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Pasco School Board to negotiate with developer, not Zephyrhills, over Hercules property

 
The Zephyrhills swim team is shown in 2009 at the Hercules Aquatic Center, which closed in 2011. The Pasco County School Board is negotiating with a developer to sell the 15.5-acre property.
The Zephyrhills swim team is shown in 2009 at the Hercules Aquatic Center, which closed in 2011. The Pasco County School Board is negotiating with a developer to sell the 15.5-acre property.
Published June 18, 2015

LAND O'LAKES — The Pasco County School Board plans to sell Hercules Park, site of the former Hercules Aquatic Center in Zephyrhills, to a developer, frustrating residents who hoped the board would sell to the city.

The School Board voted unanimously Tuesday night to allow superintendent Kurt Browning to negotiate with GH&G Florida LLC of Manatee County for the sale of the land, a largely wooded 15.5-acre parcel at U.S. 301 and County Road 54 adjacent to Zephyrhills High School.

The city bid $1.7 million for the land, hoping to convert it into a park, which would stand as a gateway to the city.

However, GH&G, a commercial real estate development company, offered $2.32 million. The board, which has a fiduciary responsibility to county taxpayers, opted for the extra cash.

The additional $620,000 in the school district's coffers could revitalize programs that were cut during tight fiscal years, board member Alison Crumbley said at the meeting.

The rest of the board was in agreement, especially as the district faces a capital funds shortfall.

"It's not a decision we're for or against Zephyrhills," board member Cynthia Armstrong said. "We're voting for or against our capital needs."

Prior to the vote, several Zephyrhills residents urged the board not to sell to the developer. They expressed fear that a gas station would end up on the corner, a belief borne because the fuel company RaceTrac also made an offer for the property. Dan Howe, of GH&G, reached by phone Wednesday, declined to discuss the board's decision or his intentions for the property.

"I can tell you the best interest of the public, of those who live there and pass through there, is not a gas station," Zephyrhills Mayor Gene Whitfield told the School Board.

He recalled a handshake agreement 52 years ago when the Hercules Powder Co. sold the land to the school district: The land would be used for children's education and recreation, not commercial purposes.

"For 52 years, those who sat before you honored that handshake agreement," Whitfield said.

Initially, the school district was planning to sell less than 2.5 acres at the intersection for commercial development and donate the remaining 13 acres to the city. The city countered with an offer to buy the entire plot, in order to preserve the corner. Then, GH&G made a more lucrative offer.

Deputy superintendent Ray Gadd said GH&G is willing to consider donating about two-thirds of the property back to Zephyrhills, putting the city almost back to square one, though with several fewer acres.

"That's part of my negotiation," Gadd said. "I intend to negotiate on Zephyrhills' behalf."

Board member Allen Altman said he thinks deal would be better for the city than the city purchasing the land.

"I honestly believe the citizens of Pasco County, the students of Pasco County and the citizens of Zephyrhills are better off if the city gets a park and pool and lets them keep their money in their pockets," Altman said.

Contact Josh Solomon at (813) 226-3446 or jsolomon@tampabay.com. Follow @josh_solomon15.