The Laker/Lutz News

Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

Lutz

New style of pizza coming to Lutz

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A new pizza joint is set to open this summer at Northgate Square in Lutz.

Uncle Maddio’s, located at 3949 Van Dyke Road in Lutz, plans to open its doors in late August; it replaces the now-vacant Johnston’s Hallmark store next to the Publix Super Market.

It will be the first of five Tampa area locations for the create-your-own, fast-casual pizza franchise.

Mike Mateo and his wife, Ada, are the owners of the Uncle Maddio’s, 3949 Van Dyke Road in Lutz. They signed a five-unit agreement with the franchise last year, and have plans of opening the other restaurants throughout North Tampa and Pasco County. (Courtesy of Uncle Maddio's)
Mike Mateo and his wife, Ada, are the owners of the Uncle Maddio’s, 3949 Van Dyke Road in Lutz. They signed a five-unit agreement with the franchise last year, and have plans of opening the other restaurants throughout North Tampa and Pasco County.
(Courtesy of Uncle Maddio’s)

The 3,500-square-foot dine-in restaurant will also feature a 300-square-foot built-in recessed patio.

Franchisee Mike Mateo, a first-time restaurant owner, said construction on the leasing area will begin within the next week.

“We’re waiting for some permits, but it’s a process,” Mateo said. “We’re turning what used to be a ‘dry’ retail location into a ‘wet’ retail location with it being restaurant space.”

The restaurant will be open every day from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., but Mateo said he may alter the hours depending on customer feedback.

Uncle Maddio’s is labeled as a “next generation” pizza restaurant, allowing customers to build their own pizza exactly to their liking. Individual-sized pizzas are cooked in fast-baked ovens and typically served in about six minutes. Patrons can choose from one of three crusts, and 48 different toppings including 27 vegetables, 15 meats and six different sauces. Create-your-own salads and toasted “Foldwich” sandwiches are available, too.

Mateo said he “fell in love with the concept” after visiting a Tallahassee location, and believed the pizza chain would find success in the Tampa area.

“They have a great product, and they’re very consistent on the product and the service,” said Mateo, a retired division vice president for ATM technology company Diebold. “What drew me to the concept was that we were wowed from beginning to end.

Uncle Maddio’s will be opening in Lutz this August. It will be the first of five stores that will eventually open in Tampa. (Kevin Weiss/Staff Photo)
Uncle Maddio’s will be opening in Lutz this August. It will be the first of five stores that will eventually open in Tampa.
(Kevin Weiss/Staff Photo)

“We love the freshness of the ingredients; the fact that you can create your own (pizza), the ambiance and the energy of the Uncle Maddio’s restaurants is just unique.”

Mateo already has named Rich Richeson as the Lutz restaurant’s general manager, and Anna Stevenson as the assistant general manager.

“Those are the two key employees, and once they get trained…we should start recruiting the staff,” he said, adding he plans to have a total of 30 to 40 mostly part-time employees.

Unlike other well-known pizza chains, Uncle Maddio’s has no drive-thru or delivery.

“It’s just going to be a comfortable environment for you to sit in and be relaxed, and just enjoy a meal with family or friends,” Mateo said, noting alcohol options will be available. “The core dealing of it is that you’re comfortable and you’re not in a hurry to leave.”

Mateo and his wife, Ada, signed a five-unit agreement with the chain last year. He has targeted Carrollwood, New Tampa, Trinity, Westchase and Wesley Chapel as possible locations for the other Uncle Maddio’s sites.

“We’re not sure in terms of which one comes first, but we are looking at those locations and seeing what’s available,” Mateo said. “Our plan is to have a second one open next year; we are working with a realtor to look at locations for 2017 and 2018.”

Uncle Maddio’s currently has restaurants spread throughout North Florida, and recently opened stores in both Sarasota and Orlando.

Since its launching in 2008, Uncle Maddio’s has signed franchise agreements with 65 different entities in 19 states.

Published June 29, 2016

Company rewarded for its job growth

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Pasco County commissioners rewarded a Lutz startup pharmacy service for adding at least 26 full-time jobs to the local economy.

Crestmark Pharmacy Services LLC received an incentive payout of $104,000 through a jobs agreement approved by commissioners at their June 21 meeting in New Port Richey.

Since opening in 2015, the company has hired 24 employees.

That number could rise to 30 or more, according to Randall McElheney, company manager.

“We’re happy to be in Pasco County,” said McElheney.

Crestmark Pharmacy is located at 1860 Highland Oaks Blvd., in Lutz. The company provides prescription medications to long-term care patients at nursing homes. Services also include information technology solutions for caregivers, consultations, and infusion therapy.

The Pasco Economic Development Council reviewed the company’s application and found that it qualified for the incentive program.

Under county ordinance, companies must create a minimum of 10 jobs within a year. Salaries must be greater than the average wage in Pasco County, and at least 51 percent of products and services must be sold outside of the county.

County officials see the economic impact from jobs at Crestmark Pharmacy as a generator of additional jobs, indirectly. Estimates are for 17 more jobs locally at other businesses and 13 more jobs in other counties, for a total of 56 jobs.

Crestmark Pharmacy also is adding good paying jobs at an average annual salary of about $60,000 per employee. At 26 employees, total annual wages paid by the company would be about $1.3 million.

Annual sales for the company are about $12 million, according to county officials.

The pharmacy’s distribution area primarily is central Florida, as far north as Gainesville and as far south as Port Charlotte. McElheney said.

“The incentive had a lot to do with us deciding to come here,” he said. But, other factors also mattered.

Lutz is centrally located within the Tampa Bay region. There also is a good labor market for recruiting job applicants, McElheney said.

He also noted that Pasco is a growth area.

“People can be close to their home. It was attractive to them to work here,” he said.

Published June 29, 2016

Making life easier for local Marines

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Seventy-seven-year-old L. David Kirk lives by the U.S. Marine Corps’ motto, “Once a Marine, always a Marine.”

He served in the Marine Corps from 1956 to 1964, completing two tours of duty in the Mediterranean, two tours of duty in Okinawa, and serving in Southeast Asia and California, as well.

“It was the best eight years I ever spent, because it took me from teenager to man,” said the retired Lutz business man. “I can never thank the Marine Corps more, for giving me the discipline to make it where I am today.”

L. David Kirk, of Lutz, is spearheading an effort to establish a Marine Corps League Detachment in Land O’ Lakes. He wants to make it more convenient for those who are serving and those who have served to get involved in the league’s activities. (B.C. Manion/Staff Photo)
L. David Kirk, of Lutz, is spearheading an effort to establish a Marine Corps League Detachment in Land O’ Lakes. He wants to make it more convenient for those who are serving and those who have served to get involved in the league’s activities.
(B.C. Manion/Staff Photo)

Even though he completed his service more than half-century ago, Kirk’s fidelity to the U.S. Marine Corps remains robust.

“Three years ago, two other Marines and myself, and our wives, we got together and we thought it would be a good idea if we started a Marine group in Land O’ Lakes,” Kirk said.

That group, named Marine Forever Veterans Group LLC, meets on Monday evenings at the Beef O’ Brady’s in the Village Lakes Shopping Center, 21539 Village Lakes Shopping Center Drive in Land O’ Lakes. The shopping center is on the north side of State Road 54, slightly east of U.S. 41.

Kirk now is accepting applications from those wishing to join a new Marine Corps League Detachment that likely would meet at the same Beef O’ Brady’s restaurant.

The league is open to active duty, reserve and honorable discharged veterans of Marine Corps and Navy FMF Corpsmen and Chaplains who live in Land O’ Lakes, Lutz, Odessa, Wesley Chapel and surrounding areas.

There’s a need for the new detachment because there isn’t one nearby, Kirk said.

“We’ve got Marines here that travel 15 and 20 miles to belong to the League. Think how many more that would join, if they didn’t have to travel that far. And, there’s a lot of Marines that live in this area.”

Besides being more convenient, it would be less expensive to attend meetings in Land O’ Lakes, because it wouldn’t take as much gas to get to meetings, Kirk added.

To launch a new charter, the group needs at least 20 members that do not belong to an existing detachment, Kirk said. Once the new detachment is established, existing league members can transfer, he added.

A meeting has been scheduled for June 25 at 2 p.m., at Beef ‘O’ Brady’s, in the Village Lakes Shopping Center, to answer questions about the proposed new detachment, the annual dues, uniforms, meeting dates, mission of the group and so on.

Anyone who would qualify to join and would like more information is encouraged to attend, said Kirk, past commandant of the Angus R. Goss Detachment in Tampa.

The Marine Corps League was founded in 1923 by World War I hero Major General Commandant John A. Lejeune, and its congressional charter was approved by an act of the 75th Congress, which was signed and approved by President Franklin D. Roosevelt on Aug. 4, 1937.

The league’s mission calls for its members to “join together in camaraderie and fellowship for the purpose of preserving and promoting the interests of the United States Marine Corps and those that have been honorably discharged from that service that they may effectively promote the ideas of American freedom and democracy.”

The league’s mission also calls for “voluntarily aiding and rendering assistance to all Marines and former Marines and to their widows, and orphans; and to perpetuate the history of the United States Marine Corps and by fitting acts to observe the anniversaries of historical occasions of particular interest to Marines.”

Kirk said he’s confident that a new detachment will be formed, noting he already has commitments from 10 potential members. But, he would like to form this new detachment as soon as possible.

For more information on becoming a charter member of the new detachment and to receive updates on upcoming meetings, email Kirk at .

For more information about the Marine Corps League, visit http://mclnational.org//

For more information about Marine Forever Veteran Group, LLC, visit Marine4Ever.com

and Facebook.com/MarineForeverVeteransGroup.

Published June 22, 2016

Guv’na candidate increasing fundraising efforts

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Greg Gilbert is new to the area — just like his competitor in the Lutz Guv’na race.

And just like his rival, Andre Pamplona of Royal Lanes Bowling, Gilbert was urged by by Suzin Carr, the Lutz Guv’na ambassador, to jump into the 2016 race.

“She was relentless,” Gilbert said, describing Carr’s encouragement for him to enter the race.

“However, it did sound like a lot of fun to do something like this, and to be involved in the community a little bit more,” said Gilbert, who took over as the managing owner of Beef O’ Brady’s in Lutz in December.

Greg Gilbert is a candidate for the annual Lutz Guv’na race. Gilbert is the managing owner of Beef O’ Brady’s, 18421 N U.S. 41 in Lutz. (File Photo)
Greg Gilbert is a candidate for the annual Lutz Guv’na race. Gilbert is the managing owner of Beef O’ Brady’s, 18421 N U.S. 41 in Lutz.
(File Photo)

Before moving to Florida, he spent 20-plus years in Michigan working as a general manager for both T.G.I. Fridays and Ruby Tuesday.

Due to his wide-ranging obligations to his restaurant, Gilbert admits he has some catching up to do on the Guv’na campaign trail.

To try to make up some ground, Gilbert plans to dive headfirst into fundraising efforts between now and July 4, the final day of the annual charity event.

He hopes to organize a car wash behind the restaurant, and perhaps hold a classic car show over the next few weeks to boost his campaign.

“I’m new to this area, so I have to find some avenues to make some of this happen,” said Gilbert, who lives in Spring Hill.

Though he considers himself to be “quite a shy guy,” he enjoyed participating in the whimsical Lutz Guv’na debate last month at the Old Lutz School.

There, he showed the ability to step out of his comfort zone during the question-and-answer portion of the debate, where he offered some clever responses to some of the “hot-button issues” pertaining to Lutz residents.

For example, during the light-hearted banter, Gilbert proposed to have “all Canadians stopped in Land O’ Lakes” as a solution to prevent snowbirds from inhabiting Lutz.

It’s also where he revealed his campaign slogan: “Beef it up at Brady’s.”

“I was pretty apprehensive going into it, but I had a lot of fun doing that,” Gilbert said about the tongue-in-cheek debate.

When he’s not working or dedicating time to fundraising efforts, the Guv’na candidate has a passion for brainteasers — he describes himself as a “crossword and Sudoku junkie.”

Despite his busy schedule, and no matter the outcome of this year’s Guv’na race, Gilbert has no qualms about becoming a candidate all over again.

“I’d be more than happy to try this next year, where I’ll be able to put a lot more into it,” he said.

The Guv’na race continues through the Fourth of July weekend.

The winner will be announced after the community’s traditional parade.

The next honorary mayor will receive the coveted “sash” from last year’s winner, Jennifer Rankin, who raised more than $9,200 in the 2015 race.

The annual charity event— which started in 1991— is sponsored by the Lutz Civic Association, and benefits about 20 local causes, including the Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts, the Old Lutz School and the Friends of the Library.

The winner of the Guv’na race may also earmark 10 percent of what they raise to the organization of their choice.

If you’d like to contribute to Gilbert’s campaign, call (813) 909-2300, or email .

Published June 22, 2016

Tiny dog’s barking saves family from fire

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Peanut, a tiny black Chihuahua, saved the lives of three generations of a Lutz family on June 3, when his insistent barking awakened family members at 3 a.m., alerting them to a fire in the rear of their home.

Fire ravaged the DeRolf’s family home in Lutz. Persistent barking by the family’s dog, Peanut, alerted the family to the fire. Peanut perished from smoke inhalation. (Suzanne Beauchaine/Staff Photo)
Fire ravaged the DeRolf’s family home in Lutz. Persistent barking by the family’s dog, Peanut, alerted the family to the fire. Peanut perished from smoke inhalation.
(Suzanne Beauchaine/Staff Photo)

Peanut’s barking from her crate awakened Jeff DeRolf and his 26-year-old daughter, Maria, who together started down the stairs to see why the dog was barking.

“When I was about halfway down the stairs, I heard my mother scream at the top of her lungs,” said Maria. “Our French doors leading to our back patio were engulfed in flames.”

Those screams woke up the rest of the family — Maria’s 22-year-old brother, Jeff, her 7-year-old daughter, Michelle, and a friend of Jeff’s who was spending the night. They all were able to get to the front of the house and get out safely.

Sadly, Peanut did not survive.

“My dad and brother started back into the house to get Peanut, but by then the smoke was thick and was pouring out of the house,” Maria said. “My brother actually had to hold my dad back to stop him from going back in.”

Peanut, just 6 pounds and still a puppy at a year-and-a-half, was technically her daughter’s dog, Maria said. “But, everyone loved Peanut. Her barking saved all of our lives — she is our hero.”

Seven-year-old Michelle DeRolf holds Peanut. (Photos courtesy of the DeRolf family)
Seven-year-old Michelle DeRolf holds Peanut.
(Photos courtesy of the DeRolf family)

The family escaped from the house with just the clothes on their backs.

“We were able to retrieve my grandfather’s ashes and a few pieces of clothing, but that was all,” Maria said.

That means everything else was gone — every treasure that a family of five has amassed after 30 years of living in one place.

Jeff and Carmen DeRolf moved into their two-story home at 17838 Morninghigh Drive in the Barrington subdivision before they had their children.

“This is the house that we lived in for our whole lives. It’s where we took our first steps, as well as the next generation’s,” said Maria.

A Go Fund Me Account under the DeRolf name has been established for the family to help with expenses not covered by insurance. As of June 13, more than $4,700 had been raised.

“The amount of love and support coming our way is amazing. Thank you to everyone who has donated. Whether it be money or physical items, we thank you from the bottom of our hearts,” Maria said.

The DeRolf family wants people to know the house had working smoke detectors.

The DeRolf family has lived in Lutz for over 30 years. Front row: Margarita Ruiz and Michelle DeRolf. Other members of the DeRolf family, in the back row, from left, are son Jeff Jr., mother Carmen, daughter Mariah, father Jeff and daughter Maria.
The DeRolf family has lived in Lutz for over 30 years. Front row: Margarita Ruiz and Michelle DeRolf. Other members of the DeRolf family, in the back row, from left, are son Jeff Jr., mother Carmen, daughter Mariah, father Jeff and daughter Maria.

“The fire started in the back of the house and the smoke detectors were more towards the front, so the dog woke us up before the smoke detectors went off,” Maria explained.

The family’s homeowner’s insurance is paying for temporary housing at the Marriott Residence Inn in Telecom Park until a rental home can be leased.

Maria said the home is a total loss, and insurance company says it will be at least a year until their home is rebuilt.

Maria said the cause of the fire has not been found, and the fire marshal has begun an investigation.

In addition to suffering the loss of his home, Jeff DeRolf is currently undergoing chemotherapy at Moffitt Cancer Center for Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Maria said her father’s cancer was first diagnosed in 2008, and occurred again just six months ago.

The family gathered the day after the fire to bury Peanut — the little dog that saved them all — in their backyard, next to Duke, a German Shepard they had before Peanut.

“When the firefighters retrieved Peanut’s body, her body was not burned, and we know she died of smoke inhalation,” said Maria. “We were thankful for that.”

Here are ways you can help
Monetary donations
GoFundMe.com, Search DeRolf Family Fire Recovery

Clothing for Michelle
Girls size 8
Shoes size 2-3
Maniscalco Elementary School Uniforms
Collared shirts in white, blue, grey and maroon
Jeans, pants and skirts in white, blue, grey and maroon

Questions?
Contact Maria DeRolf at .

Those wishing to contribute clothing or other items are welcome to bring them to The Laker/Lutz News office, at 3632 Land O’Lakes Blvd., Suite 102, in Land O’ Lakes. The office is open Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. For additional information, call (813) 909-2800.

Published June 15, 2016

First-time Guv’na candidate enjoying the ‘campaign’

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Andre Pamplona is relatively new to the area, having moved to Lutz from Miami just last June.

But, that didn’t stop the general manager of Royal Lanes Bowling from jumping into the race to become Lutz Guv’na.

Pamplona was first encouraged to run by Suzin Carr, who serves as ambassador for the annual race for the honorary title. Carr is the only one who has been named Guv’na twice in the Lutz charity event.

Andre Pamplona is a candidate for the Lutz annual Guv’na Race. Pamplona is the general manager of Royal Lanes Bowling, at 1927 Brinson Road in Lutz. (File Photo)
Andre Pamplona is a candidate for the Lutz annual Guv’na Race. Pamplona is the general manager of Royal Lanes Bowling, at 1927 Brinson Road in Lutz.
(File Photo)

For Pamplona, it was a “no-brainer” to throw his name into the hat, and “help the community” through fundraising.

Having a storefront property in Lutz has made fundraising efforts relatively seamless.

“One of the things we already do a lot here at Royal Lanes is try to make a venue for nonprofit organizations to raise funds in a very inexpensive way,” Pamplona said. “We try to gear it to as many different groups as we can,” he said.

“It’s one of those things where the community is aware of (the Guv’na Race) because it’s been around for so many years, so it wasn’t really something I had to pitch too hard,” he added.

As one of just two Guv’na candidates, Pamplona has also been able to make several newfound personal connections while acclimating himself to his new surroundings in West Central Florida.

“Everyone’s been very receptive,” he said. “I was able to meet a lot of people in the community that otherwise would have just been patrons of mine, but they don’t see me face-to-face and you don’t get to say ‘Hi’ all the time. So, you’re able to meet different people in the community.”

Pamplona has already raised “quite a bit of money” through a few fundraising events at the bowling alley. He’s also received some donations from bowlers at Royal Lanes.

Not big contributions, mind you.

“It’s been nickels and quarters at a time,” he said.

Whether he wins this year or not, Pamplona said he’d “definitely” consider getting involved in Guv’na festivities again.

“Because I have the (bowling alley), it makes no sense for me not to do it every year,” he said.

“Even if I don’t run, I’ll maybe get behind a candidate to hold events here at Royal Lanes; a lot of people that ran in the past didn’t have a storefront or a brick-and-mortar, so it was hard for them to raise funds.”

One aspect of the Guv’na Race that Pamplona won’t soon forget is his participation in last month’s amusing Lutz Guv’na Debate at the Old Lutz School, where he squared off against fellow Guv’na candidate Greg Gilbert, of Beef O’ Brady’s, in a mostly tongue-in-cheek event. That’s where Pamplona unveiled his campaign slogan: “Raising the education of bowling.”

“It was a lot of fun,” he said about the debate. “The good thing about it was instead of being a serious or tense thing, we came up with a lot funny answers here and there; the watermelon-eating contest was the best part.”

The Guv’na race continues through the Fourth of July weekend, where the winner is announced, and earns the coveted “sash” from the prior year’s winner. Last year’s winner was Jennifer Rankin, who raised more than $9,200 throughout the 2015 race.

The annual charity event— which started in 1991— is sponsored by the Lutz Civic Association, and benefits about 20 local causes, including the Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts, the Old Lutz School and the Friends of the Library.

The winner of the Guv’na Race may also earmark 10 percent of what they raise to the organization of their choice.

If you’d like to contribute to Pamplona’s campaign, call (813) 949-3606.

Published June 15, 2016

Lutz Cemetery Association seeks donations

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The Lutz Cemetery has been a landmark in the community for a century, but it often goes unnoticed.

There’s a group of dedicated volunteers, with the nonprofit Lutz Cemetery Association, who want to make sure that the grave sites within the cemetery off U.S. 41 are not neglected.

Donations help pay for upkeep, including mowing grass and maintaining gravesites.

Bill Garrison planted flags at the Lutz Cemetery to honor the many veterans buried there. (File Photo)
Bill Garrison planted flags at the Lutz Cemetery to honor the many veterans buried there.
(File Photo)

Many burial plots over the years were sold without perpetual care plans, according to Kathy Vanater, secretary/treasurer of the association.

The group raises money to help maintain the cemetery. It will have a booth at the annual Fourth of July festivities in Lutz, but donations are welcome any time, Vanater said.

About 1,600 people are buried at the Lutz Cemetery, including members of prominent families, past and present.

Among them are Fred Polen, a teacher at Myrtle School, and later a mail carrier; Herbert Vernon, owner of Vernon & Land Co.; and, three generations of the Goheen family.

It is also the final resting place of Oscar Cooler, a champion of Lutz youth sports; and Carolyn Meeker, former president of the Lutz Civic Association.

The hallowed ground is a legacy donated to Lutz residents by C.E. Thomas, who was president of the North Tampa Land Company in the early 20th century.

A group of Chicago investors bought about 32,000 acres, north of the city of Tampa. They sold vacant lots to some of the early settlers of Lutz, and made an offer that anyone who bought 10 acres could have a free lot in town or a burial plot in the cemetery.

For many years after its founding, Lutz residents would gather once or twice a year to clean up the cemetery. However, that practice ended long ago. In the 1950s, the nonprofit association stepped in to fill the gap.

For information or to make a donation, people can stop by the association’s booth on July 4. Or, donations can be mailed to Lutz Cemetery Association, P. O. Box 1353, Lutz, FL 33548.

Published June 15, 2016

Famous Tate aiming for fall opening

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A new Famous Tate could be open as soon as fall.

Site preparation for the 13,700-square-foot appliance store is underway off U.S. 41 in Lutz. The store will sit on an outparcel in front of the Walmart Supercenter, and will be Pasco County’s third Famous Tate.

Famous Tate of New Tampa Inc., purchased the 1.5-acre vacant lot in March 2015.

A new Famous Tate off U.S. 41, in front of Walmart Supercenter, is expected to open by fall. It will be Pasco County’s third Famous Tate appliance store. (Kathy Steele/Staff Photo)
A new Famous Tate off U.S. 41, in front of Walmart Supercenter, is expected to open by fall. It will be Pasco County’s third Famous Tate appliance store.
(Kathy Steele/Staff Photo)

Owner John Horst said at the time that he wanted his company to be “a player” in the growth coming to the area.

“We have a lot of customer base,” said Claude Ward, the company’s general manager.

But, growth in the area also will bring more traffic, he said.

“As traffic becomes a hardship, people only drive so far, so we have to be more centrally located for our customers.”

Bulldozers recently cleared the land. The next step will be building permits to begin the store’s construction.

It tentatively is set for a fall opening, said Ward.

Famous Tate was founded in 1954. Its Pasco locations are 5419 Village Market in Wesley Chapel, and 8010 Grand Blvd., in Port Richey.

The store will have company, as developers are starting to buy more of the outparcels surrounding the Walmart location.

The discount store and the County Line shopping plaza are located in a pie-shaped swath of land between U.S. 41 and North Dale Mabry Highway, with entrances off both roadways.

New Port Richey Hospital Inc., a subsidiary of HCA Holdings Inc., recently bought a 1.6-acre vacant lot, across from Famous Tate. Plans are to build a health care facility, according to a press release from The Land Sharks LLC, which brokered the sale.

Another outparcel is slated for a Stor-Kwik Self Storage.

Mark Cooney of The Land Sharks also anticipates a restaurant and automobile store are potential new tenants on other outparcels.

Published June 15, 2016

No progress yet on reopening Lake Park

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A park in Lutz that draws an estimated 300,000 users each year will not be reopening anytime soon.

Lake Park, at 17302 N. Dale Mabry Highway, has been closed since Dec. 2 due to a sinkhole that spans 6 feet across and is about 90 feet deep.

Lake Park typically draws 300,000 visitors annually. The 589-acre site features an archery range, a BMX bicycle track, two equestrian arenas and a radio-controlled car track. (File Photo)
Lake Park typically draws 300,000 visitors annually. The 589-acre site features an archery range, a BMX bicycle track, two equestrian arenas and a radio-controlled car track.
(File Photo)

No progress has been made in repairing the sinkhole because Hillsborough County has not yet negotiated a new lease with the City of St. Petersburg, which owns the park, said Forest Turbiville, Hillsborough County’s director of conservation and environmental lands management.

A meeting regarding the lease has been set for June 23.

“During those discussions, we will talk about sinkholes, who’s responsible for paying to remedy that situation, and other issues, too — like the term of the agreement,” Turbiville said.

The county prefers a lease that lasts around 30 years, Turbiville said.

“If we’re going to be spending several hundred thousands of dollars over the next few years to make various improvements, whether it’s filling in the sinkhole or paving the main road, upgrading facilities — we want to make sure we have a long-term agreement,” Turbiville explained.

The existing lease agreement for Lake Park expires on June 3, 2019. Under that deal, Hillsborough County pays just $1 per year to the City of St. Petersburg to operate the park.

However, Turbiville said the City of St. Petersburg has proposed a new lease agreement requesting $3,000 per month, or $36,000 per year. It also is requesting $2,000 per month from the county to lease Lake Rogers Park. That lease agreement expires on Sept. 30.

“One of the things we’re going to discuss in our meeting (with St. Petersburg) is what the basis is for those numbers,” Turbiville said.

The low-end estimate to repair the sinkhole is $103,000, but Turbiville said the cost could be nearly double that amount, based on the county’s previous experience in repairing sinkholes in other locations.

He also noted the sinkhole repair would likely take six weeks to eight weeks, after a new lease agreement is executed.

“We’re hopeful that (the park) will be open sometime this year; that’s the best I can say,” Turbiville said.

Flooding on Lake Park’s central road also must be addressed, Turbiville said.

Two lakes situated near the flooded road have begun to merge — caused by a significant drop-off in water pumping by the aquifer, he said.

“Those lakes are…filling up almost like a bathtub, and they’re going over the road, so about nine (months) to 10 months out of the year, we have a couple of feet of water over the road,” Turbiville explained.

“Ever since 2013, the pumping has dropped from 10 (million gallons) or 12 million gallons down to 1 million gallons per day. As a result, the lakes and the wetlands within the park have come back up, so what you have now is a much wetter park than you did even five years ago,” Turbiville said.

Turbiville believes the nearly three-quarter-mile stretch of road will have to be repaved and elevated.

The estimated cost for the project, which is about $850,000, would likely fall on the shoulders of Hillsborough County, he said.

The project would require culverts or some other type of system that would allow water to flow underneath the road, he noted.

Other long-term Lake Park improvements include renovations to the park’s main offices and restrooms, and upgrades to the concession area.

Lake Park, a 589-acre site, features an archery range, a BMX bicycle track, two equestrian arenas and a radio-controlled car track.

Based on revenue figures from 2014-2015, the park typically nets about $10,000 per month in revenue from park-goers.

Due to Lake Park’s closure, Turbiville said most of the park’s employees have been temporarily reassigned to other locations within the regional park system. A skeleton crew remains at Lake Park for upkeep and maintenance.

Published June 8, 2016

 

Pasco property values on the rise

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Pasco County property values grew by about $1.1 billion in 2015, according to tax estimates released by the Pasco County Property Appraiser’s Office.

That’s about 5.2 percent higher than the current tax roll and shows accelerated growth, compared to the previous steady growth of 4 percent, year to year.

Lowe’s home improvement store on State Road 54 is valued at about $18 million by Pasco County Property Appraiser’s office, and helped boost overall county property values. (File Photos)
Lowe’s home improvement store on State Road 54 is valued at about $18 million by Pasco County Property Appraiser’s office, and helped boost overall county property values.
(File Photos)

Much of the increase is being fueled by nearly $685 million in new residential and commercial construction.

The southern half of Pasco, particularly along the State Road 54/State Road 56 corridor is driving the growth, said Wade Barber, chief deputy at Pasco County Property Appraiser’s office.

“I think it will continue to be so,” he said. “Nothing up north is really going gangbusters yet.”

County records reflect the rising values.

Tampa Premium Outlets, which opened with more than 90 stores in October 2015, currently is valued at about $98 million. A year earlier with only vacant land to assess, the county pegged the property’s taxable value at nearly $12 million.

Lowe’s on State Road 54 in Lutz jumped from about $1.8 million in taxable value in 2015 to about $8.8 million now, records show. The home improvement store opened in April 2015.

More new housing construction is on the way, including Bexley Ranch in Odessa and Union Station in Wesley Chapel. Florida Hospital Center Ice Complex in Wesley Chapel is expected to open in October.

The upward trend in valuations could continue, but Ward cautioned that state-imposed caps on increases play a role in holding values down.

Crowds gathered outside stores on opening day at Tampa Premium Outlets. The mall was part of nearly $685 million in new construction that is pushing up Pasco County’s property values.
Crowds gathered outside stores on opening day at Tampa Premium Outlets. The mall was part of nearly $685 million in new construction that is pushing up Pasco County’s property values.

State law limits increases in valuations to no higher than 10 percent for commercial, nonresidential properties, and no more than 3 percent for homesteaded properties.

“It really holds you to the 5 percent range without new construction,” Barber said.

Overall, the boost in valuations spread to Pasco’s cities as well.

Estimated values and percentage increases are: Zephyrhills,  $609 million, a 1 percent increase; Dade City, $265.7 million, a 2.1 percent increase; San Antonio, nearly $56 million, a 3.2 percent increase; Port Richey, nearly $252 million, a .08 percent increase; and New Port Richey, $504 million, a .08 percent increase.

The Town of St. Leo showed a modest increase of about $22,400 to an estimated value of about $8.7 million. But, the town’s property values remain in the doldrums compared to the nearly $10 million value in 2014.

The town lost about 85 homes in the Lake Jovita subdivision when Gov. Rick Scott signed a bill to de-annex the homes in 2014. The homes were added to unincorporated Pasco’s tax base.

Published June 8, 2016