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Zephyr Park

Upgrades coming to Zephyrhills CRA area

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The Zephyrhills Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) Board has approved a budget of $578,244 for fiscal year 2020-2021 — and identified a number of priority projects.

The project is an increase of $91,234 over last year’s $478,010 budget.

The Zephyrhills Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) has approved a budget of $578,244 for the 2020-2021 fiscal year. That’s an increase of $91,234 over last year’s budget of $478,010. The CRA district includes more than 500 acres —generally encompassing the center spine of the city, between Hercules Park to C Avenue, and from Zephyr Park to 17th Street. (File)

The increase is primarily due to greater revenues collected from ad valorem taxes from the city and Pasco County. Those revenues came in at $426,470, compared to $319,031 last year.

The remainder of the CRA budget is made up of reserves for future projects ($150,174) and miscellaneous revenue ($1,600) from interest and reimbursements from Zephyrhills Main Street Inc.

The CRA board unanimously approved the budget, which then was passed through the Zephyrhills City Council. (Although it is a separate board, the CRA board is made up of members of the Zephyrhills City Council.)

Funds will be allocated to projects within the city’s 500-plus acre CRA district, which generally encompasses the center spine of the city, between Hercules Park to C Avenue, and from Zephyr Park to 17th Street.

Priority projects include:

  • Hercules Park upgrades
  • Sidewalk improvement, in partnership with the city’s public works department
  • Lake Necessity improvements
  • Installation of public artwork and artistic connections, such as murals, from Fifth Avenue through downtown side streets
  • Incentives for development opportunities and growth in the CRA

Meanwhile, the budget funds existing grant programs and incentives, such as residential grants (façade, paint, homeownership) and commercial grants (façade, signage).

Zephyrhills CRA Director Gail Hamilton detailed the success of assorted grant programs, noting the agency last year distributed seven homeownership grants, which set a record for new homes purchased within the district in any given year.

The homeownership grant provides $5,000 to new homeowners in the district. It requires a homeowner to apply before purchasing and closing, and file for the homestead exemption for five years.

Funding also is allocated to continue the Saturday neighborhood clean-up improvement program, which was shuttered for much of this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Staff expects to restart the program in 2021, Hamilton said.

Downtown landscaping and public artwork opportunities are just some of the initiatives funded in this year’s Zephyrhills CRA budget. (Courtesy of Main Street Zephyrhills)

Elsewhere, the agency has multiple outstanding approved projects budgeted from 2019-2020 that simply will be rolled over to the new budget year.

That includes installing signage posts and frames along Fifth Avenue, from Zephyr Park to Ninth Street. The CRA initially struggled getting bids for the project, as manufacturers shut down or scaled back amid the pandemic.

“Factories are up now, so we can get that project finished,” Hamilton said.

In conjunction with that, the CRA agency currently is consulting with Kimley-Horn planning/engineering firm on developing concepts and modifications for gateway signage, hammering out desired styles and exact locations, such as the prime U.S. 301/Fifth Avenue intersection.

The idea is to give residents and visitors directions to shopping and dining “to draw people down Fifth Avenue,” Hamilton said.

The gateway signage requires the approval of the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT), as it falls under CAF (Community Aesthetic Features) installed in or on the right of way, Hamilton said.

Sprucing up downtown landscaping is another ongoing project that shifted into this year. It involves tidying up circular medians and installing pots, benches and chairs that match existing light poles and trash cans throughout.

Published October 21, 2020

Proposal for design standards sparks debate

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A proposal to enact new design standards in the Zephyrhills Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) area has prompted debate.

On one hand, the design standards can promote across-the-board architectural and visual uniformity and compliance — to protect and enhance property values in the CRA.

On the other hand, if care isn’t taken, the standards can become cumbersome and expensive.

Those were some of the main points raised during the discussion of a proposed set of design standards that would apply to the CRA’s roughly 500-plus acre historic area, which encompasses the center spine of town.

The Zephyrhills Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) is considering implementing comprehensive design standards within its 500-acre historic district, relating to residential and commercial architecture, along with regulations pertaining to site access, circulation, parking, lighting, tree preservation and more. (Courtesy of City of Zephyrhills)

It’s an extensive undertaking.

Gail Hamilton, director of the CRA, has worked on the past few years, in conjunction with Kimley-Horn, a planning, design and engineering consulting firm.

An 83-page drafted document was presented last month to the Zephyrhills CRA Board, which is chaired by all five city council members and mayor.

It contains regulations outlined in specific detail that pertain to site access, circulation, parking, lighting, tree preservation. It also has various requirements related to residential and retail space — particularly up and down Gall Boulevard and along cross streets.

For example, it calls for all drive-thru restaurants and banks to have buffering in the form of fences, gates, hardscapes and streetscapes.

It also calls for new streetlights built on public or private property to be required to take on a distinct historical look similar to what’s seen along City Hall and the Zephyrhills Public Library — which is a decorative fixture with Florida Vernacular style and black finish. By contrast, cobra head and shoebox style fixtures on top of an aluminum light pole, which frequently are seen in big box store parking lots, would be prohibited.

Another goal calls for tree preservation and creating, or maintaining, canopied roads — which are characterized by limbs of large trees that provide a lush and shaded effect, overhead.

The document also outlines a number of other restrictions, such as limiting the number and size of business signs and prohibiting residential parking on the grass.

Kelley Klepper, a project manager for Kimley-Horn, emphasized the significance of establishing concrete design standards throughout the CRA.

“A good design is the starting point for a great community. You’ve got a lot of great bones here in the city, especially within the CRA,” Klepper said.

Firm standards will help create the community’s desired aesthetic, and create accountability among property and business owners, he added.

“We want to make sure what we’re talking about has some teeth, because ultimately the CRA is that key focal point within itself,” Klepper continued.

Ensuring any new streetlights within take on a Florida Vernacular historical look is one of the many objectives in the CRA’s proposed 83-page design standards document. The CRA Board tabled a decision on whether to approve the design standards within its 500-acre district during a meeting last month.

“A lot of times we hear guidelines, we hear overlays. A guideline is just that, it’s a guide. It’s not a, ‘Thou shall,’ it’s a, ‘Well, we’d really, really appreciate it if you could,’ and there’s no teeth to it,” Klepper said.

Hamilton said the CRA would offer various incentives and partnership opportunities to help new and existing properties get up to code.

She said she has spoken with multiple residential and commercial developers who did not object to the design standards. If anything, they’re encouraged, because it provides a roadmap and expectations for the city’s future plans, she said.

“Developers want to know that,” Hamilton said.

She also talked about the value of having design standards.

“Your investment is going to be protected, because the person next to you is going to have to do the same thing. Rising tides lift all boats….” Hamilton said.

The CRA board, however, wants more specifics before taking stand. It tabled the issue until it receives additional information.

Board vice president Alan Knight cautioned strongly against overregulation.

He pointed to The Villages in Sumter County as an example, referencing a recent hot-button case where a couple was sued by the community’s development district after placing a 1-foot cross on display in their front yard, therefore violating a “lawn ornament” deed compliance.

“Every time I roll this page, all I see is another rule and another rule and another rule, and I just don’t want us to get into the idea that we’re so many rules that we can’t expand,” Knight said.

Board member Charles Proctor expressed similar concerns .

“I just don’t want to be super restrictive,” Proctor said. “I understand, we don’t want a bunch of junk cars with no tags in people’s yards, but on the same hand, I just want to be cautious.”

Meanwhile, board member Lance Smith thinks design standards are necessary.

However, Smith added:  “I don’t want them to be too costly to the people. Believe me, I’m for ‘em, but we’ve got to be real careful.”

Hamilton said the design standards don’t contradict anything the city already has on the books with its form-based code and land development code.

The document helps organize all present city ordinances, with some additional expansions and clarifications, and multiple visual examples for better understanding, she said.

Hamilton also observed the standards are not as strict as seen in HOA/deed restricted communities, such as Silver Oaks. “They tell you certain things about what you can or cannot do with your property. I can assure you these are much less than those,” she said.

Klepper described the proposed standards as a “baby step” compared to what other municipalities have done with their respective historic districts.

The project manager mentioned some have gone so far as to regulating parking lot line colors or the font and lettering of business signage.

“We didn’t want to go anywhere near that,” Klepper said. “The document we have is not punitive; it’s not so many rules we can’t follow.”

He continued, “At the end of the day, what we’re trying to do is increase property values. If you maintain your property, if your neighbors maintain their property, what’s going to happen to the valuation of that neighborhood? It’s going to go up.”

But, the board said it wants to see an example of a commercial business or homeowner go through a mock review and submittal process. That will give them a better idea of how much time and expense the new standards will create for someone who is looking to buy or invest in the city, they said.

The Zephyrhills CRA is a dependent special district in which any future increases in property values are set aside in a Trust Fund to support economic development and redevelopment projects within the designated district.

Although it functions within the City of Zephyrhills, the Zephyrhills CRA is a separate and distinct legal entity.

The district generally spans from Hercules Park to C Avenue, and from Zephyr Park to 17th Street. Within those boundaries are the following historic neighborhood districts: Hercules, Historic Jeffries, Historic Abbott, Moore’s Estate, Zephyr Lake, Oakside and Plaza.

Published September 09, 2020

Zephyrhills CRA projects, initiatives on tap

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Amid the coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, the Zephyrhills Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) has managed to stay plenty busy.

In a virtual CRA board meeting last month, Zephyrhills CRA director Gail Hamilton outlined a number of tasks the agency has on its plate to beautify the 500-plus acre historic district that stretches through the center spine of the city.

Hamilton told the board: “We are in strange times, trying to do remote meetings and getting things done has certainly been a challenge, but everybody has pitched in and worked hard.”

The Zephyrhills CRA (Community Redevelopment Agency) district is roughly 500 acres, from Hercules Park to C Avenue, and from Zephyr Park to 17th Street. Within those boundaries are the following historic neighborhood districts: Hercules, Historic Jeffries, Historic Abbott, Moore’s Estate, Zephyr Lake, Oakside and Plaza. (Courtesy of Zephyrhills Community Redevelopment Agency)

More immediately, the CRA is in the final review of its sidewalk master plan and updating signage design standards in the district. It’s also collaborating with the Zephyrhills Public Library to redesign the agency’s website “to make it more appealing and easier to navigate,” Hamilton said.

Meantime, the CRA is working on a bid proposal for the final restoration of the historic Carriage House, a two-story wooden structure connected to the historic Jeffries House, at 38537 Fifth Ave. The city recently received architectural plans on the project that calls for a new balcony, footings and columns — with the idea the home’s restoration will contribute to the preservation of other buildings within the CRA district.

Another ongoing CRA initiative is reviewing its grant programs and the grant application process, “looking for ways to make it clearer, better, easier to read,” Hamilton said.

The CRA director added she’s working on providing information on a single sheet to better explain residential ownership grants, residential paint grants, and so on.

The idea is to make the process easier.

Hamilton also touched on other general projects the agency has on its to-do list, too.

She said the public works department is set to install flowerpots and other landscaping upgrades along Fifth Avenue, once it returns to its regular, fully staffed operations. (Public Works is presently in partially staffed, split shifts, due to the coronavirus pandemic.)

She also mentioned free, public Wi-Fi has been installed at Zephyrhills City Hall and the adjacent courtyard, but the amenity won’t be activated until large gatherings are deemed safe again.

Additionally, the agency has received three bids for public-use Wi-Fi at Clock Plaza, a half-acre park located on Fifth Avenue, two blocks east of U.S. 301 in the historic downtown district. The Wi-Fi at that location would support up to 100 users at a time, and will be presented at the next CRA board meeting scheduled for June 22.

Hamilton also is evaluating “four or five locations” in the CRA district that could be ripe for residential developments, such as duplexes and condo townhomes.

To do that, the CRA is working with consulting firm GAI Community Solutions Group to handle “proformas on the land and see how the numbers work out,” Hamilton said. “We would like to really promote some of the city sites and other sites that are privately owned within the district, to try to encourage residential development,” she said of the plan.

Meanwhile, the CRA director is finalizing the job description for the Main Street Zephyrhills coordinator position and meeting with Main Street board members on how to best proceed with the organization — following the recent resignation of Anna Stutzriem, who held the role for more than two years.

Main Street Zephyrhills is a 501c3 nonprofit that generally facilitates new business and organizes large events within the historic downtown district.

Hamilton underscored the importance of having a new Main Street coordinator and action plan in place once storefronts and downtown activity is fully operational again, for whenever the COVID-19 pandemic blows over.

The Zephyrhills Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) has many projects and initiatives on tap over the next several months. (File)

She observed, “When we can open back up, when the stores can open back up, Main Street needs to be up and running and working on promoting the city, our merchants, the businesses, and really doing a full press on creating a promotional for events…to get people to come downtown and use our businesses.”

Elsewhere, Hamilton presented the CRA’s 2019 annual report, which showed a notable increase in ad valorem revenues collected by the city and Pasco County. For fiscal year 2019, the county’s share was $107,238 and the city’s share was $89,510. That’s up from 2018, when the county and city generated $36,000 apiece in ad valorem taxes in the district.

To Hamilton that means the agency is “seeing the fruits of our labor in working on redevelopment for the CRA district and taking out the blight.”

In other business, the CRA board approved the following grants/incentives:

  • $5,000 matching façade rehabilitation grant to Faithful Friends Pet Cremation, 5221 Eighth St.
  • $5,500 historic preservation developer’s incentive to Kerns Family Construction for the restoration of a 1928 wood frame structure at 5524 11th St.

The Zephyrhills CRA is a dependent special district in which any future increases in property values are set aside in a Trust Fund to support economic development and redevelopment projects within the designated district. Although it functions within the City of Zephyrhills, the Zephyrhills CRA is a separate and distinct legal entity. The Zephyrhills City Council also serves as the appointed board governing the Zephyrhills CRA.

The CRA district encompasses the center spine of the city, generally between Hercules Park to C Avenue, and from Zephyr Park to 17th Street. Within those boundaries are the following historic neighborhood districts: Hercules, Historic Jeffries, Historic Abbott, Moore’s Estate, Zephyr Lake, Oakside and Plaza.

Published May 13, 2020

Lien forgiveness program may be expanded

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The City of Zephyrhills is considering a facelift to its residential lien forgiveness incentive program — to also include commercial properties.

Zephyrhills Community Redevelopment Agency director Gail Hamilton outlined the case for an enhanced program, as part of a continued effort to increase property values in and around the downtown area.

Zephyrhills CRA director Gail Hamilton addresses the CRA board, which is made up of the Zephyrhills City Council. (Kevin Weiss)

The  Zephyrhills Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) board proceeded to direct staff to draft such a policy for further review at its Feb. 24 meeting. The Zephyrhills City Council also makes up the CRA Board.

Zephyrhills instituted a residential lien forgiveness program in May 2017, to promote investment and improvements to blighted properties and vacant lots, and increase home ownership within its city limits.

Under the program, applicants have one year to make agreed upon improvements ($2,500 minimum) to the property.

Once the work is completed by a licensed general contractor, the city waives various mowing and code enforcement liens previously placed on the property.

Similar procedures and policies would apply to a commercial lien forgiveness program, with each property taken on a case-by-case basis, Hamilton said.

For example, the owner of the property cannot be the one that incurred the liens in the first place — it has to be a new owner that purchased a property with existing outstanding liens.

The CRA director noted interest has picked up lately from applicants looking to redevelop commercial properties burdened with thousands of dollars of unpaid fines.

Those liens have made those properties overpriced and unattractive to potential buyers, she said.

“Having a commercial property sitting empty does not help anyone,” Hamilton told board members.

Forgiving the liens, she said, “is one more tool in my toolbox to get something done.”

Board members indicated they want to come up with a “unified program” and hammer out some of the finer details, such as how to handle title insurance and loan policies as it relates to businesses.

Additionally, Jodi Wilkeson, president of the CRA board and a member of the city council, pondered how such a commercial lien forgiveness policy might lead to unintended consequences.

She wondered if it could lead to a national credit investor to come into town and buy up several properties to lease out to others “then we have a series of people coming in and out, in and out, in and out.”

Sidewalks needed in Zephyrhills
Hamilton also presented a first look of the Zephyrhills CRA’s sidewalk master plan, being completed by consulting firm Kimley-Horn to provide details on the existing state of sidewalks in the CRA district, and set priorities for the construction of new sidewalks and trails.

Within the 602-acre district, the city has sidewalks at Hercules Park, Woodland Elementary School, Stewart Middle School, West Zephyrhills Elementary School, the Zephyrhills City Hall/Library Complex and Zephyr Park.

However, an analysis shows a general lack of connectivity and missing sidewalk segments, that otherwise would help people access and experience Zephyrhills’s downtown, and improve quality of life for residents and visitors.

Hamilton described the state of the city’s sidewalk system this way: “It’s not very good.”

“At this point, we just need sidewalks,” Hamilton told board members. “We need to increase the walkability and accessibility within the CRA district.”

She said when people are surveyed about great towns to visit, they often mention the ease of getting around on foot, as well as parks and downtown areas.

“We want Zephyrhills to have that same experience,” Hamilton said.

The CRA director said “high priority” is being placed on building more sidewalks (at least 6-feet wide) at nearby schools and parks “because we want kids and families to be able to get back and forth.”

A GIS analysis identified 21 “high priority” locations where missing sidewalk segments are needed, with another 50 areas labeled either “medium priority” or “low priority” for sidewalks.

Hamilton noted there are some potential conflicts — parking lots, utilities, drainage facilities —that prevent installing sidewalks on both sides of the street at some locations.

One solution is to install well-marked crosswalks from a particular destination to a sidewalk on the other side of the street, she said.

A final master plan document will include cost estimates for sidewalks based on the priority rankings.

Possible funding sources include Safe Routes to School Program, Local Agency Program, Recreational Trails Program and Community Development Block Grant.

The city also could establish a sidewalk mitigation fund and/or utilize public works funds.

Said Hamilton, “We’re not going to be able to do it all at one time; we’ll just do it as we can.”

Founder’s Day Parade set
Organizers of the 110th Zephyrhills Founder’s Day Parade & Heritage Festival are hoping for a greater turnout from youth at this year’s event.

Main Street Zephyrhills coordinator Anna Stutzriem told CRA board members that more kid-friendly activities have been incorporated this year to an event that “has historically been an older demographic.”

The Kid’s Zone will include sidewalk chalk creations, bounce houses and craft workshop demonstrations hosted by Home Depot.

This year’s Founder’s Day Parade theme is, “The Roaring 20s: Glitz, Glam & Tin Cans.”

Th event will have 70 vendors and somewhere between 65 to 70 parade entries, Stutzriem said.

The event is set for March 7 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., at Main Street Zephyrhills, 38537 Fifth Ave., Zephyrhills.

For information, call (813) 780-1414, or visit MainStreetZephyrhills.org.

Published March 4, 2020

Helping others at the holidays, and all year-long

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As the holidays approach — a big holiday meal — can help create a festive feel.

But, for some families, those kind of feasts are beyond their financial reach.

Jackie Smack, a volunteer with the Neighborhood Care Center, places a pair of pants on a hanger, and works them onto the rack inside the center’s clothing department. Smack has been volunteering at the center for five years. She said she feels blessed to help others in need. (Christine Holtzman)

That’s where The Neighborhood Care Center, in Zephyrhills, comes in.

It has been helping families at the holidays — and throughout the year — for more than two decades.

During the holidays, the care center seeks to help its recipients have the makings of a traditional holiday meal. For Thanksgiving, for instance, it plans to provide families with a frozen ham or chicken, cranberry sauce, sweet potatoes, stuffing, corn muffin mix, and pies. At Christmas, it provides recipients with turkey and all of the trimmings. Last year, it gave away 125 turkeys during the holidays.

But, helping others at the holidays is just a small part of what The Neighborhood Care Center does.

The organization sees a need and tries to address it.

“There’s always been a big problem of people not having everything they need – not having the money to buy it,” said Leanne Bickford, the nonprofit’s director, and also a volunteer.

The First Baptist Church in Zephyrhills began the initiative in 1993 to combat hunger and other dire circumstances that Zephyrhills residents face.

Now, a quarter-century later, the care center is still going strong.

It has an open pantry on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, from 9 a.m. to noon.

Each room at the center is stocked to address specific needs.

Children’s toys take up a portion of the bottom shelf of stacked canned goods, inside the warehouse of the Neighborhood Care Center. The canned goods on these shelves are reserved for the recipients of the center, to provide the makings of a Thanksgiving meal. The items consist mostly of canned pumpkin, pineapple, apple, and yams.

There’s a place for nonperishable foods and frozen meats. And, places for toys, furniture, clothing, tools, kitchen appliances and hygiene products.

Care center volunteers pride themselves on quality control, when it comes to accepting donations, Bickford said.

“My motto that I’ve tried to drill into everybody is ‘If you wouldn’t put it in your house, don’t take it’,” the director said.

The pantry relies solely on donations.

The contributions come from churches, local organizations and individuals —  including snowbirds.

Most of the food items come from the National Association of Letter Carriers food drive which occurs in May. That supply typically lasts until September.

Other donations come from Meals on Wheels, Panera Bread and Publix.

Dozens of gently used men’s, women’s and children’s shoes are neatly arranged on metal racks in the center’s shoe department.

Food is distributed as quickly as it comes in.

And, on any given day, 50 people or more may show up to receive furniture or clothing.

The service area for the center is restricted to Zephyrhills, because it can’t meet the needs of the entire county.

Beneficiaries must apply to receive items, but exceptions are made for homeless people who lack proper documents and photo IDs.

Sometimes the help goes beyond donated items, Bickford said.

“We’re not a full-fledged food pantry,” Bickford explained. “We are for emergency purposes – if they’re between food stamps or they come down from up north with nothing.”

When people are short on funds for utility and electric bills, or prescriptions, the care center can help to cover the expenses.

“I’ve had a mother come in with one child and they’re getting $350 worth of food stamps,” Bickford said. “Something is not right with this picture.”

Various churches allocate funds to the nonprofit in order to provide this assistance.

When the care center is unable to provide needed help, it makes referrals to other organizations, such as The Samaritan Project or The Society of St. Vincent de Paul.

Volunteers Jackie Smack, left, and Leanne Bickford, who is also the center’s director, take a break from sorting the day’s donated items.

It also directs people to Zephyr Park to receive hot meals from local churches.

Bickford tries to get the word out about the care center when she speaks at various establishments, or in her daily encounters with strangers.

In addition to holiday meals, the care center also helps families to have happy holidays in other ways.

As Christmas approaches, the care center will host a Kids Shopping Day.

The Dec. 7 event, from 9 a.m. to noon, allows youth to pick out gifts for their parents.

Care center volunteers are hoping for a big turn-out to that event.

In the long-term, the goal is to find a bigger building to facilitate the growing number of donations.

Bickford put it like this: “There’s a big need, and I’m glad that we’re here to help (fill) that void.”

In helping others, she emphasizes the importance of preserving the recipients’ dignity.

“I keep telling people, ‘We need to treat these people the same way you want to be treated, because we never know when we could be coming in that door looking for help.

“We might be volunteering here right now, but you don’t know what’s in store tomorrow,” Bickford said.

For further information, call the care center at (813) 780-6822.

Helping others in need
Where: The Neighborhood Care Center, 5140 Sixth St., Zephyrhills
When: Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 9 a.m. to noon
Details: Zephyrhills residents in need can find an array of free items, including  food, clothes, kitchen supplies and furniture at the center.
Info: Call (813) 780-6822.

Published November 27, 2019

Community development grants on the way?

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Talks are underway in Zephyrhills to offer a greater variety of business grants within the city’s CRA (Community Redevelopment Agency) district.

At last month’s CRA board meeting, Zephyrhills CRA director Gail Hamilton pushed for a wider range of incentives to help encourage new business investment in the 500-plus acre district.

The district encompasses the center spine of the city, generally between Hercules Park to C Avenue, and from Zephyr Park to 17th Street. Within those boundaries are the following historic neighborhood districts: Hercules, Historic Jeffries, Historic Abbott, Moore’s Estate, Zephyr Lake, Oakside, and Plaza.

The Zephyrhills CRA district is roughly 500 acres, from Hercules Park to C Avenue, and from Zephyr Park to 17th Street. (Courtesy of City of Zephyrhills)

Hamilton referenced a 2019 market report from consultant GAI Community Solutions, which indicates that vacancy rates are down in the CRA district, but property values are dropping because older retail/office buildings are not being improved or rehabilitated.

Interestingly, however, Hamilton said rental rates in the district have increased because “there’s a short supply of those buildings that are habitable, that are in the right location, where somebody wants to be.”

The market report shows the majority of rentable office properties within the district were built prior to 1980, and the majority of retail properties built prior to 1990. Further, since 2011, no new office properties and just one new retail property have been built within the district.

The report showed the limited inventory will weigh on district activity in the face of a growing local economy, Hamilton told CRA board members.

“We need to address that we haven’t built any new buildings and what we have is old,” the CRA director said.

“We still have building stock that nobody wants to rent because of the issues with the building or where it’s located or how it’s chopped up, and so we might want to take a very focused look at some of those buildings and try to work with the property owners,” she suggested.

The city currently offers grants related to building exteriors, including a matching façade rehabilitation grant program of up to $2,500.

But, Hamilton thinks the program should be expanded to allows some grants related to interior projects, such as plumbing or electric improvements.

“I can do signage, I can help them with a window or door, but the grants don’t allow for anything in the interior of the building, so that’s something we may want to talk about,” she said.

Hamilton also suggested creating some type of kitchen remodeling grant, particularly for high-quality kitchen fire suppression systems that could be used for subsequent tenants, if needed.

The Zephyrhills CRA (Community Redevelopment Agency) area is a dependent special district in which any future increases in property values are set aside in a trust fund to support economic development and redevelopment projects, within the designated district.

She put it like this: “If that restaurant goes out (of business), you still have a restaurant and that investment the CRA makes putting the money in the building, because the building will always be there.”

The CRA director added she’s seen high demand from retailers and restaurateurs looking to lease newer or updated building spaces, even as small as 1,000 square feet, in the downtown area.

“Not a day goes by that somebody doesn’t call the CRA office asking about space — and, I don’t have it,” she said.

The Zephyrhills CRA includes about 300 business, with the largest concentration of employment within retail trade, health care services, and accommodation and food services.

The district’s largest employer is AdventHealth Zephyrhills (1,100 employees), followed by Florida Medical Clinic (850), Nestle/Zephyrhills Bottled Water (325), City of Zephyrhills (180) and Morrow Steel (90).

Another issue, Hamilton said, is the limited supply of affordable housing for middle-income workers, close to their jobs.

Hamilton said she’s had ongoing discussions with AdventHealth Zephyrhills CEO Amanda Maggard about the issue, talking about creating some type of joint residential grants “so that that workforce group from the hospital has an opportunity to live and work here in the CRA district.”

The city offers a $5,000 residential ownership incentive grant to homebuyers who purchase a home in the CRA district, and maintain residency for five years. The CRA awarded five such grants last fiscal year, Hamilton said.

Published November 13, 2019

Remembering the fallen of 9/11

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Danny Burgess, the executive director of the Florida Department of Veteran’s Affairs, speaks to a large crowd gathered for the 9/11 memorial at Zephyr Park. In his moving speech, Burgess said that 9/11 mobilized a generation to stand up and make a difference. (Christine Holtzman)

The morning of Sept. 11 was marked by a 9/11 memorial at Zephyr Park, 38116 Fifth Ave., in Zephyrhills.

The service featured remarks from members of U.S. Marine Corps Detachment 1124, which bears the name of Sgt. Maj. Michael S. Curtin, a first responder who perished in the North Tower of the World Trade Center on the morning of the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

Zephyrhills Mayor Gene Whitfield, and Danny Burgess, who serves as the executive director of the Florida Department of Veterans’ Affairs, offered remarks.

The Zephyrhills High School JROTC Color Guard presented and retired the colors, and the VFW Post 8154 Honor Guard performed a rifle salute to honor those who perished on 9/11.

Published September 18, 2019

Under the direction of Senior Army Instructor 1st Sgt. Jimmy McAuley, the Zephyrhills High School JROTC Color Guard presents the colors as Rod Rehrig (by podium), salutes. Rehrig is the past commandant of the Marine Corps League Detachment 1124.
The VFW Post 8154 Honor Guard performs a rifle salute to the fallen during the 9/11 memorial at Zephyr Park on the morning of Sept. 11.

Zephyrhills to remember fallen of 9/11

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As commemoration ceremonies take place across America to honor the victims of Sept. 11, Zephyrhills, too, will host its annual 9/11 Remembrance Ceremony.

The public event will begin at 11 a.m., and is expected to last an hour.

Zephyr Park will host this year’s 9/11 Remembrance Ceremony to honor the victims of Sept. 11, 2001. (File)

Marine Corps League Sgt. Maj. Michael S. Curtin Detachment 1124 will host the event.

The league is named after a fallen first responder at the World Trade Center on Sept. 11, 2001.

Rodney Rehrig, of the club, will be the master of ceremonies – conducting the memorial service.

The Zephyrhills High School Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps (JROTC) will display flags as they post the colors.

And, the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) Honor Guard will perform the ceremony’s rifle salute.

Zephyrhills Mayor Gene Whitfield and Danny Burgess, executive director of the Florida Department of Veteran’s Affairs will offer remarks during the commemoration.

Spectators will be able to play a role by saluting the flags, singing the American national anthem, and mingling with those who have served the nation.

The event will be at Zephyr Park at 38116 Fifth Ave., in Zephyrhills.

For additional information, call Rodney Rehrig at (813) 481-0718, or email him at .

9/11 Remembrance Ceremony
Where: Zephyr Park, 38116 Fifth Ave., in Zephyrhills
When: Sept. 11, from 11 a.m. to noon
Cost: Free
Details: The Star Spangled Banner will be sung and various organizations will perform ceremonial salutes to the victims of Sept. 11, 2001. Zephyrhills Mayor Gene Whitfield and Danny Burgess, executive director of the Florida Department of Veteran’s Affairs, will be the day’s guest speakers.
Info: Contact Rodney Rehrig at (813) 481-0718 or .

Published September 04, 2019

Veterans set to cruise through Zephyrhills

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Main Street Zephyrhills Inc., is welcoming all to attend the Veterans Day Parade and Remembrance Ceremony to honor the nation’s men and women in uniform — in events planned for Nov. 10 and Nov. 11.

Spectators are guaranteed a lively musical performance by a marching band at the Nov. 10 Veterans Day Parade in downtown Zephyrhills. (Courtesy of Main Street Zephyrhills Facebook page)

The parade will also feature a Classic Car Cruise-In on Nov. 10 from 9 a.m. to noon at Historic Downtown Zephyrhills.

The parade is set to begin at the Main Street Zephyrhills building, at 38537 Fifth Ave., and head up to Ninth Avenue.

Participants will include active and retired military, veteran organizations, a marching band and decorative floats, said Anna Stutzriem, coordinator of Main Street Zephyrhills Inc.

Local businesses who would like to take part in the Car Cruise-In that do not have a veteran on staff will have to pay a $15 entry fee.

Food vendors with refreshments, as well as a live DJ performance, will be offered for Nov. 10 only, and pets will be allowed on the premises.

On the following day, Zephyr Park at 38116 Fifth Ave., Zephyrhills, will have a Remembrance Ceremony at 11:11 a.m., to commemorate the nation’s servicemen and servicewomen, both past and present.

For additional information or to apply for the Car Cruise-In, call Main Street Zephyrhills at (813) 780-1414, or visit MainStreetZephyrhills.org.

Veterans Day Parade and Remembrance Ceremony
Where: Parade at Historic Downtown Zephyrhills, 38537 Fifth Ave.; Ceremony at Zephyr Park, 38116 Fifth Ave., Zephyrhills
When: Nov. 10, 9 a.m. to noon for parade; Nov. 11, 11:11 a.m. for ceremony
Cost: Free
Details: Downtown Zephyrhills will host a parade and car cruise-in, as well as a commemoration for our veterans.
Info: Call (813) 780-1414, or to apply for the cruise-in, visit MainStreetZephyrhills.org.

Published November 7, 2018

Foundation offers tennis lessons to Pasco youths

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Construction has yet to begin on the Sarah Vande Berg Memorial Tennis Center in Zephyrhills — but that hasn’t stopped the community from working to serve up more tennis opportunities to its underserved population.

Well before the new $3.5 million, 11-court facility opens off of Simons Road, dozens of underprivileged youth in east Pasco will get opportunities to learn the game through a new nonprofit —  the Sarah Vande Berg Tennis Foundation.

Pascal Collard, center left, and Nick Bollettieri, right, stand at the net with some of the Nick Bollettieri and Sarah Vande Berg Tennis Clinic’s participants. (Fred Bellet)

The foundation is headed up by professional tennis instructor Pascal Collard, who will also manage the daily operations of the new tennis center bearing the same name.

Its overall purpose is to instill character, leadership and academics to children, through the game of tennis.

The foundation’s first major fundraiser was on Oct 5, at Arbor Green in New Tampa.

About 60 participants and another 40 volunteers turned out for a tennis clinic and gala headlined by International Tennis Hall of Fame coach Nick Bollettieri.

Bollettieri, 87, is renowned for grooming 10 world No. 1 players, including Andre Agassi, Monica Seles, Maria Sharapova and Dade City’s Jim Courier, among many others.

The legendary coach also is known for founding the IMG Academy in Bradenton — formerly the Nick Bollettieri Tennis Academy — which opened in 1978 as the world’s first full-time tennis boarding school.

The gala helped raise more than $10,000, which will be used to purchase tennis rackets and subsidize tennis camps for youth, who will begin learning the sport on the courts at Zephyr Park and will transition to the city’s new state-of-the-art facility expected to open in late 2019.

“This is going to help a lot of kids — kids that have probably never seen a tennis ball,” said Collard, a former tennis director at Saddlebrook Tennis Academy in Wesley Chapel from 2003 to 2006.

His training includes working with several widely known tennis pros, including Younes El Aynaoui and Martin Verkerk, both of whom coincidentally ranked as high as No. 14 in the ATP Tour rankings back in 2003.

It’s not Collard’s first outreach program.

While he was tennis director at The Merion Cricket Club — a private club in Haverford, Pennsylvania — Collard created a similar foundation called Down the Line and Beyond.

The Philadelphia-based nonprofit, which has grown to serve more than 1,600 underprivileged youths from 7 through 17, facilitates positive character and education development through tennis lessons.

Some of those youths have earned collegiate tennis scholarships.

“None of them would’ve played tennis — none— without the foundation. We are going to do the same thing over here (in Zephyrhills),” Collard said.

The Sarah Vande Berg Tennis Foundation will begin its program with 25 kids to 50 kids, and hopes to grow it from there, Collard said. “We have to touch one life at a time.”

In preparation for the start of the tennis clinic, instructor Vincent Suillerot, 24, of Paris, France makes sure a sufficient number of tennis balls were on hand for each of the courts.

The foundation — and tennis center— is named after the former Zephyrhills High School district champion who became a scholarship player on the University of South Carolina Upstate women’s tennis team. Vande Berg, the daughter of the Zephyrhills planning director Todd Vande Berg, died in an automobile accident at the age of 21 in October 2015.

And, it’s all drawn the support of Bollettieri, a longtime friend of Collard’s.

Bollettieri, who lives in Sarasota, plans to visit Zephyrhills every six weeks to eight weeks to pitch in with foundation clinics and other events.

Instead of his well-documented coaching achievements, Bollettieri said he wants to be remembered for helping children, particularly those from inner cities and of lower socio-economic status.

He, along with fellow tennis Hall of Famer Arthur Ashe, started the Ashe-Bollettieri Cities Tennis program in the late 1980s, which introduced thousands of youth to the sport and helped hundreds achieve athletic or academic scholarships.

Of the Sarah Vande Berg Tennis Foundation, Bollettieri said: “First of all, when you do things for charity, there’s no greater reward than helping out for a great cause. Pascal’s going to give an opportunity for a lot of boys and girls to make it in life.”

Tennis center to be draw for Zephyrhills
The tennis legend, too, is impressed with the design plans of the forthcoming Sarah Vande Berg Memorial Tennis Center.

“I think a lot of thought has gone into it,” Bollettieri said. “The big thing is, someday, if they could get a few indoor courts, whether it’s open on the sides or, if they can have at least a covered area, that would help tremendously.”

Renderings of the facility show 11 full-sized outdoor courts — a mix of clay and hard surfaces — built to U.S Tennis Association (USTA) professional standards.

Additionally, an 8,000-square-foot tennis center is expected to include a fitness/wellness center and cryotherapy room, a pro shop, a restaurant, conference and multipurpose rooms, a kid’s club and playground, a common area, office spaces and other features.

At some point, there’s also a possibility of phasing in a covered/indoor tennis court building that would have four full-size courts.

Though its architectural design plans are not yet final, the tennis center is expected to be complete “in about a year,” Steve Spina, who is city manager for Zephyrhills, said during the foundation fundraiser.

Preparing to check-in at the registration table, Lisa Strickland of New Tampa was among the 60 or so who participated in the Nick Bollettieri and Sarah Vande Berg Tennis Clinic at the Arbor Greene Community Center. Vande Berg was a former Zephyrhills High School district champion who became a scholarship player on the University of South Carolina Upstate women’s tennis team. Vande Berg, the daughter of the Zephyrhills planning director Todd Vande Berg, died in an automobile accident at the age of 21 in October 2015.

Along with city dollars, funding assistance for the project is coming from the state, recreation impact fees, USTA grants and Penny for Pasco, among other sources.

Besides its public recreational use, the facility will also be used to draw an assortment of regional and national tournaments to East Pasco.

“I think it brings us to a whole new level,” Spina said. “It’s just a facility like we’ve never seen, to really make us a player, nationally.

“I think it’s huge for the community,” added Collard. “It’s going to be a great impact in terms of visibility and awareness of Zephyrhills, and put them on the map.”

Vande Berg remembered on, off the court
Meantime, Todd Vande Berg is appreciative of having his late daughter’s name memorialized through the tennis foundation and the facility.

“If I lived in Tampa, I’m not sure this happens,” he said, “but to have a small, interlocked community like we have, that know the people and care for the people and support each other,  it’s pretty unique and special.”

Aside from her achievements on the court, Sarah Vande Berg was known for her friendliness and outgoing personality, her father said.

“She was super competitive on the court,” Todd Vande Berg said, “but the complete opposite off the court. Sarah loved people. She was super social. She befriended all the athletes, and not just the tennis athletes.”

Sarah, too, was known for her work with children with special needs.

“Sarah had a special place in her heart towards special needs kids,” her father said. “They just seemed to gravitate to her.”

Published October 24, 2018