[PAGE 1] CITY COUNCIL VISIONING, PLANNING AND WATER USE WORKSHOP ZEPHYRHILLS, FLORIDA Monday, November 17, 2025 5:00 PM Zephyrhills Council City Hall Chambers Call to Order — Council President Charles E. Proctor Roll Call — City Clerk Ricardo Quiñones 1. WORKSHOP ITEMS 1.1 Water Status Overview-Please see the attachment for summary points. 1. W ater_summary_handout 1.2 Joint Visioning Workshop 1. H andouts_JointWorkshop_Visioning_2025_1110_draft CITIZEN COMMENTS ADJOURN * PLEASE NOTE: This is a Public Meeting. Should any interested party seek to appeal any decisionmade by the Council with respect to any matter considered at such meeting or hearing, he or she will need a record of the proceedings, and that, for such purpose, he or she may need to ensure that a verbatim record of the proceeding is made, which record includes the testimony and evidence upon which the appeal is to be based. F.S. 286.0105. If you are a person with a disability which requires reasonable accommodation in order to participate in this meeting, please contact the City Clerk at 813/780-0000 at least 48 hours prior to the public hearing. A.D.A. and F.S. 286.26. Page 1 of 14 [PAGE 2] Summary – Water Status Overview Previous Permit (WUP 6040.011, 2020 Renewal) • 20-year permit, authorized 3.308 MGD AADF and 3.672 MGD peak month flow. • Established compliance rate of 87 gpcd for 2040 population of 37,027. • Required use of an integrated surface/groundwater model • Return flows from the RIBs were necessary to offset impacts to the Hillsborough River Groundwater Basin. • Projected end-of-permit return flows: 2.804 MGD. • 2023 Facilities Plan showed population growth exceeding WUP capacity. • Projected population (with all known developments): 2040: 49,888. • Projected demand: 2040: 4.50 MGD. Current Permit (WUP 6040.012, 2025 Modification) • Expires Nov 17, 2040; authorizes 4.493 MGD AADF, 5.00 MGD peak month flow; compliance rate 87 gpcd for 48,928 population. • Requires RIB flow offsets and connection to agricultural well. • Current use (2024): 2.772 MGD for 33,187 population. • Additional capacity: YMCA well (0.246 MGD) and agricultural well (1.185 MGD) not yet connected. Future Supply Options • Relocate agricultural well withdrawals (site 2.5 miles north, gaining ~0.60 MGD potential). • Purchase water from other utilities (may require retreatment) • Interconnect with Dade City (No longer has excess WUP capacity and aging infrastructure requires improvements). • Absorb service areas with excess WUP capacity. • Develop Lower Floridan aquifer wells (requires testing and modeling) probably not a significant benefit due to depth and potential lack of confinement between aquifers. • Surface water source (reservoir): not practical due to treatment costs. • Aquifer storage and recovery: not practical due to inland location/hydrogeology. • Implement conservation and capital projects to reduce loss and expand reclaimed water. Must be balanced with the permit requirement to discharge to the RIBs. • Domestic self-supply wells allowed; ordinance requires connection within 200 ft of water line. Key Challenge Use it or lose it. We must closely track the anticipated water usage throughout the permit. Projected demand by 2040 (4.50 MGD) approaches current permit capacity (4.493 MGD), requiring additional sources and conservation measures to maintain compliance and meet growth in the future. Page 2 of 14 [PAGE 3] Agenda Memo for City Growth “How Shall We Grow?” Visioning Workshop Issue: The City of Zephyrhills is convening a joint workshop of the Mayor and City Council, Planning Commission, and City staff to conduct a long-range visioning discussion regarding future growth, development, and water supplies as part of the City of Zephyrhills 2050 Comprehensive Plan Update. The workshop responds to a central issue now facing the City: how to accommodate continuing population growth within the limits of available and planned water supplies. The recent water-use permit update, together with development activity surrounding the City, make it timely to evaluate where and how future housing and associated public infrastructure and services should occur through 2050. Attachments: 1. Workshop Agenda 2. Questions to Consider 3. Population Growth and Projections, 2010–2050 4. Housing Demand and Supply, 2025–2050 5. Where Future Homes Could Go: Land Capacity 6. Where and How Much Housing: Land Use Policy 7. How Development Form Shapes Water Demand 8. Housing Choices and Affordability 9. Regional Growth Influences (Two Rivers and Villages of Pasadena Hills) Analysis: Population and Housing Growth: The City’s population is projected to more than double by 2050, creating demand for approximately 10,000 additional housing units beyond those currently approved or under construction. Water Supply and Concurrency: The City’s recently approved Water Use Permit authorizes an average withdrawal of 4.4939 MGD, sufficient for roughly 14,980 dwelling units at the City’s level of service standard (300 gallons per day per unit). Current projections indicate that demand may exceed this capacity around 2035–2040, requiring proactive planning for conservation, reuse, or system expansion. Growth Scenarios and Land Use Direction: The workshop will examine potential development scenarios within both the City and unincorporated Joint Planning Area (JPA), comparing implications of three broad approaches to accommodating population and housing growth through 2050: 1. Grow Inward – Redevelopment and Infill within Existing City Limits Focuses on redevelopment and infill under the City’s adopted Future Land Use categories, the adopted ReImagine Gall Boulevard Form-Based Code (FBC), and the proposed CRA Master Plan, emphasizing existing neighborhoods, corridors, and employment hubs. 1 Page 3 of 14 [PAGE 4] Agenda Memo for City Growth Key Considerations: • Make use of existing public infrastructure and services, reducing per-unit costs and extending the life of current facilities • Encourage mixed-use, walkable development in core areas where infrastructure and utilities already exist • Reduce vehicle miles traveled and overall water demand per household, supporting sustainability goals 2. Grow Outward – Planned Expansion into the Joint Planning Area (JPA) Envisions the annexation and coordinated extension of public infrastructure and services into portions of the JPA to accommodate future residential development. Key Considerations: • Provide opportunities for new large-scale development and master-planned communities that could diversify the local housing mix • Requires significant new capital investment in water, sewer, transportation, stormwater, and public safety infrastructure, as well as careful phasing to maintain fiscal sustainability • Likely to increase traffic congestion and long-term transportation costs if growth occurs without integrated land use and mobility • May be necessary to accommodate long-term population growth once the City’s internal capacity is built out 3. Hybrid Strategy – Balanced Internal and External Growth Combines targeted expansion within the JPA with strategic reinvestment along key corridors. This approach integrates infill/redevelopment within the existing urban fabric with carefully phased infrastructure/service extensions to new growth areas. Key Considerations: • Balance growth between new development areas and reinvestment in the existing City fabric • Maximize fiscal efficiency by phasing infrastructure expansion where it supports both corridor reinvestment and new development • Provide flexibility to respond to market demand while maintaining a compact, connected urban form • Encourage coordination with County and regional partners to align growth management, transportation planning, and water-supply strategies Regional Influences: Major projects like Two Rivers and Villages of Pasadena Hills will drive substantial population and housing growth in eastern Pasco County, shaping future demand and service planning in Zephyrhills. Funding: N/A 2 Page 4 of 14 [PAGE 5] Agenda Memo for City Growth Staff Recommendation: This item is for discussion and direction only. Staff requests that City Council and Planning Commission members review the attached background materials and participate in the visioning activities and discussion to identify a preferred growth approach for use in preparing draft policy updates for the 2050 Comprehensive Plan. 3 Page 5 of 14 [PAGE 6] AGENDA HANDOUT - ROUGH DRAFT WORKSHOP AGENDA Timeframe: 90 minutes “How Shall We Grow” Visioning Workshop Identify preferred growth Purpose: direction and public investments priorities that align with water- supply realities for the 2050 Comprehensive Plan Update. 0:00–0:02 (2 MIN) Outcomes: WELCOME & OBJECTIVES Values to preserve (1) Preferred growth approach (2) (Inward / Outward / Hybrid) Top 3 public investments (3) 0:02–0:12 (10 MIN) Next-step direction to staff OVERVIEW: GROWTH & WATER (4) 0:12–0:25 (14 MIN) EXERCISE 1 – PRESERVE/IMPROVE 0:25–0:35 (10 MIN) GROWTH SCENARIO PRIMER 0:35–0:55 (20 MIN) EXERCISE 2 – GROWTH STRATEGY MAPPING 0:55–1:10 (15 MIN) EXERCISE 3 – INVESTMENT PRIORITIES 1:10–1:25 (15 MIN) GROUP REPORT-OUTS 1:25–0:30 (5 MIN) SYNTHESIS & NEXT STEPS Joint Visioning Workshop | PLANZephyrhills 2050 Page 1 Page 6 of 14 [PAGE 7] AGENDA HANDOUT - ROUGH DRAFT QUESTIONS TO CONSIDER Take a few Before You Arrive: minutes to reflect on “How Shall We Grow” Visioning Workshop Zephyrhills’ future before the workshop. What kind of city do you want Zephyrhills to be known for in 2050? 1. What We Value What choices do we need to make now to help make that vision real? What do you love most about Zephyrhills today? What do you want your family or future residents to experience in 2050? What would you like to preserve, improve, or add as the city grows? Ὦ ️♀️ 2. Growth Direction 4. Public Investments & Priorities Should future housing focus on infill and redevelopment inside the city or expansion into If the City could make three major public new areas? investments in the next five years, what should they be? How can the city guide growth to protect neighborhood character and manage costs? (Examples: sidewalks, stormwater, parks, downtown improvements, water/sewer upgrades.) What worries you most about growth; traffic, water, affordability, or something else? How can investments strengthen both existing neighborhoods and new development areas? 3. Water & Infrastructure 5. Regional Influences Zephyrhills’ permitted water supply is 4.49 million gallons per day, or about 250 gallons per home per How do nearby projects like Two Rivers and the day. Villages of Pasadena Hills affect Zephyrhills’ future? How should this shape decisions about where and how we grow? How might the city position itself within this regional growth as a distinct hometown, an employment hub, What would responsible growth look like, knowing or both? our water capacity has limits? Are there ways to use existing infrastructure and service areas more efficiently before expanding outward? Joint Visioning Workshop | PLANZephyrhills 2050 Page 2 Page 7 of 14 [PAGE 8] AGENDA HANDOUT - ROUGH DRAFT POPULATION GROWTH & PROJECTIONS, 2000-2050 City of Zephyrhills 2050 44,092 The City of Zephyrhills has nearly doubled in population since 2000, growing from just over ten thousand residents to more than twenty 2045 thousand today. 39,392 Growth is expected to continue, reaching nearly forty thousand by 2045 and over forty-four thousand by 2050. 2035 These projections highlight the need to plan to 29,732 ensure that housing, water supplies, public infrastructure/services can keep pace with a rapidly expanding community. 2025 20,732 2020 17,194 2010 13,288 2000 10,833 +2.27% / +2.94% / +4.11% / +4.34% / +3.25% / +2.38% / Year Year Year Year Year Year 2000 2010 2020 2025 2035 2045 2050 100% Counts Projections 2024 19,666 Official Estimate Sources: U.S. Census Bureau: Decennial Census (100% Counts). Bureau of Economic and Business Research (BEBR): April 1 Florida Estimates of Population. City of Zephyrhills Planning Department: Population Projections (Linear Method), validated through review of 1) approved but unbuilt development (Water Supply Facilities Work Plan); 2) recent residential building permit activity, and trends in vacant housing rates. Joint Visioning Workshop | PLANZephyrhills 2050 Page 3 Page 8 of 14 [PAGE 9] AGENDA HANDOUT - ROUGH DRAFT HOUSING DEMAND & SUPPLY, 2025-2050 City of Zephyrhills Existing Conditions, 2023 2019–2023 Estimates, American Community Survey, US Census Bureau. 2023 2023 2023 N/A N/A N/A 9,285 2.29 15.6% Existing Persons Per Household Housing Vacancy Rate Housing Units Based on population projections, Factors that could increase or Zephyrhills is on track to meet decrease housing need: short-term housing needs, but by • Demographic shifts 2035 the city could face a housing shortage. • Housing market conditions (e.g., affordability, vacancy rates) • Policy and land use decisions • Water, infrastructure, and Population Projections service capacity • External forces (e.g., economic cycles, natural hazards, state laws) By 2050, the deficit could exceed ten thousand homes. Projected Housing Unit Surplus/ Deficit) 2025 2035 2045 2050 N/A N/A N/A N/A +1,518 -3,343 -8,204 -10,634 Joint Visioning Workshop | PLANZephyrhills 2050 Page 4 Page 9 of 14 [PAGE 10] AGENDA HANDOUT - ROUGH DRAFT WHERE FUTURE HOMES COULD GO: LAND CAPACITY City of Zephyrhills Identified are three opportunity areas for new housing in within the City and its Joint Planning Area (JPA) with Pasco County. vacant and Community Redevelopment Area (CRA): Community underutilized parcels with Redevelopment Area redevelopment potential supported by existing public infrastructure and services. VACANT ACRES: 26 Additional areas of the City Other City Areas: Other City Areas suitable for compact, mixed housing types, including employment hubs. VACANT ACRES: 286 Joint Planning Area Unincorporated lands Joint Planning Area: adjacent to the City with longer-term VACANT ACRES: potential for annexation and coordinated 474 service expansion. Joint Visioning Workshop | PLANZephyrhills 2050 Page 5 Page 10 of 14 [PAGE 11] AGENDA HANDOUT - ROUGH DRAFT WHERE & HOW MUCH HOUSING: LAND USE POLICY City of Zephyrhills and Pasco County The in the City’s Future Land Use Map and FLU categories The FLU categories establish the intended density, mix of uses, and community character for each area, Comprehensive Plan, and the corresponding Pasco guiding . County designations within the Joint Planning Area decisions about annexation, infrastructure investment, and zoning standards (JPA), define where and how future neighborhoods can develop. CITY FUTURE LAND USE CATEGORIES (ADOPTED) Residential FLU Categories  Residential Estate 0 to 2 units/acre (UPA)  Residential Suburban 2.5 to 7.5 UPA  Residential Urban 7.5 to 14 UPA  Mobile Home/RV Residential 5 to 18 UPA  Mixed Use 0 to 15 UPA  Form-based Code (?) 0 to 20 UPA COUNTY FUTURE LAND USE CATEGORIES (PROPOSED) Suburban Density Residential (SDR) Category (NEW) Consolidation of legacy categories  RES-3; RES-6; RES-9; and into SDR RES-12 SDR is a guided by a Tiered Land Use Approach Compatibility Matrix; maximum 18.0 UPA SDR effective date after (SB 180 related) October 1, 2027 Developers may voluntarily adopt SDR before October 1, 2027 Joint Visioning Workshop | PLANZephyrhills 2050 Page 6 Page 11 of 14 [PAGE 12] AGENDA HANDOUT - ROUGH DRAFT HOW DEVELOPMENT FORM SHAPES WATER DEMAND Density, design & land use patterns influence long-term water needs Rural to Urban Transect Neighborhood design has a measurable impact on Across sunbelt cities, the pattern is clear: higher how much water residents use each day. While density, smaller lots, and more multifamily housing indoor water use stays relatively consistent across mean lower water use per household. In Florida, housing types, outdoor irrigation is the real where a single lawn-watering cycle can exceed differentiator. Outdoor water use drops sharply as 1,000 gallons, the connection between lot size, development becomes more compact. landscaping, and overall demand is especially pronounced. Excess outdoor demand not only increases total use but also intensifies water shortages during dry Indoor efficiency improvements have cut per-person periods. indoor use nationwide by about 15% since 1999. The next frontier for conservation lies in how and where we build. Translating Water Demand by Transect Zone T2 Zone (sub-rural: Larger lot, more turf) T4 Zone (general urban: small lots, townhomes, mixed forms) Total: ~95–170 gpcd (Indoor ~55–65; Outdoor ~40– Total: ~70–100 gpcd (Indoor ~55–65; Outdoor ~10– 105, highly lawn- and irrigation-policy-dependent). 35). Rationale: Reduced private yards and irrigable Rationale: Largest irrigable areas, frequent area. automatic irrigation, and amenities (e.g., pools) drive T5 Zone (urban center: multifamily-heavy) high outdoor demand. Total: ~50–75 gpcd (Indoor ~45–60; Outdoor T3 Zone (sub-urban: larger lots, more turf) minimal except common areas). Rationale: MF units Total: ~85–130 gpcd (Indoor ~55–65; Outdoor ~30– with little/zero private irrigation; MF is consistently 65, highly lawn- and irrigation-policy-dependent). lower per unit/per capita. Rationale: Outdoor dominates; aligns with studies Actual demand varies by irrigable area, lot size, Note: showing higher irrigation on larger lots. landscape standards, conservation policies, reclaimed water availability, household occupancy, irrigation practices (including HOA rules), seasonality, and local climate. Joint Visioning Workshop | PLANZephyrhills 2050 Page 7 Page 12 of 14 [PAGE 13] AGENDA HANDOUT - ROUGH DRAFT HOUSING CHOICES & AFFORDABILITY Keeping Zephyrhills livable and affordable for all residents What do these age cohort trends suggest about future demand for diverse housing types? What kinds of homes will best fit their needs? Which income groups in Zephyrhills experience the greatest housing cost pressures? What types of homes or policies would most directly relieve those burdens? In 2025, the HUD Area Median Income (AMI) for Pasco County is $98,400 for a family of four (80% AMI = $78,720 and 50% AMI = $49,200. Dwelling Units Per Acre Joint Visioning Workshop | PLANZephyrhills 2050 Page 8 ecirP emoH fo erahS sa tsoC dnaL Cost-burdened households Page 13 of 14 [PAGE 14] AGENDA HANDOUT - ROUGH DRAFT REGIONAL GROWTH INFLUENCES Positioning Zephyrhills within East Pasco’s transforming housing market How might Zephyrhills position itself to offer desirable, attainable homes while maintaining its established community identity and managing growth responsibly? Villages of Pasadena Hills (VOPH) Orsi Properties ~20,000 acres Evans 41,987 units Two Rivers ~3,400 acres 6,400 units 4,047 single-family units 514 townhomes 108 villas 1,878 multifamily units Joint Visioning Workshop | PLANZephyrhills 2050 Page 9 Page 14 of 14