Digest

Lawsuit fighting mall is dropped

By TIMES WIRES
Published June 28, 2007

WESLEY CHAPEL

Opponents of the proposed Cypress Creek Town Center dropped a federal lawsuit to block the mall's construction Wednesday, a day after they filed it in Tampa's U.S. District Court.

Tuesday, the mall's opponents sought to kill an Army Corps of Engineers' permit for the proposed "lifestyle center, " which is retail-speak for an outdoor mall.

Land O'Lakes resident Dan Rametta and the environmental group Citizens for Sanity filed a 51-page lawsuit challenging the corps' permit, awarded May 15 to the mall's developer, the Richard E. Jacobs Group. The permit gave permission to fill 56 acres of wetlands on the mall site.

Rametta and his lawyers did not return several messages for comment.

At slightly more than 1-million square feet, Cypress Creek Town Center will be at Interstate 75 and State Road 56.

LARGO

Leading businessman Dick Bell dies at 85

G. Richard "Dick" Bell, community leader and vice president and general manager of Great Bay Distributors, Inc. in Largo, died Monday at Morton Plant Hospital, Clearwater. He was 85.

TAMPA

Mayor rolls out ideas to slash city budget

Mayor Pam Iorio wants the city to consider increasing fees for such things as parks and recreation and fire rescue to make up for money lost because of state property tax reform. Already, the city's Construction Services Division is working on a plan to increase fees that could bring in $3-million, Iorio told the City Council Wednesday. A draft report calls for increasing fees for plan review and permits by 10 percent for residential projects and 100 percent for commercial projects. Iorio said she also plans to announce "significant" layoffs today, which she said will cover most of the $20-million the city needs to cut.

SPRING HILL

AIDS testing tries out a hip-hop hook

Rob Starz, co-owner of Saints and Sinners Lounge, is teaming up with the Hernando County Health Department and host the county's first Hip-hop HIV/AIDS Awareness Night Saturday. People can get a free, confidential test in the club's private VIP section with the swath of a cotton swab to the inside cheek.

The results will be sent to the participants in a couple of weeks, organizers said.

[Last modified June 28, 2007, 00:46:14]