HCSO Seeking Assistance In Identifying Bank Robbery Suspect

robbery2Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office deputies are asking for the public’s help in identifying a suspect who robbed the MidFlorida Credit Union at 20401 Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd. on Aug, 5.

According to the HCSO, the suspect — a white male approximately 40 years of age and 5-foot-9 inches tall with a medium build — entered the credit union at approximately 9 a.m. and approached the bank teller. He passed a note to the teller demanding money and implying that was was armed. The suspect then placed an undisclosed amount of money in a maroon-colored draw-string style bag, retrieved his note from teh teller and feld the credit union heading eastbound on foot.

The suspect, who was wearing baggy jogging-style pants, a Nike jacket, blue visor with white letting on it and gray Nike sneakers, was last seen running behind neighboring businesses. The HCSO says he possibly fled in a silver 2000’s model Toyota sedan with tinted windows. The suspect fled towards Bruce B. Downs.

RobberyAnyone with any information reference the suspect is asked to call the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office at 247-8200, or anyone with any information regarding the identity and whereabouts of this suspect and who
wants to be eligible for a cash reward is asked to call Crime Stoppers at
1-800-873-TIPS (8477), report anonymously online at www.crimestopperstb.com or
send a mobile tip using the HCSO’s P3 Tips Mobile application, which is a free
download for iPhones, iPads and Droids.

You must call Crime Stoppers first to be eligible for a reward.

 

TrafficWEB
The driver of the van (front left) getting off of I-75 onto S.R. 54 eastbound in Wesley Chapel waited at this “intersection” for at least six seconds, even though the lane the van is in is dedicated for vehicles exiting the highway. The same mistake is repeated every day at any intersection that has a designated right turn acceleration lane. Don’t stop at the “elbow,” people

So, I saw a Bay News 9 report a few weeks ago that brought back up some cranky old feelings I’ve had about the drivers of New Tampa and Wesley Chapel who make the same, all-too-common driving mistakes every day because they actually believe they’re doing the “right thing.”

My most recent traffic diatribe (“Part I” of this occasional series) was about folks who think 45 miles per hour in a 45-mph zone is the fastest everyone should be driving in the left lane, so they stay there as long as they can in order to slow everyone else down, despite the throngs of unhappy people who believe they have no choice but to more dangerously pass them on the right, rather than stay behind these self-proclaimed traffic cops.

The Bay News 9 report that’s serving as the impetus for what is now Part II of this series focused on the right-turn portion of the exit ramp from I-75 onto S.R. 54 eastbound here in Wesley Chapel (photo). It’s a weird, not-enough-lanes intersection with only two lanes coming off I-75 itself, with only two left turn lanes onto S.R. 54 westbound and one dedicated right turn lane onto 54 eastbound.

People on the Bay News 9 report were complaining that there’s no “Keep Moving” or “You Don’t Have To Stop” sign before the “elbow” of the right turn notifying them that they do not have to stop there at all, despite the “scary” red signal notifying left-turn drivers that they, rightfully, can’t just make their turn without stopping.

But, whether there’s a sign there or not, the fact is that common logic would seem to dictate that if you have a right lane that no one else coming from the west can possibly make it into, why would you stop at the “elbow” of the turn, rather than continue rolling so when you have an opening to merge left, you’re already on the move, rather than at a dead stop?

Some will say, “I’m trying to go all the way left to turn left at the Walgreen’s (which is at a traffic light at between 500-1,000 feet to the east of the I-75 intersection).” My response is always that it’s still better to be rolling, rather than standing still, to negotiate that maneuver.

If you’ve ever waited for an entire four-minute progression of a light behind these folks who think “Right On Red After Stop” is an “option” that simply doesn’t apply to them, you know what I mean.

Cross Creek Blvd. & Kinnan St. Getting Better Turn Lanes

cross creek
These left-hand turn lanes onto Kinnan St. on Cross Creek Blvd. will be extended by 400 or so feet to prevent traffic from backing up at the busy intersection (as you can see in the picture, a common sight for evening commuters). Kinnan (below) also is getting a right turn lane onto Cross Creek.

A $5-million, 2-mile long widening project on Cross Creek Blvd. was completed last year, but that’s not the end of the improvements planned for the busy road, as the familiar site of bulldozers and orange barrels are back as you’re reading this issue.

Construction, which is expected to be completed by Oct. 31, is ongoing at one of the busier intersections of Cross Creek, which runs east from Bruce B. Downs Blvd. to Morris Bridge Rd., as revamped turn lanes and signage are now being updated at the corners of Cross Creek Blvd. and Kinnan St., between Louis Benito Middle School and the New Tampa Regional Library.

The intersection improvement is being done by K-Bar developer M/I Homes, as part of the approved K-Bar rezoning last August. The balance of the required transportation improvements for the K-Bar project are related to road construction of the K- Bar Pkwy., including connections at Kinnan and Morris Bridge and the southern collector roadway.

Meanwhile, on eastbound Cross Creek Blvd., two short left turn lanes onto Kinnan St. are being lengthened by approximately 400 feet. Previously, the left turn lanes were roughly half that distance, and often filled by cars, many that spilled back out onto the two eastbound lanes, tangling traffic during high-volume times during the evening rush hour.

Many of those commuters are returning to their homes in the K-Bar Ranch development, as Kinnan is the only road in and out without driving two more miles down Cross Creek to turn left onto Morris Bridge.   

Now that the turn lanes are extended from the corner all the way to the library, the flow of traffic is expected to be smoother.

A right turn lane also is being built on southbound Kinnan, to accommodate morning traffic out of K-Bar Ranch, at the corner of the Cross Creek Center shopping plaza.

The construction will move the existing walkways that cross over Cross Creek Blvd. from the Cross Creek Center to the library side of the road 15 feet or so to the west, or towards the library.

The existing mast arm traffic signal will be replaced at the southwest  corner of the intersection, due to the addition of an additional signal head for the new right turn lane on Kinnan.

On the south side of Cross Creek Blvd., at the entrance to Benito, a Type F Curb (we suggest Googling it to understand what that looks like) will be placed from the inside shoulder to the existing sidewalk on both sides of the entrance.

In addition, new signage will replace the existing signs at the intersection of Cross Creek and Kinnan.

Budget Proposal Brings New Fire Station & Playground Equipment To New Tampa

FireStationWEBTampa Mayor Bob Buckhorn’s proposed Fiscal Year 2017 city budget includes an emphasis on improving parks and continuing business development, as well as a few nuggets for New Tampa— including a new fire station, updated playground equipment at the New Tampa Recreation Center in Tampa Palms and an intelligent transportation systems program for part of Cross Creek Blvd.

While warning that “we are not out of the woods yet” regarding the recent recession, Buckhorn painted a bright future while proposing his $905.9 million city budget to the Tampa City Council on July 21. The Council will hold public hearings on the proposed budget in September before voting on it.

Buckhorn’s budget proposal includes $175.3 million in capital improvements, including $4.72 million for Fire Station No. 23, which will be located at 20770 Trout Creek Dr., behind the AutoZone and Christian Brothers Automotive off Bruce B. Downs Blvd. in the Trout Creek area.

“Something near and dear to council (member Lisa) Montelione’s heart, and this will be her last budget, so this is our gift to our friends and neighbors in the New Tampa area,’’ Buckhorn said.

Montelione, who has resigned her Council seat effective Nov. 8 to run against Republican incumbent Shawn Harrison for his Florida House District 63 seat, has championed the new fire house in her five years on the Council.

“Fire Station 23 is the one that even my predecessor had been pestering the administration about when Pam Iorio was the mayor, so that one has a long history,’’ Montelione said.

Buckhorn4_030816The fire station is part of the city’s $120.3-million Capital Improvement Program, which is addressing a significant amount of previously deferred infrastructure projects. The land had been acquired previously by the city, and Buckhorn said New Tampa is starting to grow again, so it’s time to finally deliver the fire house.

“Growth in New Tampa is starting to emerge again,’’ he said. “During the recession, it was virtually nothing. We recognize now that, with the anticipated entitlements and the demand for housing up in New Tampa, we needed to fulfill that obligation.”

Another fire station, No. 24, is planned for the K-Bar Ranch area off Morris Bridge Rd. in the future. It won’t be funded and built next year like No. 23, but it is on the city’s budget radar after Montelione brought light to the need for one in the K-Bar area — despite the location of Station No. 22 on Cross Creek Blvd., a mile or so west of Morris Bridge Rd.

“Included for in future years, there are planning dollars and construction dollars for Fire Station No. 24,’’ Buckhorn said. “We’ve got design dollars in there to be done as the growth continues to occur.”

Montelione said she worked with M/I Homes and the city’s Parks & Recreation Department to secure the land. She said there are long-range plans to build a 54-acre park in the K-Bar area, and she called the parks department and asked for two acres for the fire house.

“It’s all very preliminary,’’ Montelione said. “I would think it would be 2019 before it comes out of the ground, but it’s on the radar so that’s good.”

Montelione said she is still combing over the budget, and while pleased to see the fire station finally getting built, “I always want to have more for New Tampa. There are a couple of things I’ve worked on for a long, long, long time and they’re here, and there are things I wish I were in here (that) are not.”

The New Tampa Recreation Center (NTRC) will be getting updated playground equipment in the proposed budget. The Tampa City Council has voted twice in five years to bypass expansion of the NTRC that had previously been budgeted, including a Feb. 4 vote to spend the money budgeted for the Rec Center to fix the Cuscaden Park pool in Ybor City.

“Still no expansion, and I’m still upset about that,’’ Montelione said.

Also in the proposed budget, Cross Creek Blvd. from W. Cory Lake Blvd. to Morris Bridge Rd. will be outfitted with CCTV traffic monitoring cameras as part of Tampa’s intelligent transportation systems program, which monitors traffic patterns and is designed to improve transportation.

Buckhorn sounded an upbeat tone when talking about Tampa’s overall fiscal health. He cited various reports hailing the area as one of the best in the country. Money magazine listed Tampa as the “Best City In The Southeast,” Realtor.com recognized Tampa as a “Top Place To Move”, and Tampa was the only city to make Bloomberg Business Week’s “America’s Best Cities” list, to name just a few.

Buckhorn also says that the Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) added 42,800 more jobs in March compared with last year, and has seen its unemployment rate drop from 9.9 percent in 2011 to its current 4.6 percent.

“If you think back to 2011, when a majority of us came to this Council, it was a very different place,’’ Buckhorn said. “It was a different country, a very different state and definitely a very different city.”

Buckhorn came into office facing a shortfall of more than $30 million. Thanks to increased property tax revenues and departmental reductions, the City was able to close its projected $9.2-million operating shortfall.

“We are not out of the woods yet,’’ Buckhorn admitted. “We are still struggling to find our footing. The resources that we have (now) are not even close to what we had in 2007.”

But, things are getting better, he added. And part of the reason for that is a streamlined permitting process that is bringing more development to the area. From Fiscal Year (FY) 2011 to FY2016, the city permitted nearly $10 billion worth of construction. In FY2016 alone, permitted projects were projected at $2.3 billion. And, for FY2017, $7.5 billion is projected.

“We said from day one that we can’t cut our way out of the recession,” Buckhorn said. “We have to grow our way out of the recession and that’s why we streamlined the permitting process. Heretofore, we were not competitive. People did not want to come do business with us because the regulatory process was so burdensome. That doesn’t exist today, and we’ve become a model of how to permit.”

To view Mayor Buckhorn’s entire proposed FY2017 budget, please visit TampaGov.net/Budget.

Indoor Sports Facility In Wesley Chapel Sprints Towards Finish Line

This indoor sports facility in Gatlinburg, TN, is seen as the model for the planned indoor sports complex that hopefully will begin building soon in the Wiregrass Ranch DRI in Wesley Chapel.
This indoor sports facility in Gatlinburg, TN, is seen as the model for the planned indoor sports complex that hopefully will begin building soon in the Wiregrass Ranch DRI in Wesley Chapel.

With the $20-million Florida Hospital Center Ice (FHCI) complex nearing completion and Raymond James Financial now cleared for construction in the Wiregrass Ranch area, the S.R. 56 corridor is starting to deliver on much of its promise.

The next big project approaching the developmental runway is the long-awaited county athletic complex, which will be located just east of Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel on 126.5 acres of land dedicated by the Porter family.

The Pasco County Board of County Commissioners (BCC) recently extended its deadline from July 6 to Aug. 5 for private companies to submit proposals to develop the new multi-purpose indoor facility, and public meetings to evaluate the proposals could take place in as soon as the next two weeks.

Moore said four bids were submitted.

“It’s getting closer,’’ said Pasco’s District 2 commissioner Mike Moore, who represents the Wesley Chapel area.

After the evaluation committee and public take a look at the bids, the responding firms are tentatively scheduled to go through interviews and give presentations in September, with a potential vote for approval by the BCC sometime in October.

The county is hoping to finally dip more than just a toe into the booming sports tourism market which, according to an April report by the National Association of Sports Commissions, is a $9.45- billion-per-year industry.

Pasco is looking for a private partner who would develop, finance, manage, operate and maintain the facility. The county has previously agreed to contribute $8.5 million to the design and construction of the project in money raised through its tourism development tax, and there would be a revenue-sharing aspect to the private-public relationship.

The private company chosen will be expected to market, solicit, advertise and conduct public relations activities for leagues, sporting events, concerts, tournaments and other gatherings to maximize use of the complex at no cost to the county, which will help with marketing.

Previous attempts dating back to 2001 to build facilities — one for tennis, one for baseball and another outdoor multi-purpose facility — have failed, but Johnson Consulting of Chicago said in a feasibility report last year that the outdoor market was saturated and the county should instead focus on an indoor facility, which was met with support by the BCC.

According to recommendations made by Johnson Consulting in Oct. of 2015, which the county says it would like to move forward with, the project will involve three phases.

The indoor facility will be a multi-purpose complex between 85,000 and 100,000 square feet on 5-7 acres of land. The facility, or Phase 1 of development of the property, would have 6-8 basketball courts, which could be converted to 12-16 volleyball courts, elevated seating for 500-750, concession stands, 4-6 multipurpose rooms and a sports orthopaedic and healthcare partnership.

“When you think about all the indoor sports travel teams, all those indoor sports (like cheerleading, gymnastics, wrestling, basketball and volleyball), there’s really nowhere in this area really focusing on  those,’’ Moore said. “The indoor facility would be much better for our area. It will be a big draw for tournaments year-round, and that means more people staying in hotels and shopping and eating in the area.”

Phase 2 of the project (5-15 acres), according to the Johnson Consulting report, would include 3-4 outdoor rectangular multi-purpose grass fields (two with lights), a Championship area for bigger events, an interactive playground and splash pads.

Phase 3 (10-15 acres) would incorporate an alternative entertainment zone, with indoor skydiving, zip lines, ropes courses and a driving range.

The remaining 25-35 usable acres would be for hotel development, themed retail, a community center, active and passive green space for the community, plus trails for walking, running and biking.

Johnson Consulting conservatively estimates that more than 100,000 participants will use the facility annually. While deficits are projected the first four years, the indoor sports complex is projected to bring in more than $200,000 a year in net profit by year six.

While initially Johnson Consulting expressed concerns over a lack of local lodging, three new hotels (see story on page 13) totaling more than 250 rooms are slated to open in the next year or two.

Moore said the facility that may compare best to what is hoped for in Wesley Chapel is the Rocky Top Sports World in Gatlinburg, TN, an 86,000-sq.-ft. indoor facility with 18 basketball and volleyball courts and seven outdoor synthetic turf fields, including a Championship Stadium Field. “If we do it right, we should be able to draw tournaments from across the nation,’’ Moore said.