The Laker/Lutz News

Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

Little Road

Speed limits change, more Penny for Pasco projects funded

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The Pasco County Commission during its Aug. 22 meeting voted to reduce speed limits on three county roads, and it disbanded the Airport Zoning Commission because the commission had wrapped up its work.

Pasco County motorists should be aware that lower speed limits have been adopted on stretches of Morris Bridge, Chancey and Little roads. 

The speed limit on Morris Bridge Road, from the Pasco County line to State Road 54 has been reduced from 45 mph to 35 mph.

A study conducted in the 3.4-mile area on Morris Bridge Road found that there had been 75 crashes within three years. The traffic volume on the road is an average of 14,000 vehicles per day.

The county board also revised the speed limit from 45 mph to 35 mph on Chancey Road from Morris Bridge Road east to Sandy Drive and from Allen Road east to US 301 (Gall Boulevard).

An assessment of traffic conditions, operational safety, and accident history was performed on Chancey Road from Morris Bridge Road to Gall Boulevard, according to materials in the board’s agenda packet. Within the last three years, the study area has seen 76 crashes. The background materials also noted that traffic on Chancey Road is significant, with an average of 8,700 vehicles per day passing through the area.

The speed limit on Little Road, from Plathe Road to Decubellis Road also has been decreased, in this case, from 55 mph to 45 mph.

The county board’s agenda packet notes that Little Road to the north and south of the study area has a posted speed limit of 45 mph.

The agenda background materials note that in the judgment of engineers in the county’s Traffic Operations Department, reducing the speed limit would improve operational safety and maintain uniformity of speed.

The county board also added some projects to be funded with Penny for Pasco tax proceeds. The revenues have exceeded projections, so the county is able to fund approximately $9.8 million in additional projects.

Here’s a look at what’s been added to the list:

Public safety

  • The Fire Rescue Logistics Building 

Engineering
Road improvements

  • Denton Avenue and East Road
  • Old Pasco Road

Sidewalks

  • Grand Boulevard 

Signalization 

  • Baillie Drive and Broadmoor Drive at Rowan Road Intersections
  • Cypress Creek Boulevard at County Line Road
    • Lakeview Drive/Bethwood Avenue at Moon Lake Road
    • Mitchell Ranch Road at Seven Springs Boulevard 
  • Mitchell Ranch Road at State Road 54
    • Notre Dame Drive at Rowan Road
    • Oakwood Preserve at Mansfield Boulevard
    • Slidell Street/Lacey Drive at Moon Lake Road
    • Trinity Boulevard at Cool Springs Parkway
    • Winding Oaks Boulevard at North County Line Road 

In other action, the county board disbanded the Airport Zoning Commission.

That advisory board was created to address issues relating to airport zoning and land use compatibility regulations.

The county board adopted Airport Zoning Overlay Districts on Aug. 8, which signaled the completion of a collaborative effort involving the county’s legal staff, planning staff, the Airport Zoning Commission and community stakeholders.

The county board also:

  • Approved the extension of a lease with Arts in Motion Community Youth Theatre/Arts Education Inc., for the Florida not-for-profit community youth theater to occupy the 5,828-square-foot building at 13971 Seventh St., in Dade City. The board also approved two additional one-year renewal options. The group is using the former IT/Data Building in Dade City.
  • Appointed Denise Nicholas as the District 5 representative to the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) for a three-year term beginning on Aug. 8 and ending Aug. 8, 2026.
  • Adopted a resolution recognizing International Overdose Awareness Day as a time to remember those who have died from overdose and acknowledge the grief of family and friends left behind. The resolution noted that Pasco County suffered 1,510 overdoses last year, of which 289 were fatal.

Published September 06, 2023

Taking a deeper look at causes of traffic deaths in Pasco

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When the Pasco County Metropolitan Planning Organization discussed new performance standards for safety in February, they asked staff to bring back a more detailed look at traffic-related fatalities.

That’s exactly what happened at the board’s meeting in March.

Tina Russo, active transportation planner for the Pasco MPO, detailed causes for crashes in Pasco County, based on information gleaned from long-form crash reports completed by the Florida Highway Patrol (FHP) and local police departments.

Lane departures, distracted drivers, drowsy drivers, speeding, lack of seatbelts and other factors contribute to the number of serious injuries and deaths that arise from traffic crashes in Pasco County, according to statistics gathered by Tina Russo, who works for the Pasco County Metropolitan Planning Organization. Collisions also frequently occur at intersections. (File)

The idea was to take a closer look at who is being killed on Pasco County roads, who is using the roads and what can be done to prevent crashes, Russo said.

The analysis also took a close look at crash types.

It’s important to know how the crashes are happening, to help prevent them from occurring, she explained.

Russo refuses to call the collisions “accidents,” instead referring to them as crashes.

Increased vigilance and changes in behavior are needed to reduce the death toll on Pasco roads, she said.

The data reveals that Pasco’s crash rate is higher per capita than the state average and higher per capita than in Hillsborough and Pinellas counties, too, Russo said.

Pasco County’s population in 2020 was 561,000 in 2020 — nearly 100,000 more than it was a decade before, Russo noted. “Of course, we’re higher than that (now),” she added.

The crash reports show that most of the collisions are occurring on major roads — such U.S. 19, U.S. 301, U.S. 98 and Interstate 75.

“Little (Road) is becoming very similar to (U.S.) 19, unfortunately,” Russo said.

Pasco County Commissioner Gary Bradford cited an inherent problem with information contained on the long-form crash reports.

“There are five law enforcement agencies in the county. Do they all get the same training in filling out these forms? Yes.

“Would I absolutely 100% trust these forms? Absolutely not,” Bradford said. “You have to look at them, sometimes, with a jaundiced eye.”

Russo told the MPO board that while FHP and the local police departments fill out the long-form crash reports, the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office does not.

She also detailed the types of behaviors that are killing motorists, pedestrians and bicyclists in the county.

The largest number of crashes in 2022 occurred at intersections, according to the report. There were 4,486 wrecks at intersections, resulting in 308 serious injuries and 33 deaths.

Lane departures are a significant cause of crashes, Russo said. The report shows 3,246 crashes involving lane departures, resulting in 236 serious injuries and 45 fatalities.

“Half of that number is someone driving off the road, with no seatbelt on, hitting a fixed object,” Russo said.

Pasco County Commissioner Seth Weightman said he’d like to see data involving the safety of roundabouts.

A memorial has been created on State Road 52 near Land O’ Lakes. (Mike Camunas)

Russo offered this observation: “We do know there are less fatalities and serious injuries at roundabouts because of lower speeds. There may be more crashes, but they’re at much lower speeds.

“As a cyclist, I love roundabouts,” she added.

The age of drivers also plays a big role in Pasco’s crashes.

It may not be all that surprising that teenagers were involved in 1,504 crashes in Pasco in 2022, resulting in 104 serious injuries and 12 deaths, according to the Pasco MPO’s report.

But the numbers for aging drivers were even higher, with 2,624 crashes, resulting in 207 serious injuries and 23 deaths, the report shows.

Reducing traffic-related fatalities also involves changing behaviors, she said.

“It’s a scary trend to think that people aren’t wearing their seatbelts again,” Russo said.

Just two changes would result in far fewer deaths from traffic crashes, she added.

“If people wore seatbelts and helmets, our fatality rate would probably drop 50%,” Russo said.

Resolving traffic safety issues takes a collaborative commitment — involving traffic operations, project management, planning and public education, among other things, Russo said.

Improving safety also requires a shared effort by everyone who travels through the county — in vehicles, on bicycles, on motorcycles and by foot, she said.

“Our No. 1 goal is saving lives,” Russo said.

The Pasco County MPO is the lead transportation planning agency for the county and is made up of elected leaders from Pasco County, Zephyrhills, Dade City, New Port Richey and Port  Richey.

Published April 05, 2023

What if Hurricane Ian had made a direct hit on Pasco?

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In the days leading to Hurricane Ian’s landfall in Fort Myers, officials across Tampa Bay called for evacuations and warned those sticking around to stock up on essentials and brace for impact.

The hurricane tracking path had shown Ian heading straight toward Tampa, and weather experts predicted that hurricane-strength winds, record storm surge and heavy rainfall would combine to create a worst-case scenario for Tampa Bay.

Instead, it veered to the south and flattened downtown Fort Myers. It knocked out the bridge connecting Sanibel Island to the mainland.

Hurricane Ian caused destruction and death, as it made its way through Florida and continued its destructive path across several states. Tampa Bay officials had feared a direct hit, but the hurricane veered south, making landfall near Fort Myers. (Courtesy of National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA))

It caused deaths, ravaged properties and resulted in billions of dollars in damage.

But what would have happened if it made a direct hit on Pasco County?

Andrew Fossa, the county’s emergency management director, recently laid out a scenario of what could have happened, during the Pasco County Commission’s March 21 meeting.

“Basically, what we did is, we took (Hurricane) Ian from Lee County and put it on the same course, same speed, same trajectory and inlaid the surge that would have happened in Pasco County,” Fossa told the county board. “The results are astronomical and devastating.”

The scenario he described involved a Category 4 hurricane, with a north by northwest trajectory, traveling at a speed of 10 mph and making landfall at peak high tide, with the center of the storm striking near Gulf Harbors.

Coastal areas in Pasco County would have experienced a storm surge of 20 feet above ground level, not sea level, he said. There would have been devastating flooding along the U.S. 19 corridor and extensive flooding, west of Little Road, he said.

People would have died and property losses would have been massive, Fossa added.

Other expected impacts: Destruction of critical infrastructure, serious environmental damage and significant tax revenue losses, the director of emergency management said.

Fossa shared video footage of the powerful storm surge that began hitting Fort Myers Beach six hours before Hurricane Ian’s eye crossed Lee County.

He told board members to pay attention to a red house in the video, which, as storm surge intensified, was lifted and carried away.

He pointed to a camera — attached to a pole 8 feet up in the air — being slapped by waves.

He showed palm trees engulfed by water.

A direct hit on Pasco
If Hurricane Ian had landed in Pasco, massive flooding would have occurred along the U.S. 19 corridor, from Aripeka to Anclote.

In some areas, the wall of water would have reached 21 feet, and “that’s not including the wave action on top of the surge,” Fossa said.

Between Aripeka and Bayonet Point, the flooding would average about 14 feet, but would top 21 feet in some places, he said.

“We would lose Bayonet (Point), which is a very key hospital in Pasco County. It’s a Level II trauma center. It’s a 320-bed facility,” Fossa said.

Here’s a look at some of the devastation caused by Hurricane Ian, in a Fort Myers’ business district.

Floodwaters there would reach 17 feet — but Bayonet Point Hospital is just 15 feet above the ground, he said. The hospital’s evacuation plan calls for evacuating up, not out, he added.

“But with a storm like this — and we have talked to them — the recommendation would be to evacuate out because of the sheer wind force that would be behind that storm,” Fossa added

North Bay Hospital would have to evacuate, Fossa said.

“North Bay, it’s a 141-bed facility, it’s an acute care facility. They would have water up to their first floor and up, and higher,” Fossa said.

Floodwaters along the western coastal areas would range from about 13 feet to 21 feet; there would be inland flooding, too, according to a map contained in Fossa’s presentation.

Floodwaters near Little Road could range from 6 feet to 8 feet, causing millions of dollars in damage, Fossa added.

To further illustrate the dangers, Fossa showed video capturing dramatic scenes of destruction in Fort Myers.

He witnessed much of it first hand when he went to the area to help with emergency management operations.

Fossa saw a fire truck that had been picked up and pushed by floodwaters, into a building.

If a hurricane like Ian hit Pasco, “in essence, we would lose all of our fire stations on the west side of the county, along the U.S. 19 corridor,” Fossa said.

Hurricane winds and storm surge likely would wreak havoc with Infrastructure, too, he said.

“When I was in Lee County, the barrier islands were the worst hit, when it came to infrastructure. They lost sewage. They lost water. And they lost all communications.

“I was there three weeks and when I was leaving there, they still did not have water, sewage or communications.

“Fort Myers Beach, it was the same way. The infrastructure was all torn out. They lost generators, pump stations and all sorts of assets,” Fossa said.

Pasco didn’t get hit, but it is vulnerable
With a hurricane like Ian, the Anclote Electrical Plant would get about 20 feet of water — and, if that plant were destroyed, the disruption of services wouldn’t be days or weeks, it would be months, Fossa said.

Lengthy cleanups also would be required for environmental damages, Fossa said.

Some homes withstood Hurricane Ian’s fury, others were scattered, like matchsticks.

“When I was down there in Lee County, there was so much debris. The county couldn’t fathom how they were going to get all of this debris out of the water. Not only the boats, but the cars that were in there. There were buildings in there. Parts of houses in there. There was garbage in there.

“When I left there after three weeks, they hadn’t even thought of starting that process yet.”

Besides all of the destruction and disruption, Pasco’s revenues would take a hit, too, Fossa said.

He estimated lost revenues could mount up to about $140 million in lost revenues, annually.

County Administrator Mike Carballa said the county is keenly aware of work that needs to be done to put the county in a better position to reduce risks and to quicken recovery efforts.

“We are undertaking a vulnerability assessment currently. So that involves the cities, that involves the counties — in looking at those critical pieces of infrastructure that are vulnerable. “That kind of sets the stage for us to kind of chase after larger (grant) dollars.

“At the end of the day, protection of your critical infrastructure is super important because we can have great building codes, but Mother Nature can always out-design us on any type of storm.

“And so it turns into a recovery operation and how quickly the county can bounce back. Hence, resiliency and why you are seeing a lot more focus on that.

“We are forging ahead in this area because it’s important,” Carballa said.

Published March 29, 2023

Pasco pushing for improved curb appeal

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Pasco County commissioners have been advocating more attractive residential neighborhoods in recent months and now, they are shifting their focus to commercial corridors.

Commission Chairwoman Kathryn Starkey raised the issue during the board’s March 8 meeting.

She prefaced her comments by saying that for 30 years she’s been involved in “a never-ending challenge to clean up Pasco County.”

She then began showing her colleagues some photographs.

Proposed change calls for fewer chain link fences around businesses on main Pasco roads. (B.C. Manion)

“This is a company that’s moved onto (State Road) 54, without permits, to open up a towing site,” the chairwoman said, showing a property with a chain-link fence topped by barbed wire, and no landscaping.

“It is very unsightly. It kind of reminds me of the federal prison,” Starkey said. “I don’t think this is what we want (state roads) 54, 56 and other roads to be looking like.”

Starkey added: “The chain-link, barbed-wire thing doesn’t belong on our main arterials and collectors, and whatever other roads in your district that you want to designate.”

She also mentioned another example involving a business that moved from State Road 54, where it had a vinyl, opaque fence to State Road 52.

“But now, on (State Road) 52, they have a chain-link fence with barbed wire.

“We’ve got Angeline coming in there. You know, we’re trying to build nice communities.

“Chain link and barbed wire? We can do better,” Starkey said.

She also showed the board a series of other photos.

“This is where they had all of the oak trees and they cut them all down,” she said, showing a chain-link fence on State Road 54.

“We allowed them to put the landscaping behind the fence. It does absolutely nothing,” she said.

Commissioners Jack Mariano and Mike Moore both agreed that placing the landscaping behind the fence doesn’t make sense.

Nectarios Pittos, director of the county’s planning and development department, told the commissioners: “I think with regard to the landscaping, they’re on the inside of the fence line mainly because the orientation is to screen to the larger traffic area. Moving the orientation to the outside of the fencing, then the orientation is screening for motorists.”

Starkey responded: “I think that’s what we want. We want to project a better view from the road.”

County Attorney Jeffrey Steinsnyder noted: “The code is also being used for residential, so traditionally, you screen the neighborhood from the road.”

Starkey responded: “That’s up to the neighborhood, but the traveling public needs to be protected from ugly.”

Mariano shared similar sentiments: “We want the place to look good from the roadway, when people are driving by. We’re not worried about what it looks like inside, we’re worried about how it looks outside.”

Pittos said it would not be difficult to specify in the code that landscaping should be placed on the right of way side of the fence.

“That just means that the fence is no longer at property line. The fence is probably 10, 20 feet within the property line, so that whatever buffer yard that’s there, let’s say, can be facing the right of way,” he said.

Starkey wants the county’s land development code to address fence types.

“We would probably target this toward our main arterial and collector roads, and those roads that have a transit emphasis on them, so State Road 54, 56, 52, the north-south arteries, like U.S. 19, Little Road, I could march all of the way to the east, but you get the idea,” Pittos said.

The planning director continued: “The chain link and the barbed wire — there’s a preference not to see it. Is there a fence type that is preferred?”

Commissioner Moore responded: “We can’t make that decision right now.”

Starkey added: “I think there may be some very few exceptions for chain link, and I think we should leave that window open.”

Moore agreed: “You might want to hear some of the issues that you’d run into.

“If we’re talking about (state roads) 54, 56 and (U.S.) 41, —wherever it may be — we still do have some ag properties along there, that need barbed wire, that need fencing for the cattle,” Moore said.

In essence, Starkey’s message was this: “Don’t degrade our communities.”

Starkey wrapped up the discussion by telling staff she felt they’d received sufficient direction.

Published March 13, 2022

The Big Shred IV helps people dispose of documents

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If you have some sensitive or outdated documents you want to destroy, The Big Shred IV may be just the thing for you.

Pasco County Clerk & Comptroller Nikki Alvarez-Sowles directs traffic in the rain at the Big Shred event last year, in Dade City. (Courtesy of Pasco County Clerk & Comptroller)

Pasco County Clerk & Comptroller Nikki Alvarez-Sowles has set two dates to give area residents the opportunity to safely dispose of documents they no longer need, according to a news release.

Last year, the event drew about 350 area residents who got rid of about 7.5 tons of documents. Over the three years the event has been held, more than 24 tons of documents have been shredded.

The times and dates for this year’s events are:

  • Jan. 30, 10 a.m. to noon: West Pasco Judicial Center, 7530 Little Road, New Port Richey
  • Feb. 6, 10 a.m. to noon: Robert Sumner Judicial Center, 38053 Live Oak Ave., Dade City

People who bring documents to be destroyed can watch while they are shredded.

Those wishing to take advantage of the service can bring in up to three copier-paper boxes or two tall kitchen trash bags of paper documents.

Staples, paper clips or other metal clasps must be removed.

“Last year, at New Port Richey, we had 5.5 tons of paper (shredded at the event),” Alvarez-Sowles said, at the Pasco County Commission’s Jan. 12 meeting.

She noted that 264 cars came through that line.

In Dade City, the event was held on a rainy day, reducing the turnout. At that event, there were 82 cars, which yielded 2 tons of shredded paper that day.

Published January 20, 2021

Premier adds dental clinic space

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Premier Community Health Care Group Inc., will share clinic space with the Florida Department of Health in New Port Richey, and will provide dental services to insured and uninsured children throughout Pasco County.

The Pasco County Commission approved a lease agreement between the county and the health care agency at its Nov. 17 meeting.

In lieu of rent, commissioners will require an annual report each Oct. 1 detailing the number of children served. Premier Community Health Care also will pay $421 a month as its share of utilities.

The lease expires on Dec. 31, 2021. However, there are three one-year options to extend the lease.

The clinic is located in Building A, 10841 Little Road, in New Port Richey.

County commissioners agreed to the lease at the request of health department officials “to ensure dental services continue for school-age children throughout the county,” according to agenda documents.

Published December 23, 2020

Specialty grocers sprouting up in Pasco

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A national trend for smaller, specialty grocery stores is taking hold in Pasco County.

Within the next year, Earth Fare, Sprouts Farmers Market, and possibly Lucky’s Market will open grocery stores that specialize in natural, organic and fresh foods.

Aldi is planning to open its no-frills, discount grocery stores in Zephyrhills and New Port Richey in 2019. Also, a new store is coming to the southeast corner of State Road 54 and Wesley Chapel Boulevard, on a parcel owned by developers of the Cypress Creek Town Center.

South Branch Ranch developers submitted plans to the county that include a “prototype” grocery store within a mix of commercial, office and retail. The approximately 25,000-square-foot store, on State Road 54 at Suncoast Parkway, would fit within the size range for boutique-style grocery shopping.

These new foodie arrivals on the retail scene follows an explosion of growth all over Pasco of more shops, restaurants and residential development.

Activity centers include Cypress Creek Town Center, the Village at Mitchell Ranch, Starkey Ranch and Wiregrass Ranch.

Rooftops and retail are two major parts of getting development started, and making them profitable, said Bill Cronin, executive director of the Pasco Economic Development Council Inc.

“Some of the developments now are coming to fruition with their plans,” Cronin said.

Grocery stores are one part of that development pattern.

As 2019 unfolds, Pasco residents can anticipate a buffet line of new grocery options in addition to the traditional brand names, such as Publix and Winn Dixie.

According to the U.S. Grocery Store Trends 2018, consumers continue to prize high-quality fruits and vegetables, low prices, and great product selection and variety.

Currently, the new trend in groceries is for smaller stores that offer organic, natural and local foods. In addition, consumers are looking for something extra – a food “experience.”

“Everybody is looking for that food experience, whether its ethnic sourcing or that new product,” said David Fikes, vice president of communications and community/consumer affairs director for the Food Marketing Institute. “It’s not (about) giving people 11 varieties of ketchup in the store.

The digital age is ushering in coupons and social connectivity via mobile applications. Online grocery shopping is gaining in popularity, especially with millennials, according to the survey.

Baby boomers, though, are showing keen interest, as well.

Experiences are shared on Facebook, or other social media, as if saying “I discovered this, and you’re the foodie among your group,” Fikes said.

Prior generations would shop to stock the pantry in order to have enough food on hand, Fikes said. That evolved later to a desire for nutritional, healthy food, he added.

Now, a third factor is a desire for discovery, engagement and connection, according to the FMI survey.

“We are moving away from stocking up our pantry to what’s the next meal,” Fikes said.

The specialty grocery stores coming to Pasco include:

Earth Fare is an organic-based grocery store that boasts that its shoppers don’t need to read labels to know its products are healthy. (Courtesy of earthfare.com)

Earth Fare
The store will open at Cypress Creek Town Center, at 25535 Sierra Center Blvd. The organic-based grocery store boasts that shoppers don’t need to read labels to know its products are healthy.

Its food is free of added hormones, artificial anything, and, according to Earth Fare’s website, the store sells “100 percent clean food for your family.”

Earth Fare began in Asheville, North Carolina, as a health food store before it enlarged and, in 1994, became a full-service grocery store. Its stores are built to be energy efficient, with skylights and LED light bulbs. Biodegradable to-go containers are used, and recycling is encouraged in the store.

Among its features is the Heirloom Juice Bar.

Aldi
Aldi is in the permitting phase for a store at 2215 Sun Vista Drive, which is near the Tampa Premium Outlets, off State Road 56. The store is expected to open in fall 2019, according to email responses from Matt Thon, Haines City Division vice president for Aldi.

Aldi is planning new stores in Pasco County, one near Tampa Premium Outlets and the other in Zephyrhills. (Courtesy of Aldi)

Thon also confirmed in the email that an Aldi will open in Zephyrhills, but no other details are available.

The location under discussion is off Pretty Pond Road, at U.S. 301. One issue nearing resolution at the site is the relocation of a traffic signal to that intersection.

The traffic signal “is under design review and engineering,” said Todd Vande Berg, Zephyrhills’s planning director.

Plans are to remove the existing signal at the main entrance to the shopping plaza, but to have traffic signals at the north and south ends of the plaza.

No construction date is set, but Vande Berg anticipates Aldi will open in 2019.

Lucky’s Market
Lucky’s is eyeing an approximately $1.5 million renovation to the former Winn Dixie grocery store at Collier Parkway and State Road 54, according to county records.

A pre-application meeting with county planners was held in November.

The Lucky’s option isn’t a done deal, but is the latest grocery to show interest in the site. Previously, representatives for Sprouts Farmers Market made inquiries and submitted a plan for a grocery store, as well as retail and a restaurant.

Nothing came of the proposal.

Now, Lucky’s is exploring options, though a spokeswoman for Lucky’s said no contract is signed.

The pre-application included demographics suggesting why the site has potential.

Average daily vehicle trips within 3 miles of the site, on State Road 54, total nearly 40,000; within 7 miles, more than 173,000 vehicle trips are charted.

About 14,770 households are within 3 miles of the proposed Lucky’s, and about 66,000 within 7 miles. Average household income ranges from about $87,000 to $94,000.

Lucky’s began in 2003 with inspiration from two chefs.

The store highlights local, organic and natural foods. Customers can sip glasses of wine or beer at an in-store café, or as they stroll along the aisles and fill their carts.

Lucky’s also has a juice bar, hot-ramen bar, a bulk foods section, and specialty foods, including house-made sausage and in-house smoked bacon.

Sprouts Farmer’s Market
Pasco’s first Sprouts Farmers Market will be one of three anchor stores at the 165,000-square-foot shopping center, The Village at Mitchell Ranch, according to a Dec. 13 press release from The Shopping Center Group.

Other anchors will be HomeGoods and Michaels. The shopping center is in Trinity, at Little Road and State Road 54.

The Arizona-based chain opened its first store in 2002. Its roots, however, date to 1943 and a fruit stand operated by Henry Boney in San Diego.

Sprouts features natural foods at affordable prices. Its motto is “eating clean and living healthy.” Today, the chain has about 300 stores and 28,000 employees.

By Kathy Steele

Published December 19, 2018

Library hours restored for patrons

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Pasco County Libraries has restored Monday hours at the Hugh Embry and Hudson branches, as of Oct. 15. Patrons will now have four libraries to choose from to visit on Mondays.

The restoration of hours at more locations was a priority of the Pasco Board of County Commissioners for the fiscal year 2018-2019 budget.

In October 2017, the Regency Park and Land O’ Lakes branches were the first to restore hours, with the addition of Monday hours and some evening hours.

The Pasco County library locations that are now open on Mondays are:

  • Land O’ Lakes Branch Library, 2818 Collier Parkway
  • Hugh Embry Branch Library, 14215 Fourth St., Dade City
  • Regency Park Branch Library, 9701 Little Road in New Port Richey
  • Hudson Regional Library, 8012 Library Road

All libraries will remain closed on Sundays.

According to Bob Harrison, libraries public communications specialist, the restored hours give patrons on both the east and west sides of the county more access to everything they love about the libraries.

For information on hours of operation for all seven branches in the Pasco County Library System, visit PascoLibraries.org.

Information on the library catalog, e-content, programs, events and links to all the branches also can be found on the website.

Published October 24, 2018

Wesley Chapel to get a new fire rescue station

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A new fire station in Wesley Chapel will replace an aging facility that has become inadequate to handle the needs of a growing population.

Pasco County’s Fire Rescue Station No. 13, off Old Pasco Road, is expected to open in January 2019. A groundbreaking was held in mid-March on the same day the Pasco County commissioners approved the construction contract of about $2.6 million.

Funding is partially from the Penny for Pasco program.

Construction is underway on a replacement fire station for Pasco County’s Fire Rescue Station No. 13, in Wesley Chapel. The station is expected to open in January. (Courtesy of Pasco County Fire Rescue)

In addition, Pasco purchased an adjacent property for about $467,000, according to county records.

The additional land was needed to accommodate a new fire station that, at about 9,400 square feet, will more than double the size of the old station at 27329 Dayflower Blvd.

The new station also will have space for a Pasco County Sheriff’s substation, where deputies will be able to write up reports, and conduct interviews.

The new station will have three drive-through bays and will be able to hold six fire vehicles. Currently, five firefighters and a battalion chief work each shift. But, the additional space means that eventually up to nine firefighters and one battalion chief could be accommodated.

Instead of dormitory-style sleeping quarters, individual bunkrooms will be provided.

There will be a larger kitchen, with individual pantries for each shift.

Firefighters will have an on-site fitness area, and a specialized washing system for their gear. Also, there will be customized gear lockers in a climate-controlled room.

For emergency calls at night, a “stumble light” system will automatically turn on lights at the fire station, as firefighters don their gear and board fire vehicles.

The station is modeled after Fire Rescue Station No. 30 at Little Road and Massachusetts Avenue, in western Pasco. In 2015, the station won Firehouse Magazine’s “Notable Architectural Design Award.”

Pasco County Fire Chief Scott Cassin said, “It’s essentially the same footprint and design.”

While the new station is under construction, the old station – built in the 1970s – remains operational, Cassin said. It will be torn down once its replacement is opened, he added.

“It’s really in a good location in the central part of the county,” said Cassin.

The area is also a high growth area for the county, with new residents arriving monthly.

Estimates show Pasco adds about 300 homes each month, Cassin said.

Pasco’s growth in all areas of the county is bringing challenges to county departments that deliver services to residents.

Fire rescue especially is called upon to respond to increasing numbers of emergency calls.

At budget workshops to prepare the 2019 draft budget, fire rescue officials noted that in 2017 firefighters responded to more than 71,000 such calls. Over the next eight years, those calls are expected to increase to 100,000 a year.

Much of that is due to overall population increases, but Cassin said other factors also add to the call volume, including Pasco’s aging population.

Lack of health insurance for some is also a factor, he said.

“A lot of people have dropped their health insurance and don’t get the medical care that they should,” Cassin said. They can wind up seeking medical attention when it becomes an emergency, he added.

“We’re seeing some of that,” he said.

As the county’s growth continues, Cassin said fire rescue is planning to expand its capabilities.

However, that comes at a cost to build new stations, increase personnel and add equipment.

In the general election on Nov. 6, voters will be asked to consider approval of four 30-year general bond referendums for the sheriff’s department, parks, libraries and fire rescue.

Over the life of the bond, if approved, fire rescue estimates collecting more than $70.2 million in revenues. About $2.2 million would cover costs of financing the bond, and leave fire rescue about $68 million for construction projects.

Funds would be used to build nine fire stations, including new ones and expanded or refurbished ones.

Four new stations would be located at Suncoast Parkway and State Road 52; State Road 52 and Majestic Parkway; Meadow Pointe, by State Road 56; and Bexley, off State Road 54.

In addition, five stations would be expanded and upgraded.

They would be at U.S. 41 and Central Boulevard; Seven Springs Boulevard; U.S. 19 and Cross Bayou Boulevard; Shady Hills; and, Crystal Springs.

Published August 8, 2018

Digital billboard lights up Land O’ Lakes

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The digital age of outdoor advertising is coming to central Pasco.

Motorists may be familiar with a two-sided “Tri-Vision” billboard on U.S. 41, north of State Road 54. The Champion Outdoor billboard flips through a trio of advertisements on each side, as slats rotate and marketing messages change.

But, the area’s first digital billboard is being installed on the west side of the apex where Dale Mabry Highway and U.S. 41 meet, in front of the WalMart Super Store, according to county permitting records.

Workers are installing a digital billboard for Clear Channel Outdoor at 1714 Dale Mabry Highway, in front of a Walmart Super Store.
(Kathy Steele)

Thousands of motorists pass through the juncture at North Dale Mabry Highway and U. S. 41 daily, making it a prime site for outdoor advertisers.

The location is one of four digital locations in Pasco County planned by Clear Channel Outdoor, Inc. as the company moves ahead on the digital campaign it began about nine months ago in the county.

Another location in central Pasco is slated for digital at 6027 Wesley Grove Blvd., in Wesley Chapel.

Activity in west Pasco also is changing the billboard landscape.

Permits for demolition of several static billboards and installation of two digital billboards happened in 2017 at 2310 U.S. 19 in Holiday, and on State Road 54, east of Little Road, in New Port Richey, according to county records.

A representative of Clear Channel couldn’t be reached for comment.

The Pasco County Commission approved an ordinance in early 2017 to allow permitting of new billboards as part of a strategy to reduce visual blight on the county’s major corridors. Until then, a ban on new billboards had been in effect for about 17 years.

Outdoor advertising representatives lobbied for the ordinance, which allowed new billboards and established rules for converting static to digital billboards. Provisions also were included for Tri-Vision billboards.

It took nearly two years of negotiations to strike that bargain.

County representatives wanted to eliminate a glut of static billboards dotting the roadways, including those in disrepair. Outdoor advertising representatives wanted to get their digital messages in front of passing motorists.

Clear Channel, OUTFRONT Media and The Champion Family of Companies participated in crafting the ordinance.

So far, Clear Channel in its agreement with Pasco has removed about 8,220 square feet of static billboard advertising. During the next months, another approximately 8,220 square feet will be taken down by Clear Channel, according to data provided by Pasco County.

The ordinance targeted billboards on major roadways including segments of State Road 54, U.S. 41, U.S 19, State Road 52 and Interstate 75.

A cap permits a maximum of 37 digital billboards in the county, with more digital allowed in some areas than others.

County officials estimated about 190 static billboards would be eliminated through the new regulations.

Some sites are off limits to digital including The Heart of Land O’ Lakes Vision Plan, Connerton New Town, the Villages of Pasadena Hills Stewardship District, and the State Road 52 gateway into Dade City.

Published July 11, 2018