to U.S. 41 are identified and will be budgeted in the fiscal year 2023, based on revenue estimates and projections, according to county officials.

The Florida Turnpike Authority will fund the new interchange at Ridge Road and the parkway.

The interchange and surrounding land are attracting new development.

Lee Moffitt Cancer and Research Institute recently purchased about 775 acres for a future research hub near the interchange.

Lennar, which sold land to Moffitt, is proposing a master-planned community of Angeline, formerly Project Arthur, that would transform a former cattle ranch and pine plantation into a residential and commercial community. The property is located south of State Road 52 and east of Suncoast. Both Ridge Road and Sunlake Boulevard cut through the property.

Environmentalists say these types of projects are the true reason for extending Ridge Road.

“Now, it’s pretty obvious all along they had bigger plans for opening central Pasco,” said Martin. “A lot of this is bad growth and sprawl.”

One design change in Ridge Road could add as many as seven signalized intersections to the phase two, at-grade construction of roadway from Suncoast to Land O’ Lakes boulevard.

While this segment initially had limited access, county officials later designated it an arterial roadway in acknowledgement that private property owners might develop land adjacent to Ridge Road.

However, Beneck said Pasco planned for Ridge Road based on the county’s long-range comprehensive plan, not any specific development projects. “We really hadn’t heard of any development plans.”

It would be up to private developers to seek any necessary permits, he said.

“Private developers would be responsible for doing all of their own mitigation,” Beneck said.

Published July 1, 2020

Pasco school growth expected to continue

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Pasco County is expected to add a total of 1,673 students in public and charter schools next year, based on projections compiled by Pasco County Schools.

That’s an increase over last year’s growth, which was 1,517, and brings the figure to nearly 3,200 in two years.

The bulk of the growth is coming in the State Road 54/State Road 56 corridor, said Chris Williams, director of planning for Pasco County Schools.

The growth is coming, he said, from “all those new developments springing up along the 54 corridor — Wiregrass. Bexley Ranch. Starkey Ranch.”

“Everything between Trinity and Wesley Chapel, along the 54 corridor,” Williams said.

There’s development in the Sunlake area, and Connerton is building again, too, Williams said.

The school district planner broke down the enrollment growth by grade levels.

“This year, we grew by a little bit under 500 elementary kids. Next year, we’re projecting 555 in the elementary, which is about 73 percent of an elementary school,” Williams said.

“We’re projecting 346 (additional students) for middle, and 709 (more) for high school,” he said.

The district picks up a sizable number of private school and charter school kids at the high school level, Williams noted.

“We have to be cognizant of that when we’re doing our projections. We can’t just take our eighth-grade population and assume that’s what our ninth-grade population is going to be,” he said. The district has to add to that.

This will be the third year in a row that the district has experienced enrollment growth, Williams said.

Growth projected for next year is substantially less than in 2004-2005, when enrollment grew by almost 3,200, he said

But, the expected growth is significantly more than in 2008-2009, when enrollment grew by 280; 2009-2010, when it grew by 327; 2010-2011, when it declined by 252 and, 2011-2012, when it dropped by130.

The district’s projection for this year was for 69,475, but it expects to come in higher — at 69,633, Williams said.

Its projection for next year is 71,306.

The district tries to be cautious in its projections, Williams said.

“We don’t want to overbuild,” he said. On the other hand, “We also don’t want to fall way behind, either.

“We’re trying to be smart about where we’re putting schools,” he said.

“We built W because it was centrally located and allowed us to relieve Double Branch, Seven Oaks, that area,” he said.

With all of the construction activity, there’s no doubt additional schools will be needed, Williams said. The question is how many?

“Everybody is restarting, and they’re all going at once. The question is how sustainable is that? Are they competing for the same customers, or is there enough demand to buy all that they’re going to build? And, I don’t know the answer to that,” Williams said.

Published January 13, 2016 

 

In Print: There’s only one way, the Keppel Way

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Kris Keppel is the last person who feels he deserves all the accolades he’s received lately. While he had to retire as both a cross-country coach and a teacher for Land O’ Lakes High School earlier this year because of his battle with pancreatic cancer, Keppel still has to admit, what he’s done — and always has done — is inspire.

And that’s what he wants to keep on doing.

Kris Keppel — standing with his wife Dar and daughters Meredith and Morgan — thanks the fans and students during last week's Land O' Lakes-Sunlake football game for honoring him with a new award, and naming one of the school's streets after him. (Photo by Michael Hinman)
Kris Keppel — standing with his wife Dar and daughters Meredith and Morgan — thanks the fans and students during last week’s Land O’ Lakes-Sunlake football game for honoring him with a new award, and naming one of the school’s streets after him. (Photo by Michael Hinman)

“It’s pretty easy to inspire,” Keppel told fans at the recent Land O’ Lakes-Sunlake football game, according to reporter Michael Hinman. “Inspiration is a two-way street. You all can inspire each other on a daily basis.”

Keppel not only received the honor of having his name put on an award that will be given regularly by the high school to those that inspire others, but also to have a street named in his honor on campus.

“What better way to have students in the future know how much he inspired us to do things the Keppel way than to actually rename the roadway that leads into the athletic facility,” school principal Ric Mellin said. “From this point forward, every time our athletes come down the road from the parking lot into the stadiums in the back here, they are going to be doing it the Keppel Way.”

What did Coach Keppel and others think of all this? Find out in this week’s print edition of The Laker/Lutz News, available now. Or if you’re someone who can’t leave their computer quite yet, check out the story in our free online e-edition by clicking here.

It was a different kind of inspiration that led Bryan and Darci D’Onofrio to start their own theater company. And the name says it all.

Dreamhouse Theatre opens its first full production, “Little Shop of Horrors,” this weekend at the Center for the Arts at Wesley Chapel.

“Something we’ve always wanted to do was to have our own theater,” Bryan D’Onofrio told reporter B.C. Manion. “That’s been a dream of ours.”

So they pulled together their resources and made it happen. Bryan is the artistic director, while Darci is the executive director.

“We absolutely love the arts,” Darci D’Onofrio said. “We want to bring them here. We know that’s a need.”

Learn more about Dreamhouse Theatre and the people behind it in this week’s print edition of The Laker/Lutz News, available everywhere now. Or if you’d prefer, read it right now in our free online e-edition. Just click here.

There is a lot of focus on veterans at Saint Leo University, and not necessarily because a lot of them are traveling to Pasco County to take on classes. In fact, there are many veterans who are finding a way to get that post-high school education they’re looking for from Saint Leo — but they are doing it through the convenience of distance technology.

One man — U.S. Marine Corps gunnery sergeant Tedd “Gunny” Weiser — is in charge of making sure veterans successfully make the transition from battlefield to classroom.

“When these veterans come off active duty, there’s a trust, a comfort level, in being able to speak to somebody who can not only talk the talk, but walk the walk,” Weiser told reporter Michael Murillo.

The support his department provides is more than just answering basic questions or even maintaining a campus presence. It also comes in the form of a free online course developed by Saint Leo to help veterans and their families transition from military to civilian life. And not just to go to school, but to make it in the world that isn’t always the most friendly to soldiers coming back from conflict.

To learn more about what Saint Leo is doing with veterans, check out this week’s print edition of The Laker/Lutz News. Or read our free online edition by clicking here.

And finally, photojournalist Fred Bellet has some great pictures to share from the recent Fall Festival at The Grove at Wesley Chapel. It was some great costumes and more at the annual event — put on by the Greater Wesley Chapel Chamber of Commerce — which can be found on the front of this week’s B-Section. See it online by clicking here.

All of these stories and more can be found in this week’s The Laker/Lutz News, available in newsstands throughout east and central Pasco County as well as northern Hillsborough County. Find out what has your community talking this week by getting your local news straight from the only source you need.

If The Laker/Lutz News is not coming to your door, call us to see where you can get your copy at (813) 909-2800, or read our free e-edition by clicking here.

Class 6A-District 6 up for grabs

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During the next few weeks leading up to the first game of the 2013 high school football season, The Laker/Lutz News sports staff is previewing the new districts marked up by the Florida High School Athletic Association.

Our third installment in the series takes a look at Class 6A-District 6:

Meet the teams
Fivay (6-4, 5-2 in 5A-6)
Land O’ Lakes (4-6, 2-5)
Mitchell (6-4, 3-4)
Springstead (9-2, 6-1)
Sunlake (8-2, 5-2)

GATORS’ DYNAMIC DUO
Land O’ Lakes’ success in 6A-6 this season may rest on the arms of quarterbacks James Pensyl and Ethan Weilant.

Land O’ Lakes quarterback James Pensyl looked impressive in the spring game and has plenty of offensive weapons to get the Gators back into the postseason for the first time in two years. (Photo by Tim McCLain)
Land O’ Lakes quarterback James Pensyl looked impressive in the spring game and has plenty of offensive weapons to get the Gators back into the postseason for the first time in two years. (Photo by Tim McCLain)

Pensyl looked impressive at times during the Gators’ spring game loss against Pasco on May 23 finishing 8-of-17 with one touchdown and one interception. He also added 30 rushing yards. And Weilant, who missed most of last season with a shoulder injury, turned plenty of heads with his performance in the North Suncoast 7-on-7 summer league. He even lined up at wide receiver at times.

While Pensyl looks to be the favorite to land the starting job in Week 1 after he passed for 946 yards last season, the battle could end up down to the wire for Land O’ Lakes, which is looking to end its two-year playoff drought and get past the dark cloud of recruiting violation penalties handed down by the FHSAA in 2011.

The Gators have the offensive weapons to do just that, but their final place in the standings will depend on how they use them against the slate of tough district opponents.

SEAHAWKS HOPE TO KEEP SOARING
Sunlake has been one of the most dominant teams in Pasco County during the past three seasons, racking up back-to-back wins over rival Land O’ Lakes and 26 total wins.

However, the Seahawks didn’t have the best spring jamboree by losing to Wiregrass Ranch 7-0, but fared better in their 21-0 win against a young Wesley Chapel squad.

“We got our feet wet,” Coach Bill Browning said after the game. “At times we swam, at times we treaded water, and at times we drowned.”

Growing pains early in the season are to be expected, and projected starting quarterback Esteban LeWallen, who is Sunlake’s fourth starter in as many seasons, did not even step onto the field in the spring games due to personal reasons.

But the loss of quarterback Josh Zifer, 1,000-yard rusher Eddie Burgos and linebacker Ray Busbee to graduation might be too much to overcome, especially after the Seahawks missed the playoffs with an 8-2 record last season. And with the way the district is shaping up again, they may have to repeat that performance to earn a shot at a postseason berth.

KEEP AN EYE ON …
Ben Wood, inside linebacker, Sunlake
Wood was a key part of Browning’s defense last season by racking up 86 tackles (56 solo), seven sacks and three forced fumbles. The 5-foot-10, 180-pound senior also split time on offense at tight end. If Wood and company can repeat his masterful performance, expect Sunlake to be in the playoff conversation once again.

Austin McGuire, halfback, Land O’ Lakes
McGuire was impressive against a tough Pasco High defense in the Gators’ spring game, helping stage a late comeback against the Pirates by scoring a touchdown and leading multiple drives down the field. The junior, along with teammate Larenz Scroggins, could be Land O’ Lakes’ go-to-guy this season after racking up 145 yards on 10 carries last year.