PASCO COUNTY, Fla. — Many people call Anclote River Park a hidden gem. It's a beautiful park rich in beauty and history.
When Pasco County released plans to add a restaurant at the park, it got a lot of reaction. Some were excited about the possibility of a new restaurant, while others were not on board.
We spoke to several people who said they don’t want to see the park change, and they are worried it will turn into a tourist trap.
“We fear this area will become another congested area like Clearwater, where you can’t even find a place to park. We live here. The people that come here live here,” Doris Carroll said.
History is actually the reason the restaurant plans are on hold. Anclote River Park is home to a Spanish well and a historic mound built by indigenous people.
Dillon Rich grew up coming to the park.
“I think it's important that we preserve our history, especially our ancient history here especially. So generations coming up behind us can know our past and know our history,” Rich said.
With this in mind, Pasco County hired a consultant to determine the next steps. The consultant found hundreds of artifacts and recommends the county avoid construction on the mound. Pasco County submitted the report to the state. All plans are now on hold.
You can read the full report here.
Stantec_Cultural Resource A... by ABC Action News
Captain Joe Zsiga is a treasure hunter who tells us he believes there is a lot more underground at Anclote River Park.
“In my opinion being that there could be $500 million worth of treasure buried here which we have GPR-D and proven. There is 11 caches of something here,” Zsiga said.
He thinks treasure and human remains are buried at Anclote River Park, which is why he does not want the county to build a restaurant there.
