The Laker/Lutz News

Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

U.S. 301

Large employment project gains initial approval

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A rezoning request for property within Pasco County’s I-75 Interstate Employment Area gained initial approval from the Pasco County Planning Commission during its April 4 meeting.

The approximately 745-acre site is located north of State Road 52 and west of Interstate 75. It is currently zoned for agricultural, single family/mobile homes and general commercial purposes.

The request by Mulandco Liquidating Company LLC to have the zoning changed to Master Planned Unit Development (MPUD) will be considered by the Pasco County Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) during its May 7 meeting in Dade City. The Planning Commission (PC) acts in an advisory capacity to the BOCC.

(Etienne Girardet/Unsplash)

If approved, the applicant plans to develop 190,000 square feet of retail/commercial space, 3,000,000 square feet of light industrial space, 500,000 square feet of office space, a 250-room hotel, 1,550 multi-family apartments, 150 townhomes, 600 single family homes and 27 single family estate homes. 

“So far, it is the third largest employment project behind Speros (16.5 million square feet) and Double Branch (4.7 million square feet),” said Ryan Hughes, a Pasco County public information officer.

Plans call for between 375 acres and 400 acres of the property to be used to help increase the number of people working in Pasco County, said Clarke Hobby, an attorney with the law firm of Hobby & Hobby who was representing the applicant. 

However, the PC didn’t give Mulandco Liquidating Company LLC everything it had asked for in its request for rezoning the property — they had to withdraw three variances they had requested from Pasco County’s Land Development Code.

Those variances would have provided for the amount of land that had to be set aside for neighborhood parks to be calculated differently, the amount of buffering and screening required within the development to be reduced, and for being allowed to have a minimum width of 1.7 parking spaces per apartment unit rather than 1.9.

Those requests may be made to the county’s planning staff in the future and then presented to the PC or BOCC depending on which has final authority in the matter.

In other business before the PC last week:

• Agreed to send a request by Timber Ridge MPUD – Timber Ridge Dade City LLC for a zoning amendment to the BOCC. Approximately 48.2 acres of property on the west side of U.S. 301, west of 14th Street, is currently zoned R-3 Medium Density Residential District. The applicant is seeking for it to be rezoned to a Master Planned Unit Development (MPUD) so a maximum of 190 single family detached units may be constructed on the site. 

Some area residents told PC members they were opposed to the request because of concerns the traffic flow on 14th Street would be adversely impacted. 

Traffic on 14th Street south of the proposed project is currently using 20% of the street’s capacity in the afternoon, said Michael “Mike” Raysor of Tampa-based Raysor Transportation Consulting. After the project is completed, traffic would use 35% of the street’s capacity, Raysor said.

Traffic on 14th Street north of the proposed project is currently using 15% of the street’s capacity. Traffic there would be 35% after the project is completed, Raysor said.

Nancy Hazelwood, a resident of Trilby, asked the PC to restrict where traffic could come from out of the development, and to reduce the subdivision’s density.

The applicant withdrew its request to be able to have a stub-out for future connection to a vacant parcel on the northwest portion of the site.  The plans still call for Catalina Drive to be used for emergency access purposes. Also, there never was any intention by the planners to connect to Powerline Road, said attorney Clarke Hobby, who was representing the applicant.

And 291 single-family homes could currently be built on the property so the developer is proposing to reduce that amount by 101 homes, Hobby said. 

The BOCC will consider Timber Ridge’s request during its May 7 meeting in Dade City.

• The PC also agreed to send a request by Russell K. and Leann Finlay for a change in zoning from an A-C Agricultural District to a C-2 General Commercial District to the BOCC. The request is for approximately 3.49 acres located on two lots on the east side of US 301, approximately 200 feet north of Marka Drive. If the request is approved, the Finlays plan to construct a small commercial center containing approximately 21,000 square feet.

The Finlays plan to use part of that space for a business of their own, said Anne Pollack, an attorney with the St. Petersburg-based law firm of Fletcher Fischer Pollack P.I, representing the Finlays. This would make it possible for them to employ an additional six people, so they would then have 10 people working for them, said Pollack. 

The number of people employed in the area could also be increased by other businesses leasing the six or eight other spaces that could be available in the commercial center, Pollack said. 

The PC made some changes to the Finlays request prior to agreeing to send it on to the BOCC. The Finlays had agreed to some voluntary deed restrictions that PC members didn’t think were appropriate since the proposed commercial center would be in a rural setting.

The BOCC will consider the request at a future meeting.

Published April 17, 2024

Honoring the service of military heroes and canines

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Hillsborough County Consumer & Veterans Services, Vietnam Veterans of America Chapter 787 and the Veterans Council of Hillsborough County will host its annual Welcome Home Vietnam Veterans & War Dogs remembrance event on March 28 at 10 a.m., at Veterans Memorial Park, 3602 U.S. 301 in Tampa.

The event precedes National Vietnam War Veterans Day, which marks the final departure of U.S. troops from South Vietnam on March 29, 1973.

Paulette Wooten/Unsplash

The theme of this year’s remembrance is “Still Serving” and will feature keynote speaker Rolfe Arnhym, retired U.S. Army officer and business leader, who served multiple tours in Vietnam.

The occasion also will include:

-Commemorative lapel pinning for all veterans of the Vietnam War era and their surviving spouses
-Salutes to local military heroes and the canines who served in the war
-Patriotic music, rifle salute and playing of taps
-On-site resources to assist veterans, including the Agent Orange Registry, caregiving, counseling, suicide prevention, and veteran benefits
-Authentic Southeast Asian cuisine and entertainment

The Vietnam War Memorial at the park features a war dog memorial and a pair of U.S. Army helicopters: the American Bell UH-1 Huey and AH-1 Cobra.

The event and parking are free. For information, call Hillsborough County Consumer & Veterans Services at 813-635-8316.

Published March 20, 2024

Traffic detour in Dade City begins March 1

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The Florida Department of Transportation, District Seven has issued a notice to drivers in and around the Dade City area.

Beginning March 1, Southbound U.S. 98 Bypass/U.S. 301 will be closed from River Road to Meridian Avenue. The closure will continue for approximately 10 months. Northbound U.S. 98 Bypass/U.S. 301 will remain open to traffic.

Drivers will need to access properties in the closure area from northbound U.S. 98 Bypass/U.S. 301 or local streets.

The determined detour route is: Traffic traveling southbound on US 98/US 301 approaching the work zone will be detoured south on US 98/Seventh Street through downtown Dade City. Drivers who want to continue on southbound US 98/US 301 or access Old Lakeland Highway will turn left onto Meridian Avenue and go east, then turn right onto southbound US 98/US 301.

To help avoid delays and bypass downtown Dade City, trucks and other large vehicles that are using southbound US 98 to continue south beyond Dade City are encouraged to take SR 50 west to southbound Interstate 75 and return to US 98 on eastbound State Road 52.

For project information and to sign up to receive email alerts about closures and progress updates, visit FDOTTampaBay.com/project/939/256423-3-52-01.

Published February 28, 2024

Steps being taken to improve traffic safety on U.S. 301

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Pasco County Commission Chairman Ron Oakley informed his colleagues during a recent board meeting that the county and the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) are responding to a traffic situation on U.S. 301 that has become dangerous.

During the county board’s Feb. 6 meeting, Oakley said he met with residents at Tropical Acres Estates, which is off U.S. 301, in Zephyrhills.

“There was a full room,” Oakley said. “They were very concerned about their exit and entrance onto (U.S.) 301, between (State Road) 39 and (State Road) 56.”

There has been a traffic fatality and have been other accidents, too, the county board chairman said.

“I originally thought that we had already started the construction of a four-lane, from (State Road) 39, back down to (State Road) 56, only to find out that hasn’t even started and all of these issues are created right here at this entrance to Tropical Acres Estates,” he said.

He reached out to FDOT officials to see if there might be a traffic light installed.

“I got information that it could be up to a year before a light comes, and it’s going to be right at their entrance. But in the meantime, they’ve got this issue going on. And, I’m sure the people across the way probably have a similar issue,” Oakley said.

But the issue is different across the way because people leaving there are turning right to head to Zephyrhills, he said.

So, until a more permanent solution is available, Oakley recommended a temporary fix.

“I suggested that possibly we can make a right-turn only out of Tropical Acres Estates and put some flashing (warning) lights up, first,” Oakley said.

The county board chairman expected those actions to be taken quickly.

“It’s all based on safety,” Oakley said.

Published February 14, 2024

Two Rivers emerging on Pasco and Hillsborough borders

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Two Rivers — a massive new development flanking the borders of Pasco and Hillsborough counties — will be breaking ground on a new health, wellness and dining club for its residents.

Two Rivers is a massive master-planned community that will feature housing ranging from the low $300,000s to $5 million, and is being built on land flanking the borders of Pasco and Hillsborough counties. (Courtesy of Eisenhower Property Group)

The new facility will feature tennis, pickleball, pools, playgrounds, gathering spaces, a bar and a restaurant, according to information provided to The Laker/Lutz News.

Two Rivers is a master-planned community situated on both sides of the county line, off State Road 56, between Morris Bridge Road and U.S. 301.

A regional district park is planned in the community, as well as shopping, dining and office spaces, according to a news release.

A luxury community known as Flatwoods is located on the Hillsborough County side of the development. It will be home to Flatwoods Golf and Country Club, which will feature a private country club with a spa, an 18-hole golf course and other recreational amenities.

This map depicts a portion of a new master-planned community that will include a regional district park, shopping, dining, office spaces and an array of amenities.

The golf course, designed by David McLay Kidd at DMK Golf Design, has an estimated completion date of 2025.

Home options in Two Rivers will range from the low $300,000s to more than $5 million.

Newly announced builders in Two Rivers include Casa Fresca, Homes by WestBay, MI Homes, Meritage Homes, Park Square Homes, Pulte Homes, William Ryan Homes, and Taylor Morrison.

The first villages, Northwater with homes by D.R. Horton and Childers with homes by Lennar, have sold hundreds of homes and already have residents enjoying their new lives at Two Rivers, the news release says.

The first two amenity centers in Northwater and Childers are underway, featuring two clubhouses with pools, playgrounds and gathering spaces and are expected to be open this summer.

At completion, Two Rivers will include more than 7,500 homes, townhomes, apartments and villas featuring a variety of builders and commercial partners.

Models in the first phase already are open, with the next phase of models slated for late summer 2024. To learn more about the community, sign up for updates and view the latest new home details, visit TwoRiversFL.com.

Published February 14, 2024

Setting priorities for better ways to get around in Pasco

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It’s no secret to those living or working in Pasco County that serious attention is needed to make it easier to get from place to place.

Traffic congestion and traffic safety are two key concerns that the public has identified so far, in an online survey conducted by Kimley-Horn, the consultants working with the Pasco County Metropolitan Planning Organization (Pasco MPO) on the long-range transportation plan update.

Innovate Pasco 2050 will be the long-range transportation plan for Pasco County, guiding future projects to address all types of transportation needs. Tackling congestion has been identified as a top priority by the public so far, in the early stages of the planning effort. (File)

The plan has been christened Innovate Pasco 2050.

Jonathan Whitehurst, a consultant from Kimley-Horn, briefed the Pasco Metropolitan Planning Organization’s board at its Jan. 11 meeting, regarding what’s being done to prepare the plan.

The Pasco MPO board, made up of elected leaders from Pasco County, Dade City, Zephyrhills, New Port Richey and Port Richey, is responsible for addressing transportation needs and setting priorities across Pasco.

In general, Innovate Pasco 2050 will identify current and anticipated transportation needs in the county for the next 20-plus years, Whitehurst said.

The plan is being updated at the same time the county is updating its long-range comprehensive plan.

Innovate Pasco 2050 will consider all modes of transportation — which include motorized vehicles, public transportation, bicycles, walking, freight and goods movement, and air travel.

Planning efforts will involve analyzing the county’s current transportation system and its projected growth to identify needs and set priorities.

The initial stakeholder interviews and community workshops were held on Dec. 12 and Dec. 13.

“We’re getting really, really good participation through the online survey. To date, with the online survey, we have 930 participants,” Whitehurst told the Pasco MPO board. “That created a lot of work for the consultant team because that has already generated over 13,000 data points and over 1,400 written comments. So, that’s a lot of information for us to kind of go through and summarize. But we like that.”

Figuring out how much money is available to address Pasco County’s trail plans is likely to be a topic of discussion, as the county tackles its long-range needs.

The survey can be done in as few as 5 minutes, or, it can take longer, depending on the level of detail in the responses.

Based on the level of feedback so far, people seem to be putting in more time, Whitehurst said.

During his presentation, he asked the MPO board for some feedback.

He identified eight transportation themes and asked them to rank them in order of importance.

These are the themes they ranked: Improve Transit Service, Improve Transportation Connectivity, Increase Transportation Choices, Maintain Roadways, Promote Economic Growth, Reduce Congestion, Reduce Crash/Injuries and deaths and Shorten Vehicle Trips.

The top three themes identified in the boardroom were: Economic growth, congestion and connectivity. The bottom three were shortening vehicle trips, increasing transportation choices and improving transit service.

The public’s response was different, based on the 930 surveys.

The public identified congestion as the top issue, safety as the second highest and maintenance of existing facilities as number three, Whitehurst said.

The consultant also noted the survey has a map, where people can place pins on areas where they believe a transportation improvement is needed.

How will transit figure into the county’s long-range transportation plans?

That improvement can involve a roadway, a trail, transit or other type of transportation facility, Whitehurst said.

So far, the map has about 2,000 pins indicating needed improvements. That doesn’t correlate to 2,000 separate suggestions because many pins can be clustered at a single location, he explained.

Along those lines, though, Whitehurst asked the board: What is the first project you would construct, if funding wasn’t an issue?

Their responses included the Orange Belt Trail and the intersection of U.S. 41/State Road 54 .

“The Orange Belt Trail was certainly a topic that came up in those meetings that we had back in December,,” Whitehurst said.

Safety along U.S. 19 was another issue that came up, when focusing specifically on bicycle and pedestrian improvements, he added.

Another project that’s been identified involves the widening of U.S. 301, between Tampa and Zephyrhills, he said.

That potential widening offers a great example of why it’s important to work with neighborhood MPOs, because a portion of U.S. 301 is in Pasco’s MPO and another portion is in Hillsborough’s MPO, Whitehurst said.

Another comment that has frequently surfaced deals with a lack of east-west roads in the county, the consultant said.

The online survey also asks the public to assign budget priorities to different types of transportation projects. Of the 930 responses, the public clearly identified roadway capacity and roadway maintenance as top priorities, Whitehurst said.

As more planning efforts are being made to provide ways for people to get around better within their communities, bicycle safety is expected to gain more attention.

While the initial work has been informative, much work remains to be done, the consultant said.

In coming months, community members will have additional opportunities to participate in shaping the vision and direction of the long-range transportation plan. 

That input will be received both through in-person meetings and in digital activities conducted through the planning project’s website.

Innovate Pasco 2050 “really will be the road map that the county will use through the MPO to fund transportation projects through the year 2050,” Whitehurst said.

It will define what projects are needed to address the county’s transportation needs through the year 2050 and beyond.

Once those projects are defined, then a determination will be made regarding local and federal sources that are available.

A priority list will be created and a cost feasible plan will identify how much of that work is possible, based on funding sources.

Whitehurst said that Kimley-Horn will create a State of the System Report, which will review existing and projected conditions. That report will be done in late January or early February, he said.

A needs plan will be done, which will include all types of transportation projects the consultants believe the county needs to look at through the year 2050 and beyond. That is expected to be completed in mid-March.

The cost feasible plan is expected to be completed toward the end of April.

The report and executive summary are scheduled to be written by the end of June, but final adoption is not expected until later in the year, Whitehurst said.

Get involved
Do you have thoughts about Pasco County’s roads, trails, sidewalks and other forms of transportation? Get involved in the county’s long-range transportation planning by signing up for email alerts and taking an online survey at InnovatePasco.com.

Published January 24, 2024

Pasco Schools adding capacity to address increasing enrollment

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As Pasco County continues to grow, questions are popping up regarding the school district’s ability to handle increased enrollment spurred by new development.

Jon Moody, who sits on the Pasco County Planning Commission, raised the issue during the planning board’s Dec. 7 discussion of a proposed change to the county’s comprehensive plan.

The request is being made to set the stage for a 200-unit townhome development and commercial uses, at U.S. 301 and Roanoke River Way, in Zephyrhills.

Moody asked Chris Williams, who sits on the planning board as the school district’s representative, about the planning report accompanying the request.

“It says right now that Chester Taylor is operating at 133%, it will be 136% with the next K through 8 opening in 2029, so is there anything on the horizon quicker to give relief to the elementary school?” Moody asked Williams.

Williams, who is the school district’s director of planning, told Moody that the district currently is in negotiations with the developer of Two Rivers, a massive project between Morris Bridge Road and U.S. 301, off State Road 56, in Wesley Chapel.

“I’m not sure how that is going to wind up,” Williams said. The district would like to build an entire campus on the Two Rivers’ property, but is aiming for at least a K-8 school there.

“We’re also getting ready to rebuild West Zephyrhills Elementary and completely build a brand-new school behind the current school, and add capacity to that. And that is projected to be done, probably 2025 or 2026,” Williams said.

“And potentially, when that reopens, my intention might be to rezone those schools: Woodland (Elementary), West Zephyrhills Elementary, Chester Taylor (Elementary) — and try to redistribute some of those populations,” Williams added.

The district also plans to add a wing to Chester Taylor Elementary to increase its capacity.

“Adding a wing (at Chester Taylor) won’t solve the problem in and of itself, but adding a wing and doing some rezoning will help us,” Williams said.

The school district planning director also noted that in the coming school year the district will open the new Kirkland Ranch K-8 magnet school on the campus of Kirkland Ranch Academy of Innovation, off Curley Road in the north part of Wesley Chapel, across from Epperson Ranch.

“That could have a little bit of impact on the Zephyrhills area,” Williams said. However, he added, it likely will have a far greater impact on the Wesley Chapel and San Antonio areas.

Two Rivers is already under development and those students will begin coming to Chester Taylor immediately, the school district planning director said.

Moody noted that given the current situation, the proposed land use change would exacerbate an existing problem.

Williams agreed, but said the district is working on solutions.

“Long term, I’m fine with this (proposed land use change), but, in the short term, we’re working on those plans (to increase capacity),” Williams said.

Published January 10, 2024

Daystar thrift store announces new hours

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Daystar Hope Center of Pasco has announced new hours for its thrift store this winter season, as its inventory must be reduced for remodeling.

(Courtesy of Daystar Hope Center of Pasco)

The store will be open the first Saturday of each month, from 9 a.m. to noon. Items for sale include clothing, baby/kid stuff, electronics, home entertainment, exercise equipment, sporting goods, furniture, household items, tools, and more, according to a news release.

Daystar is a local charity dedicated to serving the disadvantaged people of the area. At present, more than 500 families are provided with food, clothing, medicine, rent assistance, utilities assistance, temporary housing, transportation assistance, referral assistance with governmental agencies, and more, according to its mission statement.

Daystar Hope Center is located at 15512 U.S. 301 in Dade City, 1.3 miles north of downtown Dade City, at the northeast corner of U.S. 301 and Pioneer Museum Road. Additional overflow parking is available across the street at the Dade City Business Center.

The thrift store will operate with its normal hours on weekdays — Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from 9 a.m. to noon.

For more information, contact Glen Thompson at 352-567-7449 or .

Pasco road improvements outlined in tentative five-year plan

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Road widenings, resurfacing projects and sidewalk construction are all part of the Florida Department of Transportation’s (FDOT) five-year tentative work program in Pasco County.

Brian Hunter, a planning manager for FDOT’s District 7 office gave members of the Pasco County Metropolitan Planning Organization an overview of what’s in the plan, and he also talked about some shifts in priorities.

The Pasco MPO is the lead transportation planning agency for Pasco and its board is made up of elected leaders from Pasco County, Zephyrhills, Dade City, New Port Richey and Port Richey.

Hunter explained that the tentative work program essentially lays out the work that FDOT plans to do in Pasco County — and includes the work it plans to do with partners, such as GoPasco and the Zephyrhills Municipal Airport.

Timing for improvements to the intersection of State Road 54 and U.S. 41 remain uncertain. The Florida Department of Transportation’s tentative five-year work plan calls for delaying right of way acquisition until 2028 to make sure that FDOT has the clearance it needs to acquire the land. (Mike Camunas)

“It includes all of the phases, from planning, to design/right of way/construction and maintenance on some of those facilities,” Hunter said.

The state transportation department is wrapping up the five-year plan that ends in fiscal year 2028 and will be adding fiscal year 2029.

The FDOT also receives comments from the public and the MPO, then makes any adjustments necessary before submitting the tentative work plan to the Legislature, Hunter said. The deadline for comments from the MPO was Nov. 20.

Once the Legislature approves a plan and it gets signed by the governor, the plan takes effect on July 1, 2024, becoming the adopted 2025 through 2029 work program, Hunter said.

He explained how FDOT determines its priorities.

“Our first priority is to always preserve our existing projects. If something has a cost change, our first priority is to add funds to that; or, if there’s a scope change, our first priority is to add funds to it, to make sure that project is whole.”

“The second is, we move on to the next phase of a project.

“If we had design funding and we need to add right of way funding to it, and it’s the appropriate time to do so, we move those projects forward — with the hopeful goal of moving to construction on those.

“The third priority is to add those new projects.”

The priorities are based on the MPO priorities, regional priorities and FDOT priorities.

“If there was a project that was in the previous work program presentation that I don’t mention today, that doesn’t mean that it has been removed or anything like that. It just means that there was no significant change,” Hunter told the Pasco MPO board, noting there are about 500 projects in District 7.

One project that has been of major interest in Pasco County involves the improvement of the State Road 54/U.S. 41 interchange, in Land O’ Lakes.

“We deferred the right of way to fiscal year 2028 on that,” Hunter said.

The department did that because it needs to have the appropriate documents to purchase right of way for the project and, until it does, it made sense to delay the funding into the year it would actually be used, Hunter said.

But a discussion during the board’s meeting may spur FDOT to consider early acquisition of a portion of the necessary right of way, to ensure that it’s not used for a different use before the intersection improvement project can move forward.

That issue is expected to be discussed again at the Pasco MPO board’s meeting in January.

Hunter also noted that Collector/Distributor roads previously in the five-year plan for the I-75/I-275 also have been shifted out of the five-year plan because of changing priorities.

Plans that are being recommended include:

  • Widening U.S. 301. The tentative work program calls for right of way acquisition for that project in 2029
  • Widening of Old Pasco Road. Right of way was added in fiscal year 2026 and construction was added in fiscal year 2028. Pasco County will be delivering that project, with some assistance from FDOT.

The plan also includes a number of resurfacing projects, some pedestrian/bicycle improvements and improvements at Zephyrhills Municipal Airport.

Other items of note include $5 million for enhancements at Zephyrhills Municipal Airport and $54 million for GoPasco.

Pasco County Commission Chairman Jack Mariano also raised an issue relating to the design for pedestrian/bicycle overpasses.

Traffic frequently backs up at U.S. 41 and State Road 54. It’s the intersection where much of the traffic heading east and west through Pasco County meets up with much of the taffic moving north and south.

Two overpasses are planned in Pasco — one at the Suncoast Expressway and State Road 52, and another at the Suncoast Expressway at State Road 54.

Mariano asked if the state could look into a simpler design, which might enable the projects to be done more quickly and at a lower cost. If that happens, he said, funding might be available for more projects.

He pointed to a specific overpass in the Kissimmee area as an example.

“We can take a look at this,” Hunter said.

Mariano also noted that U.S. 41 runs from Miami to Detroit and there’s only one section of the road that’s two lanes.

“That section runs from State Road 52 all of the way up to (Hernando) County Line Road,” Mariano said.

Mariano said a study was done years ago, taking a look at that section.

He said he’d like for the FDOT team to take a look at it again.

Hunter replied: “We’ve heard a lot recently about the (U.S.) 41 and the two-lane section.

“We can take a look at it, see if there’s any way we can move that project forward.

“It’s the same problem we have with every project, it’s all funding constraints. But we can see if there’s any way to kind of piece it together and make it work,” Hunter said.

Major Pasco County projects

These are some of the projects in the Florida Department of Transportation’s District 7’s tentative work program, Fiscal Year 2025 through Fiscal Year 2029:

  • Add lanes and reconstruct State Road 52, from east of U.S. 41 to Ehren Cutoff
  • Add lanes and reconstruct U.S. 301, from south of State Road 56 to south of State Road 39
  • Design work to address sidewalk gaps and construction of sidewalks at various locations
  • Add lanes and reconstruct U.S. 301, from State Road 39 to County Road 54
  • Add lanes and rehabilitate pavement on Old Pasco Road, from County Road 54/Wesley Chapel Boulevard to north of Sonny Drive
  • Resurface State Road 56, from Bruce B. Downs to Meadow Pointe Boulevard
  • Sidewalk at (Pasco Elementary) on Fort King Road, from Hester to north of Coleman
  • Bike/path trail on Perrine Ranch Road, from east of Grand Boulevard to Mountain Ash Way
  • Transportation planning for Pasco County, for fiscal year 2029-2030
  • U.S. 19 pedestrian crossings at various locations
  • Interstate 75 landscaping, from State Road 54 to south end of Overpass Road, southbound on ramp
  • Resurfacing of U.S. 41, from Washington Lane to County Line Road
  • Resurfacing of Interstate 275/Interstate 75, from the Hillsborough County line to County Road 54.
  • Resurfacing of U.S. 41, from Bell Lake Road to east of Ehren Cutoff
  • Resurfacing of Alternate U.S. 19, from Pinellas County line to U.S. 19
  • Resurfacing State Road 54, from Bruce B. Downs Boulevard to east of Curley Road
  • Resurfacing of U.S. 98/U.S. 301, from north Long Avenue to south of U.S. 98
  • Signage/pavement markers for wrong way drivers at various interstate ramps
  • Traffic management system, U.S. 41 from Hillsborough County line to Hernando County line
  • Aviation capacity project, Zephyrhills Municipal Airport

Source: Florida Department of Transportation, District 7

Published November 22, 2023

Traffic signal may be coming to improve conditions in Watergrass area

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Watergrass area residents have turned out to recent Pasco County Commission meetings urging that something be done to improve traffic safety near their neighborhood.

At the Pasco County Commission’s Oct. 24 meeting, Commissioner Seth Weightman added his voice to underscore the urgency of the issue.

He called attention to an intersection at Overpass Road, near the Epperson lagoon.

Overpass Road carries some restrictions as residents urge improvement of traffic safety near their neighborhood. (Mike Camunas)

“That’s a pretty large intersection there,” Weightman said. “That’s a pretty hairy crossing going east-west. There’s currently, I don’t think, a red light there. At minimum, we need to take a look at that. We get a lot of emails.”

Brad Tippin, the county’s development review manager, responded: “There’s warrants that we need to do and different things that happen, to make sure that these are truly necessary lights. There are other options we can use to try to control the traffic.”

Weightman persisted: “The amount of golf cart traffic in the mornings, going eastbound to take kids to school — you’ve got a mix of commercial vehicles, residential traffic, parents on golf carts. It’s cringe-worthy.”

Commissioner Kathryn Starkey noted: “That’s all of the parents who have been coming here (to board meetings).”

Commissioner Ron Oakley noted: “You’ve got to remember that Watergrass was not set up to be a golf cart community, at all.”

Weightman reacted: “But they’re coming from Epperson.”

Tippin responded: “There’s a portion of Epperson, actually north of Watergrass, on that side of Curley Road, where there’s a charter school now. Some of that golf cart traffic tries to make that trip as well.

“We’re working with county engineers and several other folks to look at Watergrass, the scenario there.

“Overpass has some restrictions, as to what we can do with Overpass.

“But we’re trying to kind of look at all of that. We’re looking at the signalization of that intersection. I believe it is on the plans to be signalized, it’s just a matter of timing.”

Weightman responded: “It can’t happen soon enough.”

Tippin said he agrees,

Tippin also noted that while Watergrass was not designed for golf cart use, other communities nearby were intended for that use and it’s a good sign so many golf carts are being used in the area.

“These communities were designed to use golf carts and they’re actually panning out that way,” Tippin said.

Oakley explained that part of the problem is that the county has been delayed in extending Overpass Road over to Kossik Road and U.S. 301.

County staff is working to try to improve the situation near Watergrass, Oakley said, but he added that waiting for those solutions will require patience.

“It does take time to design and get things right.

“Good things are coming. Staff is really working hard on making that happen,” Oakley said.

Published November 01, 2023