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Pigz in Z’Hills festival postponed
By Kevin Weiss kweiss@lakerlutznews.com
Like so many other major events throughout the Tampa Bay area, the 11th annual Pigz in Z’Hills BBQ & Blues Fest will be forced to make many adjustments in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. The largest annual event in Zephyrhills — which was slated for Feb. 27 — has been tentatively postponed until April, in the name of health and safety. Exact dates, times and a location are still to be determined, as are ticket and parking prices.
The Greater Zephyrhills Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors agreed on the postponement in mid-December, after consulting with medical professionals and event partners, according to a chamber news release. The BBQ festival’s reboot will take on a different flavor in 2021 compared to past years — possibly focusing on just a drive-in concert and drive-thru BBQ meal pickup. More concrete details will be hammered out following another board meeting in late January, where final event recommendations will be agreed upon, Greater Zephyrhills
Chamber of Commerce Director Melonie Monson told The Laker/Lutz News in a recent interview. Multiple proposals already have been discussed with Pigz in Z’Hills committee members and chamber leaders on the best approach. One general concept that has been floated includes having attendees simply “drive through a line and pick up their BBQ, and then park and stay in their cars and listen to a concert,” Monson said. See FESTIVAL, page 7A
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Zephyrhills development yields roadway concerns By Kevin Weiss kweiss@lakerlutznews.com
The City of Zephyrhills is experiencing booming growth and development that includes thousands of new homes and myriad commercial projects — and that’s on top of a newfound tourism and visitor rush felt with the opening of the $4.9 million Sarah Vande Berg Tennis & Wellness Center, at 6585 Simons Road. As the city begins to add new population and outsiders, concerns are increasing about the ability of the city’s road ways being able to sustain traffic arising from all the happenings in the small East Pasco town. Those qualms were front and center at a Zephyrhills City Council meeting last month. “We’re having tremendous growth right now, and I think it’s really hard to stay ahead of it, I really do, from a traffic management standpoint,” Councilman Lance Smith said. “We see it in (Pasco County). In the county we see the lag that’s happened, and my gosh, how long have they been working on (State Road) 54, adding additional lanes? I’m just concerned that we stay ahead of it,” the councilman said. Smith directed attention to the Abbott Square development that will add some 700 units surrounding the new tennis center on Simons Road. The roadway is already becoming a problem with motorists trying to make left-hand turns off the Simons Road/Eiland Boulevard intersection, without a traffic signal, he said. He also observed “cars stacked up turning left” during a recent event at the tennis complex, therefore increasing the likelihood of accidents and wrecks. “People get frustrated when they can’t make that left-hand turn, and they’re willing to take a chance when they do that,” Smith said. “We need to do something.” In response, Zephyrhills City Manager Billy Poe explained a signalized intersection improvement is tied into a developer’s agreement with the Abbott Square homebuilder, Lennar Corporation. Meanwhile, the city is looking to time up those signalized improvements and connect Simons Road into Fort King Road by the end of 2021, Poe said. Smith credited city staff for “doing a really good job” with facilitating various development projects — along with getting some transportation projects in the pipeline, such as the busy U.S. 301/Pretty Pond Road and County Road 54/U.S. 301 intersections. But he cautioned that those involved must think of any potential issues that might result before construction actually begins on a particular project:“Just put on your thinking cap when you’re looking at these developments,‘How’s it going to impact the road network around it?’” Smith brought up the example of consulting engineers not including a right-hand turn lane into the recent State Road 56/Morris Bridge Road project. See ROADWAY, page 7A
FRED BELLET
Paving a path toward progress Roadwork is happening all over Pasco County — kicking up dirt and causing lane closures. But, once the work is finished, getting around Pasco County should be a whole lot easier. Work crews are widening State Road 54 from two lanes to four lanes with a median, from east of Curley Road to east of Morris Bridge Road, near Zephyrhills. See Page 1B for a detailed look at the projects.
COVID-19 vaccinations New community in high demand in Pasco planned along Positive COVID-19 cases, and deaths, continue to mount. B.C. Manion bcmanion@lakerlutznews.com
As the number of positive COVID-19 cases and deaths continue to rise, frustration is mounting among people eager to get vaccinated to protect themselves from the deadly virus. So far, demand for vaccines is outpacing supply in both Pasco and Hillsborough counties — and when tickets are available to receive a vaccine, they are quickly snapped up. Land O’ Lakes resident Jeff Cordover said he was finally able to get through, and he and his wife, Judy, were able to get their first dose of the vaccine. Once there, the process went smoothly, Cordover said. “The wait wasn’t bad.We had a 3 o’clock appointment, and we maybe waited 20 minutes or so,” Cordover said. But his wife, Judy, said improvements are needed to make it less confusing to register for a vaccine. “Getting the vaccine wasn’t the problem. The problem was getting into the computer to get the registration to get the vaccine,” she said. The Florida Department of Health in Pasco County is offering vaccinations by appointment only to those age 65 and older. Registering for the vaccine must be done through the department’s website. Those wishing to obtain a vaccine are encouraged to check the website frequently for updates of when new registrations are being accepted.The sign-ups are based on vaccine supplies. No new registrations were being accepted on the morning of Jan. 11. Pasco County residence is not required, but snowbirds must remain in Pasco County for their second round — which is 28 days after the first appointment, the website says. The health department’s current drive-
COVID statistics
Available as of Jan. 11, 10:30 a.m.
United States: Positive cases - 22,102,069; deaths - 371,084 Florida: Total cases - 1,477,010; including positive residents, 1,450,620; Florida resident deaths, 22,912; non-resident deaths, 349 Pasco County: 24,712 positive residents; 230 positive non-residents; 406 deaths Hillsborough County: 85,784 positive residents; 725 positive non-residents; 1,121 deaths Pasco County Schools: 1,067 student cases (13,251 students impacted); 506 staff cases (1,153 employees impacted) Hillsborough County Schools: 3,341 positive cases, including 1,265 employees and 2,076 students.
State Road 56
By B.C. Manion bcmanion@lakerlutznews.com
thru vaccination clinic is at Sears in the Gulfview Square Mall, at 9409 U.S. 19 in Port Richey. However, efforts are underway to add a site in East Pasco, according to the health department. To find out specifics for registering for a vaccine, check the website’s section on frequently asked questions. Also, keep checking the website to find out if more vaccines have become available and more registrations are being accepted. The website is Pasco.FloridaHealth.gov. Registration for vaccinations is free. Pasco health department officials have issued a warning to make sure that people sign up on Eventbrite, using the link from the health department’s website. Someone has set up a fake account, in an attempt to scam people, the website says. Hillsborough County, in partnership with the Florida Department of Health in Hillsborough County, will begin a second round of COVID-19 vaccinations this week for residents age 65 and older. Hillsborough
The new Two Rivers community proposed to rise along State Road 56, between Morris Bridge Road and U.S. 301, is a step closer to reality. The Pasco County Planning Commission has recommended the approval of changes to a highway vision map and to the text of the county’s comprehensive plan — to bring the envisioned project closer to fruition. The Pasco County Commission has final jurisdiction over land use and zoning decisions, so the project still needs additional approvals before any work can commence. But, plans for the area envision a 3,405-acre community that offers a mixture of housing types, work opportunities, shopping, recreation and schools. The Two Rivers project has been in planning stages — off and on — for more than 10 years, and there have been a number of ownership changes, according to Craig Lohmiller, a group leader for Ardurra, who has been involved with the project for more than a decade. Current plans call for creating Two Rivers as a master-planned development in Pasco County, which would tie into a community under the same ownership that is south of the Pasco-Hillsborough line, according to attorney Clarke Hobby, co-counsel on the project along with Attorney Joel Tew. Background materials in the agenda packet detail that planning for the project site includes: • 246 acres of conservation area • 3,875 single-family homes • 1,400 multi-family homes • 1,125 age-restricted homes • 1.3 million square feet for a targeted industry • 630,000 square feet retail The plan also includes schools for elemen-
See COVID-19, page 7A
See COMMUNITY, page 7A
Sources: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; Florida Department of Health; Pasco County Schools and Hillsborough County Schools.