Toll Study Approved For Proposed Elevated Lanes Along S.R. 54/56 Corridor

By Matt Wiley

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.

“They (URS) are experts in toll facilities,” 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
Elevated toll lanes could span the S.R. 54/56 corridor in the future. Bonded toll revenue could help fund the project. Photo: TBARTA

“They’re 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 don’t initially want to pay to go from point A to B.”

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North Tampa Behavioral Health To Open To Patients In October

By Matt Wiley

North Tampa Behavioral Health (NTBH) is slated to open its doors on S.R. 56 in early October about one year after the opening of Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel (FHWC). However, instead of a facility devoted to physical wellness, NTBH will focus on the well-being of the mind for its patients. There will be an added benefit of increased prosperity for the local community, eventually creating more than 200 jobs.

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North Tampa Behavioral Health, a psychiatric health facility, located on S.R. 56 east of the Shops at Wiregrass, will open to patients in October.

This summer NTBH bought the facility (located just east of Mansfield Blvd. on the south side of S.R. 56 in the Wiregrass Ranch Development of Regional Impact, or DRI) from United Medical Corp. NTBH was impressively constructed, in form and function, by DeAngelis Diamond Healthcare Group, LLC, to withstand Category 5 storms. DeAngelis is a Naples-based, nationally reputed construction company that specializes in building medical facilities.

NTBH will be both the newest and one of the most secure psychiatric hospitals in the Tampa Bay area when it opens in early October, says NTBH chief executive officer Jim Harris, a Licensed Clinical Social Worker who has worked in the mental health field since 1990. Surrounded by 14-foot-tall fences, the 53,000-sq.-ft., 75-bed facility sits on 16.46 acres of land on an outparcel of the Wiregrass Ranch DRI, but is surrounded almost entirely by conservation land. Construction began last November. The center is centrally located to serve several hospitals without psychiatric units, including FHWC, Florida Hospital Zephyrhills and Bayfront Dade City (Pasco Regional).

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Michele Baker Accepts County Administrator Job

Michele Baker has officially become the first new Pasco County administrator in more than 30 years, succeeding her previous boss, long-time administrator John Gallagher.

The Pasco Board of County Commissioners voted 4-1 on July 9 to approve a two-year contract for Baker that would pay her $170,000 per year with the option for a raise, pending an evaluation after one year. The job was originally offered to current Irving, TX, city manager Tommy Gonzalez on May 28, who turned down the county’s offer on June 22.

The BOCC then voted to offer the job to Baker on June 25.

“Michele has been an outstanding assistant and will do a great job as administrator,” Gallagher told the Wesley Chapel Rotary club on July 24.

FHP Seeks Witnesses In July 4 Crash

A fatal traffic crash early on July 4 has left one Wesley Chapel man dead and the Florida Highway Patrol (FHP) searching for witnesses.

According to FHP, at 12:20 a.m. on July 4, Terry A. Carver, 53, of Wesley Chapel, was parked at the Cumberland Farms gas station at Morris Bridge Rd and S.R. 54, when he shifted his Ford F-150 into reverse and slammed into a Dodge Durango being driven by Kyle Thompson, 28, of Zephyrhills. Following the collision, Carver fled the scene.

The report states that a short time later, Carver was stopped by a PCSO deputy on S.R. 56, west of Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd. Carver was discovered to be suffering from an undisclosed emergency medical condition and was transported to nearby Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel (FHWC), where he later died.

An alcohol test was pending at our press time and the case is still under investigation. FHP is seeking anyone who may have witnessed the accident. If you, or anyone you know, have information about the case, please contact FHP by calling 631-4020.

WC Man Dies In Marion County I-75 Crash

By Matt Wiley

A Wesley Chapel man is dead following a fatal accident in Marion County, FL.

According to the Florida Highway Patrol (FHP), Beau Charles Ramey, 40, of Wesley Chapel, was killed on I-75 on July 15, just before 6:30 p.m., a few miles north of Ocala.

FHP reports that Ramey was driving southbound in the left lane when, for unknown reasons, he lost control of his vehicle and crossed the center and right lanes of the interstate highway. Ramey drove off of the shoulder and struck multiple trees, which caused his vehicle to flip over, landing on the passenger side.

It was determined that Ramey was not wearing a seatbelt and he was pronounced dead at the scene. An alcohol test is pending. No further information was available at our press time.