County okays rules to control commercial blight

NEW PORT RICHEY — Elizabeth Villanova gets dejected on her daily treks to and from her children’s schools in Land O’Lakes. “It’s been depressing to watch the complete degradation of U.S. 41 specifically,” she told Pasco County commissioners Tuesday. Villanova started a Facebook page and an online petition seeking stepped-up code enforcement and other beautification…

Downtown churches being re-rezoned

CRESTVIEW — Two of Crestview’s oldest churches inadvertently shackled from future growth will be unfettered if two re-rezoning ordinances pass a second Crestview City Council reading. The council last week unanimously approved the first of two required public readings of two ordinances amending the city’s comprehensive plan to revert downtown churches to their original zoning.…

Milton continues push for downtown courthouse

With lingering uncertainty about the future of the Santa Rosa County Courthouse, the city of Milton is continuing its efforts to keep the judicial center downtown. The city will update the Santa Rosa County Commission on Monday on property acquisitions that may be used in the construction of a new downtown Milton courthouse — if the county chooses…

Zoning snafu derails Eastside development

A plan for a multimillion- dollar investment in the Eastside neighborhood by a Georgia foundation that builds affordable housing has fallen through. Paces Foundation, a developer of affordable housing projects in Smyrna, Ga., was under contract to buy from Manna Food Pantries the razed site of the former J. Lee Pickens School at 2501 N.…

Medical device company chooses downtown Kissimmee

A company that manufactures special medical devices announced Thursday that it plans to locate its headquarters in downtown Kissimmee, where it eventually hopes to employ hundreds of people. Infinity Medical Engineering will initially employ 10 people when it opens its 10,000-square-foot facility on Church Street within the coming months, CEO Michael McDaniel said. Then, over…