Overpass Rd. Interchange Funding Not Vetoed By Gov. Scott This Time

The long road to the future development of Wesley Chapel will need an off ramp, and the area is now a big step closer to getting one.

Gov. Rick Scott, a year after vetoing $15 million for a project to build an interchange at I-75 and Overpass Rd. (see map), allowed the same amount of money to stay in the upcoming state budget this time around.

The money won’t completely fund the approximately $64-million project, but it’s a large enough chunk that the interchange can begin to move forward.

According to Pasco County commissioner Mike Moore, who represents much of Wesley Chapel in District 2, the proposed interchange will not only relieve some of the traffic at the S.R. 56 and S.R. 54 exits in Wesley Chapel, it also will improve the safety conditions on the surrounding state roads by improving additional emergency evacuation and response times within the county.

The interchange also will be built with an eye to future development.

“It’s going to be a big help in that area,’’ says Moore, referencing large developments like the Villages of Pasadena Hills in Zephyrhills and the Connected City project in northern Wesley Chapel.

The Connected City is almost 8,000 acres of land currently under development and running north from Overpass Rd. in Wesley Chapel to S.R. 52 in San Antonio, and east from I-75 to Curley Rd. Expected to be a high-tech business sector, it will feature two Crystal Lagoons in the Mirada and Epperson communities, and (according to developer Metro Development), at the conclusion of its 50-year build out, the Connected City will have 37,000 homes, 67,000 jobs and 100,000 residents.

And those aren’t the only developments coming to this still-rural area. Quail Hollow is adding 400 homes on the former golf course property, and Cypress Creek Middle/High School on Old Pasco Rd. also is new to the area.

“We want to prepare for 20, 30 and 40 years down the road, and that’s what’s happening now,” Moore says of the interchange project, which was first approved in 2004 but was discussed for more than a decade before that.

The plan to build a new I-75 interchange at Overpass Rd., which will be roughly  3.1 miles north of the S.R. 54 exit and 3.6 miles south of the S.R. 52 exit, is part of a larger project to link Old Pasco Rd. all the way east to U.S. Hwy. 301 in Zephyrhills.

The project was identified in the 2009 Pasco Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO)’s Transportation Update Plan through 2035 “Needs Plan.” That plan scheduled the new interchange, extension and expansion of Overpass Rd. to be completed between 2016-25.

Moore says the county thinks the project will be completed by November of 2022, as there already is $30 million (not including the $15 million in the new state budget) set aside for the project from mobility fees, local gas taxes and various developer surtaxes. The county is seeking grants to cover the remaining $20-million portion of the costs.

It will begin planning this year for right of way acquisitions, with $12 million earmarked for that process. Next year, $4.6 million will go into the design phase, and the remaining $47 million will go towards construction costs.

Overpass Rd. is currently a two-lane roadway that extends east from Old Pasco Rd. to 0.86 miles east of Boyette Rd.

In addition to adding an interstate exit, Overpass Rd. will be widened to four lanes from I-75 to Old Pasco Rd. as part of the project.

The interchange is part of a larger project to extend Overpass Rd. nine miles from its current eastern terminus at Boyette Rd. all the way to U.S. Hwy. 301.

Moore says Pasco County did well in the latest legislative sessions, crediting Florida Senate Majority Leader Wilton Simpson (whose 10th Senate District incudes northern Wesley Chapel) and State Representative Danny Burgess (R-Dist. 38) for their efforts.

After vetoing $22 million worth of Pasco projects last year, Scott let roughly that same amount stay in the budget this year, including $4.3 million for the Thomas Varnadoe Forensic Center for Research & Education in Land O’Lakes and $1.5 million for the Lighthouse for the Visually Impaired & Blind in Port Richey.   

2018 Taste Of New Tampa & Wesley Chapel Faces In The Crowd!

I send out many thanks to freelance writer Andy Warrener for also attending this year’s Taste and for his efforts to get a feel for the Taste from the persepective of some of its attendees. The folks on this page all raved about the event and were excited to be part of this feature. — GN

Antoinette and Jerome Lee of Cross Creek in New Tampa found out about the event in the Mar. 23 New Tampa edition of the Neighborhood News. It was also their first time at a Taste event.

“I like it because you can select the vendors you like,” Antoinette said. “If there’s one in particular you like, you can use your cards there or, if you want to try a new restaurant. It’s also nice to meet people in line. You work in the community but there are a lot of people you don’t come into contact with. Here you can do that.”

Antoinette was partial to the Cuban food offered up by La Yuma. Jerome was previously a fan of Texas Roadhouse and said he enjoyed their samplings.

 

For Arbor Greene resident Jacob, 15, his favorite was Snow Rolls Ice Cream, and for his brother Noah, 6, it was the pizza from Bosco’s Italian-to-Go.

“We actually found out about the event in the Neighborhood News,” said their father Randy. “There are lots of activities in more established communities like downtown and South Tampa but not much going on in New Tampa and Wesley Chapel. This event gives us lots of options to look for and a chance to get out and do things. As the community grows, so will events like this.”

 

Quail Hollow residents Steve and Virginia Catrombone brought their eight-month old son, Memphis, to the event. They have lived in the Wesley Chapel area the last five years and were attending their first Taste of New Tampa. They had never even been to FHCI before.

“The prices are great and the food is awesome,” Steve said. “It’s a good, community event. The turnout is really nice and it’s well-organized. We’ve been to food truck rallies, local markets and events at the Shops at Wiregrass and this event is great. We’ve seen Wesley Chapel grow so much the last five years.” Virginia enjoyed sampling area eateries that she hadn’t had visited yet. “This is a great event because all these places are local for us,” Virginia said. “And now, we have a chance to see what they have to offer.”

 

Jeff and Jennifer Pike, who live in Live Oak in New Tampa, brought their twin daughters Liliana and Amalia as well as their son, 12-year-old Carter, to the Taste.

“We found out about the event on Facebook, it’s our first time here,” Jeff said. “The food was the clincher. There’s such a variety with what’s in the neighborhood, we didn’t even know half the places. The event gets people to recognize that there are more restaurants out there than just the major chains.”

Jeff enjoyed the Shepherd’s pie from O’Brien’s Irish Pub, while Jennifer was taken by the flan and rice and beans offered by La Yuma.

“The food samples are the primary reason for coming, also to hang out with friends,” Jennifer said. “It’s a very family-friendly event,” Jennifer said. “The kids are here with their friends and there’s always a new restaurant to discover.”

 

Did you attend this year’s Taste of New Tampa & Wesley Chapel? If not, why not? If so, what did you like best about it? We’d love to hear from you. Send us a Facebook message (search “Neighborhood News”) or email us at EditorialDept@NTNeighborhoodNews.com!

Wesley Chapel’s Zach D’Onofrio’s ‘American Idol’ Quest Ends In Los Angeles

ach D’Onofrio is surprised after being eliminated in his journey to become the next “American Idol.” But, he says the experience was one he will never forget.

Wiregrass Ranch junior Zach D’Onofrio’s hopes of being the next “American Idol” are officially over, after taking the shy Wesley Chapel 16-year-old on an incredible whirlwind journey that started at auditions at Florida Hospital Center Ice here in Wesley Chapel and led him to Orlando, New York and California.

Unofficially, his dream ended Jan. 21 in Hollywood, CA. But, to those not in his immediate family, Zach’s end came March 26, when the last episode he will appear in was shown on ABC-TV.

“It was a really great experience,” said Zach, the day after the final episode.

Like he did on the “Idol” season premiere, Zach had a nice spot on the March 26 episode, which focused on his friendship with fellow contestant, the quirky Catie Turner. While Turner pined for the young, good-looking hopefuls on the show, her affections were mostly aimed at Zach.

“He’s funny, he’s nice, he dresses cool,” Catie said.

“Me and Catie got really close on the show, and I definitely made a lot of good friends that I will never forget,” Zach says. “I am very thankful I could meet all these great people.”

Like Zach, Catie transforms herself when it comes to singing. She turned in a sterling performance of the Beatles’ “Come Together,” and then cheered on Zach from backstage.

Zach sang 45 seconds of Michael Buble’s “Cry Me A River” (though it was edited to about 15 second for TV) on his final appearance. Cameras showed the other contestants expressing shock (as most people do) when Zach’s squeaky voice gave way to his much bigger and deeper singing voice.

When it came time for elimination, the 10 contestants in Zach’s group were called to the Dolby Theater stage. While the show made it look like three were asked to step forward, it was actually seven of the 10. The three that weren’t asked to step forward, including Zach, were eliminated by celebrity judges Luke Bryan, Lionel Richie and Katy Perry, who famously danced with Zach during his audition in New York.

Zach was never told why he was not chosen. He walked off the stage with the other eliminated contestants, did a brief confessional-type interview that aired and showed him fighting back tears, and then it was over.

He and his mother Darci ate at a nearby diner with $25 gift cards they had been given, and packed up their suitcases.

“It hit me pretty hard,” Zach says. “One day you’re there and they are explaining the rules, the day after that you sing, and the next morning you are on your way back home. It all happened so fast.”

Zach quickly put the disappointment behind him.

“It was nice to have my mom with me, sharing the experience. It definitely helped me out,” he said. “I bounced back really quickly. I felt like I sang my best. I felt like I didn’t do anything wrong. There’s no reason to be sad.”

Back home in Wesley Chapel and at school, Zach said he found lots of support.

“A lot of people have told me I should have gotten through,” Zach says. “My teachers watched it too, and they were confused about why I didn’t get through. I don’t know why, which kind of sucks.”

But, Zach says he plans on building on his experience. When he started, he had 400 followers on Instagram but now he has an audience of 12,000. He says he will continue posting videos on YouTube, and he hopes to bring back the more intimate sound made famous by crooners like Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennett and, more currently, by Harry Connick, Jr., and Michael Buble.

He said he has talked with New Jersey’s Austin Georgio, who is currently on NBC-TV’s “The Voice” singing competition as that show’s resident crooner, about collaborating on a project.

And, before he left Hollywood, he was told by other contestants he should try again next year.

“Why not?,” Zach says. “If they get a second season, I plan on trying to be there.”

Look for an announcement about a possible local performance by Zach on our “Neighborhood News” Facebook page and at WCNeighborhoodNews.com.

‘Best Food Ever, Most Fun Ever!’ 

THIS ONE WAS MAGICAL!

When the Rotary Club of New Tampa revived the Taste of New Tampa & Wesley Chapel last year, I was proud to be the restaurant guy who procured 46 food and beverage providers and helped promote the 2017 return of my favorite 20-year-old single-day event in New Tampa or Wesley Chapel in these pages and on WCNT-tv (Wesley Chapel & New Tampa Television on Youtube & Facebook).

Rotary Club president and Taste organizer Karen Frashier — who also ran the show last year when an estimated total crowd (including vendors and volunteers) of about 2,000 people helped the club net about $10,000 for its own charitable foundation (more on that below) and about $1,000 to benefit the Greater Wesley Chapel (now North Tampa Bay) Chamber of Commerce (NTBCC)’s high school scholarship fund — was truly stunned at how much bigger and better this year’s Taste was than last year.

“Based on our ticket sales, we estimate the crowd this year at more than 2,000 attendees and close to 2,500 people overall,” Frashier said only three days after the event. “We don’t have final numbers yet, but we definitely more than doubled last year’s net proceeds.”

Whether you chalk it up to the Rotary Club having a year of experience under its belt, the even better restaurants, the even more outstanding entertainment — everyone loved the virtuoso guitar work of Shaun Hopper and taking pics with Zammy the Giant Sheepadoodle — or the even bigger promotional bump the Taste got from our New Tampa issue hitting mailboxes in zip code 33647 only two days before the event (where the preview started on Page 1), Taste 2018 was pure magic.

Superlative Food & Drinks!

Although I honestly believe that there were at least a dozen other restaurants that  planned to be at this year’s Taste, including several of last year’s participants who simply couldn’t get themselves together in time, I have no doubt that this year’s food was the best in the 22-year history of the Taste.

Yes, there were the superlative samples of three different bowls served by People’s Choice 1st-place winner Ciccio Cali, the lasagna, meatballs and eggplant parmigiana from 2nd Place Little Italy’s (which had by far the longest lines of any restaurants all afternoon) and the crispy Brussels sprouts appetizer from 3rd Place Noble Crust.

I also thought that Vesh Catering’s potsticker dumplings and chopped salad were both outstanding, as were Texas Roadhouse’s ribs and steak bites. Canterbury Hall at Grace Episcopal Church served delicious salmon mousse cups provided by Rotary Club member Peter Gambacorta of the Private Chef of Tampa. And, Acai Brazil, Bosco’s Italian-to-Go, Cinebistro, Jon’s Nutrition, Union 72 BBQ and Cappy’s Pizza all offered tasty samples, too.

The beverage competition came down to the three beer providers — The Brass Tap, Zephyrhills Brewing Co. (2nd place), and 81 Bay Brewing (1st place), and wine providers PRP Wine, Time for Wine (3rd place), Vom Fass (which also brought, and quickly went through, a giant tray of paella I couldn’t try because of my shellfish allergy, but it looked amazing) and Chuy’s Tex-Mex (see story on pg. 14), which is opening in our area later this month. Chuy’s only served chips with very spicy salsa for food but everyone who sampled the sangria raved about it.

As for the dessert providers, Happy Cow Frozen Yogurt, Blondie’s Cookies, Leann’s Gourmet Cookies, Culver’s frozen custard and Snowrolls ice cream all deserve  high marks, with Snowrolls and Culver’s my favorites, although there were no People’s Choice dessert winners.

Rotary Club of New Tampa president Karen Frashier explained that the People’s Choice food and beverage honors went to the providers who had a combination of the most actual People’s Choice votes and the number of Taste tickets they collected from patrons who sampled their wares. It’s an imperfect, somewhat subjective system, but I have to give major kudos to all 43 of our food and beverage providers who showed up, as well as to Rotary Club members Nikki Smith and David West, who figured a way to donate all leftover food to local food banks and shelters, although there was definitely less food left over than last year.

Thank You, JCs!

I also want to send a big shout-out to this year’s “JC” sponsorship chairs — Rotary Club members James Carner and Jason Contino. Not only did these two hard-working gentleman procure thousands more in sponsorships this year than last, between the two of them, they helped me get about 1/4 of the 40+ restaurants for this year’s Taste.

And, best of all, Carner also lassoed his long-time friend —  fingerstyle and percussion-style guitarist Shaun Hopper — into being the headline entertainer for the event. Read more about Shaun on the next page.

When I first heard that guitarist Shaun Hopper was going to be the headline entertainer at the Taste, I honestly had  never heard of him, even though he’s toured with several major bands.

But now, I know for fact that not only is the guy a gifted guitarist and performer, he also is a truly caring gentleman. Shaun told me that when he saw Zammy the Giant Sheepadoodle (check him out at #ZammyPup on Instagram) lumbering around the insulated floor at Florida Hospital Center Ice, he instantly started writing a song in his head. Not long after Shaun finished performing, he sat with Zammy for a few minutes and played a happy, lilting little guitar melody that Zammy’s owner Todd Pitner will likely use as Zammy’s theme song for his future videos.

I also really enjoyed the performance of the New Tampa Players, who gave everyone a preview of their upcoming production of “Legally Blonde” during the Taste.

Zammy hung out on his grooming table, next to the free photo booth for most of the event. I apologize for not remembering the gentleman’s name who ran the photo booth, but I did see lots of people taking family pics during the event. Also busy all day was the Taste’s kids area.

I also want to thank each and every sponsor who appeared on page 39 of our last issue. I don’t have room to use pics of all of them in these pages, but without the hard work of James and Jason to get them to ante up money to be at the Taste, the event would never have netted as much money as it did.

I also applaud Jason’s daughter Sophia Contino, for bringing her lemonade stand to the Taste, and for making yet another big donation to the Pasco Sheriff’s K-9 Association.

‘Trading Spaces’ TV At Tampa Premium Outlets Saturday!

The cast of the newly rebooted “Trading Spaces” on TLC includes former stars Ty Pennington (far left) and Hildi Santo Tomas (with her arm around Pennington).

“Trading Spaces,” the hit TLC (The Learning Channel) TV show that launched innumerable copycat design shows, has been off the air for 10 years.

But now, it’s coming back.

Not only can you watch “Trading Spaces” on Saturday, April 7, at 9 p.m., but you can gear up for the big premiere right here in Wesley Chapel by taking pictures by the show’s iconic “Trading Spaces” truck or hanging out in the show’s lounge because, that same day, from noon to 6 p.m., the “Trading Spaces Experience” will be held at the Tampa Premium Outlets (TPO, 2300 Grand Cypress Dr.), near the mall’s children’s play area.

Celebrity designer Hildi Santo Tomas and carpenter Ty Pennington — who both appeared on the original show and will be back on the reboot — also will be appearing live at TPO for the “Trading Spaces Experience.”

The event at TPO will be held from noon to 6 p.m. It’s part of a three-city tour, with similar events happening simultaneously in Atlanta and Charlotte (with different cast and crew members on hand), as well.

At TPO, the day’s events will include:

• Design Live — fans can design a room live and see which “Trading Spaces” talent they are most like

• DIY Lab — attendees will be involved in mini workshops where they will learn some of the best how-to secrets for designing from the show’s designers and carpenters

• Do It Yourselfie — an interactive photo station where fans can recreate iconic “Trading Spaces” designs to share with their friends

• Kid Zone — where kids can participate in a fun design.

“This is so exciting for us to have them here,” says North Tampa Bay Chamber CEO Hope Allen. “Another first for Wesley Chapel!”

To get in on the fun, follow the show’s Facebook page at Facebook.com/TradingSpaces.