[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6196233,"mediaKeyId","3857877-ced2d9595ca85050ce9f11d250086687","parentId",3857877,"title","Council authorizes CRA purchase of two lots near Zephyr Park, waives appraisal requirement","audioSeconds",290,"startMs",824000,"endMs",1114000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3857877-ced2d9595ca85050ce9f11d250086687&start=824&end=1114","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3857877-ced2d9595ca85050ce9f11d250086687/thumbnail_824000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6196233/Zephyrhills-City/Pasco-County/Florida/Council-authorizes-CRA-purchase-of-two-lots-near-Zephyr-Park-waives-appraisal-requirement","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6196233-59544ab8f716dd7e216dd4e86d7981f1/orig.mp4?Expires=1775463765&Signature=JE9ObqTKjM1yBFKjtUjh70juQgikh1UIz4zOR59NNAilyPkJnDJ64oCO~qpI4mUbgfjqDal1L3oXIpQCVkMbIhTcsRJs9IjotZAc3T6dDqNODOoczqoUCCYJb95JPSfp6CigpqnS821~kdvlV1GmBpLcqWksmAhlai8Hg6uu5wjifOkC8SuyKInTT-hT1xHiGpEOGpZHtQh18yhcBoLSflc2LnP1YcS8mr59VSSydLONqSYHM-Gi0aUVz4g5kUzGK1TXdJKVoLR4tikNV9cwSO~QeWc50OGD9IdeWNxRGFB2BeFZq9lc8gjmssbgaMgUNpALP5Tje0cny8OSreYVXg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","City of Zephyrhills, FL","date","2025-06-16T14:45:57Z","article","The Zephyrhills City Council unanimously approved a motion to let the Community Redevelopment Agency purchase two vacant lots at the corner of Fourth Street and Fifth Avenue next to Zephyr Park.

Gail, the CRA director, told the council the sites are two 40,000-square-foot lots adjacent to property the CRA already owns and to the park; staff asked the council to authorize purchase without requiring an appraisal because the price was under the city’s appraisal threshold of $880,000. The asking price reported in the meeting was $89,050; the negotiated purchase price put forward to council was $79,999.99.

Council members said the corner is strategically important for the park’s design and that staff will send the design concept to the CRA consultant once the city has control of the land. Gail told council the CRA board had previously approved $300,000 to acquire land in support of CRA objectives, and staff said the purchase would not require additional CRA funding beyond that allocation.

After brief questions about intended use and funding source, a council member moved to approve the purchase and to bypass the appraisal requirement. The council voted 7–0 to approve the purchase and to waive the appraisal process.

The council did not adopt a final development plan for the lots; staff said once the city owns the property it will involve the city’s park designer and CRA consultant in planning options for the corner.

Votes and next steps: Council approved the purchase at $79,999.99 and authorized staff to proceed without an appraisal; staff will return with design options and any related budget actions if further funds are required for improvements.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Zephyrhills City Council Meeting (6-9-2025)","oneSentenceSummary","The council unanimously approved a Community Redevelopment Agency purchase of two adjacent lots next to Zephyr Park for $79,999.99 and waived an appraisal based on policy thresholds and existing CRA budget approval.","taxTitle","Zephyrhills City, Pasco County, Florida","taxId",12582,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6196237,"Council directs staff to draft updated tree ordinance to protect canopy and clarify permits",1694,3634000,5328000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3857877-ced2d9595ca85050ce9f11d250086687&start=3634&end=5328","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3857877-ced2d9595ca85050ce9f11d250086687/thumbnail_3634000.jpg","/articles/6196237/Zephyrhills-City/Pasco-County/Florida/Council-directs-staff-to-draft-updated-tree-ordinance-to-protect-canopy-and-clarify-permits","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6196237-6f16072852a509ebe0124d3b5559cb47/orig.mp4?Expires=1775463765&Signature=gZjXJxvKjNl13MGw7GQjgjX9bumUmGKf3Da3IGEKS5SjuaLP5gB6CmXptOCXN4BIjKh1yOugpX1h7Ngo~hPtq3yYTLt52ausxrosHzvUc8lDmH6Qvro4TaB8gt-Hh2DXAVWx0OPDQnm66YbUdB~V-bksJuiRmkZ58gh0dU4AuKFua-VKgilCdpro-rISrIdTIi1QtPWEsAey1wOexO5iTZpl6VKqNi0ySAYhErq8IqQb4oOjvzfevNRHzz6hm-VIlb2qoVBhalY6nG-icgGflL5INTGtXydkxmA~kR0Zgypu2mWIsu~GkPMxpdtq7AfTDhVk7QjZpnSff1-fJeawvw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","City planning staff presented a staff-initiated project to rewrite Zephyrhills’ tree and landscape ordinance, and the City Council asked staff to bring a draft ordinance back that strengthens tree removal permitting, expands mitigation and improves enforcement.

Todd Vandenberg, planning director, told the council the rewrite follows public concerns and planning commission recommendations. He requested direction on several items, including whether residential property owners should require a tree-removal permit, thresholds for protected trees (the staff draft uses a 6-inch DBH threshold but noted Safety Harbor’s ordinance uses 4 inches), mitigation formulas, and longer maintenance guarantees for newly planted material.

Council members and planning commissioners who spoke supported requiring residential tree-removal permits for protected trees (with statutory exemptions for dead, diseased or hazardous trees), raising penalty amounts for unauthorized removals, and extending plant establishment/guarantee periods to two years rather than one. Council members also urged more proactive pre-application arborist review so applicants and staff identify high-quality trees early in design, and suggested the city use a consultant arborist for technical reviews where needed.

Staff outlined that the current code includes a table that ties allowable removals to the average number of trees per acre; planning staff said that strict application of the existing table would make some pending developments difficult and that a new ordinance should balance tree preservation with development feasibility. Council also asked staff to consider open-space requirements and minimum preserved-canopy standards for larger residential projects.

No ordinance was adopted at the meeting. Council gave direction to staff to prepare a proposed ordinance incorporating the planning commission’s recommendations (permit thresholds, mitigation for large trees, expanded enforcement language and a two-year planting guarantee) and to consult with an arborist and the city attorney before returning the draft for a public hearing.","Planning staff outlined a staff-initiated rewrite of the city’s tree and landscape code; council members and the planning commission asked for stronger removal permits, mitigation, longer plant establishment periods and clearer enforcement.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6196242,"Council approves utility service agreement to expand water permit capacity",1358,5955000,7313000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3857877-ced2d9595ca85050ce9f11d250086687&start=5955&end=7313","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3857877-ced2d9595ca85050ce9f11d250086687/thumbnail_5955000.jpg","/articles/6196242/Zephyrhills-City/Pasco-County/Florida/Council-approves-utility-service-agreement-to-expand-water-permit-capacity","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6196242-42d9c2f34eb1e31d07225b85abf392d8/orig.mp4?Expires=1775463765&Signature=inPTTPh5atkrYQC2zHpTvS~OM-6R-qxaC4I8r~RmYiF15vqLyGT4OrIAvLu3-6zmBc6aleNaV0W6JUOVWDuMZf7uDuGb9wM08Nu7SmkhV3yBXAxI8s6SsTDSmGDRxrhAYcFB7I3kQwnhE9RFWqGdL48gQ6dTr4BToF~SChgFuifwCZ4KeA6SnBeIbirAYpvZMn-wR9SDyPYebBNKspD2I5HoS4JV2eO5gpPj5xwY00NIeHhODmvqpZM5X0C7RV6WeX9tWAmXRhj3lEEM81zbI~6PvxgGqQ9vJVT4qRKJRSPs1AChMcMH5558yYeeR53F-aGC35MEQWwKuM7tMpNi~A__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Zephyrhills City Council unanimously approved a utility services agreement with landowners represented by Hobby & Hobby, P.A. that transfers permitted water capacity to the city and is intended to support projected development in the city’s utility service area.

City Manager Billy introduced the utility services agreement, saying landowners have four wells permitted at 790,000 gallons per day and that the planned development would use roughly 650,000 gpd, leaving about 140,000 gpd available to the city under the proposed arrangement. The agreement requires the landowners to transfer their water-use permits to the city and allows staff to seek an amended water-use permit from the Southwest Florida Water Management District (SWFWMD).

The council’s action follows months of technical review and modeling. Clark Hobby, attorney for the landowners, told the council the arrangement is intended to allow Zephyrhills to secure a larger overall permit from SWFWMD. Hobby said the district has been part of the conversation and is awaiting the executed agreement to finalize the city’s permit amendment.

Under the approved agreement the city will:
- Accept transfer of the landowners’ water-use permits and apply to SWFWMD to increase the city’s permitted withdrawal (the city’s target number was discussed in the meeting but depends on SWFWMD’s review);
- Reserve up to 650,000 gpd for the development while holding approximately 140,000 gpd of capacity for the city’s use (figures in the meeting reflect the applicants’ estimates and the reservation term negotiated);
- Require each phase of development to connect to city water and wastewater at designated locations and to pay normal capacity fees and rates.

The agreement includes a 15-year reservation period for the developers’ allocated capacity, with an extension possible for extenuating circumstances. Staff said the reservation term resulted from negotiations; city staff initially sought a shorter term and the property owners had proposed a longer one.

Council members pressed staff on whether the arrangement would allow the city to lift or modify its moratorium on new water connections. City staff said that completion of the SWFWMD permit amendment is a separate regulatory step and that the city will need to make a policy decision about the moratorium once the amended permit is issued and implementation details are settled. Staff also explained the city would not be connecting directly to the landowners’ agricultural wells; rather, the transaction allows the city to secure additional permitted withdrawal capacity and then manage production and monitoring as part of the city’s system.

The council voted 7–0 to approve Utility Services Agreement No. 45-25-18.

What happens next: staff will submit the executed agreement to SWFWMD and pursue the city’s permit amendment. The agreement requires follow-up steps, including placing monitoring infrastructure, confirming physical interconnect points and finalizing any easements or conditions SWFWMD requires before the city can rely on the expanded permitted capacity.","Zephyrhills City Council unanimously approved a utility service agreement with local landowners that transfers water-use permit capacity to the city and is intended to support projected development while enabling the city to amend its SWFWMD permit.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Council authorizes CRA purchase of two lots near Zephyr Park, waives appraisal requirement

Council directs staff to draft updated tree ordinance to protect canopy and clarify permits

Council approves utility service agreement to expand water permit capacity