The Laker/Lutz News

Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

U.S. 301

State loan may help widen State Road 56

By

 

The Pasco Commission agreed that a low-interest state loan to fund the widening of additional lanes on State Road 56 is worth exploring, if developers take responsibility for paying it back.

Commissioners voted unanimously to direct county administrators and staff members to gather details about the loan and prepare a letter of interest to be sent to the State Infrastructure Bank. The letter must be submitted by May 29 for state officials to consider granting a loan in its 2016 cycle.

‘I do have some reservations. People here believe growth should pay for itself.’ – Pasco County Commission Chairman Ted Schrader
‘I do have some reservations. People here believe growth should pay for itself.’ – Pasco County Commission Chairman Ted Schrader

The infrastructure bank provides loans and other assistance to public or private entities for projects that qualify for aid under federal and state law.

Commissioners are expected to vote on the matter at their May 19 meeting.

“There’s a lot of details that need to be worked out on this,” said Assistant County Attorney David Goldstein.

Goldstein and Richard Gehring, the county’s planning and development administrator, sought permission at the commissioners’ May 5 meeting to pursue the loan option.

A lot of staff time will be needed, Goldstein told commissioners.

“I think this is a regional road, not a local road, and will be a benefit for the entire county,” said Commissioner Mike Moore. “There may be options, many ways the loan can be packaged.”

But commissioners also had concerns about potential costs and who would be held accountable for repaying the loan.

“I do have some reservations,” said Chairman Ted Schrader. “People here believe growth should pay for itself.”

Gehring said the county would be the lead applicant for the loan but would collect repayment funds from developers through mobility surcharge fees and potentially special property assessments.

County officials hope the city of Zephyrhills will agree to pay 10 percent of the annual loan payments not covered by developers’ contributions.

The Zephyrhills City Council was expected to discuss the matter at its May 11 meeting.

The state loan option arose out of a February town hall meeting to discuss transportation issues. Since then county officials, State Sen. John Legg, State Rep. Danny Burgess and state highway officials have had additional meetings on the loan plan.

Current plans are to extend State Road 56 from Meadow Pointe Boulevard in Wiregrass Ranch to U.S. 301 in Zephyrhills, as a two-lane road.

Zephyrhills’ residents and city officials have pushed for the additional lanes as a boost to the area’s economy. They also have said it would be less costly to build four lanes now rather than later.

Gehring said the agreement might be crafted along the lines of a similar one that paid for roadwork for the Villages of Pasadena Hills. In that instance, the Florida Department of Transportation and developers each paid for two of the four lanes built to accommodate increased traffic generated by the development project.

If needed, other funding sources could be tax increment financing and gasoline taxes.

However, Gehring cautioned commissioners that if these funds were used, the county might have to defer other road projects.

Commissioners said developers should bear the burden of repaying debt from the project.

“Other developers have already been paying,” said Commissioner Kathryn Starkey.

Published May 13, 2015

 

Aldi grocery store set to open on U.S. 301

By

 

A busy section of U.S. 301 will get even busier as developers move forward with plans to build a small shopping plaza with an Aldi grocery store at the intersection of Pretty Pond Road.

Demolition crews began razing Rainbow Court and Brightside Manor mobile home parks in March. MQ Pretty Ponds LLC, a subsidiary of MQ Partners of Dallas, bought the two parcels in 2014, and gave notice to residents they would need to relocate to make way for the plaza.

No construction date has been announced.

This Aldi store is in a shopping plaza off of U.S. 41 and Bearss Avenue. A new store is planned for Zephyrhills. Company officials have said they want to open 650 new stores in America by the end of 2018. (B.C. Manion/Staff Photo)
This Aldi store is in a shopping plaza off of U.S. 41 and Bearss Avenue. A new store is planned for Zephyrhills. Company officials have said they want to open 650 new stores in America by the end of 2018.
(B.C. Manion/Staff Photo)

For the moment, city officials and developers are grappling with how to get approval for a new traffic signal at Pretty Pond.

A traffic signal currently operates at the Townview and Merchant’s Square Shopping centers, directing traffic flow into and out of their parking lots on opposite sides of U.S. 301. But Florida Department of Transportation officials say a light at Pretty Pond can only be considered if the existing signal comes down. Two traffic signals so close together don’t meet national highway standards for safe road design, state road officials say.

Commercial and residential growth justifies installing a traffic signal at Pretty Pond to accommodate the anticipated increase in traffic volume, said Zephyrhills City Manager Steve Spina.

Zephyr Commons, a shopping center anchored by a Publix grocery store, is in the same area as the proposed Aldi. And, about 230 new apartments are due for construction, Spina said.

“Its (traffic) all got to come out somehow,” Spina said. “We have to come up with something,”

Spina said he intends to meet with owners of the shopping center to discuss options.

Aldi is a leading international retailer in the discount grocery market. Shoppers bag their own groceries and are encouraged to bring their own reusable bags. Stores are stocked with about 1,400 quick-selling food items including fresh produce, meat, dairy, wine and beer. In contrast, a typical grocer might stock as many as 30,000 items. The goal is low overhead expenses, which Aldi representatives say translates into major savings for its shoppers.

The company was founded in the mid-1940s in Germany and today operates more than 9,000 stores in 18 countries. The United States division is headquartered in Illinois.

In a news release issued this year, Aldi announced the goal of opening 650 new stores in America by the end of 2018. That represents more than a $3 billion investment in land, facilities and equipment.

Aldi was named the nation’s top discount grocery store for four consecutive years, and also one of the top three favorite grocery store chains in America, based on consumer surveys by Market Force Information Inc.

Published May 6, 2015

Zephyrhills puts in strong bid to buy Hercules Park

By

The Zephyrhills City Council voted to put in a bid with the Pasco school board to buy Hercules Park and develop a master plan to restore the historical park and former aquatic center.

Council members had a special public meeting April 20 to discuss options including purchase of approximately 2.5 acres of the park that has long been rumored as a site for a Race Trac gas station.

The decision was to offer $1.7 million for the entire 15.5-acre park, said Mayor Gene Whitfield.

The deadline for submitting the bid was April 24.

“There was a little bit of a time crunch,” Whitfield said.

Buying the entire park from the school board leaves less chance for a gas station or other commercial development at that corner of the park, the mayor said.

“We have nothing against private enterprise,” he added, “but this is a choice piece of property with a deep history in our community.”

The school board in early April announced plans to put a small parcel at the corner of U.S. 301 and County Road 54 up for commercial sale. The city council previously had been asked to rezone the site. In return, city officials had expected to reach agreement with the school board on a long-term, $1 a year lease for the remaining acreage.

The fate of Hercules Park has been under discussion for nearly two years, with some residents lobbying the city to negotiate for ownership.

The funds for the city’s bid, if accepted, would come from park impact fees, the Penny for Pasco program and about $700,000 from about $3.3 million in the city’s reserve fund, said City Manager Steve Spina.

The city could have an advantage over commercial bidders who would likely have to complete time-consuming environment impact studies, Spina said.

“We could settle right away,” he said. “I think it’s a viable option.”

The park got its name from the Hercules Powder Co., once the largest employer in Zephyrhills. The company processed pine stumps into rosin, turpentine and pine oil. Its property sprawled across 80 acres that became sites for the park, Zephyrhills High School and Woodland Elementary School.

More than two decades ago the school district gave the site to Pasco County with the stipulation that it be operated as a park or be returned to the school district. The county closed the facility nearly four years ago because it was too costly to operate.

Whitfield said it’s important to preserve green space as a balance to renewed commercial growth in the area. The north side of Zephyrhills needs more park amenities, he added.

“We want to make sure it (Hercules Park) goes back to being a park,” he said.

If the city wins the bid, a master plan will be crafted to restore the park, including the aquatic center. No hard figures on restoration costs will be available until such a plan is completed.

“We have some grant opportunities we can pursue,” Spina said. “A large part of the park would remain wooded and passive.”

Published April 29, 2015

State loan could pave way for four-lane State Road 56

By

The money isn’t in anyone’s bank account yet, but a state loan program might be the solution to fund the widening of State Road 56 to four lanes from Wesley Chapel to Zephyrhills, according to a press release from State Rep. Danny Burgess and State Sen. John Legg.

The lawmakers, in consultation with the Florida Department of Transportation staffers, including Secretary Jim Boxold, are looking to the State Infrastructure Bank as a potential source for a low-interest loan.

A low-interest loan from the state may be a way to create a four-lane extension of State Road 56, which now ends in Wesley Chapel over to Zephyrhills. (File Photo)
A low-interest loan from the state may be a way to create a four-lane extension of State Road 56, which now ends in Wesley Chapel over to Zephyrhills.
(File Photo)

The loan could be made to Pasco County for the cost of building additional traffic lanes.

The infrastructure bank provides loans and other assistance to public or private entities for projects that qualify for aid under federal and state law.

To start the process moving, a letter of interest must be submitted by May 29 for the loan to be included in the bank’s 2016 cycle.

“This is a much needed project,” said Burgess. “It’s important for economic growth to our area, a benefit that affects all of Pasco and all of the region.”

County officials plan to meet with state officials on April 16 to get details on how the loan would work.

“We’re still in early stages of exploring this,” said David Goldstein, Pasco’s assistant county attorney.

To many, the four-lane extension is a decade-long unfulfilled promise.

“I’m afraid if we let this go by now, it will be another decade,” said Charles Proctor, president of the Zephyrhills City Council and a long-time Zephyrhills’ business owner.

Current plans are to extend State Road 56 from Meadow Pointe Boulevard in Wiregrass Ranch to U.S. 301 in Zephyrhills, as a two-lane road. Even for this two-lane project, money is an issue because land from adjacent landowners must be purchased for right-of-way.

If the state paid for four lanes, state highway officials said some other project on Pasco’s list likely would not get done.

The low-interest loan could be a way to avoid that scenario, but the effort to secure a loan faces hurdles including buy-in from the county and state, as well as from property owners and developers along the planned extension.

“This cannot get done unless the state, the county and the private sector come together for the benefit of our East Pasco county residents,” stated Legg in the press release.

The city of Zephyrhills is pressing its case.

As recently as mid-March, all five Zephyrhills’ council members, Mayor Gene Whitfield and City Manager Steve Spina headed to Tallahassee to lobby for four lanes as a priority for State Road 56.

This followed a February town hall meeting where area residents, elected officials and business owners met with Burgess, Legg and Goldstein to plead for construction of four lanes, not the current two lanes being planned. Legg raised the possibility of state funds being repaid with a loan but didn’t think the state had a mechanism for such a transaction.

Goldstein said he had some familiarity with the state bank, having explored its use for other county projects. He broached the subject at the meeting’s conclusion to Debbie Hunt, transportation development director for the Florida Department of Transportation. “She ran with it,” he said.

Since then the county has had ongoing discussions with developers and property owners whose land could bring thousands more homes as well as retail and industrial development to the area. Among the largest land tracts is the Two Rivers Ranch with about 3,500 acres. About half of the 6.7-mile extension would cut through the ranch.

“The county is not interested in putting a lot of money into this. It’s a state road,” Goldstein said. “There are a lot of other priorities. If there is a loan, we expect developers to pay it back. We might be a conduit.”

Before the Pasco commission can sign off on anything, Goldstein said there are a lot of details that must be worked out including how much money would be needed, terms of the loan and, most importantly, who would be responsible for the payback.

Spina applauded the new effort to find a solution.

“I think it’s pretty inventive of them to come up with an idea like this to find the money,” he said.

It makes more sense, Spina said, to do four lanes now and not wait five or more years when the project likely would be more costly.

Proctor envisions a major economic boost to the area’s commercial development if the four-lane road is built. He has heard from business owners who would like to locate in Zephyrhills and surrounding areas and from owners who would consider expanding operations, if there was an improved road for getting in and out of the city.

“I see nothing but positive,” Proctor said.

Published April 15, 2015

Dade City and Zephyrhills pool their water

By

Zephyrhills and Dade City will connect their water systems as a hedge against emergencies and future development along U.S. 301, the highway that runs between them.

City commissioners in both cities recently approved a 25-year interlocal agreement to turn their spigots on if either city is in need. Each city would pay whatever the going rate is at the time.

The first step is installing about 3 miles of 12-inch water pipes and fire hydrants along the east side of U.S. 301 from Phelps Road to somewhere near the highway’s intersection with U.S. 98 Bypass in Dade City.

“The water will be used on an as-needed basis, mainly for emergencies,” said John Bostic, Zephyrhills’s utilities director.

But city officials want to prepare for more rooftops and shops that could one day populate the highways and byways of Zephyrhills and Dade City.

A $2 million grant awarded to the City of Zephyrhills by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection will pay for construction. The project’s design, by Jones Edmunds & Associates, is nearly completed. The construction contract will be bid this summer, with an anticipated completion date of summer 2016.

Bostic said the initial plan to route the water pipes along the west side of the highway changed when the Florida Department of Transportation decided to install 10-foot wide multi-use trails on the west side of the road as part of a repaving project.

Construction on that project is under way.

The dividing line for maintaining the new water lines and serving customers will be Centennial Road.

Both cities rely on multiple public wells to supply residents and businesses with drinking water drawn from the Floridan aquifer system. Zephyrhills draws most of its water supply from wells permitted within the Hillsborough River Groundwater Basin, with some water also from a small portion within the Withlacoochee River Basin.

The Southwest Florida Management District is the state agency that issues water use permits. Currently the Hillsborough River basin is on the agency’s list of “areas of water resource concern.”

Dade City’s permitted wells are within the Withlacoochee basin.

“Hillsborough is definitely more restricted,” said Gordon Onderdonk, Dade City’s utilities director.

The long-range strategy of a unified water system traces back to the East Pasco Water Coalition, which was founded in 2009 through an interlocal agreement with Zephyrhills, Dade City, St. Leo and San Antonio. Onderdonk said the group meets about twice a year.

Predictions then were for demand to exceed water supply within 20 years. Swiftmud records show demand is high, but municipalities have reduced overall water usage in the last five to 10 years. Water restrictions, including limited lawn watering, and reclaimed water programs are among reasons for the decrease.

But as the economy recovers, developers are eyeing new projects that could add to water demand.

“There’s a lot of talk about (development) along U.S. 301,” Bostic said.

If it materializes, Zephyrhills and Dade City officials say linking their water systems will be a good backup.

Published April 8, 2015

Pasco and Hillsborough counties are partners in growth

By

The explosion of new development in Pasco and Hillsborough counties is good news for governments that count on robust tax revenues to balance budgets. But, the rooftop subdivisions and shopping malls sprouting along busy highways that link these two prospering counties bring new challenges that likely will require a regional approach to solve.

Transportation, including public transit, is among the most critical issues.

“Everything is connected, but all roads – no pun intended – lead back to transportation,” said Hillsborough County Administrator Mike Merrill.

The recession temporarily slammed the brakes on new investments. But with marketplace confidence in the driver’s seat again, developers are accelerating their pace to build thousands of new homes, malls, hotels and restaurants.

In Pasco County, much of the activity is centered on State Road 54, the east-west corridor on the county’s southern border. The heaviest activity on State Road 54 so far is at its interchanges at Interstate 75 and the Suncoast Parkway.

Another Pasco hot spot is U.S. 19, the north-south corridor on the county’s western side.

Both State Road 54 and U.S. 19 are expected to have expanding development and concentrations of new residents, according to Pasco County Administrator Michele Baker.

Future growth plans, driven by incentives, will set the path for where future development – commercial and residential – should go, she said. But she added: “You cannot build your way out of traffic congestion.”

During the past two decades, Pasco has seen cow pastures and citrus groves vanish as land is plowed over for subdivisions and shopping centers. Rush hours are a daily ritual — a commuter conga line of motorists leaving and returning to the county’s bedroom communities.

Density plays a role in deciding which transportation projects should get priority.

“You need a certain amount of congestion before you see people on the bus,” Baker said.

Baker and Merrill shared their insights on the future of their counties and of the Tampa Bay region with about 50 people who attended the monthly meeting of the Tampa Bay Builders Association on Feb. 26.

Much of Pasco’s growth emerged from development along U.S. 19 in Pinellas County and from I-75 and U.S. 301 in Hillsborough County, Baker said.

“People moved up here for quality of life and housing, but we orient ourselves to the counties to the south,” Baker said.

Slightly less than 50 percent of Pasco residents of employment age commute daily to Hillsborough and Pinellas counties.

“We’re trying to make that less every day,” Baker said.

The transportation network linking Hillsborough, Pinellas and Pasco isn’t simply about commuters, however. Goods and services must move along the same network, Baker said.

“We do have to work to try to solve the problem,” she said.

Hillsborough is dealing with its own growth explosion.

It is courting opportunities to attract corporate headquarters, it is watching downtown Tampa’s revitalization, pondering a new site for the Tampa Bay Rays, and delivering expanded services and infrastructure to new residents.

In the next 20 years Hillsborough is expected to add about 600,000 residents, Merrill said.

“Along with (Pinellas County Administrator Mark Woodward) we are working much more closely than I’ve ever seen, since 1988, because we are dependent on each other,” Merrill said.

Improved communications and collaborations are good for all counties, Baker agreed.

“Our futures do grow together,” she said.

The challenge is to develop regional strategies without overlooking each individual county’s needs, Baker said.

As businesses look to expand and don’t have room in Hillsborough and Pinellas, they will look elsewhere, Baker said.

But she posed this question: “Rather than let them leap frog from the Tampa Bay region, how do we work to keep them here…without cherry picking from each other?”

The two counties take different approaches to revenue resources.

About 70 percent of Hillsborough’s tax revenues flow from property taxes, while Pasco gets about 35 percent of its money from property taxes. The majority of Pasco’s revenues are filled in with sales and gas taxes, and the renewed Penny for Pasco program.

Baker said Pasco historically has taken a “pay as you go” approach with developers paying higher impact fees than Hillsborough to cover the costs of infrastructure, such as roads and sewers, to support new growth.

But Baker also pointed out that Pasco County has the lowest permitting fees in the region.

Hillsborough needs greater diversity in its revenue sources, Merrill said.

“The struggle in Hillsborough County is how to go forward. It’s not easy to make that shift overnight,” Merrill said.

Pasco County has been focused on changing what Baker described as a “culture of no.”

Along those lines, county officials have taken steps to eliminate and streamline business regulations and to promote a more customer friendly attitude among county employees, Baker said.

“We are not all the way there, but we are picking up steam and making good headway,” Baker said.

Published March 11, 2015

Multi-use trail being built on U.S. 301

By

A resurfacing project will give motorists a smoother ride along a 6-mile stretch of U.S. 301 — one of Dade City’s busiest commercial corridors.

But there is a new travel lane opening for pedestrians and bicyclists, too. Work on the $12.5 million project should be finished by spring 2016.

Anna Crerand takes a break from strolling, while her 4-year-old daughter Genevieve and 2-year-old son Jude inspect a monument along the Hardy Trail in Dade City. (Kathy Steele/Staff Photo)
Anna Crerand takes a break from strolling, while her 4-year-old daughter Genevieve and 2-year-old son Jude inspect a monument along the Hardy Trail in Dade City.
(Kathy Steele/Staff Photo)

As motorists whiz past on the new asphalt, pedestrians and bicyclists can stroll or pedal along a parallel 10-foot wide multi-use trail.

Previously, road construction usually meant only new asphalt or more traffic lanes for motorized vehicles.

But transportation plans these days often build in multiple modes of travel from Point A to Point B, and places in between.

This project is one of several upcoming initiatives to develop master plans to guide new development, transportation, and parks and recreation.

Pasco County officials asked the Florida Department of Transportation for the trail. It is more often the case that 5-foot wide sidewalks are installed when roads are repaved, said Allen Howell, a bicycle and pedestrian planner with the Pasco County Metropolitan Planning Organization.

The organization reviews and recommends long-range transportation plans for the county.

The planning organization has taken note of the uptick in new residential and commercial development between Dade City and Zephyrhills.

“We felt there would be more benefit to having a 10-foot trail,” said Howell. “There seems to be more activity going on in the area.”

The trail will extend along the west side of U.S. 301 from Kossik Road north to a sidewalk at Dade Avenue. Road paving will cover about 6 miles from Kossik to Bougainvillea Avenue in Dade City. A new traffic signal also is planned at the junction of U.S. 301 and U.S. 98.

The trail eventually will hook up with existing and planned trail segments – including Hardy Trail in Dade City – to form a regional network extending from Hillsborough County to the Withlacoochee Trail Head in Pasco.

A study will be completed over the next year to create a vision for future development on U.S. 301 from Kossik to the U.S. 98 Bypass including a transportation strategy. A public workshop will be held from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. on March 12 at the City of Zephyrhills Council Chambers, 5335 Eighth St.

The northern extension of Hardy Trail is a priority of Pasco MPO. Construction is slated to begin in 2017.

Preserving the scenic beauty of the area has been a concern of residents, Howell said. “They have nice rolling vistas and rolling hills, and they want to keep them,” he said.

Area residents already take advantage of Hardy Trail.

On a bright afternoon in Dade City, Anna Crerand pulled her 2-year-old son, Jude, in a red wagon along Hardy Trail. Charlie, 5, and Genevieve, 4, pushed off on their scooters.

Crerand loves the nearly 1-mile trail that meanders through wooded neighborhoods from a trailhead at Church Avenue near downtown. And she is pleased about the county’s future trail plans.

“It gives me a place to exercise and it’s an easy way to connect with downtown,” she said. “I feel good about taking the kids on the trail.”

Her family moved to Dade City about five years ago.

“This is a big bonus knowing the trail is here,” Crerand said. “We didn’t know how much we’d enjoy it. It’s nice to see people in the community. You’re all engaged in the same thing.”

In late afternoon more residents showed up to walk or jog the trail either on their own, or with a dog in tow.

Multi-use trails promote healthy lifestyles and also make Dade City more attractive to tourists and people looking to relocate, said Dade City Mayor Camille Hernandez.

The new trail promotes that.

“People have access to a community where they can bike and walk more easily,” Hernandez said.

It also makes good business sense, she added.

“You want a good road to ride on, but for businesses coming to Dade City or East Pasco, this is an important feature,” she said. “It’s an important piece of quality of life to make sure the roads are drivable and well maintained. It’s a very heavily traveled road.”

Hand-in-hand with the repaving and trail, Dade City is beautifying U.S. 98 Bypass. The approximately $113,000 project is funded with about $26,000 from the Florida Department of Transportation. The remainder is from the city through the Penny for Pasco program.

“We talk about a gateway,” Hernandez said. “It looks much nicer. I think it’s an added touch when people decide if they want to live here. They say ‘wow, it was a beautiful town.’ “

Howell said municipalities are more aware now of the “complete streets” concept when streets are designed for vehicles, pedestrians, bicyclists and bus riders, with a focus on increased safety and beauty.

It is better in the long run to build multi-use trails when possible rather than come back later to retrofit a street, he said.

As enhancement to the trail system, Pasco MPO is working on a master plan for parks and recreation with the potential for creating new parks with connecting trails that reduce the need for residents to drive.

“In a lot of places people have to actually get in a car and drive over even though they can see the park,” Howell said. “We’re trying to avoid that by making a more robust trail system.”

Published March 11, 2015

Dade City combines city hall and police station

By

The historic City Hall building in Dade City began its life in the mid-1920s as a hotel that never was completed.

It found new life in the 1940s as a Depression-era work project and became the hub of city government for decades.

A new building in Dade City will combine the city’s City Hall and its police station. (Courtesy of Wannemacher Jensen Architects)
A new building in Dade City will combine the city’s City Hall and its police station.
(Courtesy of Wannemacher Jensen Architects)

But in 2013, a wrecking ball demolished the aging structure.

“It was old and obsolete,” said Gordon Onderdonk, Dade City’s public works director. “We looked at the cost of renovation. It wasn’t feasible to use the building.”

A groundbreaking is scheduled for 9:30 a.m. on March 6 for a modern, 21,000-square-foot building on the same ground where the old City Hall structure stood for so long at Fifth Street and Meridian Avenue.

In its re-invented life, the building will be home to Dade City’s City Hall and its police station.

The idea of locating both government entities at one address isn’t unusual, said architect Lisa Wannemacher, principal at St. Petersburg-based Wannemacher Jensen Architects.

“Multi-use is trending,” she said.

Community centers, for example, often are used for multiple uses and are intergenerational, as well, with space dedicated to seniors and children under one roof, Wannemacher said.

Dade City officials saw benefits of having City Hall and the police department share one building.

“They were able to take advantage of economy of scale…and make the building more efficient, which translates into saving money,” Wannemacher said.

By spring 2016, city employees who were relocated to a City Hall annex and the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad Depot on U.S. 98 at U.S. 301 will settle into their new offices. The city’s police department will move from its current location on Pasco Avenue into an upgraded headquarters separated from City Hall by a covered courtyard plaza.

“It’s great for the city, great for the community,” said Dade City Police Chief Ray Velboom. “It’s long overdue.”

He said he anticipates the new facility will help the department when applying in the future for accreditation from the national Commission of Accreditation of Law Enforcement Agencies Inc.

The police station will have interview rooms, holding cells, a booking area, a special area for the K-9 unit and a conference room. The station has those things now, but the building and technology will be newer and upgraded, Velboom said.

“We’ll be making the most of what we have,” he said.

City council has not decided the fate of the existing police station, Onderdonk said.

The $5.9 million construction budget will be paid will be paid from the city’s reserve funds and the countywide Penny for Pasco program.

Residents also will notice a new feature at City Commission meetings.

A projection screen will make it easier for them to follow what is happening, especially during public hearings on zoning matters, Onderdonk.

The new building also will have a power backup system for emergencies.

The main goal of the project was to consolidate city departments under one roof rather than having them scattered at different offices. “It’s not efficient for residents,” Onderdonk said.

Published March 4, 2015

 

From cow pasture to four-lane road?

By

When motorists get to the end of State Road 56 at Meadow Pointe Boulevard, they’ll see cows grazing in an open pasture.

But Zephyrhills leaders are pushing for an entirely new view for that plot of land.

They envision it as the start of the first four-lane road to lead into their community.

A cow pasture sits at the end of State Road 56 in Wiregrass Ranch, but advocates of economic growth in Zephyrhills want to transform that pasture into the beginning of a four-lane road to U.S. 301 in Zephyrhills. (B.C. Manion/Staff Photo)
A cow pasture sits at the end of State Road 56 in Wiregrass Ranch, but advocates of economic growth in Zephyrhills want to transform that pasture into the beginning of a four-lane road to U.S. 301 in Zephyrhills.
(B.C. Manion/Staff Photo)

And, they’re turning up the heat on state lawmakers and county officials to try to make that happen.

They presented their case at a town hall meeting on Feb. 23 with State Rep. Danny Burgess and State Sen. John Legg.

The four-lane extension of State Road 56 from Meadow Pointe Boulevard in Wiregrass Ranch to U.S. 301 in Zephyrhills could serve as a catalyst for new business, and would make it easier for people to come and go from Zephyrhills. It also could serve as another hurricane evacuation route, according to city and business leaders.

The question is how to pay for it.

There are plans to extend State Road 56 from Meadow Pointe Boulevard to U.S. 301, but those plans call only for a two-lane road, and even that road is contingent upon securing land from adjacent landowners to make it happen.

Zephyrhills leaders made it clear that a two-lane road falls short of their expectations.

“This city deserves a four-lane highway coming into our city,” said Charles Proctor, who serves on the Zephyrhills City Council and has had a business in the city for more than two decades.

He said the community has been promised a four-lane road for years, and that residents have been under the impression that they were finally going to get one, in State Road 56.

It’s time for action, city leaders said.

“We need to get serious. We need to find a way. We can find it. It’s time,” said Vonnie Mikkelsen, executive director of the Greater Zephyrhills Chamber of Commerce.

“These folks deserve a little bit of attention,” added Mikkelsen, who also is involved in the Zephyrhills Economic Development Coalition, made up by Pasco Economic Development Council, the Zephyrhills Chamber of Commerce, the City of Zephyrhills, the Zephyrhills Municipal Airport, Main Street and businesses of Zephyrhills.

A four-lane road into the city, providing a connection with Interstate 75, is vital, leaders said.

It’s a wise investment for the region, Mikkelsen said.

It will help Zephyrhills make the most of its target market opportunities in the aviation industry, distribution, manufacturing and small business, she said.

Paying for the project is a major stumbling block.

Debbie Hunt, transportation development director for the Florida Department of Transportation, said there’s no money in the state’s budget to build a four-lane extension of State Road 56.

“DOT never intended or expected to build at any time in the near future. So, the fact that it was able to be advanced and we are doing the two lanes is exceptional. It allows traffic from Zephyrhills to be able to get over to the interstate, when it is completed.

“The additional lanes will be based on development, as it occurs. There is not an intention from the DOT to fund (lanes) three and four,” Hunt said.

If four-laning State Road 56 is funded, the money would need to come from not doing some other project that’s on Pasco County’s list, she said.

“There’s only so much money to go around,” Hunt said.

One option that’s been proposed calls for building all four lanes, with the state paying for all four lanes initially and developers repaying the state for lanes three and four.

That approach might work, Legg said, but he added he’s not aware of a current way, under the state’s statutes, that could be achieved.

“If we could find a statutory way to loan them the money that they would pay back, that may be an opportunity,” Legg said.

Legg agreed with Hunt that even the two-lane road from Meadow Pointe Boulevard to U.S. 301 had not been envisioned before former Speaker of the House Will Weatherford became involved in advocating for East Pasco’s transportation needs.

“Some of these things were not even on the map, but we had a Speaker of the House that kind of helped this area, helped carve an opportunity to get two lanes,” Legg said.

Legg and Burgess both pledged to keep pushing for a way to get the four-lane project done.

“We’re trying to use whatever kind of leverage we can to push those projects faster, to accelerate them,” Legg said. “The political process is trying to force opportunities.”

Former Mayor Cliff McDuffie said the most effective way to get action is to speak up.

“We need to be more politically involved to make sure your voice is heard. Don’t sit here in Zephyrhills and cry. Go to (Pasco) County Commission and cry,” McDuffie said.

“You have to show up. If you don’t show up, shut up,” McDuffie said.

Both Legg and Burgess said they understand the important role that transportation plays in economic growth.

“Pasco County is booming and (State Road) 56 is obviously just imperative,” Burgess said. “It’s a big piece of that puzzle in attracting future business owners, corporate opportunities and connecting them to our infrastructure and our resources in Zephyrhills, such as our airport, what an asset.”

Legg agreed: “The transportation, in my mind, is really going to shape the growth, or the lack of growth, or the type of growth that this community would like to have in the next 10 to 20 years.

“If this is the avenue that you want to go down, we will put our backs to the plow and try to make that happen,” Legg said.

Published March 4, 2015

Despite objections, multifamily zoning gets OK

By

Residents urged the Pasco County Commission to reject a request to allow multifamily zoning on a parcel on Clinton Avenue, but commissioners went along with the planning staff’s recommendation for approval.

The new zoning designation, requested under the name of Six Feet Under, LLC, will allow a maximum of 157 units, according to Carol Clarke, the county’s zoning administrator.

The 21.6-acre property is on the north side of Clinton Avenue, about 1,700 feet west of U.S. 301.

Opponents raised concerns about additional traffic that the project will create. They also said a multifamily project will change the character of the area.

“Please keep Dade City a small town,” said Abelardo Cruz, of 37451 Orange Blossom Lane. “We don’t have a problem with single-family.”

Dorothy Moore, president of The Ridge Homeowners Association, said her association is “very much against higher density.”

Donald Dempsey of 37510 Orange Blossom Lane, told commissioners: “We have enough problems with traffic.”

Another speaker told commissioners that he’s in the process of building a new home in the area, and he’s worried about his investment in the area and also concerned that others will be less likely to build a home there, if the multifamily project gained approval.

Allen Altman, one of the owners of the land up for rezoning, said he was approached by some people at his church about the possibility of creating some senior housing at the site.

“We don’t know exactly what’s going to be there,” he said, but he does know there’s a need for that kind of housing.

Altman also noted that he’d seen a petition submitted against the rezoning. The list contained several names of friends he has known for years.

They didn’t know who owned the land, Altman said. They were reacting to a rumor they heard that the multifamily housing was for low-income people.

Altman said his friends dropped their objections once they knew he was involved.

County Commissioner Kathryn Starkey noted that senior housing tends to be a wonderful addition to a community.

Commissioners approved the rezoning on a 5-0 vote, without debate.

Published January 21, 2015