Talking Impact Fees With New North Tampa Bay Chamber Chair Tony Benge

NTBC Board chair Tony Benge

The first time I ever met new North Tampa Bay Chamber (NTBC) Board chair Tony Benge was at the NTBC’s annual meeting back in December, when he was sworn in with the rest of the NTBC’s 2026 Board of Directors and we were introduced to each other by NTBC president and CEO Hope Kennedy. 

At that time, Mr. Benge and I agreed that we should sit down to discuss his vision for his tenure as the new Chamber Board chair, as well as his primary role as the president of Benge Development Corp., which has been based in Orlando since 1994, but also has one current development project in Pasco County and recently had its original Pasco development plan denied by the Board of County Commissioners. 

Although neither of those projects is located in Wesley Chapel, the denied “Fletcher Project” (more on that below) was located at the intersection of S.R. 52 and U.S. Hwy. 41 in Land O’Lakes, immediately adjacent to the Moffitt Speros campus we told you about last issue. 

The other project, called the Hawes MPUD, which is moving forward, sits north of Wesley Chapel and east of the Mirada development. both north and south of S.R. 52, east of Handcart Rd. in San Antonio, and is approved for up to 523 multi-family units (see map below). 

His Benge Development Corp. has developed more than 30 large-scale projects, mainly in Orlando and Apopka, FL. 

Benge, who introduced Florida’s Lieutenant Governor Jay Collins at the NTBC Business Breakfast on Feb. 3 (see story on page 8), also asked Lt. Gov. Collins about mobility and school impact fees, subjects Benge knows a lot about because his company has to pay them every time he develops a new project. 

“Impact fees have started to cripple a lot of the [development] industry,” he said to Collins. “For a typical residential unit, as an average, $30,000 per unit is now being levied. When they were originally passed, [these fees] were specifically to be limited to incremental new capacity for things like schools, roads, sewer and water treatment plants. But, we’ve paid into this now for a decade and there’s been no accountability. You can’t get any information from these counties, which seize the money, in essence. And yet, they have no new schools or anything else to point to. How do we get accountability for this?” 

Collins responded, “It’s got to be statewide legislation. It can’t be executive action. It has to go through the legislature and it’s got to be codified into law. There has to be some form of accountability in that system.” 

He added, however, “But, valid impact fees? I think we all agree that valid is a good word. We can do that, but the accountability has to be there. I don’t think DOGE ( (the Dept. of Government Efficiency) is something we should just do once and walk away from. I think sustained accountability and predictability for our people matters. We’re going to have to implement that.” 

State Senator Danny Burgess, of course, presented a different solution when he was the guest speaker at an NTBC “Coffee & Connections” event two years ago, before DOGE even existed, saying that he wanted to see an audit of every county regarding impact fees. 

Benge agreed that an audit showing how much impact fee money has been collected and what that money was spent on would be a good way to hold counties accountable for the impact fees they collect. 

He says that although Pasco’s impact fees are among the highest in the state, “Osceola County’s are actually the highest. They’ve really become insane, literally. The night [Osceola] did the most recent increase, there were probably 20 developers in the audience, representing hundreds of millions of dollars in projects. I told them, ‘If you pass this, just throw our application in the trash.” 

He added that for a typical 300-unit apartment complex, the developer has to pay $9 million in impact fees to get a building permit. 

“I mean, we’re already building all of the roads, improvements… we’re having to do turn lanes, traffic signals, water, sewer, bus stops, all of that. And we still have to pay regular taxes and everything else.” 

Benge also told me that impact fees first started back in 2000, with something called the “Martinez Doctrine,” which was named after former Orange County Chair and U.S. Sen. Mel Martinez, who served as Secretary of Housing & Urban Development under U.S. President George W. Bush. The Martinez Doctrine attempted to limit school overcrowding by requiring local developers to address school capacity issues before breaking ground. 

“The idea was that growth should have to pay for itself, which makes sense,” Benge said, “But the trade-off was supposed to be that we will always have utilities and roads and services available to go along with this. 

“So when these impact fees first started, I don’t know who came up with the numbers, but they’re so abominably disproportionate. We’ve actually tracked some of the apartment communities, which might have kids in only 20% of the complex’s units. So, on 300 units, I’d have maybe 60 units that have kids, I paid $6 million in impact fees for the construction of new schools, which is basically 1/3 of a whole [700-student) schoolhouse for 60 kids. And, I’m still paying taxes every year, too. These fees were supposed to only be used for new school construction, but they never gave me any data.” 

Benge also said he decided to go about it a different way. “Let’s just track how many homes and apartments were built from, let’s say, 2015 through 2025. So, I made up a number, let’s say 100,000 units were built. Each one paid $14,000 per unit. Where’s that $1.4 billion? Or, list me out the new schools that’ve been built with that money, with the budget you spent on each one. 

“A K-8 school right now costs $18-$20 million, a high school is upwards of $50 million, and that would house, in Orange County, up to 5,000 students. By our estimation, there should have been around 84 new schools built during that time — and they only have three. 

“So, where’s all that money? [Counties aren’t] allowed to use it for [their] general funds. You can’t use it to pay more administrators. This money should be segregated out and if it’s not, this is a big issue.” 

He added that many of the assumptions used by counties to set their school impact fees, “are horribly flawed. If I build a 300-unit apartment complex and a third of those units are one-bedroom units, how many kids live in one-bedroom apartments? Historical precedence says that only unless someone is building a house that isn’t ready yet, one-bedroom units don’t generate any kids, yet I still have to pay the same school impact fees for those units. It’s crazy.” 

The Fletcher Project 

Speaking of crazy, Benge said that his Fletcher Project — named for the family that owned the 100-acre property — was originally planned in Aug. 2024 for 350 multi-family units, about 160 townhomes and 25,000 sq. ft. of commercial uses and had been through more than a year of meetings and plans when Pasco’s commissioners voted last year to deny it. 

“The big pushback was the private, never-permitted airstrip from the 1950s next door, which would have prevented us from building anything on 1/3 of the property. We agreed to not build on that portion, but we asked to have the same density on the rest of the property. So, we wouldn’t build as [many total units], and they turned us down. We started with Plan A and were up to Plan Q, and they still turned us down.” 

Hawes MPUD 

Despite that setback in Pasco, Benge Development is moving forward with its plan for the Hawes MPUD (marked in red on map below). The project will extend Handcart Rd. to the north, with 396 multi-family units on the south side and 127 townhomes on the north side and some neighborhood commercial (grocery store, etc.) entitlements. The Hawes project was approved in 2023, but Benge has not yet begun building at that site. 

Jonathan’s Landing 

Benge also is building Jonathan’s Landing, the first adult autistic facility in the U.S., in Lake Nona, FL. “It will have 5,000 beds and bring 5,000 jobs to that area,” Benge said. “My friend, Jason Eichenholz, has a son named Jonathan who is an adult with autism. This will help so many adults because state support for [developmentally disabled] people ends at age 18.” 

Look for more info about Tony Benge and his vision for the NTBC in our next issue. 

Bahama Breeze Also Going To Close

All of the remaining links in the Bahama Breeze Island Grille chain are either completely shutting down or will be converted to other Darden Restaurants brands — including the Bahama Breeze located at 25830 Sierra Center Blvd. (across S.R. 56 from the Tampa Premium Outlets) (photo). 

All 28 remaining Bahama Breeze locations across the U.S. are closing, according to a Feb. 3 Darden news release, after previously shuttering a third of its locations in 2025. 

As mentioned above, half of those remaining Bahama Breeze locations — including the one in Lutz/Wesley Chapel — will be converted to other Darden eateries (see below), although it was not disclosed in the press release which locations would be converted into which brands. 

The other 14 Bahama Breezes will close permanently on April 5. The 14 that are remaining open — including ten of the 14 in Florida, where the brand first opened in the 1990s — will remain open for the next 12-18 months, although there will likely be some temporary closures along the way, as needed for the locations to be converted. 

The list of the Darden brands still operating include a number of more upscale eateries that many locals — after first reading about this news on social media — are hopeful will find a home at the location on S.R. 56. 

Here is that list of possible Darden brands that our Bahama Breeze could become: 

• Eddie V’s Prime Seafood 

• Ruth’s Chris Steak House 

• The Capital Grille 

• Seasons 52 

• Yard House 

• Olive Garden Italian Kitchen 

• Cheddar’s Scratch Kitchen 

• Longhorn Steakhouse 

• Chuy’s 

Of course, Cheddars, Longhorn and Chuy’s all already have locations on S.R. 56 and a previously undeveloped parcel on Wesley Chapel Blvd. to the east of Chick’n Fun is now under construction and may include Olive Garden, although we were unable to get official confirmation as to whether or not Olive Garden is still coming to 27391 Centerline Dr., just west of Gateway Blvd. — the plans for which were apparently submitted way back in Aug. 2025 — or whether that location would preclude another Olive Garden being opened in the former Bahama Breeze spot. 

Obviously, the first four or five (as most people would probably also be OK with Yard House) Darden brands on the list would be the most desirable to locals, but we will keep you posted on any such announcements. — GN 

SeĂąor Tequila Keeps Upgrading Its Authentic Mexican Menu!

If it’s been a while since you last ate at SeĂąor Tequila, located on Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd., in the Shoppes at New Tampa of Wesley Chapel plaza just south of S.R. 56, I suggest you try it again. 

When I told assistant manager Samantha Lopez that Jannah and I noticed a definite increase in quality the last couple of times we ate at SeĂąor Tequila, Samantha said, “The owner, Alvaro Mellado, brought in a new general manager, Norma Mellado (yes, they’re related) and a new chef and they have been working on the quality.” 

It shows. Although I’ve never eaten at any of the other Señor Tequila locations (in Westchase, on N. Dale Mabry Hwy. in Carrollwood and in Winter Springs), I have been sampling the Wesley Chapel location since it first opened in 2021 and everything — from existing items like the sizzling chicken fajitas (top photo) and molcajete (left) to new menu additions, like the esquites (spicy, creamy, “street” corn off the cob, below right), tostones Mexicanos (bottom right), birria tacos (below left) and the Señor Tequila’s Favorite skirt steak (bottom right) — are all quality. 

Samantha says the fajitas are still SeĂąor Tequila’s top-sellers. Jannah and I often do a steak and chicken Fajitas Mexicanas combo (there’s also a Texas Fajitas combo with beef, chicken and shrimp), but since we were sampling some other beef dishes, we opted for all chicken this time. The chicken came out tasty and tender and the sizzling onions, bell peppers and tomatoes were all spot-on. 

Samantha says she prefers the new esquites to the restaurant’s still-available street corn on the cob — and we agreed the large order of it was delicious, with mayo, cotija cheese, lime, tajin and cilantro. 

Although I can’t eat shrimp, Charmaine said the tostones with ceviche-style shrimp, topped with pico de gallo, queso fresco, homemade chipotle sauce and guacamole may have been her favorite dish of the day. 

And, although we all found the molcajete — another popular sizzling dish served in a lava rock bowl “heaped with beef strips, chicken, pork, chorizo sausage and shrimp (which we had them serve on the side for Charmaine) and topped with cheese, grilled cactus, avocado, peppers and onions — was too many different flavors in one dish for our taste, Samantha says that traditional Mexican lovers say it’s among their favorites. Like the fajitas, the molcajete is served with rice, creamy refried beans, lettuce, guacamole, pico de gallo, sour cream and flour tortillas — so it’s more than a meal just by itself. 

Jannah’s favorite new dish was the trio of birria tacos, which feature tender shredded beef, onions and cilantro in obviously homemade corn tortillas shells and served with a savory beef broth consommé. 

Charmaine and I both preferred the SeĂąor Tequila’s Favorite steak, which also was extremely tender and topped with a zesty house-made chimichurri sauce and served with a side of perfectly grilled mixed veggies and Mexican rice. 

So good! 

And of course, SeĂąor Tequila also has a popular queso dip, fresh guacamole (not made tableside), a sampler appetizer with beef nachos, chicken quesadilla, chicken flautas and stuffed jalapeĂąos, plus favorites like burritos, chimichangas, chiles rellenos and enchiladas, as well as steak Monterrey (served with a poblano pepper stuffed with shrimp, peppers, onions and mushroom, topped with a creamy habanero pesto sauce), chicken & steak brochetas and much more. 

What About Beverages? 

If you check out the ad below, you’ll see that Señor Tequila offers a number of different drink specials, including Margarita Tuesday, when regular 16-oz. house margaritas cost only $5, Thirsty Thursday, when a 28-oz. sangria or sangrita (which has a bottom layer of frozen lime margarita topped with a layer of homemade sangria) for only $9. There’s also a great Happy Hour every Monday-Friday, 3 p.m.-6 p.m., with draft beers, house wines and house margaritas all 2-for-1. 

In the photo above, the 16-oz. house margarita is on the left, the 28-oz. sangrita is in the middle and the rosarita, with Three Olives rosé vodka, instead of tequila) is on the right. Jannah also sampled a “skinny” margarita, which may have been her favorite of all the drinks. 

SeĂąor Tequila also has a huge assortment of upscale tequilas, mezcals, Mexican and domestic beers on draught and in bottles, and a gorgeous, full premium liquor bar. 

And yes, there’s also a $10.99 kids menu, with everything from one cheese quesadilla, taco, burrito or enchilada (with rice or rice and beans), or chicken fingers or a cheeseburger (with French fries). All kids’ menu items also include a soft drink. 

Seùor Tequila is located at 1640 Bruce B. Downs Blvd. It is open Mon.-Thur., 11 a.m.-10 p.m., 11 a.m.-11 p.m. on Fri. & Sat. & 11 a.m.-9 p.m. on Sun. For more info, call (813) 428-5411, visit TheSenorTequila.com. 

O’Brien’s Irish Pub & Bahama Breeze Both Closing Local Locations

Anytime businesses — especially restaurants — go out of business in (or near) our distribution areas, I do feel their pain a little — although some more than others. 

Case in point: Over the past couple of weeks, both the Bahama Breeze Island Grille (above) located at 25830 Sierra Center Blvd. (across S.R. 56 from the Tampa Premium Outlets) and the O’Brien’s Irish Pub & Grill at 5429 Village Market announced they were closing, albeit for different reasons. 

Bahama Breeze, which is owned by Darden Restaurants, is closing all 28 of its remaining locations across the U.S., according to a Feb. 3 Darden news release, after previously shuttering a third of its locations in 2025. 

Half of those remaining locations — including the one in Lutz/Wesley Chapel — will be converted to other Darden brands (see below), although it was not disclosed which locations would be converted into which brands. 

The other 14 Bahama Breezes will close permanently on April 5. The 14 remaining open, including ten of the 14 in Florida, where the brand first opened in the 1990s, will remain open for the next 12-18 months, although there will likely be some temporary closures along the way, as needed for them to be converted. 

The list of Darden brands still operating include a number of more upscale brands that many locals, after first reading about this news on social media, are hopeful will find a home at the location on S.R. 56. Here is that list of possible Darden brands our Bahama Breeze could become: 

• Eddie V’s Prime Seafood 

• Ruth’s Chris Steak House 

• The Capital Grille 

• Seasons 52 

• Yard House 

• Olive Garden Italian Kitchen 

• Cheddar’s Scratch Kitchen 

• Longhorn Steakhouse 

• Chuy’s 

Of course, Cheddars, Longhorn and Chuy’s all already have locations on S.R. 56 and many of us saw announcements that an undeveloped parcel on Wesley Chapel Blvd. to the east of Chick’n Fun already is supposed to be an Olive Garden. At our press time, however, we were unable to get confirmation as to whether or not Olive Garden is still coming to 27391 Centerline Dr., just west of Gateway Blvd., the plans for which were apparently submitted in Aug. 2025, or whether that location would preclude another Olive Garden being opened in the former Bahama Breeze spot. 

Obviously, the first four or five (as most people would probably also be OK with Yard House) Darden brands on the list would be the most desirable to locals, but we will keep you posted on any such announcements. 

O’Brien’s To Close February 21! 

Meanwhile, in a Facebook post released on Feb. 2, Randy and Mike Goodwin, the owners of the O’Brien’s location in the Village Market (left) for right about 10 years, said that they will be hosting “An Irish Goodbye” party on Saturday, February 21, after which that O’Brien’s location would close permanently, “at the conclusion of our 10-year lease.” 

The Facebook post said, “It is with full hearts, deep gratitude, and a touch of sadness that we share the news that O’Brien’s will be closing our doors [by] the end of February…At the end of 2024, the Village Market strip center was sold, and in early 2025, we began discussions with the new ownership (JBL Asset Management) in hopes of securing a renewed lease. Unfortunately, despite our best efforts, we were unable to reach an agreement that felt sustainable for both sides. After much consideration, we made the difficult decision not to renew.” 

There has been a huge outpouring of support for O’Brien’s, which has been the only full-band live music venue in Wesley Chapel pretty much since the day it opened, so I’m hoping that hundreds of those supporters will come out to say goodbye to Mike, Randy and their wonderful staff. 

The event will feature O’Brien’s “beloved corned beef & cabbage,” as well as bagpipe music from Emma Briggs, Irish music from Captain Kirk and DJ Aloha Kev closing out the event — and the restaurant. It’ s just a shame we couldn’t get one final O’Brien’s St. Patrick’s Day event this year. 

For more info about the O’Brien’s “Irish Goodbye” party, see the ad below.-GN 

Wiregrass Ranch High Sophomores Help Vulnerable People Get Ready For The Heat

Siyana Khan (left) & Nicole Huynh started “Hydrating for Hope” to help vulnerable Florida residents better deal with the upcoming summer heat. (Photos provided by Siyana Khan) 

While some Floridians grew tired of the prolonged cold we experienced in the early weeks of 2026, Wiregrass Ranch High (WRH) sophomores Siyana Khan and Nicole Huynh know the heat is coming. Soon. Fast. Difficult for those without air conditioning and, especially, proper hydration, to survive. 

As student athletes, Siyana and Nicole have both experienced some of the consequences of dehydration. “I’ve had sunburns, heat exhaustion and even strong nausea from not hydrating myself completely,” says Nicole, who is a member of the WRH color guard. 

Siyana had lived in New Jersey for 10 years and wasn’t used to the heat, so playing flag football in Florida proved to be overwhelming for her. “When I moved to Florida, I wasn’t hydrating properly,” Siyana says. “I actually passed out and had to go to the ER, and was diagnosed with orthostatic hypotension (abnormally low blood pressure) because of dehydration.” 

The girls teamed together and used their shared experiences to consider how others may need help when Florida’s heat takes hold. 

“We created ‘Hydrating for Hope,’” Siyana explains. “It’s a local community service initiative dedicated to hydrating and serving those around us. Many vulnerable communities around Tampa Bay suffer in this hot environment, making them more susceptible to [several] heat-related illnesses.” 

They began collecting heat-related essentials and also raised $1,260 through GoFundMe to purchase additional supplies. 

Their efforts have allowed them to purchase nearly 1,200 items, including bottles of water, reusable water bottles, Gatorade, sunglasses, hats and portable electric and paper fans. 

These items will be donated to homeless shelters and organizations that help vulnerable populations, such as Better Together, a Naples, FL-based nonprofit organization with a Tampa Bay-area chapter that is focused on preventing foster care by supporting families in crisis. 

“I was genuinely moved by [Siyana and Nicole’s] passion for serving their community,” says Joy Harris, executive director of Better Together. “It was clear in our conversation that this initiative is coming from a place of deep compassion and a desire to make a tangible difference for others.” 

Siyana and Nicole also worked with 100 students, including their peers at WRH and some at John Long Middle School, as well as The Learning Experience of New Tampa, to create 140 handwritten cards (above) for family members who are being served by Better Together. 

The recent Hydrating for Hope event at WRH.

“Their efforts not only provide encouragement to those receiving the cards,” Joy says, “they also inspire others to step up and look for ways to support their neighbors. I am grateful for the opportunity to partner with students like these and for the chance to see the next generation lead with such heart and intentionality.” 

The girls have become close friends through their time at the WRH Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) club. They plan to enter a statewide FBLA competition for community service projects this summer. They also are considering creating their own 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization to be able to continue doing the work they’ve started through their Hydrating for Hope project. 

“We hope to hold more events, like when we held an event to write cards,” Siyana explains, “and also make bracelets or other crafts, too.” 

They hope their initiative will not only help those who are vulnerable, but will also provide awareness of heat-related problems for all of those living in Florida. 

To learn more about Hydrating for Hope, visit Hydrating4Hope to link to its Instagram, GoFundMe, donation list on Amazon and more.