ZEPHYRHILLS, Fla. — A community workshop held Thursday marked the beginning of Zephyrhills’ efforts to update the master plan for its community redevelopment area.
The 500 acres includes the downtown, Plaza District, Hercules, Historic Jeffries, Oakside, Historic Abbot, Zephyr Lake, and Moores Estates areas, but CRA Director Gail Hamilton told attendees ripple effects of projects in the district can be felt beyond its borders.
“We are incredibly excited,” said CRA Director Gail Hamilton. “There’s a new attitude in the city and a new attitude for the citizens. They want to see more, they want to have more, and they’re moving in from other places and other cities that have more recreational activities. The city has, in turn, really looked at how we can meet those needs.”
Hamilton said the city is looking for insight from all demographics when it comes to updating the plan, which happens every five-to-seven years. The plan will outline how CRA funds will be spent for the next five-to-ten years.
“The big thing that we hear right now is parks – they want better recreation. So, we’re looking at that. We need more businesses downtown. So, what will it take to get a business to move to Zephyrhills? Do we need to upgrade our grants? Do we need to put more money into enticing businesses here?” said Hamilton. She went on to say, “We have too many residents that get in their car on Friday afternoon and go to Tampa and don’t spend their time here in Zephyrhills. And that’s what we want – we want those businesses, the mom and pops that are starting out that are trying a new idea. That’s what we’re looking for in the downtown.”
There will be one less vacant storefront on 5th Avenue when Uptown Creamery opens its second location there. Owner Whitney Maxwell said that will come soon after the business gets some final approvals from the state.
“Our motto is basically, ‘Once you come into our place, you’re family,’” Maxwell said. “We have a lot of repeat customers in our Dade City location, and we’ve built a lot of relationships and a lot of friendships with the people there, and we hope to do the same here in Zephyrhills.”
Uptown Creamery owner Whitney Maxwell in her business’ soon-to-be second location on 5th Ave. in Zephyrhills. (Spectrum News/Sarah Blazonis)
Maxwell said she picked the downtown spot because of the growth the area is seeing. Another expected bonus – help with outside signage through a CRA grant she’s applying for. Hamilton said this particular type of grant provides up to $1,000 in matching funds.
“The city’s been absolutely amazing, and everybody’s super excited about us opening here,” Maxwell said.
People who came out to Thursday’s meeting were given stickers to mark on map spots in the district with features they like, as well as areas that need improvement. Next to the map, they posted notes giving details about the suggested change. That’s something Zephyrhills has seen a lot of in recent years. Hamilton said during her presentation that the city’s population is up 64% in the past decade, something she noted likely isn’t too different from other Florida cities. It became the largest city in Pasco County last year. The CRA has also seen growth.
“When I came seven years ago, the CRA was bringing in $14,000. This year, we’ll bring in a million dollars in revenue from increased value in properties,” Hamilton said. She also said improvements made by CRA projects contributed to those increased values.
Hamilton said the workshop was just the beginning of the process to update the master plan. A draft plan is expected to be presented at another meeting this spring. Residents will have the chance to let officials know what they think then. They can keep up with the latest details on the city’s website and reach out to Hamilton with any questions at (813) 780-0202 or [email protected].
Sarah Blazonis
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