Editor: Recently, the Central Pasco Leadership Council and the Central Pasco Chamber of Commerce coalition received $12,000 from Pasco County Commission to design an implementable community visioning for Land O'Lakes. A fair and balanced community visioning plan was long overdue.
The coalition is proud to announce it has completed the task under budget for $870.15. Pasco County will get an $11,129.85 refund. This was made possible by countless hours of volunteer work from many of the coalition's approximately 600 members.
This is a special achievement for the coalition because, in 2001, a small group of individuals from within this community received $25,000 from Pasco for a similar endeavor. The result was a vision with restrictions from architectural style (tin roofs, dormers, covered porches, decks, side entry garages only and colors) to location. The group spent the entire $25,000 and, at last count, had three members left.
-- Jerry Cirasuolo, Vice Chairman, Central Pasco Leadership Council, Land O' Lakes
Residents should end battles and start working toward the good of the county
Re: Mall planner rejects council involvement, Nov. 11
Editor: Another battle in Pasco. After reading the excellent article about Mr. (John) Sierra trying to gain approval from the numerous boards and committees associated with developing property in our county, I finally felt the need to ask why?
Why must everyone battle over every issue that comes before the county? Without growth, our local economy would collapse. Every substantial landowner in the county is made to jump through hoops for trying to simply make a profit. Most of the families would have opted to keep their land had it been reasonable and profitable as it once was. These families have given us a gift by taking better care of the land than any neighborhood association ever will. We should appreciate those families.
The Sierra family is probably one of the main reasons that Cypress Creek is still pristine. I seriously doubt they have plans to hurt it now. Swiftmud controls the 7,500 acres to the north, so I'm sure it will work with Mr. Sierra to approve his requests.
We read about people fighting over turn lanes and entrances to new stores when they live in neighborhoods that have homes just 10 feet apart. That means three cars per house on average, which makes it about six houses and 18 cars per acre. These are the folks complaining about congestion?
We fight about a developer putting up a big box store at the entrances to our subdivisions. That is part of how the developer makes money. If you, as the homeowners, don't like it, simply purchase the property and make it a park. Please don't take that as a slight. It is simply a much better way to get the desired ending to the situation.
Penny for Pasco, I don't like new taxes, but if the folks who say we need the money can back it up by proving to all of us that they are efficient in their spending and productivity is high and bids are competitive then we owe it to them to have the money they need. Treat it like a business decision, not a political issue. I'm so far right at times I lean, but if they need it, well they need it.
And finally, a note for those on the Wesley Chapel Inc. proposal. To all my friends in Land O'Lakes who have goaded me over and over, I am not the Jim Williams who is organizing the Wesley Chapel Inc. movement. I'm the log cabin, well water, septic tank, barn, dog, goats, chickens Jim Williams who lives on a newly paved road (which I'm paying my share of) after another good family (John and Julie Faulkner) donated the land for all of us.
On both sides of these issues, there are many good people with great ideas and reasonable concerns. Maybe if we get back to basics and begin respecting each others' ideas, then working to a common solution, things will improve for the county. The voice of the people is important, yet it should never outweigh the rights of the few. We can't keep changing the rules as we go, we'll never get anywhere.
Mr. Sierra, I sure hope you get to build your mall. Not because I like to shop but because you own the land, you are more than reasonable and far as I can tell, you've been a pretty good neighbor so far.
-- Jim Williams, Land O'Lakes
[Last modified November 14, 2003, 01:32:06]
