The area in red is the 938-acre Kirkland Ranch, also known as “Village K” in the Villages of Pasadena Hills. The property being preserved extends from north of the Watergrass community to Kiefer Rd. & east from where Curley Rd. meets Elam Rd. to the Kirkland Ranch property line. (Pasco County map modified by Joel Provenzano)
Residents wanting to see land and the environment protected in eastern Pasco County are getting their wish, as one local family intends to sell their almost 1,000- acre ranch to the state for natural preservation, instead of to developers for homes or apartments — and the state just approved the funds to do exactly that.
How much?…. $30.8 million.
Days after our article went to print last month, entitled “Where Are The Villages of Pasadena Hills (VOPH) & Why Should You Care?,” a surprise press release came from the Southwest Florida Water Management District (SWFWMD, aka “Swiftmud”) on Aug. 26, explaining that the Kirkland Ranch portion of the land in VOPH — immediately between the Kirkland Ranch school complex and the community of Watergrass — was approved to be purchased by Swiftmud’s board, with funds being provided by the state’s Department of Environmental Protection (DEP).
“We appreciate Governor Ron DeSantis and the Florida Legislature’s commitment to preserving this conservation land in one of the fastest-growing areas in Pasco County,” said Swiftmud’s executive director Brian Armstrong. “This important purchase will help preserve the region’s lands and water resources for future generations.”
Deemed to be a critical watershed for the state of Florida, and specifically Pasco County, the six contiguous cattle farming parcels owned by Kirkland Ranch since 1956 (938 acres total, of which 41% is wetlands), would have made up almost all of the residential area of “Village K” in VOPH, directly along the burgeoning Curley Rd. corridor (see attached map for location). But now, that land will remain fully undisturbed.
“This acquisition meets all four of the District’s ‘Areas of Responsibility,’ which are water supply, water quality, flood protection and natural systems,” the Swiftmud news release from Aug. 26 says, “and is consistent with the District’s ‘Florida Forever’ workplan.”
For those not familiar, VOPH is the 20,000+ acre special development district making up the area directly between Wesley Chapel, Dade City and Zephyrhills.
This purchase will presumably affect two of Pasco’s so-called “vision roads,” the first being the northern Watergrass Pkwy. extension that was supposed to cut diagonally through Kirkland Ranch, serving as an important north/south corridor. The other is the eastern Elam Rd. extension, which would have run behind the Kirkland school complex (which includes the Kirkland Ranch Academy of Innovation and the Kirkland Ranch K-8 school) — all of which was shown in the “Pasadena Hills Land Use Vision Plan” and transportation maps, but now that it’s no longer being developed, these road extensions are likely off the table. But, we’ll keep you posted.
Sports Facilities Companies Studying Parking & Other Improvements At Popular Wiregrass Ranch Facility
The lobby was packed at the Wiregrass Ranch Sports Campus on Sept. 20 for a 100-team AAU volleyball tournament. (Photo by Charmaine George)
It’s only been roughly two months since Sports Facilities Companies (SFC) received the contract with Pasco County to manage the Wiregrass Ranch Sports Campus, but the Clearwater-based company that manages dozens of similar facilities across the country is already taking action to make improvements to what has been called the “crown jewel” of sports attractors to Florida’s Sports Coast, also known as the Pasco County Tourism Department.
Although we have yet to be able to sit down and actually chat with any of SFC’s upper management, SFC partner Ashley Whitaker did respond to all of my questions about SFC’s plans for the Sports Campus by email — and it’s obvious from those answers that this company definitely knows how to manage facilities like these and, as Wiregrass Ranch developer JD Porter recently told me, “the county made the right choice when they chose [SFC].”
Checking Back In
It’s been quite a while since I’ve been back at the Sports Campus. As you readers know, my wife (and sales manager) Jannah was the director of sales and marketing under the previous operator RADDSports, which had its contract bought out by the Pasco County back in 2023, after the County Commission voted to default RADDSports and RADD sued Pasco County.
The county then opted to manage the facility itself, even though Pasco’s agreement with Wiregrass Ranch was that the county was never allowed to operate the facility.
But, that’s all water under the bridge now, as SFC has already made a number of important moves — with more still to come.
Below is my email discussion with Sports Facilities Companies (SFC) partner Ashley Whittaker (photo, right & “AW “in Q&A below), who leads SFC’s in-house marketing and branding “agency.”
I appreciate Ashley’s candid answers to my many questions about SFC’s plans for the Wiregrass Ranch Sports Campus, now that the company has a little less than two months of manging the facility under its belt.
For those who are unaware, SFC has developed and/or managed nearly 100 sports facilities across the country, making it one of the leaders in this industry. — GN
Partner Ashley Whittaker of Sports Facilities Companies is excited about the full slate of activities happening at the Wiregrass Ranch Sports Campus and SFC’s role in bringing improved parking, new events and amenities to the sports campus in the future. (Photo of Ashley Whittaker from SportsFacilities.com)
GN – Does SFC now have its own management on-site at the Wiregrass Ranch Sports Campus (WRSC)?
AW – SFC has been fortunate to inherit the hardworking staff at WRSC, and we are aligning them with our industry leading standards in all departments, integrating with our support center in Clearwater.
GN-Is SFC retaining all of the existing employees at the Sports Campus or have you been deciding on a case-by-case basis which of those employees you will retain?
AW-All existing employees of WRSC were offered the opportunity to remain with the venue under SFC management.
GN-How many weekend events are already on the books at the Sports Campus for the rest of 2025?
AW-Along with the Florida’s Sports Coast DMO (Destination Management Organization), we have a robust schedule and are looking forward to a great fall season with events both inside and outside on the new grass fields throughout the end of the year every weekend.
(Photo of AAU volleyball at the Wiregrass Ranch Sports Campus by Charmaine George)
GN-Are there any weekends available this year for your company to book your own events? If not, when will SFC be able to start adding new weekend events?
AW-With such a full calendar, there are few weekends available for any additional events. When we do have availability, events (including SFC ones) will be selected on merit for the benefit of the community.
GN-Will you be continuing the local programming that’s currently in place or will SFC be replacing that programming with programs of its own? If so, what programs will you change/add?
AW-Yes, we will be continuing with the local programming. The only change will be how parents register for the programming through enhanced software.
GN-I know the county said that SFC will be conducting a study to see how additional parking can be configured at that site and that it will take up to six months for you to conclude that study, but when will the study actually begin (or has it already)?
This isn’t just a view of the adjacent Residence Inn, it’s also one of the current grass-&-gravel overflow parking lots for the Sports Campus.
AW-Yes, the study is under way. In addition to parking, we are also exploring the feasibility of indoor and outdoor complimentary amenities. The study is under way and will be reviewed with the county in November/ December timeframe.
GN-Is there anywhere at the Sports Campus site where you can see being able to expand the existing parking?
AW-We are exploring with Pasco County the opportunity to enhance parking at the Sports Campus.
GN-Have you now spoken with JD Porter and/or Scott Sheridan of Locust Branch/Wiregrass Ranch? Can you tell me anything about that (or those) discussion(s)?
AW-Yes, we have engaged in conversations with JD Porter and Scott Sheridan and look forward to being great neighbors and community partners.
GN-Have you been in contact with the Peachtree Group about the Residence Inn that shares the site? Can you tell me anything about that discussion?
AW-We have hosted specific meetings introducing ourselves to the hotel community and also presented to local business owners at the request of Florida’s Sports Coast DMO.
GN-Is there any way to do a live interview with you, your partner Eric Sullivan or someone else from SFC — at the Sports Campus or at the North Tampa Bay Chamber office for my new podcast? Even if it needs to be much further into the future, an actual interview is much more personal and will be better received by my readers (because I also will do a story about it in print) and podcast viewers.
AW-This is possible to be scheduled sometime in the future.
(l.-r.) Dr. Toni Zetzsche of Pasco County Schools, School Board member Megan Harding, State Rep. Randy Maggard, Pasco Comm. Seth Weightman, Josh, State Sen. Danny Burgess, School Board member Colleen Beaudoin and Pasco administrator Mike Carballa at the check presentation ceremony for the new sidewalks on Sept. 12. (Photo provided by Pasco County)
Meadow Pointe resident and Weightman Middle School eighth grader Josh Patrick was only twelve years old when he set up his first meeting with District 2 Pasco County Commissioner Seth Weightman last August to talk about the lack of sidewalks on Curley Rd. and Wells Rd. heading to the Wesley Chapel School Complex.
“My mom always drives me to school,” Josh says, “but I saw a lot of kids walking and riding bikes that had to dodge cars all the time because there are no sidewalks. I just felt like something needed to be done.”
Meadow Pointe resident and Weightman Middle School 8th grader Josh Patrick was only 12 years old when he made a presentation to the Pasco MPO about the lack of sidewalks near his school. (Photo provided by Josh Patrick.)
Not only did Commissioner Weightman agree, he told Josh to appear at a Pasco Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) meeting to present the issue, which he did (left photo) on Jan. 9 of this year. Thanks to Josh, the county requested funding to construct the sidewalks from the state legislature, which approved $1.5 million in this year’s state budget in June.
“Sidewalk appropriation requests are my legislative ask for every session,” Comm. Weightman says. “But Josh definitely made this happen.”
Josh says there’s a reason why he succeeded where others have failed. “Most of the time, when someone advocates for something, it’s usually always ‘concerned parents’ who attend those meetings,” he says. “I just think it’s a lot more impactful to have the students themselves there.”
Josh was next invited to attend the check presentation ceremony (top photo) on Sept. 12 with District 54 State Representative Randy Maggard, District 23 State Senator Danny Burgess, Pasco County administrator Mike Carballa, Pasco School Board members Megan Harding (District 5) and Colleen Beaudoin (District 2), and Dr. Toni Zetzsche, the chief communications & community engagement officer for the Pasco School District.
Weightman says that the survey work for the Wesley Chapel sidewalk project will begin next month and will take six months to complete.
At the same time, the county will negotiate the design fee with a consultant and get the task order executed. Then, design and permitting will take about nine months, the procurement of all of the needed property for the project will take another six months, with another two months to award the contract and ten months to complete the construction. In other words, by the time the project is completed — around July of 2028 — Josh will be a junior in high school.
“But, at least it’s going to be done,” Josh says. “It shows that just because you’re a kid, it doesn’t mean you can’t get things accomplished.”
Of course, Josh’s parents, Mark and Marsha Patrick, are extremely proud of their son. We’re super-proud of him, too.
Although we first told you about the opening of Rudraksh Indian Cuisine at 4424 Friendly Way, Suite 115, in Downtown Avalon Park in our May 13 issue, owners (top photo) Manashi Borush (left) and Amit Ghorpade celebrated the “official” Grand Opening of their upscale Indian restaurant on Aug. 9.
And of course, yours truly had to be there to enjoy some more unique flavors and wish the owners and their general manager Dee well.
“A lot more people have been giving us a try since Tallo (the Caribbean-American fusion restaurant next door) opened,” Dee says. “But, they keep coming back because they found out that they love the food (like the tasty Tandoori lamb seekh kabobs below) and the atmosphere here, too. We have been super-busy on the weekends and the lunch and weekday dinner business is growing, too.”
The place definitely was packed with both regulars and newcomers for the Grand Opening event, which included a complimentary glass of champagne and an incredible 30% off your bill. So of course, I had to grab a seat at the gorgeous, premium-liquor bar and not only try the lamb kabobs (right) but also the butter naan (below; I still prefer the lamb chops and garlic naan), and indulge in my still-favorite Rudraksh dish, the Lehsoni Gobi (crispy cauliflower with garlic sauce). For more info, call (813) 355-3914 or visit RudrakshIndianCuisine.com. — GN
Lima Rotisserie Chicken & Peruvian Cuisine owner Oscar Escudero is well aware that his restaurant, located in the Publix-anchored New Tampa Center plaza on Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd. (a mile or so south of the Pasco County line), has been among my favorite restaurants in either of our distribution areas since he first opened in Feb. 2020.
“Yeah, we opened less than a month before the pandemic hit,” Oscar remembers all too clearly. “And then, only a few months after we opened, the chef I brought over from Peru, Felix Picasso, suffered a stroke here in the restaurant.”
In other words, no matter how much a certain editor has always loved his place, Oscar has faced several challenges, including having to take over as the main chef in the kitchen — despite previously working in real estate — and even though he had never even cooked in a commercial kitchen before.
“Felix taught me how to take our recipes, which were mostly my mom’s anyway, and cook them for a large number of people,” Oscar says. “I have put in some 100-hour work weeks trying to keep this place going.”
But, not only has Oscar kept Lima afloat, in the five+ years since he first opened, his newfound experience in the kitchen has helped him expand his already-delicious Peruvian-Chinese fusion menu with ongoing specials that are a treat for both your eyes and your palette.
If you’ve been reading my reviews of Lima over the years, I’m sure you know that I’m basically addicted to his all-fish (since I can’t eat shrimp) Ceviché de Pescado, which is as good as any I’ve had anywhere in the Tampa Bay area, with its perfect blend of South American lime juice and spices, those delicious, giant Peruvian corn kernels and sliced red onions. I don’t eat the raw onions themselves, but the flavor they add is a necessity. I also love the wedge of sweet potato that’s soaked in the ceviche’s delectable juice.
Well, on our most recent visit, Jannah, photographer Charmaine George and I sampled three new specials, including a “Marina Trio” (above left), which featured a nice-sized portion of that amazing fish ceviche, flanked on one side by Arroz Chaufa (Peruvian-Chinese-style fried rice) Mariscos, with shrimp, calamari, mussels and clams one side and by fried white fish fingers called Jalea on the other. Although I couldn’t eat the fried rice, Jannah and Charmaine agreed that it was delicious. I can vouch for the fried rice with either chicken or beef tenderloin tips, though. Yum!
Next up was the Aticucho de Lomo de Res (top) — tender, tasty beef tenderloin tips (the traditional dish is often made with beef hearts) on skewers on a steaming dish with sizable sides of crispy potato wedges and grilled Peruvian corn. The only warning I’ll offer is that if you don’t like a very spicy dipping sauce, the innocent-looking side of pink rocato sauce is literally an eye-opener.
And, even though Jannah doesn’t like her meal looking back at her, even she admitted that the third special we tried — the whole, deep-fried yellowtail snapper, served with thick yuca fries (right) — was excellent. The snapper was super-flaky and the flavor is unlike other whole snapper/fish you’ll find at other restaurants.
The only regular menu item we sampled on our most recent visit, because we had never tried it before, was the aptly named Lima Bowl (below left) — a heaping portion of creamy (and well-spiced, but not spicy) chicken salad, made with Lima’s signature rotisserie chicken, served over white rice, black beans and Romaine lettuce with Peruvian-style pico de gallo. So good.
Our Old Lima Standbys
Of course, anytime a local place continues to attract my attention, there are always dishes Jannah and I allow ourselves to indulge in on a regular basis. Mine always starts with the aforementioned Ceviché de Pescado (although I also loved the new Ceviché Lima, which adds fried calamari and a savory golden pepper sauce to the usual ceviché), but Jannah’s absolute favorite dish at Lima is the Tallarin Saltado, which is similar to a Chinese lo mein-style dish, but combines flamed, sliced onions, tomatoes and cilantro, blended with fettuccine-style pasta and Peruvian soy sauce with a touch of sesame oil.
I’m also partial to the variety of fried fillet of fish dishes, especially the Pescado a la Chorrillana, which is topped with sautéed spices, onions, tomatoes and cilantro, with a splash of wine, and served with jasmine rice, as well as the Asado de Res con Ensalada Rusa, which was a special I told you about last year that is basically the Peruvian version of beef pot roast/brisket, served with a Russian-inspired potato-&-beet salad.
And yes, I’m also a fan of Lima’s signature crispy-skin, Peruvian rotisserie chicken, but I get almost as much enjoyment simply from the aroma of the chicken anytime you enter the restaurant.
“It’s a very special oven we make the chicken in,” Oscar says. “We have quite a few regular customers who never get anything else.” If you’re one of these regulars, I get it, but my opinion is that you need to broaden your horizons.
Don’t forget dessert. Charmaine and I both flipped for last year’s Cake de Maracuya, which is sort of like a passion fruit cake & flan combo. It’s light, airy and delicious. We also agreed that the special we tried this time around — the Tres Leches de Lucuma (right) — definitely had a different flavor than any tres leches we’ve had before, thanks to the South American lucuma fruit which we agreed is a combination of maple, butterscotch and caramel that is light and not too sweet.
Other desserts include a creamy torta de chocolate, arroz con leche (rice pudding) and alfajores, which are crumbly cookies filled with dulce de leche (always on the front counter).
Lima also serves beer (I usually get the Peruvian Cusqueña) and wine, as well as Inca Kola (regular and diet) and Peruvian juices in passion fruit and mango. The kids menu includes Salchipapas (French fries topped with diced hot dogs), as well as chicken tenders and fried fish strips.
Lima (19062 BBD Blvd.) opens every day at 11 a.m. & stays open until 8 p.m. Mon.-Thur., 9 p.m. on Fri. & Sat. & 7 p.m. on Sun. For more info, call (813) 304-0205, order on UberEats or DoorDash, visit LimaTampa.com — and please tell Oscar I sent you!
