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SEPTEMBER 9, 2020
Efforts aim to add voting options
By B.C. Manion bcmanion@lakerlutznews.com
Election supervisors in Pasco and Hillsborough counties plan to expand opportunities to voters in the coming General Election, to make it easier for them to have their voices heard. Pasco County Supervisor of Elections Brian Corley has announced plans to add more early voting sites for this year’s Presidential Election. The county also will extend the length of the early voting period, according to a news
release from Corley’s office. The changes are being made “in anticipation of increased voter turnout and the inevitable potential for long lines and wait times due to social distancing and CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)-recommended cleaning guidelines,” the release says. The early voting period in Pasco County is Oct. 18 through Oct. 31, from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., including weekends. The county also has increased the number of early voting sites. “A longer voting period and a total of 14
locations marks a new high for Pasco County,” the release from Corley’s office reports. “In partnership with Pasco County Administration, we have secured additional sites to include Veterans Memorial Park Gymnasium, J. Ben Harrill Recreation Complex Gymnasium, Land O’ Lakes Recreation Complex Gymnasium and Wiregrass Ranch Sports Campus,” Corley says, in the release.“The response from Dan Biles, County Administrator, was without See VOTING, page 7A
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LOC AL W ILDLLIFE IFE CAL WILD New shoes, check. New backpack, check. New mask, check. Connor is ready for the beginning of a new school year.
STEFFA ANIE BURLINGAM ME/STAFF PHOTO
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COURTESY OF ERIN MATHES
Zachary Mathes waits in line — getting ready to start a new year of learning.
Five-year-old Connor Mathes and his 3-year-old brother, Zachary, get ready for the first day of preschool at Xavier Elementary School in Appleton, Wisconsin.
A tradition, with some new twists Getting ready for the First Day of School typically means new back-to-school clothes, shoes and a backpack. This year — during the midst of the COVID-19 global pandemic— it means a mask, too. Five-year-old Connor and 3-year-old Zachary Mathes, grandsons of Diane Kortus, publisher of The Laker/Lutz News, were among the millions of children across the country beginning the 2020-2021 school year. For a look at First Day of School photos from The Laker/Lutz News region, please turn to 1B.
Proposal for design Boundary process standards sparks debate beginning soon
for Starkey K-8
By Kevin Weiss kweiss@lakerlutznews.com
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BACK TO SCHOOL INSIDE, PAGE 1B
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. 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
By B.C. Manion bcmanion@lakerlutznews.com
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
Construction of the new Starkey K-8 school is well underway, and Pasco County Schools has begun notifying families that may be affected by the boundary changes that will be required to assign students to the school. The school — part of a complex that includes a theater, library and cultural center — is scheduled to open in the 2021-2022 school year. Significant progress has been made on the construction. “I drove by Starkey K-8 the other day and it is just incredible how that building has come up out of the ground,” Superintendent Kurt Browning told Pasco County School Board members at their Sept. 1 meeting. “It is a phenomenal facility,” Browning said.“It’ll be a huge addition to the Starkey Ranch development, so we’re excited about that.” But, whenever a new school opens, the district must draw new boundaries — a process that can sometimes become controversial. Browning told board members that the district is preparing to begin the boundary process for Starkey K-8. “We’ll be communicating with potentially impacted families currently attending Odessa Elementary School, Longleaf Elementary School and River Ridge Middle School, regarding the timeline and the process,” Browning said.
See DESIGN, page 7A
See STARKEY, page 7A
COURTESY OF CITY OF ZEPHYRHILLS
The Zephyrhills Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) is considering implementing comprehensive design standards within its 500-acre historic district.