Piece of old-time station can go, commission says

The prospective buyers of the old Linda Vista gas station and lunch spot want the landmark's decrepit awning to be removed.

By CHASE SQUIRES

© St. Petersburg Times, published February 16, 2000

DADE CITY -- The prospective buyers of the landmark Linda Vista property atop LeHeup Hill got their wish Tuesday when Pasco County commissioners agreed that forcing them to rebuild a crumbling awning of questionable historic value would be too much to ask.

Landowner William Theodore Mercer, son of the late longtime occupant Lavinia P. Mercer, applied for the demolition permit in December as a condition of the sale to prospective buyers Frank and Patty Richter of San Antonio.

Mercer sought to demolish the badly decayed wooden awning over what used to be gas pumps so contractors could remove the buried gasoline tanks and test surrounding soil for contamination. The service station stopped selling gas in the 1940s.

But county planners wanted to preserve the station, if possible, as an example of Old Florida. The Linda Vista, erected in the 1920s, was the unofficial hub of the Pasadena community in the early part of the century, offering a lunch counter and gasoline on what was then a sparsely populated stretch between Dade City and Zephyrhills.

Sam Steffey, county growth management director, started Tuesday's meeting asking commissioners to have the Richters rebuild the awning after the tanks are removed. But after commissioners considered the liability of rebuilding a concrete structure on a road right of way and the fact that the awning has been altered several times, Steffey instead suggested that commissioners issue the demolition permit without restriction.

"Obviously, the building has undergone several renovations," Frank Richter told commissioners. "The authenticity of the building, in my opinion, has been lost."

Commissioner Steve Simon said he consulted with the county attorney's office and was told the county could be held responsible if officials ordered the Richters to rebuild the awning, which is less than eight feet from the edge of busy Fort King Road, and someone crashed into it.

Frank Richter said the cost would detract from his efforts to restore the adjacent home, and the liability concerned both his insurance agent and his attorney.

Neighbor Wilbur Dew, 66, grew up across the street from the old building and did not oppose the awning demolition.

"I do not think there's anybody in this room who could be any more attached to that building," he told the commission. "But my daddy once said, "Son, if the mule's dead, we've got to bury it.' That's what we've got here."

The awning and the building behind it have deteriorated. A hole at least five feet across has opened on top of the awning, and the building has many rotted boards and holes.

Richter said his family plans to restore the antique home next to the Linda Vista and live in it. He said he also plans to shore up the Linda Vista and restore the facade after the awning is gone and will place the original Linda Vista sign on the front.

Commissioner Sylvia Young congratulated the Richters on their pending purchase and the outstanding view their property commands from one of the highest points in the county.

"I want you to know you're the luckiest people in the world to get your hands on that property," she said.

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