At issue is an assisted living facility proposed for a site that some say was obtained through fraud.
By STEVE THOMPSON
Published August 27, 2004
NEW PORT RICHEY - It seemed a routine Development Review Committee meeting on Thursday, except for the Pasco County sheriff's detective standing in the back.
When the members got to an item on Page 9 of the agenda, a 68-bed assisted living facility, the advisory staff recommended approval.
That's when state Sen. Mike Fasano, state Rep. Heather Fiorentino and former County Commissioner Ed Collins, who had waited among the crowd for more than an hour, stepped forward one at a time to make their case.
"I would encourage you to deny this because the people of Lakes in Regency truly were ripped off," Fasano said. Estel "Zeke" Blevins, Fasano said, used fraud to gain control of the ALF's planned site adjacent to the Lakes in Regency Park Civic Association's former clubhouse.
Fasano dismissed Blevins' public announcement last month that he resigned as executive director of the Covenant Foundation, which plans to go ahead with the ALF, despite a Sheriff's Office investigation.
"He may not be a part of this on the record, but he is very close to the decisions being made," Fasano said.
As detailed in previous St. Petersburg Times stories, the civic association's officers claim that Blevins forged their signatures on a document that dissolved the civic association and gave Blevins control of the clubhouse.
Blevins, a twice-convicted felon, did not come to Thursday's meeting. Rick Brown, an associate of Blevins, attended on behalf of the Covenant Foundation.
Brown said that the community is welcome to make use of the former clubhouse, and that the ALF will fund its upkeep.
"The recreations that we have there - billiards, card playing, art classes - all of these will remain there," he said. "The pool will remain there. Anybody who wants to use the pool can use it."
Fiorentino disputed that claim, as did Collins, who said he was attending on behalf of former civic association presidents Lester Bloom and Frank Apollo.
"The clubhouse was taken from them under false pretenses," Collins said. "The organization that took it is under investigation for one scam after another. The residents have been effectively locked out of their club."
In the end, the committee decided to put off its decision until another hearing on Oct. 28. Meanwhile, the county will ask for clarification from the State Attorney's Office on just who, in fact, is in charge of the clubhouse.
Steve Thompson can be reached in west Pasco at 869-6245, or toll-free at 1-800-333-7505, ext. 6245. His e-mail address is sthompson@sptimes.com
