Slower Speeds, More Signs On K-Bar Ranch’s Wish List

Tampa City Council member Luis Viera hosted roughly 50 K-Bar Ranch residents on April 13. Many had traffic and road concerns that the City of Tampa officials on hand said were being addressed. (Photo: John C. Cotey)

Residents of K-Bar Ranch, the still-developing community in the northeastern corner of New Tampa, have had their fair share of traffic growing pains β€” from speed limits they want reduced to traffic logjams and safety issues in front of Pride Elementary to a perceived need for additional stop signs along K-Bar Ranch Pkwy.

After months of studies and back-and-forth emails between the City of Tampa and some residents, it appears that some of their wishes may be granted.

At a community meeting hosted by District 7 Tampa City Councilman Luis Viera and attended by other city officials and about 50 K-Bar residents, a number of future changes were unveiled.

City of Tampa traffic safety coordinator William Porth and chief traffic management engineer Vik Bhide told residents that the city will begin reducing the speeds on parts of Wild Tamarind Dr. and Bassett Creek Dr. from 35 miles per hour to 30, with some reductions within the subdivisions as well.

β€œBassett Creek was posted at 35 when nobody was out here,” Porth said. β€œThings have obviously changed.”

Porth also said the city will be putting in all-way stops at two of the busier intersections on K-Bar Ranch Pkwy., the primary east-west thoroughfare that runs through the community.

As for fixing the issues at Pride, Porth said that would require some studies but that hopefully within the next few months that could be addressed as well. Some of the residents asked that the issue be fixed prior to start of the 2022-23 school year in August.

City of Tampa Fire Chief Barbara Tripp also attended the meeting, and told residents that the City was working on improving response times to the difficult-to-reach, quickly-growing area. 

The response-time goal, she said, is 90 percent of the time to be on scene in 8.5 minutes or less and, to achieve that, the City is considering stationing a mobile unit in the area, or providing a new access road off Morris Bridge Rd.

Right now, Kinnan St. is the only way into the western end of K-Bar Ranch via Cross Creek Blvd.

Not surprisingly, that led to residents complaining about the community’s lack of egress, and a few of them suggested that an old controversy be revisited.

Susan Cali, the K-Bar Ranch II clubhouse manager, said with the connection to Meadow Pointe Blvd. getting closer to opening, maybe the long-fought-over Kinnan St. connection to Mansfield Blvd., which is only available to emergency vehicles, could be opened to traffic as well.

β€œWe think timing-wise it might be a good time to revisit,” Cali said. β€œWith Meadow Pointe Blvd. opening, it won’t be like all the pressure is on Kinnan-Mansfield.”

Some in the crowd suggested a boycott of Wesley Chapel businesses if Pasco County wasn’t willing to revisit the issue. Others suggested building a coalition of those in favor of opening the road from both sides of the county line.

Viera told the crowd he didn’t see Pasco County agreeing to reconsider Kinnan-Mansfield. Even though one of the connection’s biggest opponents, District 2 Pasco commissioner Mike Moore, is stepping down in November, Viera said he will likely be replaced with someone holding the same views.

β€œWe’d like to make (Kinnan-Mansfield) happen,” Viera said, β€œbut you can’t dance without a partner.”

Meadow Pointe Blvd. To K-Bar Ranch Connection Slated For July

After a connection at Kinnan St. and Mansfield Blvd. was blocked, a different location further east, at Meadow Pointe Blvd., will connect New Tampa’s K-Bar Ranch community to Wesley Chapel for vehicles by July of this year. (Photos: Charmaine George)

K-Bar Ranch is tucked away in the northeasternmost part of Hillsborough County, with pretty much only one way in and one way out. However, another option is finally on the way.

This July, a road connecting K-Bar Ranch Pkwy. to Wesley Chapel’s Meadow Pointe Blvd. is expected to be completed and open to vehicular traffic. K-Bar Ranch Pkwy. is an east-west road that runs just south of the Pasco-Hillsborough county line through New Tampa’s K-Bar Ranch from Kinnan St. to, eventually, Morris Bridge Rd.

City of Tampa chief traffic management engineer and head of the Smart Mobility Division Vik Bhide confirmed during a Tampa City Council workshop that construction on the final stage of the Pasco County side of the planned connector road will begin soon.

β€œThe developer (M/I Homes) has already secured permits from Pasco County for that work and will be moving forward with it,” Bhide said. β€œWe are coordinating with Pasco County (its planning and engineering departments).”

Mike Moore, the Pasco County Commissioner for District 2, which includes all of Meadow Pointe, said he hasn’t received a recent update and was looking into it, but he has received a few emails complaining about the connection being made.

However, there haven’t been nearly as many complaints as those who flooded Moore’s inbox and helped prevent a connection being approved further west at Kinnan St. in New Tampa to Mansfield Blvd. in Meadow Pointe. That debate, which raged for a decade, was settled following a roadways study that ended with the two roads being connected with a first responders-only safety arm, monitored by Pasco County.

The study preferred a New Tampa-Wesley Chapel connection to Meadow Pointe Blvd., claiming it would be the better choice.

K-Bar residents have been clamoring for the connection to Pasco County, which would allow easier travel north to the S.R. 56 corridor, which includes shopping, restaurants and the Shops at Wiregrass. It also will offer another way out of their community.

Currently, residents of the western portion of K-Bar Ranch would have to take Kinnan St. south to Cross Creek Blvd., then west to Bruce B. Downs Blvd., then north towards Wesley Chapel. 

When K-Bar Ranch was planned, Bhide says, four northbound access points to Pasco County were envisioned. The connection to Meadow Pointe Blvd. will be only be the second one to actually be completed, along with the first responder connection at Kinnan St. and Mansfield Blvd. 

However, that Kinnan connection to Mansfield Blvd. is only available to the public via walking or biking.

A third connection, further east at Wyndfields Blvd. in Pasco, and a fourth connection when K-Bar Ranch Pkwy. is completed all the way to Morris Bridge Rd., won’t be ready for at least two more years, according to Bhide.

β€œOur recommendation, in light of the access needs in this area, is to open that up for traffic,” Bhide said. β€œThe reason is….we feel the more access, the better. After hearing neighborhood concerns about public access and mobility, this would be the right thing to do.”

There is no question it will mean more vehicles on Meadow Pointe Blvd., which is a concern to some.

β€œIt will increase traffic,” Bhide admitted. β€œHowever, we think it will be a two-way benefit.” 

K-Bar Ranch Pkwy. Receiving Safety Upgrades

With more than 1,000 homes scheduled to be built in the coming years in the sprawling K-Bar Ranch development in New Tampa, District 7 Tampa City Council member Luis Viera has been keeping a close eye on the transportation issues already plaguing the community.

Whether it’s poorly marked roads, unsafe crosswalks or simply ways to get in and out of K-Bar Ranch, the infrastructure needs to keep pace.

By the end of this year, a number of improvements along K-Bar Ranch Pkwy. are expected to be completed.

The parkway itself is still under construction and less than half complete, but when completed, it will be the spine road of the growing community. At that point, it will run from the Kinnan St. entrance all the way east to Morris Bridge Rd., to an exit/entrance just a little north of the current entrance to the Easton Park subdivision.

Residents have complained about the lack of definitive striping on the completed portions of K-Bar Ranch Pkwy., resulting in some near-accidents. Two auto-related deaths, in 2012 and 2019, were both blamed on speeding.

Viera says he has experienced the concerns first-hand. After conducting one of his community meetings at K-Bar Ranch, Viera says a vehicle almost hit him on his way out.

β€œMe and my son were driving out on the same K-Bar Ranch Pkwy. residents had just been complaining about, and, lo and behold, I had to swerve out of the way of another car in what could have been a tragic accident,” Viera says.

Viera requested that the City of Tampa take immediate action. He also plans on holding a K-Bar Ranch workshop at a City Council meeting in September to address other issues related to public safety.

Improvements now planned for K-Bar Ranch Pkwy. include:

β€’ Departing Kinnan St. eastbound, the existing 30-mph speed limit signs will be upgraded with enhanced and more visible panels above.

β€’ Approaching Kinnan St. westbound, upgraded stop signs and bright sticks will be added.

β€’ Departing Hawk Valley Dr (private road) eastbound, adding a two-way traffic warning sign.

β€’ Departing Redwood Point Dr. east- and westbound, installing new 30-mph speed limit signs and with enhanced conspicuity panels above.

β€’ The skipping yellow center line along the original section of K-Bar Ranch Pkwy. will be updated with a double yellow center line and raised pavement markers.

β€’ Departing Laurel Vista Way (private road)/Wild Tamarind Dr. east- and westbound, new 30-mph speed limit signs and more visible panels above will be installed.

β€’ Approaching Paddock View Dr. eastbound, end-of-road marking signage (red diamonds) and an advanced T-intersection warning sign will be added, as well as a refreshing of all markings as needed and adding raised pavement markers.

β€’ Departing Paddock View Dr. westbound, new 30-mph speed limit signs will be installed with enhanced conspicuity panels above.

β€œIt is pivotal that the City of Tampa and local governments invest in the requisite infrastructure, roads and public safety systems, as a community grows,” Viera says. β€œK-Bar Ranch is a growing community and needs this constant attention. Transportation is pivotal.”

CONNECTION COMING: Another primary improvement along K-Bar Ranch Pkwy. will be a connection to Meadow Pointe Blvd. into Wesley Chapel. However, the developer, MI Homes, has targeted Dec. 31 as a completion date, although there are still some permitting issues to resolve that could stretch that completion date into 2022.

The Meadow Pointe Blvd. connection will be the only northbound way out of K-Bar Ranch (other than Morris Bridge Rd.) when K-Bar Ranch Pkwy. is completed.

The Meadow Pointe Blvd. connection is the consolation prize for those who wanted to see Kinnan St. in K-Bar and Mansfield Blvd. in Meadow Pointe connected to give residents on both sides of the border easier access and to reduce congestion on BBD.

But, as we’ve reported previously, after years of negotiating with Hillsborough County, Pasco County commissioned a study that recommended connecting the roads only for emergency use, and instead agreed to connect K-Bar Ranch Pkwy. to Meadow Pointe Blvd. and Wyndfields Blvd. for vehicular traffic.

K-Bar Ranch Pkwy. is being constructed in segments, and once each road segment is completed, it will permit the developers to build more homes in that area. 

Segment C, starting at the Kinnan St. entrance, is currently completed. Segment D, which is partially completed, will connect to the Meadow Pointe Blvd. extension, which also is under construction right now.

Segment F also is under construction, and will take the parkway almost to the westernmost part of Easton Park.  

Completion is targeted for Dec. 31 for those segments.

The remaining segments to complete the parkway are pending permitting, meaning that completion will most likely not happen until 2022.

K-Bar Ranch Residents Voice Safety Concerns

Residents of K-Bar Ranch met with City Council member Luis Viera last month to discuss a number of community issues, many related to public safety.

Public safety continues to be one of Tampa City Council member Luis Viera’s primary concerns in District 7, the area he represents that includes all of the communities within the city limits in New Tampa. And, while his primary focus may be on some of the struggling fire stations south of our area, a fire station that has yet to be funded built in K-Bar Ranch almost always makes its way into any conversation with Viera.

When he met with a smattering of K-Bar residents last month at the community’s amenity center β€” with staff from the Tampa Police (TPD), Parks & Recreation and Mobility departments in tow β€” public safety was at the forefront of much of the conversation.

Viera assured the residents in attendance that he was fighting to make sure the  planned fire station in K-Bar Ranch comes to fruition, which would help reduce the below-average response times in that part of New Tampa. Because there remains only two entrances into western K-Bar β€” the main entrance at K-Bar Ranch Pkwy., and the less convenient way via Basset Creek Dr. past Pride Elementary β€” a fire station for a community that will have more than 2,000 homes with little access makes sense, Viera said. (Note: Easton Park has an entrance/exit off Morris Ridge Rd., but K-Bar Ranch Pkwy. currently does not connect the east and west sides of the community.)

Another access point, however, also would improve public safety response, although it is unclear other than planned connections at Meadow Pointe Blvd. and Wyndfields Blvd. leading into Pasco County, where those access roads could be constructed.

When leaving the growing New Tampa community, K-Bar Ranch Pkwy. and Bassett Creek Dr. both funnel into Kinnan St., so some residents argue that really, the only way in or out of K-Bar is through Kinnan.

And, in the case of any fender bender on Kinnan St., β€œPeople literally cannot get out of this neighborhood,” says Cindy Gustavel, who lives in K-Bar’s Heron Preserve subdivision.

There also were concerns expressed over speeding down both Kinnan St. and K-Bar Ranch Pkwy., a wide open stretch of road running east-west that was completed in 2019. Speed bumps aren’t a popular option to slow speeders, and police jurisdiction (K-Bar Ranch is right on the boundary between the City of Tampa and unincorporated Hillsborough County) is confusing for residents when deciding who to call to complain.

Also, there are no bike lanes painted on the new road

β€œYou are taking your life into your own hands on that road (K-Bar Ranch Pkwy.),” says resident John Bowersox, who is hoping residents can be surveyed to figured out a solution.

Residents in attendance at the meeting also expressed concern about construction truck traffic on roads like Bassett Creek Dr. and Wild Tamarind Dr. β€” where children, bicyclists and pedestrians are more likely to be β€” and would prefer a sign directing those trucks to K-Bar Ranch Pkwy.

A proposed park in K-Bar Ranch on roughly 55 acres of land (including the possibility of additional acreage from the county in Live Oak Preserve) which has been discussed for years, remains in limbo, Viera said. 

Originally planned to be a partnership between the city, which would maintain and run the park, and Hillsborough County, which would pay to build it, the discussion seems to have hit an impasse over what purpose the park would actually serve, in terms of whether it should focus on athletic fields or green space and trails. Viera told residents that resolving the issue and getting the park built has become one of his goals. 

Pasco MPO To Get A Look At Possible Meadow Pointe Connections In December

Following a few months in stagnation, the long-running debate about which, if any, roadway connections to make between the southern portion of Wesley Chapel and New Tampa’s K-Bar Ranch area will be renewed Dec. 13 when Pasco County’s Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) meets in Dade City.

At the scheduled Pasco MPO meeting, its nine Board members will be presented a scaled-down version of the findings of the Wesley Chapel Roadways Study, which was presented to roughly 75 local residents on May 29.

Ali Atefi, Pasco County’s transportation engineer, said originally the MPO was supposed to receive the report, compiled by consulting firm AECOM, in August, but a crowded agenda forced it to be postponed until next month.

Once the MPO is presented the findings of the study, a citizen survey will be scheduled, likely for early spring.

The online survey will be for Pasco County residents only, and will present the options for yes or no votes for various connections.

The study looked at four potential solutions to connecting Wesley Chapel and K-Bar Ranch:

(1) connecting Kinnan St. in New Tampa with Mansfield Blvd. in Meadow Pointe and K-Bar Ranch Pkwy. to Meadow Pointe Blvd.

(2) connecting only K-Bar Ranch Pkwy. to Meadow Pointe Blvd.

(3) doing all of the possible connections: Kinnan-Mansfield, K-Bar Ranch Pkwy.-Meadow Pointe Blvd., and Wyndfields Blvd. to K-Bar Ranch Pkwy.

All three proposed connections, which are shown with red circles on the map above, have been in the county’s Long Range Transportation Plan (LRTP) for many years.

There was also a fourth option β€” a no-build option β€” that would put up a gate for emergency vehicles, which was very popular among constituents on both sides of the county line, and bicycle and pedestrian accommodations at Kinnan-Mansfield, but no motor vehicle connection for general public use.

Connecting Kinnan to Mansfield β€” with those two streets still separated by a 30-foot-or-so patch of dirt and bushes and whose linking has been a point of great contention between the two counties β€” was considered an alternative, but only in conjunction with the other connections

The Roadways Study report states that Kinnan-Mansfield was not evaluated as a standalone connection.

When presented this information, members of the public had a month to weigh in with their opinions, either with forms at the workshop or online. The responses, all of which were reviewed by the Neighborhood News, don’t offer many surprises.

There were 12 forms filled out at the May presentation, with only one in favor of the Kinnan-Mansfield connection.

Of the 175 emails we reviewed, 100 of them were actually forwarded responses from a Change.org petition.

Among the remaining 75 emails, there were a number of duplicates, but 36 emails were clearly opposed to connecting Kinnan-Mansfield (though many were open to other connections) and six emails were in favor of connecting the two roads. Of course, these are the Pasco County responses only.

Since the Wesley Chapel Roadways Study was finalized, the City of Tampa approved a rezoning that will permit M/I Homes to proceed with building 700 new homes in K-Bar Ranch, which borders Meadow Pointe directly to the south.

The Pasco MPO is expected to make its recommendation in May, which would then place the final decision in the hands of the Pasco Board of County Commissioners for a potential vote in the summer.