The Laker/Lutz News

Tampa North Aero Park

Airport area moratorium is on hold

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Questions about potential impacts from a proposed moratorium on development near airport land have prompted a delay by the Pasco County Commission, to give stakeholders more time to weigh in on the issue.

A continuance already had been planned, to push the matter back to April 5, but Commissioner Mike Moore called for additional time to study the issue.

“I am getting way too many questions from stakeholders. A lot of questions, a lot of concerns,” Moore told his colleagues.

“I think this needs to be pushed (back) at least another month to give time for the stakeholders to get involved, on both sides,” Moore said at the county board’s March 8 meeting.

The first reading of the proposed moratorium ordinance is now set for April 19 at 1:30 p.m., in New Port Richey, with a final vote scheduled for May 3 at 1:30 p.m., in Dade City.

Concerns about the proposed moratorium initially arose during the Pasco County Planning Commission’s March 3 meeting.

The objections surfaced after Denise Hernandez, the county’s zoning administrator, gave the planning board a presentation on the proposed six-month moratorium.

The moratorium would put a 180-day pause on most development proposals near Zephyrhills Municipal Airport, Pilot Country Airport, Tampa North Aero Park and Hidden Lake Airport.

Hernandez explained that county staff had been directed by the county board on Jan. 11 to do the necessary work to establish the temporary moratorium.

Then, on Feb. 8, the county board applied the pending ordinance doctrine to the airport zoning moratorium, which means that applications must be accepted and processed in their normal course, but applicants must be informed “they are going forward at their own risk and if the moratorium is adopted, their application may be put on hold for the duration of the moratorium.”

Hernandez also noted: “the moratorium ordinance may contain certain exceptions to the moratorium that would allow some applications to proceed, if certain requirements are met.”

The county also has retained a consultant to create noise contour studies around Tampa North Aero Park, Hidden Lake and Pilot Country.

Hernandez explained to the planning board that there is a 20,000-foot area around airports that is deemed to be the height obstruction area.

“Any application that comes in where something is going to be over 200 feet in height, in that area, it’s required by the state that you notify the FAA (Federal Aviation Administration),” she said.

Another part of the moratorium addresses potential applications that could be deemed to be incompatible with airport operations.

“We provide examples of what may be incompatible with airport operations,” Hernandez said.

“For example, residential uses, landfills, wildlife attractants, uses that will cause visual obstructions, such as dust, glare, light emissions, smoke, steam and/or fog.

“It doesn’t mean it’s prohibited,” she said.

It means that the county can use conditions to ensure that incompatible uses do not occur.

There’s also a noise abatement area.

“Typically, in a noise abatement area, state statute says you cannot have residential. It also says that you cannot have an educational facility unless the education facility is an airport school, that you are teaching flying,” Hernandez said.

Barbara Wilhite, a private land use attorney, who has represented clients with projects near airports, raised objections to language within the county’s proposed moratorium.

“I don’t have any issue with the Florida statutes. The Florida statutes require that you implement two types of regulations. One, you check height. And, the second one is you check land use compatibility, based upon noise generation of the airports.

“It’s two things. Pretty straight-forward,” Wilhite said.

But she objects to language in the proposed moratorium that says “uses may be conditioned, so as not to be incompatible with airport operations, such as landfills, wildlife attractants, uses that cause visual obstructions, such as glare, dust, light emissions, smoke, steam and fog.”

Wilhite urged the planning board to require more specific language and to reduce staff’s discretion.

As an applicant, Wilhite said, “You have to figure out, you and your engineers, how to comply with dealing with wildlife attractants, which is a circular that’s like six pages off the internet. You have to figure out what the heck that means.”

She urged the planning board to recommend a moratorium that focuses on the issues of noise and height, as it relates to development around airports.

“I think when we get into a real quagmire is when we go beyond that,” Wilhite said. “Make this more simple to implement. It’s very, very, very cumbersome.

“The way it is being done is not fair, is not reasonable, is not striking a balance that it should,” Wilhite added.

Jeremy Couch, a professional engineer who has handled projects near airports, told the planning board that the proposed moratorium is too broad and gives staff too much latitude.

Hernandez said there are letters of support for the proposed moratorium that have been submitted to the record.

Nectarios Pittos, the county’s director of planning and development, said the proposed moratorium still allows options for development.

Wilhite said she’s worried that the language in the temporary moratorium could be the precursor of the final ordinance, but David Goldstein, chief assistant county attorney, said it is not unusual for the language in a temporary moratorium to be broader in nature.

Published March 23, 2022

Pasco seeks to strengthen trade ties with German town

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The Pasco County Commission welcomed Andreas Siegel, the consul general of Germany, to its meeting last week and celebrated its Document of Friendship with Germersheim, Germany.

The Document of Friendship establishes the basis for developing and promoting a transatlantic exchange of mutually beneficial information, cooperation and fosters a relationship of understanding between the peoples of the District of Germersheim and Pasco County

The friendship pact also calls for the continued promotion of economic development, educational opportunities and cultural exchange.

The document came about during a trade mission to Germany last October.

Commission Chairwoman Kathryn Starkey, Commissioner Christina Fitzpatrick, state Rep. Amber Mariano and others accompanied Bill Cronin, president and CEO of the Pasco Economic Development Council, Inc., on the mission, which involved exploring opportunities to establish business relationships and to learn more about apprenticeship programs, among other things.

The ties between Pasco and Germersheim date back to 2008, when Pasco County Schools established a student exchange program with the German district.

Starkey said Siegel, who is based in Miami, has been instrumental in strengthening the relationship between Pasco and Germany. She said Seigel planned to meet with the Pasco EDC later in the week.

On another matter, the board delayed, until March 22, its consideration of a temporary moratorium on the submission and acceptance of applications for building permits, site plans, special exception uses, conditional uses, rezonings and comprehensive plan amendments proposing to increase entitlements on land around the airports in Pasco County.

The moratorium would apply to land near the Zephyrhills Municipal Airport, Tampa North Aero Park, Pilot Country, Hidden Lake Airport and a portion of the conical and horizontal surfaces of the Brooksville-Tampa Bay Regional Airport.

In other action, taken on Feb. 8 or Feb. 22, the county board:

  • Approved a task order for Coastal Design Consultants Inc., to perform work connected to an expansion at Starkey Ranch District Park.

The task order involves architectural, engineering, and related services for six multipurpose fields, an additional parking area, a concession stand, and to extend the multi-use path around the existing stormwater pond area.

The work is to be done for price is not to to exceed $177,600 for fiscal year 2022.

  • Approved of a task order with ESA Scheda Corporation to provide environmental engineering and consulting services for the county’s Parks, Recreation, and Natural Resources’ Environmental Lands Acquisition and Management Program. The consultant will work with its subconsultant, Wildlands Conservation Inc., to provide environmental and land management planning services for five Pasco County ELAMP sites. These sites will be referred to as:
  • Pasco Palms Preserve (116 acres)
  • Upper Pithlachascotee River Preserve (129 acres) with the northern portion of the Arthur Site (195 acres)
  • Five Mile Creek Conservation Area (179 acres) with the southern portion of the Arthur Site (647 acres)
  • Jumping Gully Preserve (1,839 acres)
  • Crockett Lake Tract (519 acres)

The effort aims to review all available information, former land management plans, desktop data reviews, and interviews with the county’s land managers, coupled with thorough site investigations to provide land management approaches that enhance, conserve, and protect natural resources, while achieving short and long-term objectives.

Funding for the project is budgeted at $190,806.00 and is in fiscal year 2022.

  • Amended the county’s land use plan from a designation for residential to a designation allowing commercial uses on 3.34acres at the Intersection of Gall Boulevard and Chancey Road.

Published March 02, 2022

Pasco moratorium would affect new and used car lots

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First, it was a moratorium in a portion of Pasco County for new applications for multifamily developments — now, it’s a proposed moratorium affecting applications involving car lots.

The Pasco County Planning Commission has recommended approval of a 180-day moratorium on the opening of any new car, truck or van sales businesses — while the county staff works on modifications to the county’s land development code relating to these types of businesses.

The only exception to this moratorium are vehicle sales businesses that have an approved site plan and are operating in accordance with the approved site plan, and any county-approved amendments to that approved site plan, according to the proposed ordinance that the planning board unanimously recommended to the Pasco County Commission.

The initiative for the new moratorium is based on a directive from the county board to the county attorney’s office to pursue the pause on businesses involving vehicle sales.

Pasco County Commission Chairwoman Kathryn Starkey has been complaining for some time about the way some vehicle sale businesses are operating.

At the county board’s Jan. 11 meeting, she raised the issue again — suggesting a moratorium, which the county board supported.

David Goldstein, chief assistant county attorney, told the planning board: “The primary purpose of this moratorium is, there’s a number of dealerships that are opening up in Pasco County without going through site plan approval at all.”

The proposed moratorium, the attorney said, “would stop somebody from submitting a brand new one (site plan), or somebody from operating who doesn’t have a site plan at all.

Goldstein added: “If you’re already an approved dealership, you can open up and you can seek amendments to your site plan.”

Attorney Barbara Wilhite, who regularly appears at land use and zoning hearings on behalf of clients, said she wasn’t representing any particular client on this issue.

However, she said, she’s glad the language of the moratorium has been evolving, because she’s sure the county doesn’t want to stop approved car dealerships from opening.

“I understand that this has to do with the used car dealerships that aren’t following any rules,” she said.

The businesses are going onto a piece of property and “they just put the cars on there and turn the lights on, and off they go,” Wilhite said.

“We’ve got to balance the fact that the new car dealerships are high-paying jobs and they’re revenue generators, and pay taxes and all of those things,” she said.

Goldstein said: “We can’t just exempt anybody that submits a site plan because we’ll get a flood of junk (site plans) coming in.”

Part of the county’s dilemma is to avoid having those kinds of submittals from “fly-by-night dealerships,” he said.

Denise Hernandez, the county’s zoning administrator, said the moratorium needs to apply to both new and used dealerships, because the problem involves both.

Goldstein added: “You can’t really distinguish between new and used. Even a new (car) dealership sells some used cars.”

The moratorium is not attempting to go after any dealership that has legitimately gone through the county’s site plan approval process, Goldstein said.

“The issue we’re having is the ones that are not,” he said.

The exemption provides protection for legitimate dealerships, he said.

“If it’s a remodel of an existing dealership, it would already have an approved site plan,” he said, and would therefore be exempted from the 180-day moratorium.

If the moratorium is approved by the county board, which appears likely, a study will be conducted to determine what amendments should be made to the county land development code to ensure safe operations of such businesses.

The next hearing on the proposed ordinance will be on Feb. 22, with a final hearing on March 8.

In other action, the planning board continued a proposal for a 180-day moratorium on the submission and acceptance of applications for building permits, site plans, special exception uses, conditional uses, rezonings and comprehensive plan amendments proposing to increase entitlements within the moratorium areas.

The proposed moratorium ordinance collectively refers to three public-use airports located within Pasco County: the Zephyrhills Municipal Airport, Tampa North Aero Park, and Pilot Country; one private-use airport, Hidden Lake Airport; and, a portion of the conical and horizontal surfaces of the Brooksville-Tampa Bay Regional Airport, as identified on that Airport’s FAA Part 77 Surfaces Map.

County planning staff requested a delay on the hearing, which is now scheduled for the March 3 planning board meeting.

Published February 09, 2022

Solid waste commercial rates to change in Pasco

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Pasco County is proposing that future commercial waste collection rates be determined by the open market.

The Pasco County Commission is set to have a public hearing on the issue at its Oct. 26 meeting, at 1:30 p.m., in the first floor board room at the West Pasco Government Center, 8731 Citizens Drive, in New Port Richey.

The county currently sets a fixed maximum hauling charge based on the size and numbers of containers. The last adjustment for those rates for commercial customers occurred on Jan. 1, 2009, according to agenda backup materials for the county board’s Oct. 12 meeting.

During the past 12 years, the costs of equipment, fuel, and staffing for private waste haulers within the county have increased significantly, the agenda materials note.

Since the last adjustment, the Producer Price Indices (PPI) for truck transportation have increased over 25%.

The county now plans to join other counties around the state in allowing commercial haulers to operate in an open market, and letting competition among private businesses establish the charges.

The price for residential waste collection will not be affected by the change.

On another issue, Commissioner Kathryn Starkey raised the need for developing some type of voluntary registry to help the county reach out to leaders of Community Development Districts and Homeowner Associations.

She said she would like to be able to create a system to make it easier to reach these groups to provide opportunities for them to learn more about county departments and services, to help them to address issues within their communities. But such meetings are difficult to arrange without contact information for the leadership of the associations, she said.

Commissioner Mike Moore agreed that such a registry would have value and supported an effort to create one. He told his colleagues that the county may be able to pick up some pointers from Hillsborough County, on this issue.

In other action, the county board:

  • Amended the composition of the Airport Zoning Commission to add Hidden Lake Airport, and appointed James Bunn to represent that airport. The board, which helps with the creation of airport zoning regulations had three board members in the past, each representing a public use airport: Pilot Country Airport, Tampa North Aero Park, and the Zephyrhills Municipal Airport. Now the advisory zoning panel will have four board members.
  • Approved a two-year extension for the county’s construction of trail restrooms at the Jay B. Starkey Wilderness Preserve. The extension is needed because of delays in funding from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection.
  • Officially recognized the Fire Cadet Program as a county initiative. It has operated since 1989, but has never been formally recognized. Cadets are high school-aged individuals who want to pursue a fire service career after graduation. They are given exposure to all aspects of the fire service and its pathways to various careers. Participants meet regularly to learn the ins and outs of becoming a firefighter, emergency medical technician, or paramedic.
  • Approved spending up to $2.3 million for fiscal year 2022 for legal services, which are exempt from competition. The funds are designated for retaining the services of law firms, outside counsel, process servers, investigators, expert witnesses, trial consultants or similar persons or firms deemed necessary by the county attorney, for any reason, as necessary to address the county’s legal needs.
  • Approved a conditional use for Focus Forward Solutions, LLC/Fields Farm to permit a private motocross track for personal use on 30.58 acres, on the south end of Fields Farm Lane, approximately 1.25 miles west of Bellamy Brothers Boulevard. A private use motocross track had been operating at the site, in violation of the county’s land development code. The conditional use designation brings it into compliance.
  • Authorized additional purchasing authority in the total amount of $50,000 to Lewis, Longman & Walker P.A., for attorney’s fees, paralegal fees, travel expenses and costs, as may be incurred by the law firm on work done in behalf of the county. The maximum cumulative amount in 2022 is not to exceed $457,301.88. The law firm is handling litigation for the county in connection with the Ridge Road extension.

Published October 20, 2021

Pasco stormwater utility fee expected to stay the same

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The Pasco County Commission has decided that the county’s stormwater utility fees will remain unchanged for the 2021 fiscal year.

The current rate is $95 per equivalent residential unit — which is based on an average amount of impervious area of 2,890 square feet for a single-family home, according to agenda background materials.

County staff recommended that the ERU rate and square footage remain the same for the 2021 tax year, and commissioners signaled their approval, without discussion, during their June 22 meeting.

The public hearing for the Annual Stormwater Management Utility System Rate Resolution is scheduled for 9 a.m., on Sept. 14, in the board room at the Historic Pasco County Courthouse, at 37918 Meridian Ave., in Dade City.  At the hearing, the board must adopt a final rate resolution. It can reduce the fee, but cannot increase it, at that hearing.

In other action, commissioners approved these items, without discussion, as part of their consent agenda:

  • The award of a professional services agreement with HDR Engineering Inc., to provide the required roadway design services for the widening of Old Pasco Road, from north of Deedra Drive to north of Overpass Road, in an amount not to exceed $2,570,032.37. That figure includes $595,973.19 in optional services for fiscal year 2021.
  • The appointments of Dennis Baker, representing Tampa North Aero Park, and Spencer Brass, representing Pilot Country Estates Airport, to the Airport Zoning Commission. Zephyrhills Municipal Airport Manager Nathan Coleman will continue to serve on the commission, too.
  • A contract to Pacscon GeoEnvironmental Inc., for as-needed gopher tortoise surveying, permitting capturing transporting and after-action reports. The contract is for an amount not to exceed $90,000 for fiscal year 2021; not to exceed $90,000 for fiscal year 2022; not to exceed $110,000 in fiscal year 2022 and not to exceed $90,000 in fiscal year 2024. The total not to exceed amount is $400,000.
  • A task order revision in the amount of $109,910 with Stroud Engineering Consultants to cover additional design and construction inspection engineering services due to the addition of a 16-inch pipeline. The Florida Department of Transportation is fast-tracking the completion of the widening of U.S. 41, from north of Connerton Boulevard to south of State Road 52. After the original task order was approved, additional improvements were identified, which consist of construction of a new 16-inch diameter force main along U.S. 41 to provide wastewater capacity for new development expected to be built in the vicinity in the near future.

Including the piping now will help meet future demands and avoid costly work later, according to the agenda materials.

Published July 07, 2021

Local civil air patrol soars to success

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Motorists zip down Interstate 75, at the edge of Tampa North Aero Park — oblivious to what goes on at the airport on a typical Wednesday evening.

That’s when members of the Wesley Chapel Civil Air Patrol Squadron gather to expand their aerospace knowledge; receive search and rescue training; and take part in cadet programs that emphasize drills, discipline and character building.

The Florida State flag catches a breeze and waves over the Wesley Chapel Cadet Squadron of the Civil Air Patrol’s color guard. (File Photo)
The Florida State flag catches a breeze and waves over the Wesley Chapel Cadet Squadron of the Civil Air Patrol’s color guard.
(File Photo)

The Wesley Chapel Civil Air Patrol Squadron, known as Wesley Chapel CAP for short, includes 43 cadets ranging from ages 12 to 21, and the 15 senior members who are 18 and older.

Most squadron members live in Wesley Chapel, but some live in other communities, including Land O’ Lakes, Spring Hill and Brooksville.

The squadron has earned some bragging rights.

Squadron Commander Daia Jung received the Squadron Commander of the Year Award for 2015. And, the squadron itself was named Squadron of the Year for the Florida Wing for 2015, and went on to be named Squadron of the Year for the Southeast Region. Those awards are in addition to scores of others the chapter has earned over the past several years.

Jung is the squadron’s third commander. She follows Steve Lampasona, who established the squadron, and his wife, Joyce, who became the chapter’s second commander.

“We’re a cadet program. Pretty much everything here is run and taught by cadets, with senior members being their guides,” Daia said.

Cadet Capt. Austen King is the squadron’s cadet commander.

There are essentially three components in the CAP, said Daia, who was introduced to the program by her husband, who oversees the emergency services program. He is a veteran of the first Gulf War and is 21-year veteran of the Tampa Fire Department.

The CAP’s focus is on leadership development, aerospace education and emergency services, including search and rescue missions, she said.

Many squadron members have an interest in aviation and aerospace, and some get their first taste of flying, too.

“We have two types of orientation flights. One is in powered aircraft and one is in glider,” Daia said.

Some members want to do more than ride in a plane. They want to take the controls.

Seventeen-year-old Cadet Commander King is one of those. He made his first solo flight on Aug. 28.

“It was exciting,” King said, and, it was always part of the plan. “That was a goal of mine, to learn how to fly. That was one of the reasons I joined,” he said.

King thinks there are some common misconceptions about CAP.

For one thing, he said, “Not everyone who goes in CAP has to go into the military.”

Some members are interested in cybersecurity or careers related to mathematics, science, robotics and other fields, he said.

For example, Daia’s child Nick, another squadron member, wants to become a herpetologist and to study reptiles.

At the same time, the 15-year-old is in the midst of pursuing a pilot’s license.

The Wesley Chapel Civil Air Patrol Squadron has garnered numerous awards during the past few years. Squadron Commander Daia Jung received the Squadron Commander of the Year Award for 2015. The squadron was named Squadron of the Year for the Florida Wing for 2015 and Squadron of the Year for the Southeast Region. (Courtesy of Wesley Chapel Civil Air Patrol Squadron)
The Wesley Chapel Civil Air Patrol Squadron has garnered numerous awards during the past few years. Squadron Commander Daia Jung received the Squadron Commander of the Year Award for 2015. The squadron was named Squadron of the Year for the Florida Wing for 2015 and Squadron of the Year for the Southeast Region.
(Courtesy of Wesley Chapel Civil Air Patrol Squadron)

“For the past two summers, I’ve attended national glider academy. I’m just about to get my pilot’s license. I have my learner’s license now. I’m really close to receiving my glider pilot’s license. I wouldn’t have ever been able to do that, if I had not joined this program,” the Wiregrass Ranch High School student said.

Belonging to CAP has provided a chance to meet people from all over the world and to develop leadership skills that have come in handy in Wiregrass Ranch’s marching band, Nick said.

Fourteen-year-old Christopher Cuozzo, a student at Land O’ Lakes High School, said he enjoys running through drills and developing the ability to move from one place to another, in an orderly fashion. The orientation flights are cool, too, he said.

Cadet Master Sgt. Cassie Ramer and her brother, Matthew, a tech sergeant, both enjoy being part of the squadron.

Cassie said she is shy by nature, but belonging to the group has helped her to break out of her shell.

“I like the way our squadron functions. The military bearing, the military standards, thing like that. I admire that,” she said. “I like being a part of color guard.”

She said she also enjoys serving in the color guard not so much for the personal attention it brings to her, but because it gives her a chance to bring honor to the squadron.

Her brother said he hopes to become an aerospace engineer and to design new aircraft.

The squadron commander said she welcomes new members.

“My door is open to anybody that wants to come in,” Daia said.

But, anyone who wants to join should take the commitment seriously, she said.

A potential member must attend three meetings and appear before a membership review board before being accepted as a squadron member. There’s also a meeting with their parents.

“We’re all volunteers here, so we want to make sure that it’s worth everybody’s time,” the squadron commander said.

Once in the program, members can pursue all sorts of opportunities.

Squadron members are involved in community events and take part in training programs available through CAP. Cadets also can compete for a slot in special CAP training activities that include powered flight academies, glider academies, hawk mountain ranger school and the National Blue Beret, an air show in Wisconsin.

The programming is geared for a wide range of ages.

“The 18-year-olds are not learning what the 12-year-olds are learning,” Daia said, and, in many cases, the older members are teaching the younger cadets.

“We try to make it fresh and interesting every week,” she said.

Membership is $45 for cadets and $67 for senior members, but it also has other costs, including those associated with uniforms and various activities.

No one is turned away because of financial need, Daia said. To help cover some expenses, the squadron holds an annual gift-wrapping fundraiser every year on Christmas Eve at The Shops at Wiregrass.

For more information
Want to learn more about the Wesley Chapel Civil Air Patrol Squadron? Email Squadron Commander Daia Jung at .
To learn more about CAP’s aerospace education programs, products, and other resources available to our members, go to CapMembers.com/ae. For information about joining as an aerospace education member (AEM) and to join online, go to CapMembers.com/joinaem.

Published September 21, 2016

 

Pasco is real estate ready

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The real estate market in Pasco County is thriving.

And, evidence of that was on display at “Meet the Developers: The Future of Real Estate.”

The annual breakfast meeting, hosted by the Pasco Economic Development Council, brought together developers, real estate brokers, investors and community leaders at the Residence Inn on March 2.

Four examples of Pasco’s current and future development initiatives were highlighted: Compark 75, Starkey Ranch, Connected City and the Duke Energy Site Readiness Program.

Compark 75 defied conventional wisdom that building on speculation in the midst of an economic meltdown would be a bad idea. The initial developer in 2008 abandoned the project.

Tom Ryan, economic development manager for Pasco Economic Development Council, standing by the podium, moderated a panel on the future of real estate in Pasco County. On the panel, from left, were: Danielle Ruiz, economic development manager for Duke Energy; Kartik Goyani, vice president of operations for Metro Development; Heidi Tuttle-Beisner, broker with Commercial Asset Partners Realty; and Matt Call, project director for Starkey Ranch/Wheelock Communities. (Kathy Steele/Staff Photo)
Tom Ryan, economic development manager for Pasco Economic Development Council, standing by the podium, moderated a panel on the future of real estate in Pasco County.
On the panel, from left, were: Danielle Ruiz, economic development manager for Duke Energy; Kartik Goyani, vice president of operations for Metro Development; Heidi Tuttle-Beisner, broker with Commercial Asset Partners Realty; and Matt Call, project director for Starkey Ranch/Wheelock Communities.
(Kathy Steele/Staff Photo)

But, Larry Morgan of HR Pasco LLC, and Ross Kirk, of KVR Development LLC, joined forces as owner and developer, respectively, to take on the challenge.

The industrial park is next to Interstate 75, about halfway between State Road 54 and State Road 56 interchanges. Suncoast Parkway is 12 miles to the west. The Tampa North Aero Park is along Compark 75’s northern boundary.

In 2014, a $15 million expansion of the industrial park broke ground. It was the first major investment in commercial office construction in Florida since the 2008 recession.

More expansion is under way, with the ongoing construction of a new 65,000-square-foot building. It will be the fifth building at the 165-acre site.

Every building has gone vertical without signed tenants. But, the park is nearly filled to 100 percent capacity. Plans also are  are under way for a new building that can be designed as a multistory office, or built-out for light industrial or manufacturing.

“As fast as we can build them, we are finding quality companies to go in them,” said Heidi Tuttle-Beisner, a broker with Commercial Asset Partners Realty who handles leasing for the park.

Starkey Ranch is a master-planned community of more than 5,500 homes under development by Wheelock Communities in Odessa, off State Road 54.

Groundbreaking on the first model homes took place in 2014. Homes are now selling in Whitfield Park. The welcome center opened in spring. And, Taylor Morrison anticipates a grand opening in April for its model home center for the Esplanade subdivision at Starkey Ranch.

The interest in the ranch is evident in the 2,400 visitors on average who click onto the community’s website each week, said Matt Call, project director for Starkey Ranch/Wheelock Communities.

Interest also is high on the proposed business park and retail sites planned at State Road 54 and Gunn Highway.

Call said announcements would be made on an anchor grocery store, likely in June. And, an apartment complex also is coming at that location, with an announcement expected soon.

“We’ve had a lot of interest in this opportunity,” Call said.

A one-of-a-kind gigabit community and a crystal lagoon are the centerpiece attractions for Metro Development’s “connected city” corridor.

State lawmakers created a special development district for about 7,800 acres in central and eastern Pasco County as a 10-year pilot program. Interstate 75, State Road 52, Curley Road and Overpass Road border the district. Development in the district will be able to bypass the typical state reviews in favor of local control in the hands of Pasco County commissioners.

Metro Development is developing master-planned communities on the former Epperson Ranch within the special district. One town center feature will be a 7-acre man-made swimming pool, known as a crystal lagoon.

“We want that to be integrated into the community,” said Kartik Goyani, vice president of operations for Metro Development.

But, Metro Development also will create the first planned gigabit community, or Connected City, in the nation. Residents and business owners will live, work and play in an environment linked by Ultra Fi, a broadband system with speeds so fast that photos can be downloaded in seconds, not minutes.

Assistance in its development will come from US Ignite, a nonprofit group founded by the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy and the National Science Foundation.

Future development on property adjacent to Zephyrhills Municipal Airport is getting a boost from Duke Energy through the Duke Energy Site Readiness Program.

In 2015, Duke Energy representatives worked with the city of Zephyrhills on a study of about 440 undeveloped acres around the airport.

The site is centrally located in Florida, and is in proximity to such highways as State Road 54, I-75 and Interstate 4. In addition, there is the bonus of a CSX rail line in the area.

Duke Energy has reviewed nearly 190 sites in six states in the southeast during the past 10 years.

Information from these reviews serves as a guide for local communities that want to create pad-ready sites for development.

One obstacle is expansion of the site’s wastewater capacity at an estimated cost of $1.7 million, said Danielle Ruiz, economic development manager for Duke Energy.

However, she said tax revenues from the Penny for Pasco program could provide funds for this project.

Pasco County recently launched a revolving loan program, with up to $15 million available to make sites pad-ready or to build shell buildings for potential industrial, manufacturing or flex-space. The deadline to submit proposals to the county is April 11.

Published March 9, 2016

Compark 75 plans expansion in 2016

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Compark 75 is growing again.

The industrial park, off Wesley Chapel Boulevard, will add a new 65,000-square-foot building to four buildings that are already leased almost to capacity.

The permitting process for the new structure is under way, with construction set for 2016.

Compark 75, which is next to the Tampa North Aero Park and visible to motorists on Interstate 75, has found ways to attract new tenants. It is getting ready to expand again, with a 65,000-square-foot building expected to begin construction in 2016. (File Photo)
Compark 75, which is next to the Tampa North Aero Park and visible to motorists on Interstate 75, has found ways to attract new tenants. It is getting ready to expand again, with a 65,000-square-foot building expected to begin construction in 2016.
(File Photo)

No tenant has signed on yet, but that’s typical for an industrial park that, from the start, has proved that location and the right market conditions will produce results.

“All of our tenants have come after the building was built,” said Heidi Tuttle-Beisner of Commercial Asset Partners Realty, an agent for the property. “They feel confident in the level of activity.”

In October, Compark 75 will welcome two new tenants.

Streetside Classics Cars specializes in the consignment, purchase and sale of classic and collectible cars. Compark 75 is its fourth showroom. Other locations are in Charlotte, Dallas/Fort Worth and Atlanta.

An orthodontics distribution company also will relocate from Tampa into about 41,000 square feet of space at Compark 75.

The company name has not been announced, but Tuttle-Beisner said, “It’s a high-end, incredible company.”

The office park is strategically located next to Interstate 75 about halfway between the State Road 54 and State Road 56 interchanges.

Suncoast Parkway is 12 miles to the west. The Tampa North Aero Park is along the park’s northern boundary.

A $15 million expansion of Compark 75 broke ground in 2014. It was the first major investment in commercial office construction in Pasco County since the recession.

Ross Kirk, owner of KVR Development LLC, handles the development and design of the park. Larry Morgan, president of HR Pasco LLP, owns the park.

“It’s a collaborative effort,” Tuttle-Beisner said.

The 165-acre site is zoned light industrial and can accommodate warehouse, manufacturing and office uses. About 105 acres is wetlands, which will not be developed.

“It will remain the greenest industrial park in the Tampa Bay area,” she said.

Among tenants at the park are the Pasco County Tax Collector’s office and the U.S. Geological Survey Florida Water Science Center.

Nearly two years ago, J.T.D. Enterprises relocated from Michigan to Compark 75. The company manufactures tubular fabrications and assemblies used in products such as golf ball retrievers and flagpoles. Its products also are applicable to defense technologies.

Companies attracted to Compark 75 generally are looking to expand in locations that offer easy access to the interstate system, and they find that in Pasco, Tuttle-Beisner said.

The area’s attractiveness also is being helped by retail development along the State Road 54 and State Road 56 corridors.

The Shops at Wiregrass and the soon-to-open Tampa Premium Outlets are adding amenities and jobs to the area. But Tuttle-Beisner noted: “All the jobs can’t be retail.”

Compark 75 is helping diversify Pasco’s economy by bringing manufacturing and distribution companies into the mix.

“There is nothing else out there like this,” Tuttle-Beisner said.

Published July 29, 2015

Festival of Flight features a flying pig and a soaring clown

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The second annual Festival of Flight will offer event-goers the chance to see more than two dozen hot air balloons, to explore all types of aircraft, to grab a bite to eat, and to enjoy live music.

Admission is free, and parking is $2.

More than two dozen hot air balloons will take part in the second annual Festival of Flight, with evening balloon glows and sunrise mass ascensions. (Courtesy of American Balloons)
More than two dozen hot air balloons will take part in the second annual Festival of Flight, with evening balloon glows and sunrise mass ascensions.
(Courtesy of American Balloons)

This year, there will even be a flying pig and a giant clown among the hot air balloons, said festival director Jessica Warren of American Balloons. Ham-Let, the flying pig, will be operated by Doug Gantt, who is making a return trip from Taiwan to take part in the festival.

“Those are quite a treat to have,” said Warren, who began planning for the festival more than a year ago.

The idea is to celebrate all things flight, she said, including everything from bubbles and kites, to T-6 warbirds and helicopters.

Last year, more than 3,500 people attended the festival. This year, Warren expects somewhere between 7,000 and 10,000 to turn out.

Kenny Shumate, who will be operating the clown balloon, said he’s glad to be able to attend the festival. “I’ve heard so many good things about it,” he said. “Last year, I couldn’t make it.”

The balloon he flies is an unusual shape and can present some challenges when it’s windy – especially because of the protrusions of the nose and ears, he said.

But he’s glad he’ll be able to join the celebration. “I love to fly,” he said. “I absolutely love the sport (of ballooning).”

Those attending can purchase tickets to go for helicopter rides, plane rides and rides on a Revo – a flying contraption that looks like a combination motorcycle-hang glider. Balloon rides can be purchased ahead of the event, Warren said.

“We have tons of food that’s going to be out there this year because that’s what we ran out of last year,” Warren said. Vendors include Sweet Salsa BBQ, Texas Roadhouse, Collins Concessions, Ker’s Winghouse of Wesley Chapel, Black Dog Gourmet, Holy Cow Kettle and Organo Gold Coffee, with items for purchase including slow-smoked barbecue ribs, chicken and pork, deep-fried Oreo cookies, and funnel cakes.

The Happy Hangar Café at the Tampa North Aero Park also will serve breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Gates open on the evening of Sept. 19, and the event concludes at 12:30 p.m. on Sept. 21. The opening evening features live music and a hot air balloon glow featuring numerous balloons lighting up the runway at the private airport.

A mass balloon launch is planned around 7 a.m. on Sept. 20, with balloons flying in or out of the airport, depending on the wind, Warren said. They will be either inflated at the private airport or will land there.

“We will have the Re/Max hot air balloon that will be tethering from the ground, for about an hour after sunrise, taking people up for as long as the weather permits,” Warren said. “The runway will be open at 9 o’clock in the morning, for fly-in and fly-out traffic. You can fly your plane in and stay for the day, and you’ll also see planes going in and out all day long.”

A helicopter company will offer rides, with tickets sold on a first-come basis, Warren said.

Live music will play throughout the day, and Kiting Tampa Bay will have a booth where kids can come and make kites and watch demonstrations. A T-6 warbird flyover is slated for around 6:30 p.m. on Sept. 20 and a balloon glow will again light the runway at 7 p.m.

Another sunrise balloon launch is planned for Sept. 21 around 7 a.m.

More airplane fly-ins and takeoffs, helicopter rides, live music and other festivities are slated until shortly after noon on Sept. 21.

Last year’s event was marred by the death of Mark Curto, a performer whose parachute did not deploy, according to local news reports.

Warren, whose Land O’ Lakes company has operated hot air balloon flights since 1998, said the tragic incident did not deter her from planning this year’s event because the area obviously has many aviation enthusiasts, and she wanted to help provide a forum to celebrate joys of flight.

For those who prefer staying closer to the ground, the event also features a Thunderbird car show.

American Balloons and the Tampa North Flight Center are presenting the festival. Key sponsors include The Hampton Inn & Suites in Wesley Chapel, Parks Fiat of Wesley Chapel, Ker’s Winghouse, Ierna’s Heating & Cooling, and Crockett’s Towing and Wraps.

The Wesley Chapel squadron of the Civil Air Patrol will direct traffic and handle parking duties, Warren said.

Those traveling to the area for the event can get special rates at the Hampton Suites in Wesley Chapel or the Residence Inn in Land O’ Lakes by letting the hotel staff know you are in the area for the festival.

To find out more, visit FestivalOfFlightWesleyChapel.com, or look for the Festival of Flight page on Facebook.

If you go …
WHAT: Second annual Festival of Flight 2014

WHEN: Sept. 19, 5:30 p.m. to 9 p.m.; Sept. 20, 7 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Sept. 21, 7 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

WHERE: Tampa North Aero Park, 4241 Birdsong Blvd., in Lutz

COST: Admission is free, but parking is $2

Tickets for airplane and helicopter rides are available on the day of the event. Balloon rides must be arranged in advance.

To book a balloon ride, call American Balloons (813) 243-9507. The cost is $189 per person.

Published September 17, 2014