A study will soon be under way to determine how much funding could be generated using tolls for the potential future construction of elevated lanes above the S.R. 54/56 corridor (which we have reported about previously), stretching from U.S. 19 in New Port Richey to Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd. in Wesley Chapel (see map).
During the July 9 Pasco County Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) meet- ing, commissioners unanimously approved the $218,785 study, which is being funded by the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) and carried out by the URS (United Research Services) Corp. The study is expected to take about eight months to complete.
âThey (URS) are experts in toll facilities,â says Richard Gehring, planning and development administrator for Pasco.
Elevated toll lanes could span the S.R. 54/56 corridor in the future. Bonded toll revenue could help fund the project. Photo: TBARTA
âTheyâre going to study what the toll (revenue) projections are going to be. How much revenue will the tolls produce? How long will it take (toll road usage) to ramp up? When you put a toll facility in place, people have to sort of learn how to use it. They donât initially want to pay to go from point A to B.â
Although we previously reported on WCNeighborhoodNews.com that the always-popular Wolfâs Den Restaurant, located on S.R. 56 (in the same plaza as Insight Family Eye Care), was taking over the spaces in the Shoppes of Wesley Chapel plaza on Bruce B. Downs (BBD)âBlvd. (opposite the new Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel, or FHWC)) previously vacated by Baja Fresh and several other businesses (see below), Wolfâs Den owner Roger Wolf has decided instead to expand his menu (including adding BBQ specialties like real baby back ribs, brisket and more) and his hours and add beer and wine at his current location.
Look for an ad, with coupons, next issue because the new hours & BBQâmenu items will debut at Wolfâs Den right after Labor Day. For more info, call 907-9124 or visit WolfsDenRestaurant.com.
Hibachi Japanese Express Is Open…&âYummy!
This lunch portion of hibachi NY strip steak is available at the new Hibachi Express in the Wesley Chapel Village Market for only $6.25.
If you havenât yet checked out the new Hibachi Japanese Express, located in the smaller outparcel building (next to China Wok) of the same Wesley Chapel Village Market that also is home to Vallartaâs &âthe new Famous Tate store, you should go…for lunch or dinner…today!
Hibachi Express features the same fresh sushi (Iâeven special ordered a grilled red snapper and cucumber roll that was just too good), choice NYâstrip and fresh large shrimp and scallop hibachi dishes, complete with ginger salad, mushroom soup, grilled hibachi veggies and fried rice, all at prices much less than most âteppanyaki (hibachi) tableâ restaurants because the hibachi grill is located in the open kitchen just behind Hibachi Expressâ much faster lunch counter, so youâre paying for the quality food and not the show. And, with the current special of a still-sizable lunch-sized portion of hibachi steak (photo), chicken or shrimp, with rice &âveggies, for just $6.25, you canât beat the value!
For info about Hibachi Japanese Express (5315 Village Market Dr.), call 991-9582, see the ad on page 34, or stop in &âtell Chen, the owner, that the Wesley Chapel Neighborhood News sent you!
The heat of summer is upon the New Tampa area, but with it has come the usual pattern of oppressive heat throughout the day, followed by thunderstorms in the afternoon and early evening. For this reason, the Southwest Florida Water Management District (aka âSwiftmudâ) has allowed the stricter watering restrictions implemented earlier in the year to expire.
According to a July 30 release from Swiftmud, the Districtâs Governing Board voted to let all Phase III water shortage orders â which limited lawn watering to once per week on specific days, determined by address, between the hours of 6 p.m. and 8 a.m. â expire on July 31, allowing residents to return to twice-per-week watering.Continue reading
Although we always try to give proper attribution when we use information or photos from another source other than our own staff in these pages (or on WCNeighborhoodNews.com), long-time readers of the Wesley Chapel Neighborhood News surely must recognize that we donât do a whole lot of promoting of other local media companies, online or in our publications.
But, every once in a great while, someone comes along who, by virtue of the respect he or she has earned not only from me, but also the entire community they serve, who merits special mention on this page.
One such person is Tony Masella, the owner, chief photographer and all-around great guy at OurTownFla.com.
Former local newspaper columnist Charlie Reese (left) emceed the âToastââof Tony Masella of OurTownFla.com on July 18.
Tony was deservedly honored on July 18 at the âPasco Toast for Tonyââat the Copperstone Executive Suites on Land OâLakes Blvd. (U.S. 41). At the âToast,ââwhich was emceed to perfection by Charlie Reese (a former columnist at yet another local media outlet who now co-owns JCâAudiology &âHearing Aids with his wife Dr. Judith Reese, Ph.D.), Iâwas among somewhere between 70-100 people who were on hand to give Tony his just due. Continue reading
