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Kinnan Street

Project aims to improve emergency access

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Construction is underway to make it easier for emergency services to get between New Tampa and Wesley Chapel.

The connection of Mansfield Boulevard and Kinnan Street will be barricaded as construction is set to begin in March. The corridor will be an easy access point for first responders traveling between Pasco and Hillsborough counties. (Brian Fernandes)

Mansfield Boulevard is in Wesley Chapel.

Kinnan Street is in New Tampa.

An improvement will connect the streets, but will be accessible only to first responders.

The Pasco County Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) board approved the connection last June.

It was one of three corridor projects – all interlocking Wesley Chapel and Tampa, that the MPO passed.

The Mansfield-Kinnan connection was initially proposed as a public road for motorists.

The AECOM consulting firm took surveys in 2017 and 2018 to get public feedback about each project. Findings showed that the Mansfield-Kinnan connection was not popular among those responding to the survey.

This was due in part to concerns that an influx of traffic along Mansfield Boulevard could be hazardous to students.

Wiregrass Ranch High School, Dr. John Long Middle School and Wiregrass Elementary School are all located either on or just off that roadway.

As a result, the Mansfield-Kinnan connection proposal was changed to operate as an emergency-vehicle-only corridor.

Pasco County, Hillsborough County and the city of Tampa are all involved in the construction of the connection.

Mansfield Boulevard, in Wesley Chapel, has residencies and schools along its stretch. The roadway soon will become a corridor for emergency vehicles traveling to and from Tampa

The developer of Tampa’s K-Bar Ranch will initiate the paving of the connection, scheduled to begin mid-March.

Hillsborough County will then help with construction, such as striping the road and the installation of an emergency gate.

The gate will only grant cross-county access to emergency vehicles.

Only first responder equipment will open the gateway and Pasco County will oversee its operation.

The Pasco County Commission is expected to approve an agreement for the gate to be used only for emergency vehicles.

Bicyclists and pedestrians will have access, too.

The project calls for the sidewalks on both streets to connect.

Barricades will enclose the construction site.

Completion is expected in the summer.

Published March 18, 2020

Pasco MPO board approves new Wesley Chapel connections

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Wesley Chapel motorists would have more options, under connections approved by the Pasco County Metropolitan Planning Organization board on June 11.

The first new connection calls for extending Wesley Chapel’s Meadow Pointe Boulevard, into Tampa.

The second new connection calls for extending the planned Wyndfields Boulevard, which would run from State Road 56 to K-Bar Ranch Boulevard, in Tampa.

Meadow Pointe Boulevard in Wesley Chapel, may soon see an influx of traffic if extended into neighboring Hillsborough County to the south. On June 11, the Pasco County Metropolitan Planning Organization board approved a proposal to lengthen both Meadow Pointe and Wyndfields boulevards cross county into Tampa. (Brian Fernandes)

The third new connection would link Mansfield Boulevard to Kinnan Street, but would only be used for emergency purposes and bicycle-pedestrian paths.

“We did a survey to try to gauge public input on the connections,” said Megan McKinney of the AECOM organization. “Today the goal is to get you all (MPO board) to make a recommendation on the connections to take forward to the (Pasco) Board of County Commissioners.”

AECOM had distributed surveys to Pasco residents to complete throughout last April and get feedback on the connection proposals.

The survey asked for the residents’ stance on four project options:

  • Mansfield Boulevard-Kinnan Street connection and Meadow Pointe Boulevard extension
  • Meadow Pointe Boulevard extension only
  • Meadow Pointe Boulevard and Wyndfields Boulevard extensions
  • Mansfield Boulevard-Kinnan Street connection, plus extensions for Meadow Pointe Boulevard and Wyndfields Boulevard

Bar graphs depicting the four options, showed overwhelming support for the two extension projects, while only a slight majority of those taking the survey favored the connection between Mansfield Boulevard and Kinnan.

McKinney also presented a map with dots along the three projects, representing residents living in the region.

The blue dots represented residents who approved of the proposed projects; the red dots represented residents who were opposed.

Pasco County Commissioner Mike Moore, who sits on the board, was quick to point out the primary areas of resistance.

“If you look along Mansfield Boulevard, you’ll see the majority is in red,” Moore said. “So the majority of residents that live right along Mansfield Boulevard said they prefer not to have that connection.”

He said the residents’ concerns are warranted because Mansfield Boulevard cannot be widened to accommodate an influx in traffic.

Moore said there’s also concern about adding traffic to a street that has multiple schools, a recreational center and a day care.

Pasco County Commission Chairman Ron Oakley, who also sits on the MPO board, added: “They’re the people that actually live in that area and see that traffic each and every day. I don’t necessarily think they should have that added traffic – and most of it from another county.”

Wesley Chapel resident Brad Jorgensen echoed the commissioners’ opposition as he took to the podium during the public hearing.

“I’m one of those red dots that was firmly planted on Mansfield (Boulevard),” Jorgensen said.

He came as a concerned father because his two sons ride their bikes to school and visit their friends along the stretch of road.

“This is about the safety of our kids in this neighborhood,” the father stated. “This is about not turning our neighborhood into alternative Bruce B. Downs (Boulevard).”

Others expressed the same sentiments, but there were others who had a different point of view.

“The Kinnan Street-Mansfield (Boulevard) connection is in the interest of the public good,” said Jim Davison, an emergency room physician.

He is also the founder of the New Tampa Transportation Task Force which takes a vested interest in resolving roadway obstacles.

According to Davison, the connection would decrease traffic along State Road 56 from Interstate 75 to Bruce B. Downs Boulevard.

“It takes off 5 (percent) to 10 percent of all the traffic on major roads in Pasco County – east of I-75 and south of (State Road) 54,” he claimed.

He also noted that most people come to hospitals by way of private vehicles, not ambulances, so limiting the roadway to only emergency vehicles would be ineffective.

Ultimately, the board passed the option extending Meadow Pointe and Wyndfields boulevards into Tampa, allowing full-vehicular access. They also approved extending Mansfield to Kinnan, limiting access to emergency vehicles, bicycles and pedestrians.

Published June 26, 2019

Survey asks for input on Wesley Chapel road connections

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The Pasco County Metropolitan Planning Organization is asking for the public’s input as it evaluates three potential roadway connections between Wesley Chapel and Hillsborough County.

Residents are encouraged to review the proposed options, and to provide feedback through an online survey, according to a news release from Pasco County.

The three potential connections are:

  • Between Mansfield Boulevard and Kinnan Street
  • Between Meadow Pointe Boulevard and Meadow Pointe Boulevard Extension
  • Between Wyndfields Boulevard and Wyndfields Boulevard Extension

Pasco County has not made any decisions regarding these connections, the release said.

The survey is being conducted through the end of April.

To take the survey, go to PascoResidentSurvey.com.

The survey results will be presented to the MPO at its meeting on June 13, which begins at 10 a.m. The meeting will be held at the Historic Pasco County Courthouse in Dade City.

The MPO board is expected to make a recommendation to the Board of County Commissioners regarding these connections.

Published April 10, 2019

Study continues on Wesley Chapel congestion

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The Metropolitan Planning Organization heard a report about the Wesley Chapel Roadway Connection project — along with pros and cons on various aspects of potential roadway connections during the board’s Dec. 13 meeting.

Some residents worry about safety issues near schools because of traffic congestion on Mansfield Boulevard. (File)

The presentation was for information only, with no action taken by the board.

Meghan McKinney, of the AECOM organization, has been collaborating with the MPO to conduct studies on the pros and cons of potential connections.

The project is focused on three potential connections:

  • Mansfield Boulevard and Kinnan Street
  • Meadow Pointe Boulevard and Meadow Pointe Boulevard Extension
  • Wyndfields Boulevard and Wyndfields Boulevard Extension

Public workshops have been held, as part of the study, in both April 2017 and May 2018.

“The reasons we wanted to do this study is we wanted to get public input, to hear if views have changed,” McKinney said.

In general, it’s a consensus in the community that the area’s roads can’t handle the current traffic demands, and there are especially concerns about safety near schools, she said.

Of all three potential connections, the most controversial involves a possible link between Mansfield Boulevard and Kinnan Street.

In a 2017 survey, 36 people said they favored the connection, while 37 people were opposed.

Several alternatives are being considered, McKinney said.

  • No Build Alternative: Would have no connections for public use but only provide a gate for emergency vehicles, and would make accommodations for cyclists and pedestrians
  • Alternative 1: Would focus on connecting Mansfield Boulevard and Kinnan Street
  • Alternative 2: Would focus on the Mansfield Boulevard/Kinnan Street and Meadow Pointe Boulevard Extension
  • Alternative 3: Meadow Pointe Boulevard Extension
  • Alternative 4: Mansfield Boulevard/Kinnan Street, Meadow Pointe Boulevard and Wyndfields Boulevard Extension

McKinney also told board members that regardless of which alternative is selected, the area’s traffic projections for 2040 reveals significant traffic increases.

“Basically you have an area where just by connecting the road, you’re not necessarily adding more people to the area,” she reasoned. “You’re just shifting the routes they may use.”

However, the projection also showed that the No Build Alternative would have its greatest increase near Beardsley Drive and Mansfield Boulevard.

The alternative’s biggest decrease in traffic would occur on Bruce B. Downs Boulevard between County Line Road and Cross Creek Boulevard, she said.

Aside from the road connection proposed, McKinney also addressed several planned improvements, including additional traffic lights and turning lanes.

One plan addresses concerns about traffic near schools on Mansfield Boulevard.

The bus drop-off and pick-up area near Dr. John Long Middle School contributes to the heavy congestion on the road, she said.

She suggested relocating the bus area from Wiregrass School Road onto Mansfield Boulevard, to enable a more steady flow of traffic.

A new crosswalk on the north side of Wiregrass School Road already is funded and underway, she said.

Another proposal calls for adding lanes at all four stops at the intersection of State Road 56 with Mansfield Boulevard, Meadow Pointe Boulevard and Wyndfields Boulevard.

Any road expansions on State Road 56 would be independent projects from the three proposed roadway connections, she said.

Published December 26, 2018

Wesley Chapel road study looks for traffic solutions

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Pasco County is moving forward with efforts to find consensus on easing traffic congestion in Wesley Chapel and building road connections between Pasco and Hillsborough counties.

About 100 people attended a public meeting to discuss the draft of the Wesley Chapel Road Connection Study.
(Kathy Steele)

Consensus appears elusive, however, on the proposed linkage between Mansfield Boulevard, in Pasco County and Kinnan Street in Hillsborough County.

Pasco residents don’t want more traffic whizzing down a boulevard that already is gridlocked at peak hours.

But Hillsborough residents want a more direct route to shops, restaurants, churches and jobs just across the county line.

About 100 people attended a public meeting on May 22 at Pasco-Hernando State College Porter Campus to discuss a 450-page draft of the Wesley Chapel Road Connection Study.

Pasco County Commissioner Mike Moore and consultants with AECOM presented an executive summary of the study’s findings.

The study looks at the pros and cons of four alternatives for road connections, without making a recommendation. A no-build option also is included.

“We don’t have any bias in this study,” said Ali Atefi, a transportation engineer with the Pasco County Metropolitan Planning Organization. “We looked at it objectively.”

The choices are no-build; linking Mansfield Boulevard with Kinnan Street; linking Mansfield and Kinnan, as well as extending Meadow Pointe Boulevard to Hillsborough County; and the final option calls for linking Mansfield and Kinnan, extending Meadow Pointe Boulevard and extending Wyndfields, also to Hillsborough County.

Moore said he favors the Meadow Pointe extension, which would link to a future road in K-Bar Ranch.

A count of residents’ preferences from a 2017 public meeting showed that road project had strong support.

“I’ve got to be concerned about my residents here in Pasco County,” Moore said.

Tampa City Councilman Luis Viera, who attended the May 22 meeting, said all three connections are necessary. His constituents in New Tampa especially want Mansfield and Kinnan connected.

“I understand it’s not a black and white issue,” Viera said. “It’s gray. But, that is a real potential game changer. Hillsborough County is a stakeholder in this.”

Hillsborough County commissioners in 2017 approved $250,000 toward linking the two roads.

There could be one point of agreement on Mansfield and Kinnan, which currently dead-end at the county line — roughly 30 feet to 40 feet apart.

A gate could be installed that would provide access to emergency vehicles only. The cost would be about $7,000 for each county.

But, the Mansfield and Kinnan connection remains a hard sell for many Pasco residents.

“Adding traffic is what I’m worried about now,” said Ray Kobasko.

The Meadow Pointe extension makes more sense, he said. “It’s been planned all along, All the people who bought over there were told that,” he said.

Mike Hanna also opposes a Mansfield-Kinnan link.

“Connections have to be made but not all three of these,” he said. “A lot of people drive Mansfield every day and have accidents now. I’d not be in favor of more traffic coming up there.”

Residents can comment on the study through June 15. A final study will be released in August or September.

A citizens’ survey also is planned in coming months, giving residents a chance to weigh in on potential projects. The MPO is scheduled to make its recommendation in October.

Pasco County commissioners will have the final say on which, if any, of the alternatives are selected for construction.

Published June 6, 2018

 

 

 

Public meeting set on roadway connection study

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The city of Tampa, Hillsborough County and Pasco County remain at odds over whether Kinnan Street in New Tampa should connect to Mansfield Boulevard in Wesley Chapel.

A 450-page draft report, known as the Wesley Chapel Roadway Connection Study, looks at that road project, as well as two other potential intra-county road connections in the Wesley Chapel and State Road 56 area.

The study says that Pasco County will face substantial costs to address traffic increases — with or without potential roadway connections.

Estimates for intersection improvements in the area, with no road connections, would be about $13.8 million. With road connections, the cost would be about $15.4 million.

A public meeting to discuss the study, and get public input, will be held on May 29 at the Pasco-Hernando State College’s Porter Campus at Wiregrass Ranch, at 2727 Mansfield Blvd.

This is part of a multiphase process taking place over several months.

The focus of the meeting is to get comments on the study, not to get a consensus on what should or shouldn’t be connected, said Pasco County Commissioner Mike Moore.

“We want to hear from people if something is missing and should be added,” Moore said, noting the study is quite detailed.

A power-point presentation will be made at the meeting. Afterward, people will be able to look at maps, and ask questions one-on-one with consultants and county staff members.

Residents can go online now to peruse all 450 pages, and make comments through June 15. An online survey will be posted in the future to get a consensus on which road projects residents want to see completed.

No decision on recommendations is anticipated from the Pasco County Metropolitan Planning Organization until September. A final decision would be left to Pasco County commissioners, who also will need to identify funding sources for future projects.

The issue of establishing a connection between Kinnan and Mansfield resurfaced recently when developers of K-Bar ranch filed an application with Tampa to build more than 700 new homes, south of Mansfield.

The Tampa City Council postponed a vote on the project until June in hopes that an agreement could be reached regarding connecting Kinnan and Mansfield.

Hillsborough and Pasco have been at odds over the connection for more than a decade.

In 2017, the Hillsborough County Commission approved $250,000 to pay for the project.

The study presents four alternatives, including a no-build choice.

Potential road projects include linking Kinnan Street and Mansfield Boulevard, and building extensions of Meadow Pointe and Wyndfields boulevards from Pasco County into Hillsborough County.

If Pasco and Hillsborough elected officials are divided on where to link up their roads, so are area residents.

Nearly 140 people attended a public meeting in April 2017 to discuss opening roadways that divide the counties.

Oral and written comments gathered through the meeting showed Pasco residents split on joining Kinnan and Mansfield, with 36 people against it, and 37 in favor.

However, Hillsborough residents overwhelmingly supported the connection by a count of 63 for and two against.

Pasco looked with more favor on extending Meadow Pointe by a count of 40 to 6, and Wyndfields by 28 to 4. Hillsborough residents favored Meadow Pointe by 67 to 8, and Wyndfields by 50 to 18.

The study also took note of an agreement between the K-Bar ranch developers and the city of Tampa that says Wyndfields can’t be extended until Pasco allows Kinnan and Mansfield to be linked.

For information, and to view the study, visit PascoMPO.net.

What: Meeting to discuss the Wesley Chapel Roadway Connection Study
When: May 29, 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Where: Pasco-Hernando State College’s Porter Campus at Wiregrass Ranch, 2727 Mansfield Blvd., in Wesley Chapel
Cost: Free
Info: Visit PascoMPO.net.

Published May 23, 2018

Proposed road connection remains controversial

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A proposed 700-home addition to K-Bar Ranch is reopening arguments on the long-debated road connection of Kinnan Street in Hillsborough County and Mansfield Boulevard in Pasco County.

Hillsborough and Pasco officials have disagreed over the connector for at least a decade.

And, Kinnan and Mansfield remain dead-end roadways separated by a weedy plot of land — about 30 feet to 40 feet long.

Barricades are set up on Mansfield Boulevard in Pasco County, where the road dead-ends a short distance from Kinnan Street in the K-Bar ranch development in New Tampa. (File)

Tampa City Council members voted May 3 to postpone a decision on the K-Bar Ranch expansion in New Tampa until June 28.

The added time is to give Hillsborough, Pasco and developers another chance to reach agreement – to connect or not to connect.

However, Pasco isn’t likely to be ready with an answer before September at the earliest.

Pasco County commissioners approved the “Wesley Chapel Roadway Connections Study” in 2017. The study is looking at three potential connectors between the two counties. One is Kinnan and Mansfield.

Other connections under consideration would extend Wyndfields and Meadow Pointe boulevards in Pasco to link with existing and future roads in the K-Bar ranch.

A draft report is scheduled for May 15, but a final recommendation from Pasco’s Metropolitan Planning Organization won’t be presented to the Pasco County Commission until September.

“We’re sticking to our timeline of getting the study and getting public input,” said Pasco County Commissioner Mike Moore. “We represent the citizens of Pasco, not the citizens of Hillsborough or Tampa. That’s what we have to be concerned with, what will have a negative impact, what will have a positive impact.”

For residents of New Tampa, the lack of a north/south connector is a traffic hardship on a daily basis. The drive toward Wesley Chapel follows a circuitous route that adds miles and minutes to the trip, coming and going.

“Many of them feel locked in their neighborhoods,” said Tampa City Councilman Luis Viera. “It’s very important to them to have the connector.”

Viera has, to date, been the lone vote on Tampa city council against the K-Bar project, based on the uncertainty over Kinnan and Mansfield.

“It’s a crisis of governments not really working together,” he said. He added, “I certainly hope we can use all of our power…to advocate for this connection to be made.”

Viera said he would bring up the topic on May 11 at a public meeting of the Tampa Bay Transportation Management Area Leadership Group. The group includes representatives from Pinellas County, Pasco, Hillsborough and Tampa, and generally discusses regional transportation issues.

The meeting will be at 9:30 a.m., at the Pasco County Utilities Administration Building, at 19420 Central Blvd., in Land O’ Lakes.

Area residents in Hillsborough and Pasco have competing petitions at Change.org, for and against the connection.

Meadow Pointe II resident Chris Dillinger organized opposition. He lives near the connector site in Pasco, and has children who attend area schools.

Opening Mansfield to additional traffic is a safety issue, he said. “I’m very, very concerned about it,” Dillinger said.

Meadow Pointe II residents also opposed a rezoning for a 7-Eleven gas station and convenience store at Mansfield and County Line Road. The matter was postponed in January to a “time uncertain.”

7-Eleven wants to build there in anticipation of Mansfield and Kinnan linking, and the additional traffic that will flow onto Mansfield, Dillinger said. “That’s still out there,” he added.

Published May 9, 2018

Meadow Pointe residents rally against 7-Eleven

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A proposal to build a 7-Eleven at the intersection of Mansfield Boulevard and County Line Road is on hold while developers decide their next step.

Pasco County commissioners on Jan. 9, and members of the county’s Development Review Committee, on Jan. 11, both voted to continue public hearings on the matter until “a time uncertain.”

Area residents of Meadow Pointe II hope the project won’t proceed, according to Chris Dillinger, who has spearheaded the opposition effort with Meadow Pointe residents.

“If developers do pursue this, we’re not going to stop and let this happen. We’re going to fight it tooth and nail,” Dillinger said.

The site is next to Kids R Kids Learning Academy of Meadow Pointe. Dillinger has one child, 8 months old, at Kids R Kids, and another who attended prekindergarten.

Residents who oppose the gas station and convenience store worry about children’s safety, and an increase in traffic generally at the intersection.

More than 900 people have signed an online petition Dillinger created at Change.org opposing the 7-Eleven. He also created a Facebook group, “MP711.”

No one spoke at the county commission or development review committee meetings on behalf of the applicant and Meadow Pointe developer, Trout Creek Properties.

County officials said the property’s current neighborhood commercial zoning doesn’t permit underground fuel storage and gas pumps. They suggested Trout Creek seek a modification to the zoning.

Trout Creek in its initial rezoning application asked for general commercial. County officials were uncomfortable with that category.

That designation would allow some “ugly stuff,” including junkyards, said Corelynne Howell, a county senior planner.

7-Eleven filed a separate pre-application in fall 2016 prior to preliminary discussions with county planners, and before the rezoning application.

The proposed convenience store would be more than 3,000 square feet and would have 16 gas pumps.

Opponents say a gas station next to a children’s day care and school is unsafe. They also worry about traffic in and out of Kids R Kids, and at the intersection.

Pasco County Commissioner Mike Moore agrees with the opponents.

“I don’t think this is the most suitable location for them,” Moore said. “I’m 100 percent against it.”

Dillinger said an added worry would be if a road connection were built to link Mansfield Boulevard in Pasco and Kinnan Street in Hillsborough County. That would cause a significant increase in traffic on Mansfield Boulevard, he said.

Dillinger believes the expectation of that linkage is what made the Meadow Pointe location attractive for 7-Eleven.

“It’s all related,” Dillinger said.

Connecting the two roadways, which currently dead-end at the county line, has been debated for years. The issue currently is under review, with Pasco awaiting the results of a study to evaluate the pros and cons of more county-to-county road connections.

If a public hearing is rescheduled on 7-Eleven, Trout Creek must again post signs on the site, and send new notifications to  affected property owners regarding the hearing date.

Published January 17, 2018

New connection being eyed between Mansfield and Kinnan

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Pasco County officials aren’t taking a position as yet on tearing away barricades, and connecting Kinnan Street and Mansfield Boulevard.

Hillsborough County officials, however, are budgeting $250,000 to get the job done.

Some residents worry about safety issues for schools if Kinnan Street, in Hillsborough County, and Mansfield Boulevard, in Pasco County, are linked. (File)

Hillsborough’s budget decision won’t influence Pasco’s decision, according to Pasco County Commissioner Mike Moore.

Pasco wants to know the results of a study that it funded to evaluate the pros and cons of three road projects to extend or open roadways that dead-end at the border between the two counties.

The results of that study, known as the Wesley Chapel Roadway Connection Study, are expected in January.

“We’re evaluating to make sure we look at these very, very carefully,” Moore said. “What are the benefits for Pasco County residents?”

Hillsborough County Commissioner Ken Hagan, who asked for the funds to be included in Hillsborough’s budget, couldn’t be reached for comment.

One project under review would link Kinnan Street, in Hillsborough County, with Mansfield Boulevard, in Pasco County.

Other choices would be extensions to Wyndfields and Meadow Pointe boulevards that would link with existing and future roads in the K-Bar ranch development in Hillsborough County.

Barricades are placed at the dead-end where Kinnan Street and Mansfield Boulevard meet. A study could determine whether the roads are removed and the roads linked.

The matter of Kinnan and Mansfield has long divided the two counties, and the city of Tampa. The roads are divided by about 60 feet of vacant land, that frequently attract illegal dumping.

A forum in April drew about 100 people to discuss ways to improve traffic flow north and south across the borders.

There appears to be a general consensus that more connections are needed. But, there are differing views over where to build those connections. The potential Kinnan-Mansfield connection is especially contentious.

Mansfield is located off State Road 56 in Wesley Chapel, just beyond The Shops at Wiregrass.

Many residents in the Meadow Pointe community object to the extension, contending that Kinnan’s two-lane design isn’t compatible with Mansfield’s four lanes.

Widening Kinnan also is problematic because there in no available land, they say.

Residents also cite safety concerns due to the location of three public schools, and Pasco-Hernando State College, along the route.

Moore said the safety issue is being examined.

The road connection study, which had been due in November, was pushed to January to include traffic data from a full school semester.

Hillsborough residents, primarily New Tampa, are pushing for more north-south connections.

Driving in the area now can mean navigating a circuitous route along County Line Road, Bruce B. Downs Boulevard, Cross Creek Boulevard and Morris Bridge Road.

The lack of connections means it can take twice as long to make trips to shopping centers, restaurants and other Wesley Chapel destinations, those favoring more connections say.

The lack of connections also has negative impacts on Hillsborough businesses, they add.

Published December 6, 2017

Seeking connections between counties

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Pasco County planners hope a study will point the way to consensus on whether to open more north/south roads that link Pasco and Hillsborough counties.

More than 100 people attended a public meeting on the topic on April 18 at Pasco-Hernando State College, off Mansfield Boulevard.

The boulevard dead-ends at the county line, just before reaching Kinnan Street, a two-lane, divided roadway in New Tampa, on Hillsborough’s side of the dividing line.

A caravan of buses travels along Mansfield Boulevard, twice a day, delivering and picking up students at three schools. Pasco County residents worry that linking Mansfield to Kinnan Street in New Tampa will increase traffic.
(Kathy Steele)

Connecting the two is one of three road projects that the study will consider over the next six months. Consultants with AECOM also will look at the potential for southern extensions of Meadow Pointe Boulevard and Wyndfields Boulevard that would link with existing and future roads in the K-Bar ranch development in Hillsborough.

Opening up Mansfield and Kinnan drew largely negative reviews from Pasco residents, specifically those living in Meadow Pointe subdivisions.

“More through roads will be needed,” said Meadow Pointe resident Michael Kaufman. “I’m not against development.

But, he said, “There are a lot of reasons not to connect Mansfield and Kinnan, and no good reason.”

The road designs aren’t compatible for one, and they also were never intended to be linked, Kaufman said. It is impossible to widen Kinnan beyond its current two lanes because there isn’t room, he added.

The increase in traffic would be a safety issue, particularly because there are three schools, and the state college along Mansfield, Kaufman said.

Richard Traudt, who lives in the Longleaf subdivision of Meadow Pointe, agreed.

Twice a day, caravans of buses carry students to and from their schools. Parents are lining up to drop off and pick up, also. It’s a traffic bottleneck at those times, which doesn’t make it a good connector street, but more traffic also becomes a safety problem, Traudt said.

“You would be putting students in more jeopardy than they are now,” he said, adding that more traffic signals at intersections likely would be needed.

For many at the meeting, a southern extension of Meadow Pointe Boulevard into K-Bar ranch made more sense.

“It was envisioned as a connecting street with New Tampa,” Kaufman said.

For New Tampa and Hillsborough residents, new ways to improve traffic flow also are important matters.

“We need a total system developed,” said Hillsborough resident Frank Hauser. “We need connections.” But, he shares concerns that Mansfield and Kinnan shouldn’t be linked, and agrees that Meadow Pointe Boulevard should be extended.

Janet and Stanley Murawski live in Meadow Pointe, close by county line.

They also support extending Meadow Pointe. “This would have the greatest assistance for everyone,” said Janet Murawski.

And, even though, a Mansfield-Kinnan link would shorten her drive to work, she said, “For me it would be good, but not for the area.”

Extending Wyndfields also had supporters, but that project seemed farther in the future than Meadow Pointe Boulevard.

Mansfield and Kinnan has been an unresolved issue for years, but negotiations with Pasco, Tampa and K-Bar developers never produced a solution.

Residents pushing for the connections cite the need for better evacuation routes, safety and greater mobility. Navigating the divide at Mansfield and Kinnan, for instance, can mean traveling a long, circular route using County Line road, Bruce B. Downs Boulevard, Cross Creek Boulevard and Morris Bridge Road.

“It started long before I got here,” said Pasco County Commission Chairman Mike Moore, who addressed audience members. “The study will look at all possible connections and impacts on both sides.”

The study is being funded by Pasco, with AECOM receiving about $112,000.

Though invited to contribute financially, Moore said the City of Tampa and Hillsborough Metropolitan Planning Organization both declined.

Representatives were invited to the meeting, and Tampa City Councilman Luis Viera did attend.

Viera said New Tampa residents are eager to open routes, including Mansfield and Kinnan. He acknowledged the problems with that project but said the issue should be studied.

“We have a lot of quality of life in the balance for people,”Viera said.

The lack of north/south connections is hurting businesses on Cross Creek Boulevard, he said.

“You can’t get people there without them driving 20 minutes,” he said. “It’s something we’re willing to fight for.”

Moore, who is in his first term on the Pasco County Commission, met with former Tampa City Councilwoman Lisa Montelione last year to discuss linking Mansfield and Kinnan.

The issue surfaced soon after a 911 call led to confusion and misdirection over dispatching an ambulance to aid a Tampa resident who had suffered severe burns.

Moore, at the time, received phone calls and emails from Meadow Pointe residents opposed to opening the roads. But, Moore decided to request the study and explore feasible road projects, and also to hear from residents.

Published April 26, 2017