The Laker/Lutz News

Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

U.S. 301

State Road 52 has new path in East Pasco

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Construction crews have been working on a project that will widen and realign State Road 52, from Uradco Place to Fort King Road, in eastern Pasco County.

‘Road Closed’ barricades block both sides of the new stretch of State Road 52 that runs through San Antonio, at Curley Road. (Fred Bellet)

Between Uradco Place and Bayou Branch Canal, the existing road will be widened into a four-lane divided highway, according to a project description on the Florida Department of Transportation’s District 7 website.

Then, east of Bayou Branch Canal, the new alignment will be a four-lane divided State Road 52 — built south of the existing State Road 52 and tying into Clinton Avenue.

Then, Clinton Avenue between County Road 579 and Fort King Road will be widened into a four-lane divided road.

Clinton Avenue, between Pasadena Avenue and U.S. 301, will become part of the new State Road 52.

The section of existing State Road 52, between Bayou Branch Canal and U.S. 301, will be designated County Road 52, after the construction of the new State Road 52 is completed.

The $81.5 million project began in November 2019 and construction is expected to be completed in the summer of 2024.

The website notes: “Daily lane closures and flagging operations are likely throughout the construction area on numerous roads including but not limited to State Road 52, Curley Road, McCabe Road, Prospect Road and Clinton Avenue. Motorists should use caution and be prepared to stop when necessary.”

The contractor performing the work is Superior Construction Company Southeast LLC.

Published February 16, 2022

A displaced street sign lies in the sand at McKendree Road, awaiting its new location.
A flatbed trailer with heavy equipment crosses the intersection of State Road 52 and the newly striped McKendree Road.
Crews work along the new State Road 52, on a stretch between Curley Road to the west and Prospect Road to the east. Motorists will have a grand view looking west toward San Antonio and Interstate 75.
The east-west sidewalk on the south side of Clinton Avenue is temporarily closed, during construction.
From the crest of the hill at Williams Cemetery Road and Prospect Road, new light poles tower above the new State Road 52 intersection.

Work continues on plans to extend Overpass Road

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Work is set to proceed this spring to lay the groundwork for an extension of Overpass Road, east of Boyette Road to U.S. 301.

Design permitting and re-evaluation of the Project Development and Environment (PD&E) Study is set to begin this spring and is expected to be finished in 2023.

Pasco County is providing $2.5 million and the Florida Department of Transportation also is providing $2.5 million, according to materials in the Pasco County Commission’s Jan. 25 agenda packet.

The county board approved a Transportation Regional Incentive Program (TRIP) Agreement with FDOT on Jan. 12, 2021, for the design phase of the project.

Under terms of that agreement, Pasco County agreed to fund $2,584,107 and FDOT would fund $2,415,893, of the estimated $5 million design cost.

Typically, TRIP Agreements are funded 50/50, but the FDOT had to reduce its funding by  $84,107 because of fiscal impacts to their Work Program. The state transportation agency agreed to restore those funds in its Fiscal Year 2022 Work Program.

So, the county board approved an action at its Jan. 25 meeting to reduce the amount of funding contributed by the county and increase FDOT’s funding, to arrive at a match of $2.5 million each.

No other changes to the initial TRIP Agreement are proposed.

According to FDOT’s website, the project limits extend from Old Pasco Road on the west to U.S. 301 on the east, for a total length of approximately 9 miles.

Improvements for Overpass Road include the following:

  • Four lanes from Old Pasco Road to Interstate 75
  • A new interchange at I-75 and Overpass Road
  • Six lanes plus two auxiliary lanes from I-75 to Boyette Road
  • Six lanes from Boyette Road to US 301

Published February 09, 2022

75-home subdivision proposed on Happy Hill

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The Pasco County Planning Commission has recommended approval of a proposed subdivision of up to 75 homes at the northwest corner of Happy Hill and Sarah Lynn Drive, in Dade City.

The land currently is zoned for agricultural and rural density use, but, if approved by the Pasco County Commission, will be rezoned to a residential-4, high-density residential district. The county board has final jurisdiction in land use and rezoning requests.

County planners also have recommended approval of the application by Distinct Development Dade City/Happy Hill Road to rezone the 18.78 acres.

The site currently consists of undeveloped hayfields.

Access to the proposed subdivision will be from Happy Hill Road, which is a county-maintained collector road.

In accordance with an interlocal agreement between the county and the City of Dade City, the county has requested a review of the subject request from the City of Dade City and has not received any comments, according to materials in the planning board’s agenda packet.

The area surrounding the site is characterized by residential development and agricultural pursuits. The site is designated in the county’s land use plan for up to six residential units per acre.

Attorney Clarke Hobby represented the applicant at the planning board’s Jan. 6 public hearing.

He told planning commissioners that his client opted for the R-4 zoning request, rather than seeking a master-planned unit development that would have yielded the potential for approximately 120 houses.

The site is “immediately adjacent to the Sweetwater apartment complex to the south. Two of the sites adjacent to this site are zoned MF-1, so they allow multifamily at considerably higher density.”

A traffic study shows that after the development occurs, Happy Hill Road “will still be at level of service A and B, depending on whether you are north or south of the site. There’s a lot of capacity there.

“There’s a lot going on in that area and there’s really two big influences in the area, that’s from the crest of the hill, down to (State Road) 52, on Happy Hill. One is, the roads, including the Clinton Extension, which you can see from these sites looking down. So, you have (State Road) 52 and the Clinton Extension, which are going to be major, major game-changers in this area.

“And then the second thing is, the City of Dade City has annexed a considerable number of parcels, not very far north of this site and now have approved basically 1,000 units with lots that are smaller than this site,” he said.

Alisa Weaver, who lives directly across the road from the proposed rezoning, urged the planning board to recommend denial of the request.

“My question is: How does this zoning change positively affect the health, safety, welfare and morals of the surrounding community? And, how does this change benefit the surrounding homeowners?

“That’s a lot of houses in a small area, and I don’t feel any of the resident homeowners are benefiting from this,” she said.

She’s concerned about traffic on Happy Hill Road.

“It’s always been a two-lane rural road,” she said.

But she pointed out, there’s already a problem with traffic and that’s likely to worsen with increased development.

The speed limit is 45 mph, and 35 mph near the school and church, she said.

“Nobody goes 45 (mph). I’ve been run off the road. I’ve got my blinker on, turning left. They go around you,” she said, adding that even county vehicles have nearly run her off the road.

“It’s very hazardous, and now we’re looking at additional homes, on top of what’s already going to go in down the road (on the land that Dade City has annexed).

“My question is: What is the county going to do to protect me and my visitors and my property? What is going to keep us safe?

“Now, is the time to support your current homeowner residents before allowing additional high-density development.

“I ask you to deny this proposal on Happy Hill Road,” she said.

Hobby told the planning board that the transportation analysis, completed by an expert in the field, showed there’s sufficient capacity on the roadway.

He also said that lot sizes in the proposed subdivision will have frontages of at least 60 feet.

The planning board unanimously recommended approval of the request.

In other action, planning commissioners recommended approval of a request by Rucks Cobblestone for a land use change to allow commercial use on 3.34 acres at the intersection of U.S. 301 and Chancey Road.

The land currently is designated for residential development, at up to nine dwellings per acre. The applicant is seeking a designation to allow commercial uses.

In recommending approval, the planning board concurred with county planners, who supported the request.

In supporting the request, county planners found that shifting the land use to commercial would “create little or no objectionable, external effect upon neighboring land uses.”

Planners also noted that the proposed commercial site is at the intersection of two arterial roadways; is not located internally to an existing single-family neighborhood and will not act as an intrusion.

Planners also found that the development intensity is limited and designed to serve the needs of the immediate neighborhoods.

The request now goes to the Pasco County Commission, which has final jurisdiction on land use and zoning issues.

Published January 12, 2022

More residential and commercial growth coming to East Pasco

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Zephyrhills is hitting its stride as growth and development gain momentum along the traffic corridors of what is now Pasco County’s largest city.

The signs of new growth are everywhere along Zephyrhills’ major corridors including U.S. 301/Gall Boulevard, and State Road 56.

Construction is changing the city’s landscape.

Heavy equipment prepares land for the construction of a new Radiant Gas Station and other retail on the west side of Gall Boulevard, in Zephyrhills. (Fred Bellet)

New developments include The District at Abbott Square, a master-planned community behind the Sarah Vande Berg Tennis & Wellness Center, and Abbott Park, a residential community off Dean Dairy Road.

The Zephyrhills Municipal Airport is expanding and there’s new retail at Zephyr Commons shopping complex.

These signal the city’s increasing population.

It grew from more than 13,000 residents in 2010 to more than 17,000 residents in 2020, according to data from the 2020 U.S. Census.

In addition to Abbott Square and Abbott Park, Hidden River and the Links at Calusa Springs also are adding rooftops to Zephyrhills.

“The fact is that the need for housing is just exploding statewide. Tampa is running out of space,” said Todd Vande Berg, Zephyrhills’ planning director. “We were the next logical location.”

The view from the exit of Tropical Acres on Blue Lagoon Drive will soon change as ongoing construction site preparation will transform the east side of U.S. 301.

The widening of State Road 56 to four lanes opened Zephyrhills to more development, Vande Berg said.

He also noted that city officials have worked to ensure that residential projects were not “cookie-cutter.”

Abbott Square, as an example, will offer one-story villas, two-story townhouses, and will feature three different lot sizes.

“I think people appreciate that. Not all residential is on 40-foot-wide lots like every other development,” he said.

Preserving trees, installing sidewalks and adding trails are highlights of new residential development.

Zephyrhills is building on Pasco’s countywide efforts to attract tourism through an emphasis on sports facilities such as the Sarah Vande Berg Tennis Center.

In coming months, Vande Berg said the tennis center will add dormitories to accommodate increasing interest in tournaments and training opportunities.

The facility also is attracting new residential including the Abbott Square project. The Lennar Homes development, on Simons Road behind the tennis center, will build about 700 residential units of single-family houses, townhouses, and apartments.

West of Dade City on State Road 52, a new residential development, Abbey Glen, is under construction.

Abbott Park, off Kossik Road near Zephyr Commons, is a new residential community by Metro Places.

Summerstone is a new single-family and townhome development, off State Road 56, west of Morris Bridge Road. It is located in Wesley Chapel, just a short distance west of Zephyrhills.

Chipotle’s restaurant recently opened at Zephyr Commons. Planet Fitness had a recent ribbon-cutting. Chick-Fil-A opened, too, on an outparcel of the shopping center on the northeast corner with Pretty Pond Road.

More retail is anticipated. And plans for the site include about 400 residential units.

The Pretty Pond intersection is becoming a hub for Zephyrhills shoppers, who are adding Zephyr Commons to their destinations along with established plazas along Gall Boulevard (U.S. 301), including Merchants Square, Towne View Square Shopping Center, and North Town Center.

On the west side of Gall Boulevard, at Pretty Pond, the former site of Rainbow Court and Brightside Manor mobile home park, is being prepped for new commercial development. A sign planted at the site advertises a coming Radiant gas station and convenience store. A car wash also is anticipated at the site.

Zephyrhills’ downtown, on Fifth Avenue, is enjoying its own commercial revival.

The opening of Zephyrhills Brewing Company in 2016 set the stage for renewed interest in downtown, said Melonie Monson, president, and chief executive officer of The Greater Zephyrhills Chamber of Commerce.

“It has been an economic driver,” she said. “It’s brought traffic in on weekends.”

New shops opening within the past year include Vintage Chix, a boutique clothing store; A.O.K., a sports bar featuring axe throwing; and Your Turn, a board game café that serves coffee, sandwiches, pastries, and a choice of hundreds of board games to play.

A site preparation worker makes his way through a parcel of land on Gall Boulevard, just south of North Town Center on Gall Boulevard in Zephyrhills.

Tina & Joe’s Café opened recently in the historic Jeffries House, built in 1910 for Zephyrhills’s founder Captain A. B. Jeffries. The café serves salads, sandwiches, lobster rolls and desserts.

Also, Planet Jupiter, a hookah lounge, is “coming soon” to a storefront on Fifth Avenue.

“Our downtown is really growing,” said Monson.

On Gall Boulevard, near downtown, Jerry’s Crystal Bar reopened after being ravaged by fire in 2020.

Checkers on Gall and Culver’s on Eiland Boulevard are new additions to the quick service food options.

The chamber recently hosted a ribbon-cutting for Hoops Heaven, on Chancey Road along the city’s industrial corridor. The indoor training facility offers basketball training for youth in the Zephyrhills and Wesley Chapel area.

Hoops Heaven adds to both Zephyrhills’ and Pasco County’s goal of advocating for sports and ecotourism to build economic growth and bring jobs, Vande Berg said.

“Someone came from out of town and saw a need for youth basketball,” the planning director said.

By Kathy Steele

Published January 05, 2022

Redevelopment projects are making progress

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Efforts are continuing on several projects being spearheaded by the Zephyrhills Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA).

Gail Hamilton, the director of the CRA, served up several updates on projects during a monthly November meeting at Zephyrhills City Hall.

For instance, CRA staffers are continuing to work with firms Furr, Wegman & Banks P.A., and BGE Inc., on the design of the “Little But Loud” downtown entertainment backyard hub, Hamilton said.

Staffers also are soliciting help from Main Street Zephyrhills Inc.’s design committee to review various proposals and criteria, she said.

The Zephyrhills Community Redevelopment Agency has multiple projects in the pipeline. (File)

The venue — to be developed on a 150-foot by 60-foot city-owned vacant lot at the corner of Sixth Avenue and Eighth Street — is expected to feature food trucks, vendor carts, games, live music, public art installations and various seating areas.

A more specific concept plan, with pictures, is expected to be presented at the Dec. 27 meeting.

That will give the board an opportunity to “see what we’ve been working on,” Hamilton said.

The venue site was once home to a Disabled American Veterans chapter building, and is situated just a block north of Fifth Avenue and adjacent to City Hall.

Hamilton also updated the board on work being done for the Hercules Park redevelopment project.

She said survey crews are expected to wrap up their duties for the park redevelopment project by Dec. 20, paving way for the design process to begin in early 2022.

The 12-acre park property is located at the corner of County Road 54 and Gall Boulevard. It’s expected to feature a multi-purpose trail, playfield, nature playground and picnic area, among other elements.

Also, the CRA director mentioned security cameras will be installed in Clock Plaza along Fifth Avenue, before the end of this year.

Clock Plaza — situated two blocks east of U.S. 301 in the city’s historic downtown district — is patterned after an old-fashioned town square that features a gazebo-style bandstand, a decorative clock, landscaping, and downtown parking.

This half-acre park features picnic tables nestled underneath shady oak trees.

The bandstand is used throughout the year for live entertainment during Main Street events, parades, and other social activities.

That location is expected to be just the first of several where cameras will be installed.

“We’ve been working with the police department to identify locations they’d like to have cameras,” Hamilton said. “The feed will go directly to the police department so they can see it in real-time.”

Hamilton also carved out time to praise Main Street Zephyrhills Director Faith Wilson and a new Main Street Board of Directors for helping facilitate downtown events, including Halloween Howl and the Festival of Lights Christmas Parade.

Wilson — hired in June — replaced Paxton McCullough, who held the role from June 2020 to May 2021. Before that, the Main Street leadership role was held by Anna Stutzriem, who resigned in March 2020 after more than two years on the post.

“They have worked incredibly hard,” Hamilton said of the Main Street staff and volunteers. “Last year, because of COVID, we had no events. We have a board that’s never done any events; they’re all new and have never done anything…but the Main Street board members and their committee members have really worked hard, gotten together, have figured out what needs to be done…”

The Oct. 30 Halloween Howl reported strong attendance. It also had 60 vendors, four sponsors and several new attractions, including sold-out historical ghost tours.

The Dec. 4 Festival of Lights reported eight sponsors, as well as four food vendors and eight concession vendors.

The event featured four co-grand marshals, which were standout teachers from the Zephyrhills area — Dustin Rowe (Zephyrhills High School), Michelle Elie (West Zephyrhills Elementary), Brian McKinnnies (Raymond B. Stewart Middle School) and Jaime Barrentine (Chester Taylor Elementary). A fifth educator also was recognized — Michelle Deloret (Woodland Elementary School) — but couldn’t attend the event.

Entertainment and music was provided by local community organizations, including Helen’s Baton and Dance Studio, the Zephyrhills Community Choir, and the First United Methodist Church Choir.

In other action, the CRA Board unanimously approved a $1,000 matching sign grant for Bulldog Performance Speed Shop, owned by Jeremiah Swindell, at 5047 Gall Blvd.

The business sells an assortment of after-market automotive parts and accessories, and features a full-service machine shop.

Offerings include diesel performance, lift kits, nitrous, rotating assemblies, crate engines and race fuel.

The total cost of Bulldog Performance’s new signage was $2,238.90.

The sign improvements fall under the CRA’s matching façade rehabilitation program, which aims to encourage rehabilitation and preservation of commercial buildings by offering a financial incentive of matching funds and limited technical assistance.

The general idea is to encourage an aesthetically pleasing business district, while eliminating blighting influences.

Published December 15, 2021

Roadway connectivity is key to Zephyrhills’ economic vitality

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The Zephyrhills area has experienced burgeoning activity in the way of residential growth and commercial development.

Pasco County Commission chairman Ron Oakley has witnessed it firsthand, since being elected in 2016.

“Zephyrhills has been a very good, working city,” said Oakley, who represents District 1, which covers areas in East and Central Pasco.

“Economically, they’ve done very well over the years, and I mean, it just didn’t start here lately, it’s been that way.

Pasco County Commission chairman Ron Oakley was a featured guest speaker during the fifth annual Zephyrhills Economic Summit in October, at Zephyrhills City Hall. (File)

“They have a good council here, and they have good planners and others,” the county board leader said.

But Oakley is especially enthused about the forthcoming roadway connectivity in and out of the city limits — which he detailed as one of the featured speakers at the fifth annual Zephyrhills Economic Summit held last month, at Zephyrhills City Hall.

The Oct. 13 event was organized by the City of Zephyrhills, Greater Zephyrhills Chamber of Commerce, Zephyrhills Economic Development Coalition, Main Street Zephyrhills, Pasco Economic Development Council (Pasco EDC), and AdventHealth Zephyrhills/Dade City.

These were among the finished or active projects that Oakley highlighted:

  • State Road 56 extension, from Meadow Pointe Boulevard in Wesley Chapel to U.S. 301 in Zephyrhills
  • Wire Road pavement rehabilitation
  • County Road 54, east to 23rd Street, which includes traffic signals, turn lanes, and multi-use path
  • U.S. 301/Pretty Pond Road, which includes traffic signals and median improvements

“Those are great things happening, because that’s going to help everybody move around better,” Oakley said.

Some countywide roadway upgrades also will benefit the municipality, too, Oakley noted.

That includes the $33.6 million diverging diamond interchange at Interstate 75 and State Road 56, which is expected to be completed in summer 2022.

Oakley put it like this: “What good is a diverging diamond to Zephyrhills? Well, economically, it helps people get in and out of the area, and it helps them get here, and then also to get out of here.”

There’s also the $64 million interstate interchange on I-75 at Overpass Road, south of State Road 52, scheduled for completion in late 2022 or early 2023.

“That’s going to help divide that traffic up from (State Road) 56, to Overpass to (State Road) 54 and then (State Road) 52,” Oakley said.

By spreading the traffic out, “your movement will be much better,” he explained.

Oakley was quick to point out that these big-ticket roadway infrastructure projects would not be possible without the mobility fees paid by surrounding growth and development.

“None of this happens without the fact that we’re doing a lot of residential development that brings in impact fees (mobility fees) and school impact fees that builds schools, and also pays for the roads that you see,” he said.

Large developments are in progress
Oakley also told the crowd about some of the large-scale developments that he said, “are cropping up everywhere around the city.”

He directed attention to Two Rivers, a master-planned unit development (MPUD) zoning off State Road 56, between Morris Bridge Road and U.S. 301.

Roadway infrastructure improvements — such as the Overpass Road connection with Interstate 75 — were a key theme during the fifth annual Zephyrhills Economic Summit.

The project is substantial.

The county has approved up to 6,400 residences, more than 2.6 million square feet of office and industrial, and 630,000 square feet of commercial uses.

The 3,405-acre property’s southern boundary is on the north side of County Line Road, and its northern boundary is on the north side of State Road 56.

The Two Rivers development also includes a site for an elementary school, middle school and high school, an 80-acre district park and a public safety site.

“All these developments are going to bring more people into the economy of Zephyrhills; very important for that economy,” Oakley said. “Those people coming in will be really helping a lot of businesses here in Zephyrhills.”

The speaker acknowledged the possible strain on services and utilities such as water and sewer, but assured local citizens that the county is well-prepared.

“There’s nothing wrong with good, planned growth,” Oakley said.

The commissioner also shared his vision and standards for new residential developments popping up in East Pasco.

These large developments, the commissioner said, should entail “good architectural views, good landscaping, and a place you’d be proud to live in.”

In the same breath, he pushed back on small-lot housing subdivisions.

“I honestly believe that we shouldn’t have 40-foot lots,” he said. “We have some, and they work, I guess, somewhere, but they’re really too small.”

He continued, “We want to build a whole residential development that’s more of a community, and not houses right beside each other, with no landscaping. We want something to be proud of in Pasco.”

Elsewhere, Oakley mentioned the county is working on plans to help small businesses, in the way of zero-interest loans, grants and other assistance programs.

“They’re pretty much the backbone of our community, when you think about all the small businesses,” said Oakley. “We have the big businesses, and they’re a different source themselves, but small business is very important.”

State Rep. Danny Burgess, R-Zephyrhills

Burgess bullish on Zephyrhills armory
State Rep. Danny Burgess, R- Zephyrhills also participated in the economic summit, speaking virtually from his Tallahassee office.

His remarks focused on the forthcoming Florida National Guard Armory coming to Zephyrhills that is set to be located near the city’s municipal airport.

State lawmakers earmarked $25 million for the construction of the project during the past legislative session.

Burgess described the project as “a first-of-its kind, state-of-the-art armory.”

He said it will employ many full-time Army officers during the week, plus hundreds of soldiers and service people visiting on weekends.

The legislator views the armory as “a big economic driver” for the city, where soldiers and service members “work and eat and stay and play in our community.”

“It’s not just a military installation, it’s not just a home for the National Guard,” Burgess said. “It’s going to be really good, and it’s moving fast, so we should hopefully have some great direction here soon.”

What makes the project even more special, Burgess said, is that Zephyrhills is a community that has deep military roots and a record of support for the armed forces.

The city was founded by Civil War veteran Capt. Howard B. Jeffries, as a retirement area for union soldiers.

The city’s airport property was used by the U.S. Army in the 1940s as a training airfield for combat pilots.

“We should all be very, very proud of this,” Burgess added of the armory.

Burgess went on to praise the city’s windfall in the latest state budget, which included several appropriations, including $6.5 million for water and wastewater improvements on Handcart Road; $4.6 million for improvements to the Sarah Vande Berg Tennis & Wellness Center; and $3 million for improvements to the Zephyrhills Municipal Airport.

Said Burgess, “It’s a testament to our community, to the things that are happening in our community, to the businesses in our community and our community leaders.”

As a sign of the municipality’s wave of progress, back in June Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis appeared at Zephyrhills City Hall for a state budget-signing ceremony— penning into law a record-setting $101.5 billion budget for fiscal year 2021-2022.

The invite-only press conference drew several dozens of area residents, business owners and government officials, in a standing-room only affair.

Burgess also credited Florida Senate President Wilton Simpson (R-Trilby) for his continuous support of Zephyrhills at the state level.

“He has always looked out for that community, and he sees the value in our location geographically and from an infrastructure standpoint, and he just wants to see us succeed,” Burgess said.

Other featured presentations during the summit came from Zephyrhills Planning Director Todd Vande Berg; David Waronker, CBD Real Estate Investment president; Randy Stovall, Zephyrhills Economic Development Coalition chairman; and Tom Ryan, Pasco Economic Development Coalition director of business development.

Zephyrhills is now Pasco’s biggest city
The City of Zephyrhills has surpassed New Port Richey as Pasco County’s biggest city, based on data collected in the 2020 U.S. Census.

The Pasco County Commission discussed the shift during its board meeting on Oct. 26, noting that it will have to make some new appointments to boards that include a representative from the county’s largest municipality.

Census data reports that Zephyrhills had a population of 17,194 on April 1, 2020. Its population was 13,288 as of April 1, 2010.

New Port Richey’s population was 16,728 on April 1, 2020, compared to 14,911 on April 1, 2010.

Census figures for local jurisdictions include:

Jurisdiction                             April 1, 2020               April 1, 2010
Pasco County                          561,891                       464,697
Zephyrhills                              17,194                         13,288
Dade City                                7,550                           6,437
New Port Richey                     16,728                         14,911
Hillsborough County               1,459,762                    1,229,226
Tampa                                     384,959                       335,709

Pasco County Commissioners discussed Zephyrhills’ shift to become the county’s largest city, noting that it will mean that some appointments will need to change next year because certain boards require representation from the county’s largest city.

Published November 03, 2021

Movie brings scares to Dade City

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Dade City may be best known for its antique shops, rolling hills and kumquats — but the charming, quaint town may soon be known as a consummate setting for scary movies, too.

For two-plus weeks in October, an independent, low-budget horror film production company — Cape Coral-based Bad Clown Films — ventured into some of the city’s remote locations to shoot a new feature-length film, “Bed of Nails.”

Michael Malott, holding his bullhorn, yells ‘action’ to start a scene while filming the feature-length horror film, ‘Bed of Nails.’ Malott is filming in various Dade City-area locations. (Fred Bellet)

The movie — set to be released around Halloween 2022 — has a plot as eerie as its title.

The film is about three gothic kids from Atlanta, who are camping in the rural countryside in middle Florida while on their way to the Florida Keys.

Instead of making their way to the Keys, the campers are stalked and murdered by a group of fanatic rednecks.

But the killers never planned on one of the kids — a self-proclaimed witch who is into the occult — coming back from the dead to wreak havoc and destroy the rednecks, one by one.

“Our motto is, ‘Never mess with a goth girl,’” Bed of Nails producer and director Michael Malott said in an interview with The Laker/Lutz News. “That’s the motto of the film.”

Between scenes, Erin Pearl, left, of Fort Myers, and Deanna Marine, of Orlando, talk about an upcoming scene with makeup artist Hannah Denney. A boom microphone with a furry wind filter is among the audio equipment used on the movie set.

The R-rated film features about a dozen cast members, including former Whitesnake and Alice Cooper guitarist Mike Francis.

The musician-turned-actor, starring as the film’s main bad guy, recently had finished filming scenes at Paramount Pictures Studios in Los Angeles for legendary Hollywood director Martin Scorcese’s “Killers of the Flower Moon.”

That film also stars Robert De Niro, Leonardo DiCaprio, Jesse Plemons, Tantoo Cardinal, John Lithgow and Brendan Frasier.

Malott has known Francis for years, having been a longtime Grammy award-winning creator, producer and music manager.

“He had some credibility and experience in film, so I wanted to utilize him,” Malott said of Francis.

Some local actors, extras and crew members were incorporated into “Bed of Nails,” too.

Carson Carollo, a recent Hernando High School graduate, is a cast member in the horror film, ‘Bed of Nails.’

Needing a rural, swampy environment as a setting for the flick, Malott keyed in on the Green Swamp Wilderness Preserve West Tract, about five miles from downtown Dade City.

He had also considered filming in the Florida Everglades, but because it is owned and operated by the U.S. government, obtaining film permits was more challenging, he said.

Pasco County’s tourism department — Experience Florida’s Sports Coast — assisted the filmmaker with a referral to utilize some private property off State Road 575 in the Dade City area.

The property features a main house, secondary house and other accents, such as a footbridge needed to pull off eerie and gory scenes.

“It just had the right kind of imagery that I was looking for in the film,” Malott said. “We had two buildings to utilize, and we also had all of the swamp area, so everything that we needed, as far as a primary film location, was right there in our hands.

“What we ended up with was a private area of land that was out in the Green Swamp, and we were able to get all of the atmosphere that we needed for the motion picture, with far less complication (than the Florida Everglades),” he said.

Other scenes from the $41,000 budgeted movie were shot at Jim’s Tires & Wheels on Lock Street and Bill Ryan Auto Sales on U.S. 301, as well as some driving footage set out along Lacoochee Clay Sink Road.

Erin Pearl, of Fort Myers, plays ‘Lisa’ in the upcoming feature film, ‘Bed of Nails.’

Most filming took place from dusk to dawn.

“There were some long nights,” Malott said.

Some strange ones, too.

Malott encountered a Florida panther within 20 yards of him on the second day of filming.

The siren on his megaphone spooked the wild animal off, luckily.

“I was scared to death,” Malott said. “I thought I was panther food.”

The filmmaker recalled intermittent odd noises from the woods, as well as an inexplicable occurrence where an estimated 200-pound log attached to a tree limb mysteriously flew onto the film set.

Director Michael Malott, right, frames a view of a scene with actress Erin Pearl, of Fort Myers. Pearl plays the part of ‘Lisa’ in ‘Bed of Nails,’ being filmed at Dade City-area locations.

“We just had some weird, weird incidences out there,” Malott said. “We had people that were starting to think that maybe we had the Skunk Ape (Florida’s sasquatch), but I’m like, ‘Yeah, right.’

“We were joking all along about making a new horror film about us filming a horror film — a horror film documentary,” he said.

The moviemaker also presented an alternate theory to some of the oddities: “We were thinking maybe some of the locals were playing tricks on us, you know, some of the city folks come into our area to film a movie, let’s have some fun with them…”

Closer to Dade City, Director Michael Malott and a production crew member plan on several scenes at Bill Ryan Auto Sales, at 15838 U.S. 301.

Malott has taken some downtime from the “15 long, grueling nights” of filming, and next will assemble a movie trailer before diving into the lengthy editing process.

After that, he plans to pitch the project to film festivals, horror conventions and digital streaming platforms such as Netflix and Amazon Prime. There also are plans to manufacture the film on traditional DVD and Blu-ray discs, he said.

Meantime, the film crew may need to make another trip to Dade City or another location for some B-roll footage, Malott said, including scenes of alligators and snakes moving across swamp water.

Malott’s company has other horror film projects in the works, too.

One is called “The Grove,” about four teenagers who get lost in an orange grove, trapped all night with a psychopathic killer.

The other, “House of Stares,” is about someone being offered money to spend the night at a house where some infamous murders took place.

Malott has already scouted out a home in Dade City to film the latter project. “It’s very, very possible that we could be coming back to Dade City in the future to film another movie,” he said.

For information, visit BadClownFilms.com.

Published October 27, 2021

More police needed, as city grows

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Dade City Police Lt. Robert Tungate was a guest speaker at The Greater Dade City Chamber of Commerce business breakfast meeting, held last month at Golden Corral in Zephyrhills.

Among his talking points during the Sept. 21 gathering was how the local law enforcement agency is managing the municipality’s impending residential and commercial growth and development.

About 6,500 new rooftops and several commercial properties have been approved to be built over the next two decades within city limits.

Dade City Police Lieutenant Robert Tungate was a guest speaker during a Sept. 21 business breakfast meeting hosted by The Greater Dade City Chamber of Commerce, at Golden Corral in Zephyrhills. (Courtesy of City of Dade City)

Homes soon will be popping up across all parts of the city, Tungate said, pointing to scheduled land clearings along Clinton Avenue and U.S. 301, St. Joe Road, and Roberts Road, among other areas.

With that, the local police official predicted the city’s population of some 7,000 residents will “probably” triple within the next five to eight years, and added, “that’s not counting all the amount of traffic that comes in every day to work, especially if we get all these new developments going on.”

“We’re going to swell during the daytime, and then when everybody goes home, we’re, of course, going to have all these rooftops,” Tungate said. “The houses mean more calls for police services.”

As the city balloons, so will its local police department.

The Dade City Police Department presently has five open positions, Tungate said.

One vacancy is due to a retirement, while the other four are newly funded positions in advance of the ensuing growth.

Other changes on tap include the launch of a Chaplain Corps program, to offer advice, counseling and assistance to police employees, particularly in times of crisis and otherwise.

At full strength, the city has budgeted for 27 full-time sworn officers for fiscal year 2021-2022.

This is a number the department hasn’t seen in some time, Tungate said.

To fill these positions, the agency is recruiting local colleges and universities wanting to land “top of the tier” applicants and hires, Tungate said.

To that end, Tungate shared the ongoing battle of being competitive and on par with other Tampa Bay area law enforcement agencies in not only recruiting qualified officers, but preventing those from bolting for larger, more prestigious agencies once they gain some field experience.

“This new generation of cops coming in, they’re all saying, ‘What’s in it for me?’ It’s not like the old days where people get a job and they stay there,” explained Tungate.

“These guys are coming in, saying, ‘Hmm, this (agency’s) better, that (agency’s) better,’ for whatever the reason. Sometimes, it’s pay. Not always. Sometimes, it’s working next to a best friend, it doesn’t matter…”

Meanwhile, Tungate thanked the Dade City Commission and Dade City Manager Leslie Porter (who was among dozens in attendance during the meeting) for proactively directing more resources to the police department of late.

“The city manager has done a great job to recognize the need for our police department,” said Tungate. “If we keep growing like we’re growing, the city commission and city manager recognizes that we’re going to grow again.”

This has included increased wages and benefits for patrol officers, detectives and sergeants through new collective bargaining agreements between the city and the West Central Florida Police Benevolent Association, on behalf of the local law enforcement agency.

Moreover, city leaders recently approved increased public safety impact fees on new single family homes (now $449, up 375% from the prior $94) and retail units (now $462 per 1,000 square feet, up 52% from $304).

The measure was recommended by consulting firm Stantec, given the municipality hadn’t increased since 2004.

Additional revenues from the public safety fees will be used to address the police department’s increased costs of service delivery, operations, capital outlay, training and new equipment, including police vehicles.

The public safety fee hikes, Tungate said, “takes the burden off the city to have to come up with Penny (for Pasco) money or your other tax revenues” to fund local police operations.

Tungate is third in command of the Dade City Police Department and is responsible for the supervision of criminal investigations, forensics, property evidence and records and communications divisions, according to the city’s website.

The lieutenant of police administration also serves as the public information officer and is responsible for agency recruitment and professional standards. He also writes, tracks and manages grants; and supports the annual budget preparation process.

Pasco County District 1 Commissioner Ron Oakley also spoke during the breakfast meeting, offering general updates on some of the county’s roadway and development projects.

He took a mostly positive angle on the impending growth coming East Pasco’s way.

Said Oakley, “You’ve got all these homes coming into Dade City, guess what it’s going to do for the businesses in Dade City? It’s going to increase. The economic value of those homes, that’s going to pour into Dade City and make it better, so it’s a good thing for everybody.”

Oakley acknowledged more traffic buildup occurring in these parts, but pointed out supporting infrastructure like roadway improvements and schools can’t be furnished until residential developments and communities are built out and related impact fees collected.

Addressing the crowd, Oakley said, “I know you all know how much growth is happening in Pasco County, and a lot of it has moved to the eastern part of Pasco County, which for us, that’s a lot of new things happening. We want to be a premier county, and we’re going to do things the right way.”

Published October 20, 2021

Bring The Family To The 10th Annual Paulie Palooza Music Festival

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Saturday, Oct. 16 from noon to 9 p.m., in downtown Zephyrhills

Paul Correia was introduced to Gulfside Hospice back in 2008 when a friend, Kymberly Corkum, asked him to play with his musician friends at the annual Ride for Hospice — an event she helped organize with the Pasco Sheriff’s Mounted Posse to raise money for the nonprofit.

Crowds sit in front of the stage on Main Street Zephyrhills at the 2019 Paulie Palooza Music Festival.

“That was my first experience with hospice, and I learned how important this organization is to our community,” said Correia, co-owner of Sunstate Aluminum in Zephyrhills. “My job was to ask other local musicians to donate their talent and perform at the event, and we had so much fun, we continued to play every year.”

In 2010, the benefits of hospice became very personal to the Correia family, when their 93-year-old father became a patient of Gulfside Hospice during the final two weeks of his life.

“After dad died, I was even more thankful for hospice and became more involved in the fundraiser. Then in 2012, when the Sheriff’s Posse needed to step back its involvement, I decided to relaunch the event as tribute to my father, and we changed its name to the Paulie Palooza Music Festival,” said Correia.

“I’m proud that this year is the 10th Paulie Palooza Music Festival, and we’re hoping it will be our biggest fundraiser yet,” he said.

The all-day music festival takes place on Sat., Oct. 16 from noon to 9 p.m., on Main Street Zephyrhills (Fifth Avenue and U.S. 301). The daylong event features live music by local musicians; vendors; food trucks; an auction; prize drawings; and much more family fun. A $5 donation gives all-day access to the entire event.

Paul Correia, founder of the Paulie Palooza Music Festival

A change this year is the October date for the event, which previously was held in the spring. Because of COVID-19 restrictions, this past March Paulie Palooza went virtual for its ninth annual event, which makes next month’s festival its 10th anniversary.

“We are happy to be moving back to our signature event schedule, and look forward to seeing everyone in person this October on Main Street Zephyrhills,” says Leesa Fryer, fundraising & event planning specialist for Gulfside Hospice. “There are so many other community events in March for people to choose from, we decided to move Paulie Palooza to October so more people can attend.”

Fryer is in charge of overall planning for Paulie Palooza, and has limited spots still available for vendors, food trucks and sponsors. Vendor fee is $75, and sponsorships are available starting at $200, and include a vendor spot along with additional benefits. More information is available online at PauliePalooza.org, or by contacting Fryer at 727-845-5707 or .

Current event sponsors include Rockstar Sponsors O2 Solutions and Michels & Lundquist Funeral Home; Crooner Sponsor Norm & Sons Tire & Auto Repair; Roadie Sponsors DeliverCareRX, Medfleet and Right at Home; Groupie Sponsors ABC Supply Company Inc. and Ryman Construction of Florida Inc.; and Super Fan Sponsors Bahrs Aluminum & Construction, Bahr’s Propane Gas & AC Inc., Heister Automotive Performance, Sunstate Aluminum, and SouthState Bank. The Laker/Lutz News is the media sponsor.

Proceeds from Paulie Palooza benefit Gulfside Hospice. Since its founding, the festival has raised more than $71,000 to benefit Gulfside Hospice, which provides patient care and bereavement services to more than 650 patients and families every day in our local community.

About Gulfside Healthcare Services:
Gulfside Healthcare Services is a nonprofit organization serving the community for more than 30 years. Its three lines of business include Gulfside Hospice, offering care for patients at end of life; Gulfside Palliative Care, providing treatment options for those with chronic illness; and Gulfside Home Health, helping patients stay independent through skilled nursing and rehab at home. For more information about Gulfside Healthcare Services, visit Gulfside.org, or call 800-561-4883.

Published October 06, 2021

He tended to practical, and spiritual, needs

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Edward Grady Maggard Jr., better known by his nickname, Sonny, had a hand in the practical side of life for decades for countless customers at his appliance store in Dade City.

But he also was involved in helping others develop their spiritual life, once serving as a Sunday School director and growing the program from about 100 participants to more than 1,200.

His Sept. 23 memorial service, filled to capacity, was held in the chapel at Hodges Family Funeral Home and Cremation Center, on U.S. 301, just down the road from Sonny’s Discount Appliances Inc., a business Maggard founded well over a half-century ago.

The store has been a community fixture for people needing dishwashers, refrigerators, washing machines, stoves, or other household appliances.

Maggard worked alongside his sons, Dale and Randy, and still came to the store long after his sons took over the day-to-day operations.

On the company’s website, the family attributes the appliance store’s longevity to this belief: “If you take care of the customer, the customer will take care of you!”

The Maggards experienced that firsthand when a fire destroyed the business on Nov. 28, 2001.

Dozens of firefighters tried to put out the blaze but were impeded by insufficient water supplies, according to news accounts at the time. Investigators said the fire began in some cardboard boxes in the back of the store, but did not determine the cause.

The 16,000-square-foot, one-story store, the warehouse and the buildings’ contents were destroyed.

But no one was hurt and no jobs were lost.

And, thanks to the business’ suppliers, and the community it had served for so long, Sonny’s started back up with a fledgling operation less than 24 hours after the fire, according to published reports.

In the midst of it all, Maggard told a reporter that he wanted to thank the more than 500 people — including competitors —  who had stopped by or called his home since the fire to express sympathies or to offer help.

Three years later, the store reopened on the same spot where the former store had been destroyed.

Throughout his life, faith was important to Maggard, the funeral home’s obituary says. He was a lifelong follower of Jesus, and devoted a lot of time and service to his church. He dearly loved his family and enjoyed spending as much time as he could with them.

The write-up also describes him as “a true southern gentleman, who never met a stranger.”

Besides faith, family and business, Maggard had other interests.

He was a dedicated cattleman, outdoorsman and lifelong, respected member of the National Wild Turkey Federation, his obituary says.

He was involved in the Second Amendment Club and supported gun safety lessons for youths. He was treasurer on the volunteer board of the CARES Zephyrhills Senior Center, according to news reports.

Turkey hunting was one of his greatest passions.

It was so important that he started the Gulf Coast Limbhangers National Wild Turkey Federation (NWTF) chapter in Pasco County in 1994, according to a post on the NWTF’s website. The chapter now bears Maggard’s name.

In recognition of his love for the pursuit, his hunting jacket was on proud display at the front of the chapel, during his funeral service.

Mark and Cornie Maffett, of Dade City, wrote about Maggard’s enthusiasm for hunting, on Maggard’s memorial page on the funeral home’s website.

“So many times over the decades he welcomed us into the store where not only purchases were transacted but hunting stories swapped.

“At times he was so proud to show a specimen waiting for taxidermy and the stories that went with it. Other times we exchanged (stories about) beloved turkey hunts.”

A former employee, Jim Miller, of Jacksonville, also shared his appreciation for the family on Maggard’s memorial page.

“I worked at Sonny’s in the ’90s. Sonny will always have a special spot in my heart along with Randy and Dale,” Miller wrote.

Kevin and Kim Eldridge wrote, in part, “A life well lived for his Savior and his family…what a wonderful legacy.”

Messages of sympathy were shared on the page, from people living as near as Dade City to as far away as Australia.

Maggard was born on Sept. 26, 1934, in Wise, Virginia. He was 86 when he died on Sept. 16, at his Dade City home.

He was preceded in death by his wife, Lorene, who died on Jan. 3, 2020  — shortly before the couple would have marked their 65th anniversary, according to her obituary. They met when they were 16, her obituary added.

Maggard is survived by his son Dale, and Dale’s wife, Ann; and, his son Randy, and Randy’s wife, Colleen. He also is survived by six grandchildren, 10 great-grandchildren and another great-grandchild that is on the way.

Published October 06, 2021