Lutz Civic Association

Lutz Civic Association

LUTZ: A BIT OF HISTORY

The town of Lutz (pronounced "Loots") was a small train stop established north of Tampa in 1909. The site, now located on U.S. Highway 41, 20 miles north of downtown Tampa, was a stopping place on the Tampa Northern Railroad.

The earliest settlers of the area and northward were Native Americans, who came to the area in the 16th century. It wasn't until the early 1800s that white settlers arrived. The 1850 U.S. Census of Hillsborough County reveals that James Madison and Elizabeth Ann Cooper were among those early settlers.

By 1914 Lutz was like many small American towns before the automobile, complete with hand pump and watering trough for those travelling by horse and buggy and a depot for those travelling by train.

In the early days the area was called North Tampa and received its name from the North Tampa Land Company, founded around 1905 by a group of Chicago investors. The company bought 32,000 acres of land in northern "Hillsboro" County. Later, in 1910, the investors decided to build a town and call it North Tampa, but the train depot name is the one that stuck.

The Lutz Civic Association (LCA), formed in November 1943 by 20 area residents, has had a long-standing community history. The group began by sponsoring the community's Fourth of July Celebration and initiating civic improvements, which included the forming of a volunteer fire department in the late 1950s.

While in the 1940s and 1950s Lutz grew rapidly it maintained the distinction, according to Fourth of July printed programs, as being "the friendliest neighborhood in all Florida" in 1947 and "A Fine Residential Community" in 1953. Town boosters regarded the town's location to Tampa as advantageous in that it offered every pleasure of country life, yet the advantages of a city.

This sentiment prevails in the community today and is one that the Lutz Civic Association works diligently towards preserving.


Source: "Citrus, Sawmills, Critters, Crackers--Life in Early Lutz and Central Pasco County," by Elizabeth Riegler MacManus and Susan A. MacManus.

About our association

LUTZ CIVIC ASSOCIATION (LCA), INC. 1999-2000 OFFICERS AND BOARD OF DIRECTORS

PRESIDENT
Denise Layne, Ph. 813-948-8998

VICE-PRESIDENT
Ron Stoy, Ph. 813-948-0137

SECRETARY
Marion Smith, Ph. 813-949-2152

TREASURER
Carolyn Meeker, Ph. 949-1017

BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Auralee Buckingham
Denise Layne
Carolyn Meeker
Steve Polzin
Lisa West Salisbury
Ron Stoy


DENISE LAYNE, current president of the Lutz Civic Association (LCA), has been a board member and president of the organization since its reactivation in 1997. During this time she has become well-acquainted with local government.
During her presidency she has been actively working to preserve the semi-rural lifestyle enjoyed by the residents of Lutz and has fought inappropriate re-zoning. Denise has been instrumental in working with the Hillsborough County Planning Commission to develop the Lutz Community Plan for land use.
Her concerns extend outside of Lutz to Cypress Creek Preserve, where she has been involved in preserving this natural habitat and others. An issue that has received much of her attention has been the proposed east-west road that would connect New Tampa and Lutz.
Other activities include Speakers Bureau and Job Shadowing Programs through SERVE (School Enrichment Resource Volunteers in Education), past president of the board of directors of the Deaf Services Center of Hillsborough County, director of the board of directors of SHARP (Sertoma Hearing Aid Recycling Program), and a member of the League of Woman Voters and the Sierra Club.
Denise, a resident of Lutz since 1978, is married and has a step-son. She is the owner of Paralegal Associates, Inc. and a member of the Hillsborough County Bar Association since 1989.


RON STOY, current vice-president of the Lutz Civic Association (LCA), has been a board member and vice-president of the association for two years. His involvement in the Lutz Community began with a desire to retain the rural character of the Lutz Community. "There should be urban, surburban, semi-rural and rural areas from which to choose to live," says Ron. "Many people who live in Lutz feel as I do. They want some space and freedom to enjoy a more rural lifestyle."
Ron is also concerned with Lutz maintaining its integrity as a distinct community. "We are not North Tampa or the Lutz Area. We are the town of Lutz," emphasizes Ron. "We have a history and character that is very different from Tampa, Carrollwood or Temple Terrace."
Ron has been working on several projects that will enhance and help matain the integrity of our community. The LCA Board and many of the membership, along with other Lutz citizens, have been working with the Planning Commission in developing the Lutz Community Plan. Ron is also spearheading the LCA's project of rebuilding the Old Lutz Depot. This small building will become an icon for the Lutz Community as well as become a centerpiece for many of the activities that already occur in downtown Lutz. The Depot project is the beginning of the process of revitalization of downtown Lutz.
Ron has lived in Lutz for 20 years with his wife, two children, two dogs, two cats and two birds. He is also a successful Lutz businessowner.

CAROLYN MEEKER, current treasurer of the Lutz Civic Association (LCA), has lived in Lutz with her husband since 1965. A real estate broker and state certifed building contractor, Carolyn has served the Lutz community for more than 30 years as president and director of the LCA numerous times.
Carolyn supports the continued expansion of the LCA to better address the many upcoming issues affecting Lutz. She continues to diligently work through planning and zoning issues affecting the community in an effort to maintain Lutz as a low density, semi-rural community.

STEVE POLZIN is a current board member of the Lutz Civic Association (LCA) and sums up the essence of Lutz as simply as "community choice." "We want our independence, freedom and good planning," says this Lutz resident of 10 years.
Steve works at the Center for Urban Transportation Research at the University of South Florida (USF), where he researches and teaches transportation engineering. His knowledge and understanding of transporation issues has been a great value to the LCA when dealing with rezoning issues and debates.
As a board member for the past two years, Steve has worked to see the community progress while retaining its character and quality of life. Married with two children, Steve feels strongly that the community's character can be maintained with careful planning.

LISA WEST SALISBURGY is also a current board member of the Lutz Civic Association (LCA) who moved to the area more than four years ago with her husband and son. She discovered the LCA during the high school placement depate and was impressed with the response of the membership and soon joined.
Lisa is a licensed clinical social worker employed by the University of South Florida (USF), College of Medicine at Suncoast Gerontology Center. And, she has a strong interest in the environment.

AURALEE BUCKINGHAM, too, is a current board member of the Lutz Civic Association (LCA) and a resident of the community for more than 20 years. It has been said that there is hardly a community function where Auralee is not present.
She has served as president of the Lutz/Land 'O Lakes Woman's Club and was their 1998 "Woman of the Year," she chairs the Lutz 4th of July Celebration and sits on the boards of the Lutz Nature Park and the Old Lutz School. She is also the organizer of Christmas Card Lane, a holiday celebration in downtown Lutz, and chairs the very successful Market in the Park/Taste of Lutz. These are just a few examples of her community involvement.
Auralee, married with two daughters and four granddaughters, welcomes the LCA's vigilance in fighting inappropriate development and recognizes the power of the association to do so.