ZEPHYRHILLS – The Zephyrhills City Council voted June 9 to purchase two lots at the corner of Fourth Street and Fifth Avenue next to Zephyr Park.
Mayor Melonie Bahr Monson brought the proposal before the council as an emergency item. Because the property was less than $80,000 ($79,999.99 to be exact), the council could move forward with the purchase without an appraisal.
“As soon as we own the property, I will send it to our designer for the park, our consultant that’s working on the CRA plan,” Monson told colleagues. “The idea is to have control over it, because it is such an important corner, that we can come up with a great idea for it.”
Monson and Council Member Steve Spina didn’t like the idea of using the site just for parking.
“I don’t think we’d want to just build a parking lot on a corner on Fifth Avenue when we’re trying to develop it,” Spina said. “But I do believe it’s important to be figured into what we’re doing at Zephyr Park. It could be an important asset the way it’s linked to the other vacant property along Fifth Avenue.”
Monson assured colleagues the Community Redevelopment Agency already had $300,000 available to purchase land so there would be no additional funding needed.
Councilman Lance Smith, whose background is in real estate development, didn’t have any objections with the purchase. He felt the price was fine.
“I think the value lies in it being adjacent to property that we’re going to do something with,” Smith said. “I agree with Councilman Spina that the use would certainly be some type of retail use that would be complementary to what we’re doing in the park area.”
