The LAKER
ee r F
LAKERLUTZNEWS.COM
Auto Accident? Slip and Fall? FREE CONSULTATION
No Fees Or Costs Unless You Win HOLLIDAY KARATINOS LAW FIRM, P.L. HelpingInjuredPeople.com
JUNE 29, 2016
LAND O’ LAKES EDITION
Tampa Bay Express wins a crucial vote By Kathy Steele
Vehicles stack up near ramps onto and off Interstate 75 in Pasco County. The interchange is near Tampa Premium Outlets and an active development area for new shops and restaurants. Supporters of Tampa Bay Express hope the transportation project will ease conFILE PHOTO gestion.
ksteele@lakerlutznews.com
A hard-fought, often passionate battle over Tampa Bay’s transportation future ended with a vote in favor of building the Tampa Bay Express. The project calls for 90 miles of new toll lanes on Interstate 275 from St. Petersburg to Wesley Chapel, along Interstate 4 to Plant City, and south on Interstate 75 to Manatee County. The project is seen by many in Pasco See EXPRESS, page 11A
Call Attorney
JIM HOLLIDAY
PUBLISHER’S NOTE
813-868-1887
If you’re getting a different edition today, here’s why
“I Will Aggressively Fight To Protect Your Legal Rights” 18920 N. Dale Mabry Hwy Ste 101 Lutz, FL (Corner of Sunlake & Dale Mabry)
Walk-Ins Welcome
By Diane Kortus Publisher
W
COURTESY OF PASCO COUNTY
Pasco County commissioners approved the creation of seven wildlife corridors meant to give animals such as bears, turtles, otters, ospreys, frogs and fox squirrels safe pathways within the county.
Wildlife corridors map a pathway through Pasco By Kathy Steele
ksteele@lakerlutznews.com
Your Local Real Estate & Property Management Experts
DennisRealty.com
DennisPM.com
Air Conditioning • Plumbing • Electrical
mates i t s E e e Fr for Newoning diti Air Conystem S
CORNERSTONEPROS.COM
813-949-4445
A network of conservation corridors to provide safer pathways for wildlife in Pasco County finally is more than just lines on a map. Still, it took a few tweaks at a June 21 public hearing before Pasco County commissioners could approve an ordinance stuck in planning limbo for years. In the end, the corridors made some happy, others less so. “This ordinance is scientific, viably provable and defensible,” said Mac Davis of the Gulf Coast Conservancy. He addressed the commissioners during public comment at the hearing. “It is imminently fair to everyone,” he said.“It is so long overdue. If it needs some tweaking later, we can address that…but, let’s get this show on the road.” Attorney David Smolker generally praised the hard work of county staff in rewriting portions of the ordinance to meet objections of landowners. But, he said concerns remained about property rights and the cost to landowners. “You’re going to run into problems on a case-by-case basis,” Smolker told commissioners. About 2,500 acres of approximately 7,000 acres needed for the corridors runs through private land. In Central Pasco, corridors will link current and proposed development projects at Starkey Ranch, Crossbar, Connerton and Cypress Creek. A letter submitted by the Bexley family declared the ordinance an unconstitutional burden on property rights for those with corridors crossing their land. The Bexleys own a large spread at the southeast corner of Suncoast Parkway and State Road 52, which will become part of a master-planned community.
Keith Wiley
Pasco County Commissioner Mike Moore said landowners who contacted him worried about public access onto and across properties. Owners with small parcels are especially worried about loss of privacy,
ith today’s edition, we’re realigning the distribution of our papers to better match up with the community where you live. The changes primarily affect two areas: • If you have a Lutz address and live in Pasco County, beginning today you will receive The Lutz News instead of The Land O’ Lakes edition of The Laker. These families live north of County Line Road and south of State Road 54.At the same time, our 45 business locations and boxes on the south side of State Road 54 in Pasco County now will be stocked with The Lutz News. • If you have a Land O’ Lakes address and have been receiving the Wesley Chapel/New Tampa edition of The Laker, beginning today you will receive the Land O’ Lakes edition of The Laker. These families live north of State Road 54 along Wesley Chapel Boulevard in the subdivisions of Stagecoach Village,The Enclave and Cypress Estates. People who live in Grand Oaks, who also have a Land O’ Lakes address, will continue to receive our Wesley Chapel edition because of their close proximity to the Interstate 75/Wesley Chapel community. We view these changes as course corrections to our distribution, which will allow us to publish, more precisely, news stories pertinent to where you live.This means readers living south of State Road 54 now will receive more news about their hometown of Lutz, and readers living north of State Road 54 will receive more news about their hometown of Land O’ Lakes.
he said. “People would prefer not to have people walking through their backyards, whether they are observing birds or taking a walk, or whatever it is,” Moore said. Staff added a graph outlining a process for the property owner to participate in decisions about access and what passive types of recreation could be allowed. “Not every piece would be appropriate for any passive amenity,” said Keith Wiley, the county’s natural resources manager. “Every situation would be different. But, (the ordinance) would at least give citizens that are concerned an opportunity to provide input to the process.” There are seven corridors countywide mapped out as natural pathways for diverse wildlife including spotted turtles, gopher frogs, ospreys, fox squirrels, bears and river otters. County officials also say the corridors help preserve water resources and wetlands. Nearly 16 years ago, a court settlement mandated that Pasco create the corridors, also known as “critical linkages.” Previous commissions tried and failed in that mission. Janice Howie of the Nature Coast Florida Native Plant Society told commissioners time was running out as new development gobbles up open land. As an example, she said 20 or so bears in the northwestern cor-
In addition to adjusting these boundaries, this week we’re also welcoming several new areas to our home delivery. In Wesley Chapel, we now deliver to families living in Estancia and and in the Silver Leaf area of Seven Oaks. In Lutz, we are welcoming families in Long Lake Ranch. In Land O’ Lakes, we have increased home delivery in Ballantrae, have added The Woodlands and also have added two subdivisions in Connerton — Taylor Morrison’s Gardenia Glenn and Homes by WestBay. Our new home delivery totals 1,000 households — an astounding, one-week increase in circulation, especially when contrasted to daily newspapers that regularly report double-digit circulation losses. Adding in our East Pasco circulation,The Laker/Lutz News is now delivered to 44,800 homes and businesses. Surprising to many,
See WILDLIFE, page 11A
See EDITION, page 11A
Welcome New Readers
#CFC1428982 #CAC1816647 #EC0001103
SUPER SERVICE AWARD 2012 ,2013, 2014, 2015
B INSIDE, PAGE 1B
Pasco’s sludge will become fertilizer By Kathy Steele
ksteele@lakerlutznews.com
Pasco County’s sludge problem appears to have a solution. Commissioners approved an agreement with biosolids management company, Merrell Bros. Inc., to build a facility that will dry out 23,000 tons of the county’s wet sludge annually and convert the sludge into saleable dry fertilizer. In addition, Merrell can contract with other counties to dispose of their sludge, for a total of 50,000 tons each year. Merrell Bros. made a workshop presentation to commissioners on May 17.
Commissioners gave the green light on June 21 at their meeting in New Port Richey to construct the biosolids facility. The agreement “allows us to control our own destiny for biosolids waste disposal,” said Flip Mellinger, assistant county administrator for utility services. Under the agreement, Merrell will build and operate the facility, which would be owned by the county and located at the Shady Hills solid waste complex. Construction costs cannot exceed $13 million. However, the county also would be responsible for about $1.2 million in contingency funds. Design and construction of the facility will take about two years.
Currently, much of the county’s sludge is composted or hauled to landfills in Georgia, or to St. Cloud. However, tipping fees are increasing, and disposal sites are decreasing as state regulations restrict new permits. The annual cost for sludge disposal to the county is about $1.3 million a year.With the biosolids facility, the county could save $600,000 or more, partially based on sharing in a portion of fertilizer sales and fees paid by Merrell. The county’s agreement with Merrell is for 15 years, with three, 5-year renewals. The facility will have a greenhouse “pod,” a pasteurization building and an odor control system.