The Laker/Lutz News

Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

New Port Richey

Task Force meets on vision for State Road 54/56

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A discussion on transportation solutions on the State Road 54/56 corridor will begin anew on Aug. 24, with the second in a series of meetings by the Vision 54/56 Task Force.

The 17-member, volunteer task force had an organizational meeting in April.

The study by the task force members will consider practical solutions to easing congestion, and promoting greater safety and mobility on a corridor that is bursting with new residential and commercial development.

About 100,000 vehicles a day travel through State Road 54 and U.S. 41 intersection. A task force is reviewing potential road projects to ease congestion. (File)

This is the second phase of a three-part initiative that began in 2016 with a task force that recommended 11 major highway and transit alternatives, as well as a no-build alternative.

Those recommendations will get greater scrutiny in this second phase, with more focus on design and details of potential road projects.

Some options under review include designs for elevated lanes, and redesigns at ground level. Some options include dedicated lanes for buses, and others don’t.

The entire study includes the corridor, from Bruce B. Downs Boulevard on the east to U.S. 19 on the west. However, the focus currently is on two intersections: Little Road and State Road 54 in New Port Richey, and U.S. 41 and State Road 54 in Land O’ Lakes.

Representatives from Pasco County Planning and Development, the county’s Metropolitan Planning Organization, Florida Department of Transportation and consultants with AECOM are assisting in the study.

A third meeting is planned in 2017, probably in October. At least two additional meetings are planned in 2018, but no dates are scheduled.

For information, visit PascoCountyFl.net.

What: Vision 54/56 Phase 2 Task Force meeting
Where: Pasco County Utilities Administration Building, 19420 Central Blvd., Land O’ Lakes
When: Aug. 24 from 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Cost: Free, open to the public

Published August 9, 2017

Cleanup set to begin on massive sinkhole

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Barring unforeseen developments, cleanup is expected to begin this week on the massive sinkhole that recently swallowed two homes in the Lake Padgett community of Land O’ Lakes.

As of July 20, Pasco County was entering the final stages of securing bids from contractors for debris removal at the sinkhole site, which now measures 235 feet wide and approximately 50 feet deep — believed to be the largest in the county’s history.

While the sinkhole is labeled ‘dormant,’ recent activity has been documented. On July 19, the sinkhole’s perimeter widened by approximately 10 feet, after sand erosion just below the ground surface dried out and collapsed into the hole.
The movement along the bank resulted in a hot tub and slab of concrete falling into the hole, along with about 10 feet of dirt and grass. (Courtesy of Pasco County)

Before cleanup and repair work can begin, however, engineers must perform additional testing to ensure the ground around the sinkhole is stable enough for heavy equipment. One of the county’s contracted engineers, Intertek-PSI, is currently using ground penetrating radar and core sampling to measure the structural integrity of Ocean Pines Drive and county easements leading up to the sinkhole.

Kevin Guthrie, Pasco County’s assistant county administrator for public safety, said recovery work could take months, with costs ranging from $750,000 to more than $2 million.

“It’s going to be a very slow and methodical process,” Guthrie said.

The county already has spent about $100,000 responding to the sinkhole, through contractual and departmental costs.

The county’s goal is to have a debris removal company in place in case homeowner’s insurance companies don’t accept responsibility to clean up the sinkhole.

The fastest, most economical cleanup tactic being considered is what’s called a dragline — a cable-operated system that would extend out and collect debris from the surface of the sinkhole.

Other possible options include using a float barge or large crane, with an excavator, to remove debris and decontaminate the sinkhole site.

“We’re trying to look for the most cost-effective, but safe option, so that we don’t put other homes in danger,” Guthrie said. “If we can employ a tactic that does not cause harm to the (sinkhole) banks, that’s the big deal right now.

“There’s a possibility using that dragline may actually destabilize those banks and cause further damage,” he said.

The assistant county administrator estimates filling the entire sinkhole would require approximately 135,000 cubic yards of dirt, though plans that far ahead are not yet in place.

The sinkhole originally opened on July 14 at 21825 Ocean Pines Drive, where it engulfed two homes and a boat.

Despite extensive property damage, no injuries have been reported.

The sinkhole is currently labeled “dormant,” but activity has been documented.

On July 19, the sinkhole’s perimeter widened by approximately 10 feet, after sand erosion just below the ground surface dried and collapsed into the hole.

The movement along the bank resulted in a hot tub and slab of concrete falling into the hole, along with about 10 feet of dirt and grass.

As a precaution, two homeowners along Canal Street were advised to gather their belongings for possible evacuation in the future.

Guthrie has reassured the activity is not an indication of the sinkhole becoming deeper.

“The sinkhole is not growing,” he said, assuredly.

In resolving the erosion issue, Guthrie said the edges of the sinkhole must be reshaped with dirt, from a 90-degree angle to a 45-degree slope.

“There is no support for that sand. As the water table goes down, that sand has nothing to hold it in place. So, that sand is falling out which then causes the grass and top soil to collapse,” Guthrie explained.

Once engineers deem the area safe, the county will bring in dump truck loads of dirt to shore up the banks of the sinkhole, before the large-scale cleanup process begins.

“We’re trying to determine if there are any sinkholes or any other activity under the ground before we bring the dump trucks in. Once we have figured that out, then we will start bringing that dirt in,” Guthrie said.

Elsewhere, water tests of the sinkhole turned up negative for E. Coli, officials said last week.

Further testing did come up positive for total coliform bacteria, in some of the water surrounding the sinkhole, officials said.

Greg Crumpton, a county health official, said it’s likely the result of older, dirty wells, some of which are upwards of 10 years to 20 years old in the Lake Padgett and Lake Saxon communities.

He said a confirmatory test and resample is underway.

If those tests come back positive, nearby homeowners are advised to use bottled or boiled water until the wells are disinfected.

Water tests
Due to the positive bacterial results, Pasco County announced it is waiving the fees for well water for testing more than 400 homes along Lake Padgett and Lake Saxon through July 28.

All residents living on the following streets qualify for free well water testing: Bronze Leaf Place, Canal Place, Clover Leaf Lane, Flat Rock Place, Grove Place, Heatherwood Lane, Lake Padgett Drive, Lake Saxon Drive, Ocean Pines Drive, Panther Way, Peninsular Drive, Pine Shadow Drive, Rain Forest Place, Snook Circle, Swans Landing Drive and Wilsky Road.

Residents who would like their well water tested should do the following:

  • Go to the Pasco County Environmental Laboratory located at 8864 Government Drive in New Port Richey and request a test kit for Total Coliform.
  • Present proof of address and receive lab instructions to collect water.
  • Take a sample of their tap water according to lab protocols, and bring the sample and associated paperwork back to the laboratory.
  • Results will be available in two days.

 

Help still available
Help remains available for sinkhole victims. Those needing help should reach out to the American Red Cross, The Salvation Army of Pasco County, Pasco County Human Services or United Way of Pasco County.

Published July 26, 2017

Pasco County proposes 2018 budget

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Fees for parking at Pasco parks may end

Pasco County’s proposed 2018 budget of about $1.3 billion will be sweetened with an extra $3 million spoonful of property tax revenues.

The extra cash could mean the end of parking fees charged at nine beach and wilderness parks.

Withlacoochee River Park in Dade City is among the locations that charge the $2 parking fee.

Utah Ferris sold his flutes at last year’s annual Silverhawk Native American Flute Gathering at Withlacoochee River Park. County commissioners may end $2 parking fees charged at some county parks. (File)

Final tallies on the total for assessed taxable property increased to about $24.6 billion, a 7.7 percent increase.

Initially, the county was expecting a total of $24.2 billion, which represented a 5.8 percent increase.

The revised numbers account for the county’s unexpected windfall of $3 million.

This data came from the Pasco County Property Appraiser’s Office.

With the good news on revenues, county commissioners voted to put most of additional revenue into reserves, but also to eliminate parking fees at nine parks. However, the $5 fees at boat ramps would remain. The county collects about $75,000 annually from those fees.

Pasco County Commissioners Jack Mariano and Mike Wells Jr., pushed to end the parking fees.

“I think there are folks who can’t afford to go to the parks because of the $2 fee,” said Wells. “That’s reality.”

Pasco County Commissioner Kathryn Starkey supported the decision on parking fees. But, she had a caveat.

“I’m not in favor of getting rid of money (parking fees) for parks, unless we give them more money,” she said.

County commissioners agreed to add $320,000 to the parks department’s budget to cover lost revenues from the parking fees. Starkey also wants the county to create municipal service taxing units next year to directly benefit parks and libraries.

At their July 11 meeting in Dade City, commissioners also agreed to leave the property tax, or millage, rate unchanged.

However, some homeowners could see a slight increase of less than $10 in their annual tax bill, based on a 2.1 percent increase in homesteaded property values.

Revaluations totaling slightly more than $1 billion account for some of the increase in property tax revenue projections. Early numbers indicated about $624 million in revaluations.

About $693 million in new construction accounted for about one-third of the increase. That is about $5 million more than last year.

One more item could make it into the budget.

County commissioners will consider giving $25,000 each to the West Pasco Historical Society Museum and Library in New Port Richey, and the Pioneer Florida Museum in Dade City.

“I think reaching out to them would be a good thing,” said Pasco County Commissioner Ron Oakley.

However, he was asked to provide details on how the money would be spent before commissioners give their approval.

Two public hearings will be held on the 2018 budget, which would be effective October 1.

The first hearing is Sept. 13 at 6:30 p.m., at the Pasco County Historic Courthouse in Dade City. The final hearing would be at the West Pasco Government Center boardroom in New Port Richey on Sept. 26 at 6:30 p.m.

If Pasco County’s proposed budget is approved, the following nine parks would no longer collect parking fees.

  • Jay B. Starkey Wilderness Park
  • Anclote River Park
  • Moon Lake Park
  • RJ Strickland Memorial Park
  • Crews Lake Park
  • RK Rees Park
  • Anclote Gulf Park
  • Key Vista Park
  • Withlacoochee Park

Published July 19, 2017

Medication can reverse effects of opioid overdoses

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As communities across the nation struggle with an opioid epidemic, there’s a medication — that’s not widely known — that can reverse the effects of an overdose and save lives. Its generic name is naloxone.

About 75 people attended a June 15 seminar on opioid addiction and the benefits of naloxone moderated by Judge Shawn Crane, who presides in the sixth circuit.

Law enforcement officers, health care providers and a local pharmacist shared their expertise during a panel discussion. People recovering from addiction or helping family members to recover also shared their insights.

More than 75 people attended a seminar on opioid addiction and the medication, known as naloxone, which can save lives during overdoses. Pasco County Alliance for Substance Abuse Preventions sponsored the event. (Kathy Steele)

Pasco County Alliance for Substance Abuse Prevention (ASAP) sponsored the seminar at St. George Greek Orthodox Church in New Port Richey.

The opioid epidemic is widely known.

Data from the United States Department of Health and Human Services estimates more than 650,000 prescriptions of opioid pain pills are dispensed daily. While the United States accounts for about 5 percent of the world’s population, Americans consume more than 80 percent of the world’s opioid supply.

China is a major manufacturer of illicit opioids, such as fentanyl and its derivatives.

Since 1999, the rate of deaths from opioid overdoses has quadrupled, including deaths from illegal use of heroin and other opioid synthetics, according to health and human services statistics.

On average 78 people in the country die every day from an opioid-related overdose, the department reports.

Health care providers and law enforcement officers are trying to spread the word that naloxone can reverse the effects of an overdose.

While the medication doesn’t eliminate the need for emergency medical care and treatment, it can save lives.

Naloxone is available to anyone at area pharmacies, and can be administered as an injection or through a nasal spray.

Crane and law enforcement officers agreed that the most prevalent drug of choice among addicts is methamphetamine.

“It’s cheap,” Crane said.

But, there is an increase in opioid pain medications from prescriptions or their synthetics. The use of heroin also is on the increase.

“It’s important that people know law enforcement understands that we can’t arrest our way out of the problem,” said Sherryl Johnson-Tandy, a corporal with the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office. “Drug addiction is a public health issue.”

Every Pasco deputy, as of April, carries naloxone as a nasal spray – sold under the name Narcan. The deputies can use the spray as first responders on the scene, without waiting for emergency medical personnel to arrive.

“We have a unique opportunity to make contact with people who are in their greatest need,” said Pasco Sheriff’s Capt. Michael Jenkins. “In an overdose, every second counts. It was a no-brainer for us.”

Johnson-Tandy said Narcan also is a protection for first responders.

During investigations, officers, or their K-9 partners, can inadvertently ingest or inhale opioids. Especially dangerous are the opioid synthetics, fentanyl or carfentanil. They could have an overdose and need Narcan immediately. Emergency medics also are at risk.

Cesar Rodriguez is a recovering addict, and serves on the ASAP Recovery Committee. He used heroin for about seven years, and nearly died from an overdose. Naloxone saved him, he said.

There is a stigma attached to addiction, but Rodriguez said, “We do recover and become productive members of society. We can turn around and help the next recovering addict.”

Naloxone also saved Lisa Conca’s son, who has been in and out of rehabilitation programs for about eight years. In years of seeking help, Conca said no one ever told her about naloxone. “I just want to pay it forward and help our community,” she said. “It’s a disease of the brain, not a moral failing. Every life deserves a chance.”

Kent Runyon likened naloxone to the automated emergency defibrillators. The portable devices save people who are having heart attacks, and can be found in public places, such as offices, gymnasiums or shopping malls, he said.

People can keep naloxone doses at work, at home, or in a purse.

“We need to do everything we can to put every tool in the box to help people live,” said Runyon, who is vice president of community relations for Novus Medical.

Asking for naloxone at any pharmacy is easy, said Ashley Huff, a Walgreen’s pharmacist.

Some health insurance plans pay for it; others don’t. But pharmacies treat naloxone requests in the same way as flu shot requests, she said.

“We don’t ask any questions,” Huff said. “Anyone can get it, and get as many prescriptions as you want, as long as you are willing to pay for them.”

A nasal spray kit, with two nasal sprays, can cost about $135. But, doses for injection can be about $20 each, although two doses are recommended, Huff said.

In some cases, one dose won’t be enough and a second would be administered soon after.

The most expensive medication is sold as Evzio at a cost of more than $4,500. It is an auto-injector, similar to the Epi-pen that is sold to people with asthma.

People with addictions aren’t the only ones who should get naloxone, Huff added. Anyone who gets an opioid prescription should consider naloxone — as a precaution against an accidental overdose, she said.

Published June 28, 2017

New center could help Pasco’s homeless

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Pasco County wants to open the county’s first homeless shelter as part of a comprehensive plan to help an estimated 3,300 homeless people.

There are about 100 camps across Pasco County where people live, according to the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office.

The chosen location for what is proposed as a “one-stop navigation center” is in two county-owned buildings in west Pasco, formerly leased to the Boys & Girls Club.

Pasco County Emergency Services Director Kevin Guthrie spoke to a large crowd on June 14 in New Port Richey. The county had a public meeting to talk about a navigation center to help homeless individuals with housing, health care and jobs. (Kathy Steele)

The Pasco County Commission was set to vote on June 20 (after The Laker/Lutz News deadline) on two federal grants that would be used to rehabilitate buildings.

The goal is to open the navigation center in 2018.

Pasco County and the Homeless Coalition of Pasco had public meetings on June 7 and on June 14 in New Port Richey to explain the navigation center and get public input.

While most support the homeless shelter in concept, nearby neighbors in Crane’s Roost and representatives of a nearby mall object to the proposed location at 8239 Youth Lane, off Little Road in New Port Richey.

They worry about increased solicitation, crime and lowered property values.

Studies have shown the opposite, including decreases in crime, said Raine Johns, chief executive officer of the Homeless Coalition of Pasco.

“You’ll find this decreases dramatically,” she said.

However, a representative of Ridge Plaza, anchored by Hobby Lobby and a Walmart Neighborhood Market, said tenants have expressed concerns about impacts to their businesses. He also said no one had reached out to mall representatives to discuss the navigation center.

“It certainly merits that we get together,” he said.

Pasco County Commissioner Jack Mariano was the only commissioner to vote against the navigation center in November. He proposed putting the center in the Mike Fasano Regional Hurricane Shelter in Hudson.

He said the program could be operated cheaper, safer and quicker if the shelter were used.

Others said the hurricane shelter was in the “middle of nowhere,” with no bus service and few job opportunities.

“The last thing we want to do is institutionalize the homeless population,” said Johns.

The navigation center is modeled after one in San Francisco. It would be a one-stop shelter that would work to place people into housing. They also would receive help in finding jobs, job training and health care, and receive personalized case management.

The efforts would focus on one camp at a time, with as many as 75 single adult men and women housed an average of 90 days at the navigation center.

“Housing first. That’s the end goal,” said Cathy Pearson, assistant county administrator for public services. “A lot of partners are coming together. We believe in this.”

The count done by the sheriff’s office found homeless camps in all areas of the county, including west Pasco, Zephyrhills, Land O’ Lakes and Dade City.

“This is a serious topic. We know that,” said Pasco County Sheriff’s Capt. James Steffens. “We’re trying to do something other than put handcuffs on people and take them to jail.”

The sheriff’s office is one of the partners for the navigation center. Others include the United Way of Pasco, the Pasco County Housing Authority, and the Public Defender’s Office of the Sixth Judicial Circuit.

United Way will contribute about $100,000. About 50 housing vouchers will be dedicated to the navigation center. And, the public defender’s office plans to send its mobile medical unit to the center.

Pasco also plans to contribute about $50,000 for a program that would hire some of the homeless individuals for county labor. The goal is to help them learn skills and establish a work history.

The County Commission is expected to be asked in September to transfer the navigation center property to the homeless coalition.

As a nonprofit, the coalition has more access to additional grants.

Published June 21, 2017

Pasco looks to lift residential parking rule

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The Pasco County Commission is looking to get rid of a parking restriction that has posed a problem in neighborhoods.

Under its current rules, people parking on the street in residential communities need to have a permit, or they can be cited.

The rule likely isn’t common knowledge to many residents, and appears to be headed toward its demise.

Commissioners have asked the county’s planning and development department to draft an ordinance to eliminate the requirement for residential parking permits on local, county-maintained streets. Parking, however, would be restricted to one side of a street.

Parking on arterial or collector roads would remain illegal. And, private communities with private streets could continue to set their own standards.

Commission Chairman Mike Moore brought the issue to commissioners at their May 23 meeting in New Port Richey.

He said he had received a complaint from a Land O’ Lakes’ resident whose daughter was cited for on-street parking while she was home during the Christmas holiday.

Commissioner Mike Wells said he also has heard similar complaints.

Kris Hughes, the county’s director of planning and development, said parking permits also become an issue for residents during road-paving projects.

“We have multiple examples of the problem,” Hughes said.

Current code requires that residents pay $30 for a parking permit, with the permits limited to four days a year.

There are no restrictions on the number of vehicles that can be included in the permit.

Depending on circumstances, fines for violations generally are $15 and $35. However, fines can be as high as $250, plus community service, if the illegal parking creates a public hazard.

While waiting for an ordinance to end the residential parking permits, county commissioners took an interim step.

They administratively agreed to increase the residential permits from four days to 365 days a year.

About 300 permits are issued annually, with the county collecting more than $10,500 in revenues, Hughes said.

In 2016, the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office issued nearly 2,300 citations for all parking violations, generating about $280,000 in revenues. About 43 percent of citations, and about 90 percent of the revenues, were for illegally parking in spots reserved for disabled persons.

About 33 percent of citations, and less than 6 percent in revenues, were for parking on local, subdivision streets without a permit.

Moore said the issue is about helping residents, not collecting more revenues.

Initially, Moore suggested increasing the number of permit days to as many as 12.

Commissioner Kathryn Starkey went bigger — much bigger.

She suggested a 365-day permit.

“I never knew there was such a thing as a four-day permit,” Starkey said.

Pasco County Attorney Jeffrey Steinsnyder said the permits were instituted years ago as a way of controlling parking within residential developments. Many have narrow streets, making it impossible for emergency vehicles to gain access if vehicles were parked on both sides of the street.

“Rather than require larger streets, we started this concept of prohibiting parking within subdivisions,” the attorney explained. “When people have parties they don’t have enough room in their driveways so we started issuing permits.”
Commissioners, however, appear to think this is one rule the county no longer needs.

“One less regulatory thing is a good thing,” Wells said.

Published June 6, 2017

Review committee to talk about school impact fees

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Pasco County’s Development Review Committee is slated to discuss a proposal that would raise the impact fees charged to new residential development to help address the impact that new growth has on schools.

Under the proposed ordinance, the fees could be used to build new schools, acquire school sites or purchase new school buses.

Bexley Elementary School, depicted in this rendering, is set to open in the fall for the 2017-2018 school year. Rapid residential growth in Pasco County has prompted a need for new schools, and the Pasco County School Board is asking the Pasco County Commission to increase school impact fees to help pay for new growth.
(File)

Pasco County already imposes school impact fees, but the new fees would be substantially more than is currently collected.

Here are the proposed fees:

  • Single-family detached residences: $7,540, for homes 1,500 square feet or less; $9,785 for homes between 1,501 square feet and 2,499 square feet; and, $12,028 for homes of 2,500 square feet or more
  • Single-family attached: $3,633 per dwelling
  • Mobile homes: $5,544 per dwelling
  • Multifamily: $5,295 per dwelling

These are the current fees:

  • Single-family detached: $4,828 per dwelling (no distinction based on size)
  • Single-family attached: $1,740 per dwelling
  • Mobile home: $2,843 per dwelling
  • Multifamily: $1,855 per dwelling

The fees do not apply to age-restricted communities, where residents are 55 and older.

Even if the county adopts the proposed rates, school district officials estimate a $284 million shortfall in revenue needed for capital construction during the next decade.

The development review committee meeting, which is open to the public, is set for May 25 at 1:30 p.m., in the board room at the West Pasco County Government Center, 8731 Citizens Drive in New Port Richey.

The development review committee, under the direction of the county administrator, reviews proposed developments and policies, and makes recommendations to the Pasco County Commission. It includes representatives of several different county departments and a representative from Pasco County Schools’ staff.

The school impact fee issue boils down to rapidly increasing school enrollment outpacing the school district’s ability to build schools to house the students.

Concerned about the problem, the school district hired a consultant to do an impact fee study.

That study recommended substantially higher impact fees.

The County Commission reacted by appointing a Pasco County School Infrastructure Funding Committee, which recommended the consultant’s highest fees be adopted, but only if the school board put a referendum on the 2018 ballot seeking a sales tax increase to support school construction.

The infrastructure funding committee’s recommendation fell flat with county commissioners, who resisted the idea of requiring the referendum.

As Commission Chairman Mike Moore put it during a May 2 workshop on the issue: “I’m not very keen on the recommendation for this board to attempt to almost hijack the process, or tie the school board’s hands by forcing them to go out and raise the sales tax. That makes me uncomfortable.”

Instead, commissioners directed county staff to prepare an ordinance to increase the school impact fee, and to schedule the development review committee meeting and two public hearings.

Absent specific direction for the amount to include in the proposed ordinance, the county’s legal staff said it would use the full amount recommended by the consultant.

The proposed ordinance does not include a requirement for the school board to ask voters for a sales tax increase to support schools.

But, it notes that except for annual adjustments that may be made based on construction costs, “the school impact fee shall not be updated in a manner that would result in an increased school impact fee for (a) period of 10 years after the effective date of the 2017 school impact fee rate increase.”

In addition to the review committee’s session, the County Commission has set two public hearings on the proposed changes to the county’s school impact fees.

Considerable debate is likely.

Proponents of the higher fees are expected to contend that new growth should pay for itself, that there’s no question the schools are needed and that there are no other sources of revenue available.

Opponents, on the other hand are likely to argue that new development is being forced to shoulder too much of the cost, that the size of the fees put Pasco County in a competitive disadvantage and that the higher fees will make it essentially impossible to provide affordable housing.

The first public hearing on the the school impact fees issue is set for June 20 at 1:30 p.m., in the commission’s board room at the West Pasco Government Center. The second is set for July 11 at 1:30 p.m., on the second floor of the Historic County Courthouse, at 37918 Meridian Ave., in Dade City.

Published May 24, 2017

Land O’ Lakes gets a bus circulator route

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Local buses will begin making stops along the first circulator route to serve Land O’ Lakes.

For the first week, from May 22 to May 27, rides will be free.

A ribbon cutting ceremony at the Land O’ Lakes Community Park at 5104 Land O’ Lakes Blvd., will take place May 18 at 9 a.m. Ceremonies will be in the pavilion by the southwest corner of the parking lot.

Riders can try out the first Land O’ Lakes circulator route for free, from May 22 through May 27.
(Courtesy of Pasco County)

Buses will run hourly, but service to a few stops, such as the Florida Hospital at Connerton and the Land O’ Lakes Detention Center, will be intermittent.

The route will circulate from County Line Road to Central Boulevard, and will follow State Road 54 to Collier Parkway. Passengers can transfer to the Pasco County Public Transit buses on Route 54 to reach other parts of the county.

Pasco County commissioners are committed to a strong transportation system that connects people with government agencies, parks, schools, shopping and jobs, said Pasco County Commissioner Mike Moore, in a press release from the county.

“The new Route 41 is another example of that commitment,” Moore said.

Stops along the way will include Walmart, the Central Pasco Chamber of Commerce, the post office and Land O’ Lakes High School. A stop at the Target Super Store on North Dale Mabry Highway will allow passengers to transfer to buses operated by the Hillsborough County Area Regional Transit system, known as HART.

The Land O’ Lakes circular route is the third new route in 2017. Estimated costs were about $300,000 for annual operating costs, and a one-time purchase of a bus for about $110,000.

Two other new routes along State Road 54 and in the Moon Lake area of New Port Richey already are operating.

Published May 17, 2017

Efforts continue for Ridge Road permit

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The long process of winning approval for a permit to build an 8-mile extension of Ridge Road could yield a decision from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers within 14 months or less, according to a consulting firm hired by Pasco County.

The Army Corps identified one of 17 proposed routes as “the least environmentally damaging practicable alternative,” as stated in an April 27 letter to county officials and the Florida Department of Transportation.

Ridge Road dead-ends in west Pasco County at the intersection with Moon Lake Road and Decubellis Road. The county wants to extend Ridge Road from west Pasco to U.S. 41 for an evacuation route.
(Kathy Steele)

“That’s very important,” said Dwight Beranek, senior advisor at Washington D.C.-based Dawson & Associates. “(It) allows the county to focus all of its attention and energy on one project as opposed to 17.”

Beranek gave Pasco County commissioners an update on the status of the county’s permit application at the May 9 meeting in Dade City.

The proposed route would be a four-lane, partially elevated road cutting through a portion of the Serenova Preserve. It would link Ridge Road, which dead-ends at Moon Lake Road and Decubellis Road in New Port Richey, to U.S. 41 in Land O’ Lakes. The eastern portion would come out opposite Connerton Boulevard, the main entrance into the master-planned community of Connerton. An interchange at Suncoast Parkway also would be built.

Pasco County officials give high priority to the road extension as an evacuation route during hurricanes and other emergencies. But, a permit has eluded them for nearly 19 years at a cost of at least $15 million.

County commissioners on May 2 approved an additional $404,000 for a month-to-month contract with Dawson & Associates.

Environmentalists vehemently oppose the Ridge Road extension, citing potential harm to a conservation area, as well as flooding and water pollution worries. They also say the project is more about opening the Serenova to development than about providing an evacuation route.

A Facebook page, Save the Serenova Preserve from the Road to Nowhere, is a rallying site for opponents who have been meeting on the matter for the past months.

“We will fight this with every legal option at our disposal,” said Tim Martin, chairman of the conservation committee for the Suncoast Sierra Club. “We’re trying to organize resistance. I think a lot of people are frustrated and upset by the developments.”

Dawson & Associates will aid the county in the next months on documents that detail construction and environmental impacts to the route identified by the Army Corps. At the same time, a modification also is needed on a prior permit from the Southwest Florida Water Management District, known as Swiftmud.

“There’s a lot of different activities left to be done,” said Beranek. But, he added, that the county is “well-positioned” to move forward to what hopefully will be a favorable decision.

Pasco County Commission Chairman Mike Moore pushed for a commitment sooner than 14 months to get an updated permit from Swiftmud and construction permit from the Army Corps.

“I don’t see it taking that long,” Moore said.

Published May 17, 2017

Solutions sought for Pasco’s congestion

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A task force that will help decide the future of State Road 54 and State Road 56 has taken preliminary steps to set up a schedule and agree on a list of potential road designs meant to improve traffic along the busy corridors.

The 17-member task force will serve as advisory board to the Pasco County Metropolitan Planning Organization. It held an organizational meeting on April 20 at Rasmussen College, off State Road 54. About 25 people from the community were there, too.

This is the second of a three-part study to find traffic solutions to ease congestion, improve safety and increase mobility along the State Road 54/State Road 56 corridor — that is exploding with new development and increasing traffic.

Vehicles stack up during rush hours as motorists travel on State Road 54 and approach the intersection with U.S. 41.
(Kathy Steele)

The entire study area includes the corridor, from Bruce B. Downs Boulevard on the east to U.S. 19 on the west.

This phase of the study will focus primarily on two intersections: Little Road and State Road 54 in New Port Richey, and U.S. 41 and State Road 54 in Land O’ Lakes.

“We are reaching an important stage of development in this,” said Kris Hughes, the county’s planning and development director. “We are looking forward to what this process produces.”

Three meetings in total are planned in 2017. The second meeting will be in August, with a final meeting in October. At least two additional meetings are planned for 2018, but no dates are scheduled.

The task force replaces two previous task forces, each representing east and west sides of Pasco. They met during phase one of the project, and recommended six major highway and transit alternatives, five complementary alternatives and a no-build option.

The new task force will explore those options in more detail and whittle the list to three or four alternatives, and the no-build option.

“Do nothing? Well, that’s not going to work,” said task force member Jack Buckley.

Choices under review include designs for elevated lanes and redesigns at the ground level. Some options include dedicated lanes for buses and others don’t.

Sorting out how disruptive some designs can be to business and property owners will be a factor in choosing which direction to take, Buckley said.

Access on and off the roadway and the distances between on-off ramps are important, said Kim Brinkley-Seyer. She is principal of The Seyer Group in Lakewood Ranch in Sarasota.

“I am very concerned,” she said during public comment. “It is about moving people, but you have businesses and people along the way. That’s got to be a factor. You take the access, and it’s gone.”

Representatives from Pasco County Planning and Development, the county’s MPO, Florida Department of Transportation, and consultants from AECOM will assist in the study.

Published April 26, 2017