The county unveils its $72.7-million "needs list" for roads that is contingent upon the penny sales tax passing.
By BRIDGET HALL GRUMET
Published December 3, 2003
NEW PORT RICHEY - The County Commission signed off Tuesday on a $72.7-million plan to improve intersections, add bus shelters and build safer medians along U.S. 19 if voters approve the proposed Penny for Pasco sales tax increase on March 9.
The list focuses on existing trouble spots that the county otherwise couldn't find the money to fix, County Administrator John Gallagher said.
"It's not a wish list. It's a needs list," Commissioner Ted Schrader said at the meeting at the West Pasco Government Center. "There are a lot of (traffic) deficiencies that this plan addresses.
"The deficiencies are not going to be addressed unless the sales tax passes, and I think that is key," Schrader said.
The big ticket item: a $22-million plan to replace the Interstate 75 overpass over County Road 54/State Road 54. The underlying road would be widened to six lanes to handle more traffic, requiring a new highway overpass on top.
The plan also puts $13.3-million toward "channelized" medians along Pasco's stretch of U.S. 19. The medians would be designed to only allow turns in a specific direction, eliminating the danger of several cars converging on a median opening from multiple spots.
And the list calls for new turn lanes at eight of the county's most accident-prone intersections, Gallagher said.
"That's where a lot of our accidents are and the injuries to our citizens," Gallagher said.
If approved by voters, the 1-cent-on-the-dollar sales tax increase would raise about $437-million over its 10-year life span, with about a quarter of that paying for a property tax cut from the School Board.
The county and the school district would then each get 45 percent of the revenue, and the cities would split the rest.
The county pledged half of its share toward transportation projects. Two weeks ago, commissioners approved a plan for the other half of its Penny for Pasco revenue: $36-million to buy environmentally sensitive lands and $29-million for public safety items, including new ambulances and heart defibrillators.
The transportation plan was much harder to compile, Gallagher said, because the county had to determine which road projects it can cover with other pots of money.
Commissioners saw a presentation Tuesday that showed road projects over the next decade using existing revenues. It also showed $257-million in road improvements that could be done over 10 years if commissioners raise the transportation impact fee, a one-time tax on all new construction.
The proposed impact fee increase will come before commissioners for a vote early next year, Gallagher said. It would raise the transportation impact fee for a single-family home from $2,167 to about $3,300, he said. Other new buildings would also pay a higher fee under the proposal.
A few of the road projects on the county's Penny for Pasco list are actually state projects that are years away from being built, Gallagher said. If the county fronts the money to do the projects sooner, he said, the state Department of Transportation has said it would reimburse the county - ultimately providing money for other local road projects.
Commissioners applauded the transportation plan unveiled Tuesday, saying it provides the detailed answers residents want about the proposed sales tax hike.
"I think this addresses the concerns and criticisms we've heard for so long: Where's the plan?" Commissioner Ann Hildebrand said.
"They have asked where is the plan," Commissioner Steve Simon said. "Here it is."
- Bridget Hall Grumet covers Pasco County Government. She can be reached in west Pasco at 869-6244 or toll-free at 1-800-333-7505, ext. 6244. Her e-mail address is bhall@sptimes.com
A penny for your roads...
If voters approve the proposed Penny for Pasco, the county would spend half of its share of the sales tax revenue - about $72.7-million over 10 years - on transportation projects. County staffers propose putting the money toward the following:
A new interchange at Interstate 75 and County Road 54/State Road 54, with CR 54/SR 54 widened to six lanes underneath the overpass (from Pasco Road to County Road 581). Cost: $22,039,126.
Building "channelized" medians along U.S. 19 that allow turns only in a single direction, eliminating the danger of cars converging on a median opening from several spots. Cost: $13,365,000.
Adding a southbound right-turn lane to Seven Springs Boulevard at Mitchell Boulevard and creating a divider between the northbound and southbound lanes on Seven Springs Boulevard from Perrine Ranch Road to the Pinellas County line. Cost: $7,767,141.
Repaving Main Street from Congress Street to Rowan Road, widening the lanes to 12 feet and paving shoulders. Cost: $2,055,894.
Adding eastbound and westbound left-turn lanes and an eastbound right-turn lane at State Road 52 and Prospect Road. Cost: $4,828,085.
Repaving Clinton Avenue from Pasadena Lane to Fort King Road, widening the lanes to 12 feet and paving shoulders. Cost: $1,123,110.
Repaving SR 54 from Curley Road to Morris Bridge Road, widening the lanes to 12 feet and paving shoulders. Cost: $3,225,150.
Adding right-turn lanes in all directions at Grand Boulevard and Trouble Creek Road, and lengthening the southbound left-turn lane on Grand Boulevard. Cost: $1,632,488.
Adding eastbound and westbound left-turn lanes and a northbound right-turn lane at Grand Boulevard and Moog Road. Cost: $987,398.
Realigning Boyette Road to eliminate two sharp curves; installing a traffic signal at SR 54, and paving shoulders and a bike path. Cost: $1,249,999.
Reconstructing the intersection at Grand Boulevard and Mile Stretch Drive, adding curbs, gutters and turn lanes. Cost: $1,852,875.
Constructing a westbound left-turn lane at Fox Hollow Drive and U.S. 19. Cost: $1,742,499.
Adding westbound and northbound right-turn lanes at Regency Park Boulevard and San Miguel Drive, and adding traffic signal if needed. Cost: $1,249,999.
At Collier Parkway and Weeks Boulevard: add westbound left-turn lanes into Lake Myrtle School, eastbound right-turn lane at parent drop-off and sidewalks on north side of Weeks Boulevard from Collier Parkway to Martha Court. Cost: $1,375,000.
Realigning Orchid Lake Drive with Pinehill Road and adding traffic signal at Orchid Lake Drive and Congress Street. Cost: $652,388.
Adding eastbound left-turn lane and southbound left-turn lane (for U-turns) at Little Road and Ponderosa Avenue. Cost: $268,313.
Building bus stop shelters along U.S. 19 and U.S. 301, by 2010. Cost: $612,900.
Building additional bus stop shelters along U.S. 19 and U.S. 301, by 2015. Cost: $287,999.
Creating a bike trail along Massachusetts Avenue, from Congress Street to Starkey Boulevard. Cost: $3,513,960.
Buying land for future road expansion projects. Cost: $2,922,457.
At the same time, county officials are considering a substantial increase in the transportation impact fees to pay for road improvements to handle growth. A proposal heading to the County Commission early next year would raise the transportation impact fee on a new single-family home from $2,167 to about $3,300, County Administrator John Gallagher said. The transportation impact fee on other new buildings would also increase, Gallagher said, to keep pace with the county's rising road costs.
If the County Commission approves the increase in transportation impact fees, it would raise an additional $257,537,288 over 10 years. County staffers suggest spending the extra revenue to do the following:
Widen SR 54 from four to six lanes from U.S. 41 to I-75. Cost: $61,893,794.
Widen SR 54 from four to six lanes from U.S. 41 to the Suncoast Parkway. Cost: $60,108,395.
Widen Little Road from four to six lanes from Fivay Road to Denton Avenue. Cost: $17,141,500.
Widen Perrine Ranch Road from two to four lanes from Sunray Drive to Seven Springs Boulevard. Cost: $14,234,906.
Widen Gunn Highway from two to four lanes from SR 54 to the Hillsborough County line. Cost: $10,645,351.
Extend Clinton Avenue (two lanes) from Curley Road to Prospect Road. Cost: $11,528,555.
Extend Clinton Avenue (two lanes) from Prospect Road to Pasadena Road. Cost: $3,798,475.
Buy right of way from Porter family for State Road 56. Cost: $788,000.
Buy right of way and build SR 56 from Wesley Chapel Lakes to Morris Bridge Road. Cost: $11,368,754.
Reconstruct the intersection at State Road 581 and County Line Road. Cost $3,851,342.
Four-lane CR 54 from State Road 56 to Pasco Road. Cost: $21,705,764.
Four-lane Curley Road from Wells Road to Clinton Avenue. Cost: $31,410,577.
Four-lane Curley Road from SR 54 to Wells Road. Cost:
