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Overpass Business Park

Efforts resurface in quest to widen Old Pasco Road

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The Long Range Transportation Plan now includes a project to widen a 7-mile stretch of Old Pasco Road, from State Road 52 to County Road 54, which is also known as Wesley Chapel Boulevard.

The widening had been included in the long-range plan as far back as 2014, but was subsequently dropped.

Now, it’s back in.

The Pasco County Metropolitan Planning Organization board unanimously approved adding the project to its Long Range Transportation Plan, during the MPO’s Jan. 17 meeting. The long-range plan includes projects within a 20-year time frame from 2020 to 2040.

 

Efforts have resurfaced in a quest to get two-lane Old Pasco Road widened to four lanes. No funding for the project has been identified yet. (File)

Ali Atefi, transportation engineer for Pasco’s MPO, explained the thinking behind the potential widening of two-lane Old Pasco Road, to four lanes.

“The benefit is to provide additional capacity for people — for safety mainly and also time-saving,” Atefi said.

The road now primarily serves motorists heading to their homes, or to Cypress Creek Middle High School.

But, future growth on Old Pasco Road includes the construction of a separate school for Cypress Creek Middle School students, a new Instructional Performing Arts Center and a future business park.

The county recently received a $3 million state grant for a county-initiated project known as the Overpass Business Park. The future business  park is less than a half-mile southeast of the intersection of Overpass and Old Pasco.

The next step toward widening Old Pasco would be to include the project within a five-year window for funding, Atefi said.

Construction for expanding Old Pasco Road was passed by MPO board members on Jan. 17. This came as a response to the road’s current traffic, and future plans to build businesses and another school.

Various sources are being explored for financing the project, Pasco County Commissioner Mike Moore said.

“There’s grants that have to do with road construction,” he explained. “We’ll have to look at possibly going to our legislators and FDOT (the Florida Department of Transportation) to see what they can do.”

It’s a challenge, but one worth taking on, the commissioner added – emphasizing that safety is his No. 1 concern.

“There’s increased traffic, including school buses that are going up and down Old Pasco Road,” Moore said.

With this in mind, Moore advocates the addition of sidewalks, bike paths and medians, as part of the road’s improvement.

The commissioner also noted the potential congestion with the county’s plan to build an interchange on Overpass Road.

This separate project will allow motorists to get off of Interstate 75 by way of Overpass Road – intersecting with Old Pasco Road.

The first step toward pursuing the widening project includes the completion of route studies to analyze potential environmental impacts and road alignments. Once schematics are underway, the MPO will determine how much land is needed for the expansion, Atefi said.

It is too early in the process to tell what impacts construction will have on traffic, he added. However, as the project develops, a traffic maintenance plan will be implemented to address any detours.

Published February 13, 2019

State grant supports Pasco business park

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Pasco County has announced the receipt of a $3 million state grant to support the development of the Overpass Business Park.

The business park is intended to promote economic development in Pasco County.

The county received a grant for $3,088,580 from the Florida Job Growth Grant Fund, according to a news release from the county.

The grant will support the creation of the Overpass Business Park project.

At its completion, the project will be home to 2.2 million square feet of industrial and office development, and will support between 4,000 and 5,000 jobs, the news release says.

“Overpass Business Park represents another realization of Pasco County’s ongoing commitment to strategic, robust economic growth, and we sincerely thank the State for its partnership in moving this critical initiative forward,” Pasco County Economic Growth Manager David Engel said, in the release.

The 100-acre, shovel-ready economic development site overlooks Interstate 75 and is 1.5 miles north of State Road 54. It is just south of the proposed new connection at Overpass Road and I-75.

The project design is in its final stages.

By 2022-2023, the site improvements will be completed and Overpass Business Park will be ready for development, the release says.

The Florida Job Growth Grant Fund was established in 2017 by Gov. Rick Scott and the Florida Legislature. It provides $85 million for improving public infrastructure and enhancing workforce training in Florida, the release says.

For more information about the Pasco County Office of Economic Growth, visit bit.ly/PascoEconomicGrowth.

To stay abreast of the Overpass Business Park Project progress, visit bit.ly/OverpassBusinessPark.

Published January 30, 2019

Business park spurs talks on widening Old Pasco Road

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There is no disagreement that Old Pasco Road should be widened to four lanes.

But, the timing and funding for such a project got mixed reactions from Pasco County commissioners who approved a new business park on the mostly two-lane roadway.

Approximately 90 acres on Old Pasco will be the site for the county-initiated project, known as Overpass Business Park.

Intersection improvements will be made at State Road 52 and Old Pasco Road. County commissioners in the future want to see Old Pasco widened to four lanes.
(File)

Commissioners did include a condition to require developers to widen the road from the park’s entrance, north to Overpass Road.

The park is less than a half mile southeast of the intersection of Overpass and Old Pasco.

Pasco County Commissioner Mike Moore pushed to widen the entire length – nearly two miles – of Old Pasco. Or, at least, he said it should be widened as far as Oakley Boulevard.

“I’m by no means against the project,” Moore said.

But, Old Pasco “needs to widened all the way through before we move forward with any actual project.”

The vote to approve was 3 to 1, with Moore the dissenting voter.

Pasco County Commission Chairman Mike Wells Jr., was absent from the May 22 meeting in New Port Richey.

Other county commissioners worried that a requirement to widen the entire road would be too limiting.

“I just don’t see why we would force ourselves onto a condition when we don’t know what (project) will come before us,” said Pasco County Commissioner Kathryn Starkey. “We’re tying our hands.”

Pasco County Commissioner Jack Mariano agreed.

He said the county would lose flexibility in attracting projects.

“We want to be able to move quickly when opportunities come forward,” he said.

The park is part of a county-driven effort to diversify the types of businesses and industries that are attracted to Pasco.

The land will be made site-ready, and marketed to prospective developers who will pitch their proposals to the county.

Starkey had a suggestion on funding for the road widening.

She cited an article in the magazine, Florida Trend, about a federal grant to Alachua County for a road project, aimed at boosting economic growth.

County officials said they already were working on an application to submit for a state grant.

Two other road projects are on tap to enhance Old Pasco at its intersection with State Road 52, and with Quail Hollow Boulevard.

County commissioners recently approved about $2.2 million for pavement reconstruction starting about 1,450 feet south of State Road 52, a sidewalk, stormwater, pond construction, signage and turn lanes.

The Florida Department of Transportation is in the midst of a major road widening project at State Road 52 and the Interstate 75 interchange.

In 2019, the county plans to begin intersection improvements for Old Pasco and Quail Hollow Boulevard.

Published May 30, 2018

Calls being made to widen Old Pasco Road

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Some Pasco County commissioners are now calling for the widening of Old Pasco Road before a proposed business park is built on the road.

“I don’t want to see anything built until the road is widened,” Pasco County Commissioner Mike Moore said during the board’s May 8 meeting.

“We need to make sure the entire road is widened. It will be a nightmare for a lot of residents who live across from the site or near it,” he said.

The intersection of Old Pasco Road and State Road 52 is scheduled for improvements. Some Pasco County commissioners want Old Pasco Road to be widened. (Kathy Steele)

Pasco County Commissioner Ron Oakley also supported the road’s widening. “We realize…we have to look at the road and make sure (the widening) is built sooner rather than later,” he said.

Pasco County Commissioner Jack Mariano suggested that county officials apply for a federal transportation grant from the TIGER (Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery) program.

Moore and Oakley revisited the issue on May 10, at Pasco County’s Metropolitan Planning Organization meeting in Dade City.

Moore said the widening project was removed awhile ago from the county’s long range transportation plan and should be put back on the list.

Commissioners have already approved a plan to spend $2.2 million to improve the intersection at Old Pasco Road and State Road 52. That project is scheduled for completion in late 2019.

Work includes pavement reconstruction starting about 1,450 feet south of State Road 52, a sidewalk, storm water, pond construction, signage and turn lanes.

The Florida Department of Transportation currently is widening State Road 52, and installed a traffic signal at Old Pasco Road a few months ago.

When the business park proposal initially came up in March, area residents opposed the project. They said there were too many uncertainties about the businesses that would open there and how Old Pasco Road would handle the increased traffic.

County commissioners previously expressed general support for the business park, but have twice postponed a final vote. Initially named the Vibrant Sun Business Park, county commissioners asked for a name change to Overpass Business Park.

County officials cited the name change as reason for the most recent postponement. The public hearing will be re-advertised with the business park’s new name.

The new public hearing is set for May 22 at the board’s meeting room in New Port Richey. Board meetings begin at 10 a.m.

The Florida Department of Transportation currently is widening State Road 52, and installed a traffic signal at Old Pasco Road a few months ago.

Another project is slated for 2019 at Old Pasco Road and Quail Hollow Boulevard.

Published May 16, 2018

Pasco commissioners approve business park

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The Pasco County Commission liked the business park, but couldn’t stand its proposed name.

“Vibrant Sun (Business Park) would sound like I’m going to a casino,” Pasco County Commissioner Mike Moore said.

Pasco County Commissioner Mike Moore

So, instead of being called the Vibrant Sun Business Park, the new development site will be known as Overpass Business Park.

The business park, which will be located on 91 acres at Overpass and Old Pasco roads, has been approved for 2.2 million square feet of office and industrial space.

The county’s Office of Economic Growth submitted the project as part of its efforts to provide “site-ready” parcels for industrial and business park developments. Such sites are offered on speculation.

By taking care of land use and zoning matters, county officials believe these types of parcels are developed sooner.

The site is in an area of northeastern Pasco that is quickly developing with new residential and commercial projects, including the Epperson and Mirada master-planned communities.

Advanced manufacturing or a research facility would be an asset to the area, Pasco County Commissioner Jack Mariano said.

“It puts us in a tremendous position to create jobs,” Mariano added.

Some area residents, however, are worried about growth, traffic, loss of property values, and encroachment of industrial into rural neighborhoods.

Pasco County Commissioner Jack Mariano

Jean Ann Jakes spoke against the project during the hearing before the Pasco County commissioners on March 14 in Dade City. She also objected to the project previously at the Development Review Committee meeting in January. A handful of other residents also raised concerns.

However, the review committee recommended approval of the project.

The business park won’t fit in be with the surrounding area, Jakes said.

“Everybody else is agricultural and residential,” she said. “It’s not compatible at all. It’s going to cause more traffic. There is nothing light industry around us.”

Traffic will only get worse, Jakes added, noting that school buses pick up and deliver students to area schools.

“I’m sure Old Pasco Road is going to be widened,” said Pasco County Commissioner Ron Oakley. “It should be widened. It needs to be four-laned already.”

The Florida Department of Transportation is widening State Road 52, east and west of Interstate 75. The state agency also plans to build a new interchange at Overpass Road and I-75.

Old Pasco Road intersects State Road 52, west of I-75. That stretch of state highway is being widened from two lanes to six lanes, from west of Old Pasco to east of Corporate Boulevard.

There are no immediate plans to widen Old Pasco Road, but county officials said right-of-way for the widening would come from the business park, not from area residents’ home sites.

Published March 21, 2018