The Laker/Lutz News

Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

U.S. 301

From cow pasture to four-lane road?

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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

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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

 

Seasonal residents find plenty to like about life in Zephyrhills

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Motorists cruising through Zephyrhills along State Road 54 or U.S. 301 may not realize what a mecca the city is for residents wanting to escape winter’s chill.

If those passing through took a closer look, however, they’d observe the myriad mobile home parks dotting the community.

Thousands of seasonal residents flock to Zephyrhills every winter to escape bone-chilling weather in northern locales. Betmar Acres, the city’s largest mobile home park, has been housing winter residents for decades. (Fred Bellet/Photo)
Thousands of seasonal residents flock to Zephyrhills every winter to escape bone-chilling weather in northern locales. Betmar Acres, the city’s largest mobile home park, has been housing winter residents for decades.
(Fred Bellet/Photo)

There’s Betmar Acres, at 37145 Lakewood Drive, which founder M.H. Meengs and his partner, George Sprinkle named by combining their wives’ first names — Betty and Mary.

There’s Winters Mobile Home Park, Inc., 38022 Winter Drive, operated for generations by the Winters’ family since the 1950s.

Grand Horizons, Gem Estates Mobile Home Village, Southport Springs, Baker Acres, Valleydale and Palm Tree Acres are among the other parks that are home to the thousands of seasonal and permanent residents dwelling in Zephyrhills.

These communities are more than mere collections of manufactured homes.

Residents talk about the sense of community that develops from mingling at potluck suppers, going to square dances, playing card games and shuffleboard, and taking part in other special activities.

The Greater Zephyrhills Chamber of Commerce office, at 38550 Fifth Ave., is often the first place that new seasonal residents visit when they arrive in town, said Vonnie Mikkelsen, the chamber’s executive director.

“They’ll come in for a map, and they’ll leave with a handful of information,” Mikkelsen said.

Those who haven’t been to the chamber before often are surprised by the friendly reception they receive, Mikkelsen said. Many don’t realize that Zephyrhills has a history of welcoming newcomers — one that dates back to the city’s earliest days.

Capt. Howard B. Jeffries purchased land in December 1909 in Zephyrhills to initiate a colony for Civil War veterans, according to a book authored by local historian, Madonna Jervis Wise.

He attracted people from all over the country to live in the city known for its sparkling water and gentle winds.

“He had visited, at that time, every state in the union. He had recruited people from every place. Even Alaska,” Wise said.

The early seasonal visitors, dating back as far as the 1910s, were known as Tin Can Tourists, according to an excerpt from Wise’s book, “Images of America: Zephyrhills.”

The development of railroad lines and of automobiles brought even more visitors to the area and over time, many visitors decided to become seasonal or permanent residents of the city.

The seasonal residents play an important role in the ebb and flow of life in Zephyrhills.

“They’re the economic driver for at least three months of the year,” Mikkelsen said.

“We’d like them to come earlier and stay longer. If there’s anything we can do to encourage it, we’d like to know about it,” the chamber executive added.

There are telltale signs of the snowbirds’ arrival.

More lights go on in the mobile home parks. Restaurants, churches and stores are more crowded. There’s more traffic on area roads.

Typically, it’s the weather — not dates on a calendar — that chart the arrival and departure of the seasonal residents. They come south to escape frigid weather and head north when the weather warms there.

Helene Rubenstein and her husband, Marty, visited a number of places before choosing to live in the community of Grand Horizons, at 7645 Green Slope Drive.

Some of the communities they visited had better access to an interstate highway, but didn’t measure up in other ways, said Rubenstein, who lives part of the year in Connecticut.

She likes the convenience Grand Horizons offers, when it comes to meeting her daily needs.

“The hospitals, the doctors — they’re right around the corner,” Rubenstein said. Nearby restaurants are a plus, too.

After living in Grand Horizons for 11 years, Rubenstein is perhaps most impressed by one of the community’s intangible strengths: The people living there.

“It may sound corny, but it is the truth. Everyone, so far, I have liked,” she said. She must admit, however, some people took a little longer to warm up to than others.

Grand Horizons is loaded with activities.

“We have shuffleboard on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays,” Rubenstein said. “We have a reading club. We have a writing club.”

There’s coffee and doughnuts on Wednesdays. There’s mahjong, pinochle and euchre, too.

In fact, there’s so much going on that Rubenstein said her husband sometimes says that he barely ever sees her.

People are cordial, as they make their rounds in the community.

“We walk down the street and everybody says ‘hi.’ We wave to whoever passes by. Sometimes we don’t even know who they are, but we wave,” said Rubenstein, a former auditor for the state of Connecticut.

Lee Heffelfinger describes a similar feeling of camaraderie at Gem Estates Mobile Home Village.

“It’s like a big family,” she said.

Friendships are formed through potluck dinners and game nights. Residents enjoy entertainment and special events, such as the Christmas golf cart parade.

Coffee socials, held on Thursdays, are a big hit when winter residents are in town, typically attracting about 125 people.

To help Gem Estates residents put a name to a face, they wear nametags to the coffees and programs in the park.

Residents also get acquainted while strolling through the community, said Heffelfinger, who along with her husband, Russ, has lived full-time at Gem Estates for 15 years.

These communities tend to be tight-knit places, where people share life’s joys and sorrows.

They celebrate anniversaries and weddings. They help each other through illnesses. They grieve when someone dies or is forced to move away because of poor health.

There’s a genuine sense of concern for one another, Heffelfinger said.

“When the ambulance comes in here, you can’t believe how the people will flock to that house. ‘What can I do? What can I do?’ ” she said.

On Christmas Day, for instance, there were three ambulance calls to Gem Estates.

“Luckily,” Heffelfinger said, “nobody died.”

We know there’s a lot going on in the mobile home park communities in Zephyrhills, and we’d like to help you share your news. We encourage you to write accounts of what’s happening in your park and we really appreciate photos, as well.
Please help us to share your stories.
If you’d like to know how you can submit your park news, contact Mary Rathman at .

Published January 7, 2015

Despite holiday, gas prices continue to fall

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The demand for gasoline was the biggest in years for travelers trying to take the road to their Christmas destinations. Yet, where the classic system of supply and demand would’ve typically meant higher gas prices — they were, instead, lower.

In fact, motorists saw the cheapest gasoline for Christmas since 2008, where Florida drivers saw an average price of $2.43. That broke lows set in 2009, AAA said, when gas was $2.63 in the state.

“Low gas prices are helping consumers save more than $21 for a tank of gasoline compared to the highs earlier this year, and that has a positive effect on holiday shopping and travel,” AAA spokesman Mark Jenkins said, in a release. That high was $3.70.

“The new year will bring new expectations for even cheaper gasoline. Prices could drop another 3 to 6 cents by New Year’s Day.”

The national average dropped for a 94th consecutive day Sunday, the longest streak on record. The previous record of 86 days of drops came during the height of the Great Recession. Since that streak began, gas has fallen 92 cents in Florida.

“The world’s oil supply continues to outpace demand keeping downward pressure on oil and gas prices,” Jenkins said. “Speculators believe this trend will continue next year, so cheap gasoline should stick around for a while.”

Crude prices settled at $54.73 at the close of trading on Friday, down $1.79 from the previous week. The average price for a barrel of oil is expected to be $63 this coming year, according to the Energy Information Administration, down $12 over the last three months of 2014.

Florida is down 8 cents from a week ago, and 39 cents from a month ago. It’s off by 98 cents from a year ago.

Cheapest prices locally, according to GasBuddy, include:

• $2.10 at the Citgo at U.S. 41 and Crenshaw Lake Road in Lutz
• $2.13 at Sam’s Club on State Road 56 in Wesley Chapel
• $2.21 at both the D&D station at U.S. 98 and U.S. 301, and Clark at U.S. 301 near Long Avenue in Dade City
• $2.27 at the RaceTrac on State Road 52 near Silver Palm Boulevard in Land O’ Lakes
• $2.29 at the Marathon on Eiland Boulevard and Geiger Road in Zephyrhills

MPO keeps elevated road on county transportation plan

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A group that spent months successfully fighting a privately built elevated toll road through the heart of Pasco County got a bit of a setback last week. But its members seem to be OK with it … for now.

Jason Amerson, second from left, will fight any elevated road planned to run near his home off State Road 54 in Land O’ Lakes, but won’t challenge the county’s current long-range transportation plan as long as elevated roads don’t come up as a viable option. He was one of the leaders of a local protest group, Pasco Fiasco, that included, from left, Patrick Knight, Brian Narcum and Kristine Narcum. (File Photo)
Jason Amerson, second from left, will fight any elevated road planned to run near his home off State Road 54 in Land O’ Lakes, but won’t challenge the county’s current long-range transportation plan as long as elevated roads don’t come up as a viable option. He was one of the leaders of a local protest group, Pasco Fiasco, that included, from left, Patrick Knight, Brian Narcum and Kristine Narcum. (File Photo)

Pasco County’s 2040 Long-Range Transportation Plan is on its way to both federal and state authorities, highlighting the county’s plan for roads, transit and sidewalks over the next 25 years. And among the various needs the county’s Metropolitan Planning Organization included in that transportation plan are elevated roads along the State Road 54/56 corridor.

“We knew the (transportation plan) would still contain the elevated toll road,” said Jason Amerson, a Land O’ Lakes resident who was one of the key players in the elevated toll road protest group, Pasco Fiasco. “It’s not something we are worried about unless they start actively discussing it again at MPO meetings.”

Pasco Fiasco came together last year after some homeowners who live just off State Road 54 learned about a proposal by a private company, International Infrastructure Partners LLC, to build a 33-mile elevated toll road, stretching from U.S. 301 in Zephyrhills to U.S. 19 in New Port Richey. The company had said initially it would fund the estimated $2.2 billion project on its own, but then lost its negotiating power with the Florida Department of Transportation after it requested the state help finance it.

That killed the private project, but an elevated road option remained in the county’s transportation plan. While then Pasco County commissioner Henry Wilson Jr., vowed to help Pasco Fiasco and others against an elevated road down State Road 54 remove such projects from the plan, Wilson was defeated in an open primary election last October by Mike Wells Jr.

“It’s not a simple task getting it removed,” Amerson said. “Probably even a harder task now that Wilson is gone.”

The elevated road remains an option for the county between 2020 and 2040 along the State Road 54/56 corridor as an “alternative improvement.” That could include “premium transit improvements” like toll lanes, overpasses like those used on U.S. 19 in Pinellas County, and elevated lanes.

The elevated road stayed in the plan, but the MPO did make more than 30 other changes to the documents after two months of public hearings. The MPO conducted a 30-day comment period through Nov. 23, as well as public workshops throughout November. It concluded with a public hearing on Dec. 11 where the new transportation plan was adopted unanimously.

Many adjustments to the plan were minor, like name changes of some roads at Bexley Ranch near the Suncoast Parkway, and Mitchell Boulevard near the Little Road area.

But there also were some larger changes as well. They included:

  • Moving up the six-lane expansion of State Road 52 from Interstate 75 to Pasco Road from 2040 to 2019.
  • Delaying another 10 years to 2040 projects like Livingston Avenue from State Road 54 to Collier Parkway, Eiland Boulevard from Handcart to Dean Dairy roads, Curley Road from Wells Road to Clinton Avenue, and Lake Patience Road from Sunlake Boulevard to U.S. 41.
  • Keeping the State Road 56 expansion from Meadow Pointe to U.S. 301 two lanes instead of four by 2019, but possibly expanding it to four lanes by 2030.

That last proposal angered city leaders in Zephyrhills, who wanted four lanes leading into one of its key commercial areas, the Zephyrhills Municipal Airport. Lawmakers like new state representative and former Zephyrhills mayor Danny Burgess said they would work with the city to try and restore funding for a four-lane segment.

The MPO also made a number of changes to Tower Road, which runs primarily east to west in Pasco, just north of State Road 54. They include developer-funded improvements like a two-lane stretch from Bexley Ranch to Ballantrae Boulevard, and an expansion to a two-lane road from U.S. 41 to Ehren Cutoff by 2040, paid for by the county.

The Federal Highway Administration, the Federal Transit Administration, and the Florida Department of Transportation will now review the plan, and work with the county to help implement it.

To read the complete plan, visit Mobility2040Pasco.com.

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Merry Christmas, Florida: $2 gas is coming

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Georgia and Tennessee have gas stations where prices have fallen below $2 a gallon. And it looks like Florida might not be far behind.

Stations in the Jacksonville area reported prices of $2.10 over the weekend, according to AAA. And if prices keep falling at the current rate of 2 cents a day, that area will be at $2 a gallon by the end of the week.

“Gasoline prices are plunging with little sign of slowing down,” AAA spokesman Mark Jenkins said, in a release. “Oil prices dropped for the fourth consecutive week because of increased oil production and low demand, and that’s keeping downward pressure on the price of gasoline. It is unclear exactly how low prices will go, but gasoline will keep getting cheaper as long as oil does.”

More than 89 million Americans are taking to the road this week, and when they do it, they will find the cheapest gasoline since May 2009, and the lowest Christmas prices since 2008, Jenkins said. On average, Americans are saving $13 for a tank of gas compared to this time last year, and if prices were to remain at these levels, households would save $550 next year, according to the Energy Information Administration.

“Plunging pump prices have boosted disposable income by more than 3.5 percent, which encourages Americans to travel,” Jenkins said. “AAA expects the highest number of travelers during the year-end holidays on record, which dates back to 2001.”

Florida prices were at $2.48 per gallon on average, down 12 cents from last week, and 35 cents from a month ago. Gas was 88 cents more expensive a year ago.

Although nowhere local has gas as close to $2 as Jacksonville does, many service stations are well below the state average.

In Land O’ Lakes, both the RaceTrac and the Hess station on the State Road 52 area reported prices of $2.35, according to GasBuddy, while the Sunoco on Land O’ Lakes Boulevard near Causeway Boulevard, reported the highest prices at $2.53.

In Wesley Chapel, Sam’s Club reported the lowest prices in the entire area at $2.24 on State Road 56. Four other stations were at $2.39, but well above the reported number from the high-volume retail store.

Lutz had gas prices ranging from $2.37 at Metro Gas on State Road 54 near Foggy Ridge Parkway, to $2.49 at three stations, including two near Van Dyke Road.

The cheapest gas in Zephyrhills is at the Marathon station on Eland Boulevard and Geiger Road with a reported price of $2.34. In Dade City, it was the Clark station at the lowest, with $2.33 per gallon on U.S. 301 near Long Avenue. The Chevron station on Fort King Road and Clinton Avenue was the most expensive, according to the website, at $2.45.

MPO keeps elevated toll road on long-range county plan

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Pasco County’s 2040 Long-Range Transportation Plan is on its way to both federal and state authorities, highlighting the county’s plan for roads, transit and sidewalks over the next 25 years. And one transportation feature that made the cut? Elevation roads along the State Road 54/56 corridor.

A group of residents successfully fought a proposed private elevated toll road that would’ve stretched from Zephyrhills to New Port Richey earlier this year, but once they stopped that project, they vowed to remove any mention of elevated roads from the transportation plan. Yet, among the more than 30 changes made to the plan after two months of public hearings, none of them included deleting references to an elevated road.

In fact, it remains an option for the county between 2020 and 2040 along the State Road 54/56 corridor as an “alternative improvement.” That could include “premium transit improvements” like toll lanes, overpasses like those used on U.S. 19 in Pinellas County, and elevated lanes, like was proposed by International Infrastructure Partners LLC in 2013 that could’ve cost upward of $2.2 billion or more.

Pasco’s Metropolitan Planning Organization conducted a 30-day comment period through Nov. 23, as well as public workshops throughout November. It concluded with a public hearing on Dec. 11 where the new transportation plan was adopted unanimously.

Many of the changes to the plan were minor, like name changes of some roads at Bexley Ranch near the Suncoast Parkway, and Mitchell Boulevard near the Little Road area. But there also were some larger changes as well, including:

• Moving up the six-lane expansion of State Road 52 from Interstate 75 to Pasco Road from 2040 to 2019.

• Keeping the State Road 56 expansion from Meadow Pointe to U.S. 301 two lanes instead of four by 2019, but possibly expanding it to four lanes by 2030. Zephyrhills city officials are working with state lawmakers to get that timetable moved up.

• Delaying another 10 years to 2040 projects like Livingston Avenue from State Road 54 to Collier Parkway, Eiland Boulevard from Handcart to Dean Dairy roads; Curley Road from Wells Road to Clinton Avenue, and Lake Patience Road from Sunlake Boulevard to U.S. 41.

The MPO also made a number of changes to Tower Road, which runs primarily east to west in Pasco County just north of State Road 54. They include developer-funded improvements like a two-lane stretch from Bexley Ranch to Ballantrae Boulevard, and an expansion to a two-lane road from U.S. 41 to Ehren Cutoff by 2040, paid for by the county.

The Federal Highway Administration, the Federal Transit Administration and the Florida Department of Transportation will now review the plan, and work with the county to help implement it.

To read the complete plan, visit Mobility2040Pasco.com.

Looking for $2 gas? It might be coming soon

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Savings at the gas pump are averaging $10 for every fill-up, yet it doesn’t look like gas prices are going to start heading back up anytime soon.

In fact, prices crept closer to $2 a gallon this past week, as domestic oil supply is at a three-decade high, and forecast to keep growing. At the same time, the price of oil fell to its lowest level in five years.

“Oil prices are plunging because there is so much oil in the market,” AAA spokesman Mark Jenkins said, in a release. “It’s unclear exactly how long this will continue, but gas prices will keep falling as long as oil prices do. Right now, oil prices are forecast to fall through the first half of next year, which further increases the likelihood of $2 gasoline.”

The national average price for a gallon of regular unleaded gas has fallen 35 cents in the past month, AAA said, settling in at $2.56 on Sunday. Prices were as low as $2.09 in Brighton, Tennessee; $2.16 in Albany, Georgia; and $2.27 in Orange Park.

“Tennessee motorists should begin seeing gasoline as low as $2 a gallon at various gas stations in the next couple days,” Jenkins said. “Gas stations in some Florida and Georgia cities could start selling $2 a gallon gas within the next 15 days.”

However, it’s still unlikely that either the national or state averages will fall that low, Jenkins added. But if oil prices keep falling, then there may not be a bottom above $2 in the near future.

The price of oil fell below $60 a barrel for the first time since July 2009, closing Friday at $57.81, down $8.03. That is allowing gas prices to drop between 1 cent and 2 cents per day, Jenkins said. That could mean another drop of between 10 to 20 cents by Christmas Day.

On Dec. 25, 2009, the national average price for a gallon of regular unleaded was $2.59, but was $1.65 the year before.

Right now in Florida, the average gas price Sunday was $2.60, down a dime from a week ago, and 80 cents from a year ago.

Locally, the cheapest gas in Land O’ Lakes is found at the RaceTrac at State Road 52 and Silver Palm Boulevard, according to GasBuddy, where prices were set at $2.43 on Sunday. The most expensive was $2.59 at several gas stations throughout the area.

In Wesley Chapel, those looking for a bargain found the cheapest gas at Sam’s Club on State Road 56, where fuel was sold at $2.44 a gallon. The most expensive was reported at $2.69 at the Citgo on State Road 54 and Boyette Road. In Lutz, prices ranged from $2.39 at the Citgo at Livingston Avenue and East Bearss Avenue, to $2.69 at two stations near Van Dyke Road.

In Zephyrhills, the cheapest gas was reported at Murphy USA at Gall Boulevard near Ginger Avenue with a price of $2.47, according to GasBuddy. The most expensive was $2.59 at the Citgo at Wire and Otis Allen roads. Dade City prices were at their lowest point at D&D at U.S. 98 and U.S. 301 with a price of $2.42, and the most expensive was listed at $2.59 at two different gas stations.

Zephyrhills wants respect on State Road 56 expansion

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Just about every road leading to Zephyrhills is two lanes. And for what is soon to become the largest incorporated city in Pasco County, leaders there says it’s time for that to change.

Yet, whether it’s U.S. 301 from the south, State Road 54 from the west, or now the new extension of State Road 56 into the airport business park area, Zephyrhills just can’t get any respect.

Steve Spina
Steve Spina

“The rest of (State Road) 54 has been widened in the county, but not Zephyrhills,” one resident and local businessman, Nils Lenz, shared in a recent letter. “Why is Zephyrhills being left out? The population within the city limits of Zephyrhills — with all of the recent annexing in the last few years — (is) only about 200 less in population than New Port Richey.”

Lenz, the owner of B & N Lenz Enterprises, was reacting to news last week that the Florida Department of Transportation was cutting funding of the State Road 56 extension project from $60 million to $35 million. While the 6.7-mile road will connect Wesley Chapel’s Wiregrass Ranch area with U.S. 301 in Zephyrhills, it is no longer a four-lane project.

Cone & Graham, the last contractor standing in the bidding process, will still have to convince property owners along the route to donate 250 feet of right of way, room enough to build up to six lanes. However, that won’t be built until traffic studies require it and additional funding becomes available.

Zephyrhills city manager Steve Spina expressed local frustration to state lawmakers, including former mayor and new House District 38 representative Danny Burgess, during a legislative delegation last week in Land O’ Lakes.

“We believe it’s vital to southeast Pasco County and Zephyrhills to the municipal airport to have four lanes of funding as it’s built initially, and not piecemeal as we go forward,” Spina said.

State Sen. John Legg said he and Burgess want to have a town hall meeting to discuss some of the city’s transportation issues in January or February. The east-west corridor of the county, the Lutz Republican said, is becoming more congested because of the residential growth there.

The meeting, Legg said, could help the lawmakers decide how to move forward, and possibly move some projects up on the list, including the possibility of making the State Road 56 extension four lanes.

The Zephyrhills City Council may not wait that long. It was scheduled to vote on a resolution during its regular Monday meeting imploring state lawmakers to back the expansion of State Road 56 to the city now, rather than later. The resolution cited, among other things, the residential growth in the city, as well as $5 million in facility improvements at Zephyrhills Municipal Airport, which also serves as an industrial park for the city.

Councilmembers want FDOT to revisit its construction schedules, and based on new budget priorities from state lawmakers, fund the four-lane expansion.

Lenz doesn’t want the transportation discussion to stop at State Road 56, however. He feels it’s time the state look at finally widening State Road 54 — something that has been talked about for more than a half-century — and which has been widened everywhere except one last major stretch between the eastern side of Wesley Chapel to Zephyrhills.

FDOT has approved widening that road to where it meets Morris Bridge Road and Eiland Boulevard, but still won’t take that final leap into downtown Zephyrhills.

“In comparison to the other ideas … (State Road) 54 is absolutely the best option,” Lenz said. “It will be less expensive than all the other options suggested” as rights of way have already been acquired, usually a costly and time-consuming process in building a new road.

Published December 10, 2014

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Another week, another dime for gas prices

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There is still no end in sight on how low gas prices may go after the national average for a gallon of gasoline dropped another dime in the past week.

That new national average is now $2.70, the lowest since September 2010. Sunday marked the 73rd straight day that gas prices had fallen, losing 66 cents in the process.

“The shale boom continues putting downward pressure on the price of oil, which pushes gas prices even lower,” said AAA spokesman Mark Jenkins, in a release. “Oil prices are forecast to drive lower next week, which means gas prices will follow suit. Gas prices could fall another 15 cents before the end of the year.”

Gas could even drop below $2 a gallon in some markets, Jenkins said. However, that it’s unlikely the national average will hit that low by the end of the year, and Florida likely won’t see those types of prices either.

Yet, Florida is dropping too, matching the national average at $2.70. That’s down 7 cents in the last week, and 73 cents from last year.

The price of oil dropped to its lowest level in five years, AAA said. The price for a barrel closed Friday at $65.84, down 31 cents from the week before. The shale boom has boosted U.S. oil production to just under 9.1 million barrels a day, the fastest rate on record, dating back to 1983.

Prices hit $2.57 at the Marathon station at Land O’ Lakes Boulevard and Ehren Cutoff on Sunday, according to GasBuddy. That’s a sharp contrast from the $2.74 reported at the Sunoco located on Land O’ Lakes and Causeway boulevards.

In Wesley Chapel, the cheapest gas was also $2.57, and found at the Sam’s Club on State Road 56 near Bruce B. Downs Boulevard. Five stations reported the highest gas in that particular part of Pasco County, at $2.69.

Lutz gas ranged from $2.54 at the Circle K at Van Dyke and Old Tobacco roads, to $2.79 at a Shell station at North Dale Mabry Highway and Van Dyke.

On the eastern side of the county, Zephyrhills had its cheapest gas at $2.59 at three different locations. The most expensive, according to GasBuddy, was $2.69 at two Gall Boulevard gas stations. In Dade City, it was $2.49 at two gas stations — the Clark station on U.S. 301 near Long Avenue, as well as D&D on U.S. 98 and U.S. 301. The most expensive there was reported at a Chevron station on Fort King Road and Clinton Avenue with a reported price of $2.62 per gallon.