Lutz News-Lutz/Odessa-July 20, 2016

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Permit granted for Raymond James By B.C. Manion

bcmanion@lakerlutznews.com

Raymond James is a step closer to building a campus in Wesley Chapel, according to J.D. Porter, whose family has a pending contract on a land sale to the financial services giant. Last week, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers approved the permit needed for the project, Porter said.“It covers the entire Raymond James project,” he said. The project, which would be built near

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State Road 56, and Wiregrass Ranch Boulevard, ultimately could have 1 million square feet in office space. “The process from here on out is that we’ve got to go back before the Board of County Commissioners and ratify the deal, update timelines, because it took a little while to get the permit in. And then, after that, per their contract, they have 30 days to close,” Porter said. Steve Hollister, a spokesman for Raymond James, offered no timetable for when the project will proceed.

“Raymond James continues to evaluate occupancy needs as part of the firm’s longterm growth strategy. We believe the Wiregrass Ranch property is a good future development opportunity and expect to close on the property within the next three months, but cannot commit to a specific construction schedule at this time,” Hollister said, via email. Still, the Corps’ approval is a significant milestone for a project, which has been deSee PERMIT, page 11A

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Open house set for watershed master plan By Kevin Weiss

kweiss@lakerlutznews.com

People who want to learn more about the Cypress Creek Watershed Master Plan and drainage projects are invited to an open house on July 26 at 6:30 p.m., at the Lutz Civic Center, 98 First Ave., N.W., in Lutz. The meeting will include a brief presentation by representatives of the Hillsborough County Public Works department. There also will be informative displays about the $290,000 master plan study. Leland Dicus, a section engineering services manager for Hillsborough County, said the final plan will incorporate public input. “We’re looking for feedback from the residents and the property owners within the watershed,” Dicus said.“What we’re showing in the master plan update will reflect what (residents) have seen as far as flooding in the area. “We looked back at the flooding complaints we’ve received...and those were some of the areas that we took a look at in the master plan updates,” he said. During the open house, residents will also be able to provide comments about proposed updates to the watershed’s hydrology and hydraulics (H&H) model, and conceptual recommended flood control projects. Dicus said the public works department currently has identified seven potential watershed drainage projects to alleviate future flooding problems. A watershed is considered to be an area of land where water flows across, as it moves toward a common body of water, such as a stream, river, lake or coast. The Cypress Creek Watershed area, generally bordered by U.S. 41 and Interstate 75, drains an area of approximately 33 square miles in Hillsborough County. The watershed management plan was completed in 2000 by URS Corporation Southern. The Cypress Creek Watershed master plan — part of the Countywide Watershed update —ultimately provides Hillsborough County with information on flooding within the area.The plan includes an updated H&H model that is used by the county, the Southwest Florida Water Management District, and local developers for project analysis and permitting. It will also identify flood prone areas, and develop conceptual projects and cost estimates to solve flooding issues. A 2011 study by the county’s public

PHOTOS COURTESY OF HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY

This graphic illustrates the Cypress Creek Watershed, which lies in the northern portion of Hillsborough County and in the southern portion of Pasco County. The 33-square-mile section of the watershed located within Hillsborough County is generally bordered by U.S. 41 and Interstate 75.

This is a portion of the Cypress Creek Watershed. A 2011 study by the Hillsborough County Public Works department shows the watershed has a history of flooding problems.

works department showed the watershed has a history of flooding problems, particularly during the 2004 hurricane season. The study also indicated that residential development in northward rural

portions of the watershed is impacting runoff and drainage patterns. Dicus said information from the study See WATERSHED, page 11A

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Helpers needed in Pasco for Stuff the Bus By B.C. Manion

bcmanion@lakerlutznews.com

Efforts are under way to collect and distribute school supplies to Pasco County teachers through the sixth annual Stuff the Bus campaign. The goal is to provide supplies to fulfill requests by Pasco County teachers. “Over 1,000 teachers have signed up for their supplies,” Melinda Velez, manager of Community Impact Initiatives for the United Way of Pasco, said via email. “We are in need of volunteers for many shifts,” she added. Besides helping teachers, the annual campaign provides a good way for students to get volunteer hours, and it’s a great family friendly volunteer project,Velez says. The effort requires volunteers to help with the pack, sort and distribution duties. Donations will be accepted from July 29 through July 31, from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. They will be collected at these Wal-Mart sites: Land O’ Lakes Boulevard in Lutz, State Road 54 in Wesley Chapel, Gall Boulevard in Zephyrhills; U.S. 19 in Hudson, State Road 54

COURTESY OF UNITED WAY OF PASCO

It takes a lot of boxes to pack up the supplies that are collected each year through the annual Stuff the Bus.

in New Port Richey and U.S. 19 in Port Richey. Items that are needed include No. 2 pencils, mechanical pencils, crayons, red and blue pens, washable markers, permanent markers, highlighters, rulers, spiral notebooks, dry erase markers, glue sticks, pencil sharpeners, pencil cap erasers, binders and

composition notebooks. At the donation sites, volunteers will: • Hand out a shopping supply list • Collect school supply donations • Stuff the donations in the bus • Help to sort and organize the supplies in the bus The volunteer shifts at the donation sites are for three hours, either from 10 a.m. until 1 p.m., or from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. This work will be done outdoors, so be sure to dress appropriately for the weather and wear sunscreen and a hat. It’s also a good idea to bring a cooler to keep your drinks cold. Water bottles will be provided on the bus. Packing and sorting will be from Aug. 1 through Aug. 3. Volunteers signing up to help with packing and distribution will work in four-hour shifts at Ridgewood High School, at 7650 Orchid Lake Road in New Port Richey.The work will be done indoors, in the school’s cafeteria and media center. For more information, go to Facebook.com/UnitedWayPasco. If you’d like to help, visit tiny.cc/2016StuffTheBus.


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