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Withlacoochee State Trail

New year in sports offers plenty to enjoy, experience

January 8, 2020 By Kevin Weiss

As we embark on a new year, the sports world within The Laker/Lutz News coverage area promises to deliver plenty to watch and experience.

Here is a sampling of what’s ahead in 2020:

Sports and recreation in East Pasco
The year 2020 may become widely known as ‘the year’ of new sports and recreational facilities in East Pasco. Three significant sporting venues are expected to open: The Sarah Vande Berg Tennis & Wellness Center, in Zephyrhills; the Wiregrass Ranch Sports Complex, in Wesley Chapel; and Snowcat Ridge, in Dade City.

Each offers its own unique twist.

  • The Zephyrhills tennis center will offer 11 USTA-quality tennis courts, eight pickleball courts and four padel courts, plus an indoor fitness and rehabilitation center.
  • The 100,000-square-foot Wiregrass Ranch Sports Complex figures to be a national draw for basketball, volleyball and cheerleading events, and competitions.
  • Snowcat Ridge — being marketed as Florida’s first snow park — features a 60-foot-tall and 400-foot-long real snow-covered tubing hill with a magic carpet lift, an Alpine Village, and a 10,000-square-foot snow dome.

Major sporting events coming to Pasco, Tampa Bay
Pasco County and the Tampa Bay region, as a whole, are poised to host some major sporting events in the new year.

Among the most notable in Pasco: Skydive City in Zephyrhills will host the 2020 USPA (United States Parachute Association) National Parachuting and Skydiving Championships, from Oct. 30 through Nov. 24. While the event doesn’t begin until the fall, competitors will actually be training in Zephyrhills all summer long.

Zephyrhills’ Skydive City will host the 2020 National Parachuting and Skydiving Championships in the fall. (File)

Before that, Skydive City also will host the first annual Pasco Sports Fair on Feb. 16. The free, family friendly event will feature a meet-and-greet with renowned professional athletes, plus an introduction to various sport and game offerings in Zephyrhills and Pasco County, including tennis, soccer, football, basketball, skating, skydiving, boxing, mini-golf and more. Some noted pros scheduled to be in attendance include former English Premier forward Gary Blissett, former NFL defensive end Melvin Williams, former NBA shooting guard/small forward Anthony Parker, and former Tampa Bay Rowdies head coach Stuart Campbell.

Wesley Chapel’s AdventHealth Center Ice will be the venue for a slew of prominent events, including the Sunshine State Figure Skating Games (May 15 to May 17), USA Hockey Adult National Championships (April 19 to April 26), and Torhs2Hot4Ice roller derby national championships (June 28 to July 9), among others.

Meantime, Pasco and north Hillsborough residents may find some interest in these big draw events throughout the Tampa Bay region:

  • 2020 NCAA Division I men’s basketball tournament first and second rounds on March 19 and March 21, at Amalie Arena, Tampa
  • PGA Tour Valspar Golf Championship, March 19 to March 22, at Innisbrook Resort, Palm Harbor
  • WWE Wrestlemania 36 on April 5, at Raymond James Stadium, Tampa

Saint Leo’s new sport
Saint Leo University’s new acrobatic & tumbling program will begin its inaugural season in February, which will include seven regular season matchups and three home meets.

Acrobatics & Tumbling, a discipline of USA Gymnastics, is the evolution of different forms of gymnastics and involves tumbling, tosses, and acrobatic lifts and pyramids. Teams participate in head-to-head competition and are scored in six events, including Compulsory, Acro, Pyramid, Toss, Tumbling, and Team.

Acrobatics & tumbling marks the 21st intercollegiate sport offered at Saint Leo and the school’s 12th offering in women’s sports.

The athletics department last added women’s beach volleyball to its sports offerings in 2017.

The acrobatics & tumbling team’s 18-member roster includes five athletes from The Laker/Lutz News coverage area, with the remainder representing other areas of Florida, Maryland, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Texas, New York, New Jersey, Virginia and North Carolina. The team is coached by Allie Williams and Joely Smith.

The Pasco-Hernando State College men’s baseball team is coming off a third-place finish at the 2019 National Junior College Athletic Association Division II College World Series. (Courtesy of Pasco-Hernando State College athletics)

These teams look to repeat success
The 2019 season — and last several years, for that matter — yielded banner campaigns for many prep and college teams in our coverage area. Here are some programs that may be worth watching to see if they maintain or build off past successes:

  • Bishop McLaughlin Catholic High varsity volleyball
  • Gaither High varsity football
  • Land O’ Lakes varsity girls soccer
  • Pasco-Hernando State College men’s baseball
  • Steinbrenner High varsity football
  • Steinbrenner High varsity boys cross-country
  • Saint Leo University men’s golf
  • Sunlake High varsity girls weightlifting
  • Wesley Chapel High varsity girls basketball
  • Wiregrass Ranch High varsity boys tennis

Plenty to do
There’s no shortage of recreational activities and outdoor destinations in The Laker/Lutz News coverage area. Here are a few options our readers may enjoy trying sometime in the new year:

  • Bike, run or walk the Upper Tampa Bay Trail or Withlacoochee State Trail
  • Hit the links at Trinity’s Fox Hollow Golf Club, Wesley Chapel’s Saddlebrook Resort & Spa, or Lutz’s TPC Tampa Bay, or one of the many other golf courses
  • Learn to ice skate at Wesley Chapel’s AdventHealth Center Ice
  • Take the family to Lutz’s Lake Park for hiking, biking, BMX racing, equestrian riding, kayaking, fishing, boating and more
  • Test your skeet shooting skills at Tampa Bay Sporting Clays in Land O’ Lakes, or Silver Dollar Shooters Club in Odessa
  • Gather your friends and coworkers and join a senior, men’s or coed softball league at Land O’ Lakes Heritage Park or the Land O’ Lakes Recreation Complex
  • Learn to skydive, parachute and tandem jump at Zephyrhills’ Skydive City
  • Visit Dade City’s Treehoppers to try out the largest zip line aerial adventure park in Central Florida

Published January 08, 2020

Mayor delivers ‘State of Dade City’ address

October 23, 2019 By Kevin Weiss

A newly passed budget and some corresponding reorganization in city hall was a forefront topic for Dade City Mayor Camille Hernandez in her annual “State of the City” address at The Greater Dade City Chamber of Commerce October breakfast meeting, at AdventHealth Dade City.

Dade City Commissioners last month passed a $19.3 million budget by 4-1 vote.

The 2019-2020 budget is based upon a 7.14 millage rate and represents a 17% increase ($2.8 million) from last fiscal year ($16.4 million).

Dade City Mayor Camille Hernandez covered a lot of talking points during her ‘State of the City’ address. (Kevin Weiss)

The budget covers 83 full-time staffers, including several newly funded positions — community and economic development director, associate planner, GIS analyst, another building inspector, and others.

Addressing a roomful of chamber members, Hernandez said this year’s budgetary process “was one of the most difficult for me, as a city commissioner, as a mayor.”

“It was tough, guys,” Hernandez said. “We’re heading in the right direction, but we had to make some tough choices for not only the city and the services, but also position us in a great place to move forward and to all of those people that are coming in, all those transportation (issues), all those businesses, to be able to accomplish that.

“It wasn’t unanimous, but I think the majority of the commission agreed that we had to prepare ourselves for challenges and opportunities moving forward, and how are we going to make Dade City the best it can be.”

With that, the mayor noted the city last year received 658 building permits for private construction and now has over 4,000 residential unit entitlements (either under construction or review).

That underscores the necessity, she said, for the city to create a new community and economic development department that encompasses community redevelopment, current and long-range planning, online permitting and customer service, and building and safety services.

“We have a bunch of homes that are on the books, and they’re going to start to be built sometime next year,” the mayor said. “There’s a lot of work being done by staff, so this is the reason we needed to reorganize, we needed to make those tough decisions to hire some staff to get those folks help, to continue to move us forward.”

In addition to the budget as a whole, Hernandez offered updates on various capital improvements projects.

She noted that paving has begun on the second phase of the Hardy Trail northern extension, from Church Avenue to Lock Street, and is expected to be complete around next spring. The extension is part of a larger trail network planned for the U.S. 301 corridor extending from south of Zephyrhills to north of Dade City. It ultimately will extend to the Withlacoochee State Trail trailhead.

“We’re really excited about that,” Hernandez said. “We’ll be getting into some healthy initiatives, hopefully working with the banks and hospitals, and other organizations.”

Hernandez also mentioned improvements are “finally” underway to the city’s downtown stormwater management system, which is slated to be finished by sometime next summer.

Hernandez quipped: “For those that have businesses in town, for those of you that love your shoes like me, you won’t have to take them off anymore and go into 6 inches of water on any stormy afternoon.”

Other forthcoming projects include Tank Hill water facility renovations (finalizing request for proposal documents) and Dade Oaks stormwater improvements (finalizing funding and bid documents); the city also has allocated $200,000 toward paving or repaving city maintained roads. “There’s a lot of dirt moving around. I always say that’s progress, and I kind of like having the dirt picked out,” Hernandez said.

The city’s demographic profile was another one of the mayor’s talking points.

Hernandez said of the city’s 7,240 residents, the median age is 35.5 years old, with a growing number of first-time householders, newer marriages and families.

The average household size is 2.51, median household income is about $40,000 and median home value is about $145,000.

That in mind, the mayor stressed the need for the municipality to “maintain youthful interests in style and fun, with lots of things to do.”

She noted several community events — namely the Dade City Heritage & Cultural Museum’s Masquerade Ball, Monarch Butterfly Festival, Scarecrow Festival and Dade City Symphony — all happened within a weekend of each other.

“We are a fun place with fun things happening, and we are going to continue to do that as we move forward,” Hernandez said. “We’re not a town that’s going to roll up.”

Elsewhere, the mayor made it a point to commend the Dade City Police Department’s ongoing efforts to boost its community outreach and advocacy programs, especially with local youth.

Some of the agency’s regular initiatives include Shop with a Cop, Cop-sicle Days, Back to School Bash, Explorer Scouts, Special Olympics, and Habitat for Humanity, among others.

Hernandez put it like this: “It’s not only about having these guys show up and protecting them or leading someone off in handcuffs, but it’s showing them that they are an integral part of our community. They are human, they go home to a family, and you couldn’t imagine the change in some of these children when they realize, ‘Hey, these aren’t bad guys, these are actually good guys that are here to help me.’”

She added: “You don’t know how wonderful of a group of guys we have in our community.”

Published October 23, 2019

New Year in sports offers plenty to watch, experience

January 2, 2019 By Kevin Weiss

As we embark on a new year, the sports world within The Laker/Lutz News coverage area promises to deliver plenty to watch, experience, and perhaps appreciate.

Here’s a closer look at some of the happenings in 2019:

One major development will be the progression of new sports facilities throughout East Pasco County  —  whether it’s the end-of-year completion of the Wiregrass Ranch Sports Complex, or the beginning of construction of others like the Sarah Vande Berg Tennis Center in Zephyrhills and the Christopher N. Chiles Aquatic Center in Land O’ Lakes.

Tied into all that, keep an eye on the initiatives put forth by Visit Pasco, the county’s tourism agency. Since rebranding its slogan to “Florida’s Sports Coast,” the county is looking to become a destination nationwide for youth and amateur sports.

Speaking of amateur sports, the new year is a good time to jump off the couch, get outdoors and pick up a new sport or activity.

AdventHealth Center Ice (formerly Florida Hospital Center Ice) will host several major tournaments in 2019, such as the USA Hockey adult men’s recreational national championships. (File)

The region presents countless opportunities year-round, from adult softball leagues at Land O’ Lakes Heritage Park, to recreational hockey leagues at AdventHealth Center Ice (formerly Florida Hospital Center Ice) in Wesley Chapel. Many local churches, including Idlewild Baptist Church, Grace Family Church and St. Timothy Catholic Church, offer their own sports leagues for all skill levels, from kickball and basketball, to flag football and soccer.

The cooler, early year temperatures are also a prime time to hit up the myriad of golf courses in Pasco. The St. Leo Abbey Golf Club in San Antonio and Fox Hollow Golf Club in Trinity are well-regarded, as are the more exclusive 36 holes offered at the Saddlebrook Resort & Spa.

Meantime, the adventure-seeking, fitness-oriented crowd may find it worthwhile to bike the Upper Tampa Bay Trail and the Withlacoochee State Trail; sign up for a Savage Race at Little Everglades Ranch in Dade City; or, partake in Hillsborough County’s annual hiking spree, which includes visiting a number of nature parks and preserves countywide.

Several local churches, such as Idlewild Baptist Church in Lutz, offer a multitude of recreational sports leagues. (Courtesy of Idlewild Baptist Church)

There’s other fun, outdoor activities to give a try, too.

Exhilaration and excitement can also be found at places like TreeHoppers Aerial Adventure Park in Dade City and Skydive City in Zephyrhills. Horseback riding at Odessa’s Northwest Equestrian Conservation Park and rifle shooting at Tampa Bay Sporting Clays in Land O’ Lakes create a fun change of pace, in their own right.

Local sporting events are another highlight of the new year.

AdventHealth Center Ice will showcase its fair share. They include the Mrs. Hockey Invite, featuring the top U-12 girls talent from across the world; the 15th annual Toyota-USA Disabled Hockey Festival, the largest disabled hockey event of its kind; and, the USA Hockey adult men’s recreational national championships.

Silver Dollar Shooters Club in Odessa will play host to a series of premier events, including the Florida Hall of Fame Shoot/Silver Dollar Open, the Florida State Trap Shooting Championships, and the Southern Grand American Tournament.

This rendering shows the proposed Christopher N. Chiles Aquatics Center in Land O’ Lakes, which would add to the growing list of sports facility assets in Pasco County. (File)

Elsewhere, traditional sports-goers should also make a point to check out the various men’s and women’s college sports at Saint Leo University — consistently one of the nation’s Division II athletic programs — and Pasco-Hernando State College. Both institutions provide an up-close look at many athletes who wind up finding success in the professional sports ranks. That’s particularly been the case for Saint Leo’s baseball program, which has yielded seven MLB Draft picks since 2013.

Of course, the high school sports scene is worth watching as well.

The winter prep season is already underway, whereby several local schools are fielding top-notch basketball and soccer teams.

For instance, the Wesley Chapel boys basketball and Sunlake girls basketball have shown early promise, as have the boys and girls soccer teams at Wiregrass Ranch, among some others.

So, don’t be surprised if one or more of those squads wind up making deep playoff runs in their respective sport a couple months from now.

Come springtime, the central Pasco softball scene is sure to provide some exciting moments, as Academy at the Lakes, Land O’ Lakes and Sunlake each are coming off 20-plus win seasons.

The Savage Race, an extreme mud obstacle course, is held twice a year at Little Everglades Ranch in Dade City. (Courtesy of Savage Race)

Academy at the Lakes will be seeking its second-straight Class 2A state title, while Land O’ Lakes will be seeking its second Class 6A title in three years, respectively.

Both squads unquestionably have the veteran pitching firepower to again win state crowns, armed with Alabama signee Lexi Kilfoyl (Academy at the Lakes) and Tennessee signee Callie Turner (Land O’ Lakes) in the circle.

Other local softball programs like Gaither, Freedom, Steinbrenner and Cypress Creek are also coming off strong campaigns to inject some competition in The Laker/Lutz News coverage area.

The 2019 football season, too, should offer some interesting wrinkles.

New coaches will take over at Pasco and Sunlake, effectively replacing two household names in Tom McHugh and Bill Browning, respectively.

Those programs — along with the other public schools throughout Pasco — will look to unseat Zephyrhills, which went undefeated last regular season and is now up to 19 straight regular season victories.

Another storyline to follow: Land O’ Lakes and the progression they make under second-year coach Chad Walker. In his first season as a high school football head coach, the 34-year-old Walker guided the Gators to a 7-3 mark in 2018 — the program’s first winning season since 2013.

The eight-man football ranks is sure to create intrigue, as well.

Academy at the Lakes will be seeking an unprecedented third consecutive state title.

The team — which also went undefeated in 2018 and is on a 20-game win streak — is expected to return many key pieces, including standout quarterback Jalen Brown, who will be a junior.

Published January 2, 2019

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

October 24, 2018 By Kevin Weiss

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Published October 24, 2018

Seeking ways to link local and state trails

August 23, 2017 By Kathy Steele

A study that will guide decisions on how to build and connect multipurpose trails in the Dade City area with the Withlacoochee State Trail is narrowing down the options.

But, at the mid-point in the Withlacoochee Trail Connector Study, consultants are still gathering public input before singling out a recommended trail path.

On Aug. 10, about 20 residents met with Pasco County officials and AECOM consultants to study maps and swap ideas on how to link Hardy Trail in Dade City with the Withlacoochee State Trail, off U.S. 301.

About 20 area residents attended an open house to learn of plans to link Hardy Trail in Dade City with the Withlacoochee State Trail. (Kathy Steele)

“We want to know what the community thinks,” said Paul Kurtz of AECOM. “This is going to be your trail.”

The public meeting at the Historic Pasco County Courthouse in Dade City was the second in a series of proposed meetings. The next meeting is scheduled for October, with a date to be determined.

The study’s conclusion, and a trail recommendation to the Pasco County Commission, is expected in December.

The maps on display outlined three trail options, but Kurtz said, “Don’t get hung up on three (trails). You can make your own. They can be combined in any way.”

The final recommended trail route, he added, likely would be some combination of the three current options under review.

More than 5 miles of trail will be constructed. One segment will link the northern end of an existing trail on U.S. 301 to the southern end of the existing Hardy Trail in Dade City. An extension of Hardy Trail will connect with the southern end of the Withlacoochee State Trail at the Owensboro Junction Trailhead.

One proposed route would follow along U.S. 301 and utilize an extension of Morningside Drive, not yet built. Other suggestions pull in combinations of Lock Street, 14th Street, Frazee Road, Powerline Road, Beth Street, Long Avenue, Corbett Road, Old Trilby Road, Christian Road, and a swath of land at one time proposed for a wastewater treatment facility.

Area residents have proposed an equestrian park there instead of the treatment plant.

Some segments of the trail will be multipurpose, allowing for pedestrians and bicyclists. But, other segments, particularly those navigating through Dade City, might not have enough land to accommodate every trail use.

Sharrow symbols to mark roadways shared by bicyclists and motorists could be used instead of dedicated trail lanes.

However, traffic volume along busy corridors, such as U.S. 301, might require dedicated trail lanes. “Wouldn’t it be nice to stay off there (U.S. 301) because there are so many cars there?” Kurtz said.

Resident Judy Geiger asked that equestrians be included when considering trail designs and paths. She noted that the Withlacoochee State Trail is equestrian-friendly. It makes sense to consider horseback riding, if new trail segments would connect to the state park’s trail, Geiger said.

“We’re in a very rural area,” she said. “There are a lot of equestrians in east Pasco.”

Thought also should be given to trail markers that could highlight the area’s history, said Nancy Stuparich, who is an avid cyclist.

She said bikers are always looking for information or things to do in the areas where they ride.

“This could be an opportunity to discover some hidden historical jewels,” Stuparich said.

Published August 23, 2017

Pasco officials push for trail loop

September 16, 2015 By Kathy Steele

A decision is months away.

But much is at stake for whichever county secures the favor of the Florida Department of Transportation in choosing a 20-mile route for the Coast to Coast (C2C) Connector Trail.

State highway officials anticipate completing a feasibility study in June 2016 on a northern route through Hernando and Sumter County or a southern route through Pasco and Sumter County.

Dade City resident and professional cyclist Josh Thornton spoke in support of a Pasco recreational trail, and a proposal to build a loop from two separate trails. (Photos courtesy of Richard Riley)
Dade City resident and professional cyclist Josh Thornton spoke in support of a Pasco recreational trail, and a proposal to build a loop from two separate trails.
(Photos courtesy of Richard Riley)

Sumter County is the only sure winner in the construction of a major segment of the planned 275-mile trail that will link the state’s east and west coasts.

Florida DOT representatives from District 5 presented a slide show on the study and the routes during a Sept. 10 board member of the Pasco Metropolitan Planning Organization.

About 35 people attended the meeting including area residents, elected officials and FDOT representatives from District 7 and District 5.

For Pasco MPO members, it was a chance to make the case for the southern route, but also to push for construction of a loop that would be created by building both routes.

Except as a future project, however, FDOT officials didn’t encourage hope for the loop.

“That can be a suggestion. It’s something you need to work on with Sumter County and what their visions are on the Coast to Coast Connector (Trail),” said Lee Royal, government liaison for FDOT in District 7. “That would be a decision through the planning process.”

Pasco MPO Chairman Lance Smith said a loop is the type of trail ride that bicyclists enjoy, and this one would provide a round trip of nearly 45 miles. “You look for a loop more than an up and back (ride),” said Smith, who also serves on Zephyrhills City Council.

The northern route begins in Hernando, then heads southeast through Sumter, linking the cities of Center Hill and Webster before connecting with the Withlacoochee State Trail.

The southern route jogs through northeast Pasco, parallels State Road 50, and moves into the Withlacoochee Forest on its way to trails end in eastern Sumter.

John Moors, executive director of the Greater Dade City Chamber of Commerce, speaks in support of a recreational trail through Pasco County as others line up behind him at the Pasco Metropolitan Planning Organization’s board meeting.
John Moors, executive director of the Greater Dade City Chamber of Commerce, speaks in support of a recreational trail through Pasco County as others line up behind him at the Pasco Metropolitan Planning Organization’s board meeting.

“That’s a real life line for us to have the southern route,” said Dade City Mayor Camille Hernandez. She serves on the Pasco MPO.

Dade City and northeast Pasco are draws for hundreds of bicyclists who come weekly to enjoy the challenges of the area’s rolling hills.

“Our area is a mecca for cyclists,” said Josh Thornton. He is a former professional cyclist who lives in Dade City. “This is a big thing to have cyclists come to the area and support local businesses.”

He supports the southern route but he added, “It’s a great idea to have a loop.”

Pasco officials anticipate the construction of several trails that will link Pasco and Pinellas County, and eventually hook up with Suncoast Trail and Hernando. Work is underway on U.S. 301 on a multi-use trail that in future will link with the Hardy Trail, in Dade City.

The trail system and the bicycling community are part of Dade City’s identity, Hernandez said.

“We’re really working very, very hard to connect what we have here,” she said.

But the town of Webster is just as convinced that the trail can be its economic lifeline. Mayor Kelly Williams attended the meeting to make her city’s case.

She secured a grant for Webster to pay for an analysis of the economic impact of the trail on Webster’s local economy.

Portions of the analysis included studies of trails built in other areas, including Winter Garden in Orange County. The Orange County Trail study relied on data provided by the East Central Florida Regional Planning Council.

The report noted that the southern route would produce nearly 33,000 annual user trips compared to nearly 29,000 on the northern route. However, more economic opportunities would be available, and more money generated along the northern route, according to the study.

The analysis focused on a 75-mile radius of Webster, which the study found would be a significant destination point for people following the Scenic Sumter Heritage Byway.

Local trail users on the southern route would spend about $9 per person while northern route users would spend more than $13. Annual spending on both routes would exceed $300,000 but the northern route would come out ahead by about $80,000, the study found.

The spending opportunities included restaurants, food and beverages, rental fees, guide maps/books and lodging.

Webster would see between $393,000 and nearly $500,000 pumped into the local economy, according to the study.

“It would be an unbelievable economic boon to Webster, having the trail go through there,” said Williams. “I will continue to fight for my city as I know you will for yours.”

One Webster resident, Thomas Parsons, told Pasco MPO members he doesn’t support either route. The best option, he said, would be for the trail to follow State Road 50 where the state already has rights of way.

The northern route crosses his driveway, Parsons said. And though he is not a hunter, Parsons said, people who use dogs to aid their hunting worry about lack of access to their hunting areas. “I think this is another attack on their rights,” he said.

Several Pasco MPO members took FDOT to task for what they saw as a snub to Pasco in the kick-off meeting for the feasibility study. About 120 people attended the meeting near Webster but MPO members said prior notification was insufficient.

Not surprisingly, most who attended were from Sumter and they favored the northern route, said Pasco County Chairman Ted Schrader.

In addition, members were upset that FDOT had no plans to schedule upcoming meetings in Pasco.

Royal said as many as 8,500 mailings were sent to people within 300 feet of the proposed corridors. Local governments also were notified, she said.

But Pasco County Commissioner Mike Wells said he only recalls receiving an update after the meeting.

Two additional workshops will be scheduled in 2016. By the end of the meeting, FDOT officials agreed to hold one workshop in Pasco.

Published September 16, 2015

Pasco wants a say in path of recreational trail

September 9, 2015 By Kathy Steele

The Florida Department of Transportation is studying the proposed path for the South Sumter Connector Trail, a segment needed to close a gap in the planned 275-mile Coast-to-Coast (C2C) Connector Trail.

Two routes are being considered for the connector, but just one passes through Pasco County. Most of both possible routes is in Sumter County, but the stakes are high for communities in Pasco, Sumter and Hernando counties that envision opportunities for recreation, tourism and economic development.

Kathryn Starkey
Kathryn Starkey

The completed trail will pass through nine counties and link nearly 20 trails across the state from Pinellas County to Brevard County.

The issue is slated for discussion on Sept. 10, at the 10 a.m. meeting of the Pasco Metropolitan Planning Organization’s monthly board meeting. The session will be at the Historic Pasco County Courthouse in Dade City.

The agenda will focus on gathering public input for a southern route that begins along abandoned rail beds in northeast Pasco, parallels State Road 50, and crosses through the Withlacoochee State Forest. It ends in eastern Sumter.

“The trail is going to be marketed internationally to a very active group of travelers,” said Pasco County Commissioner Kathryn Starkey.

“I think it’s going to be a really good tourism draw for our county,” added Starkey, who also serves on the MPO board.

At one time, the expectation was for the trail route to come through Pasco, but since then, a second northern option was added, Starkey said.

The proposed northern route begins in western Hernando County, and then moves southeast to Sumter along former railroad right-of-way. It would link the towns of Webster and Center Hill, and connect with the Withlacoochee State Trail.

At the Sept. 2 meeting of the MPO’s Citizens Advisory Committee, James Edwards, transportation manager for the Pasco MPO, said, “Let’s move to the next stage. How do we have an impact on the decision?”

The state roads department has no announced public meetings in Pasco on the trail routes and study.

The kick-off meeting for the 18-month feasibility study was on May 7 in the town of Webster. The study is slated to conclude in June 2016.

According to FDOT records of the meeting, nearly 125 people attended, but fewer than 3 percent were from Pasco.

While there was support for the route into Pasco, FDOT records show some hunters objected to the southern route, which they said would disrupt or halt hunting season in the area.

“This (Sept. 10 MPO meeting) is effectively going to wind up being our public meeting,” Edwards said. “The study is still ongoing. Information is coming forward on both these alignments.”

Starkey has sent a letter in support of Pasco’s selection, and has spoken with FDOT officials.

If the route through Pasco isn’t selected, the commissioner said she would continue to pursue completion of a trail that would go through Dade City.

The northeastern area of the county, which is noted for its hilly landscapes, is a popular bicycle destination for many bicycle clubs, said Allen Howell, a bicycle and pedestrian planner with the MPO.

“Pasco County and its citizens are making a big effort to become the bicycle capital of the state,” Starkey said. “It’s important for economic prosperity.”

Published September 9, 2015

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