New Tampa’s Morris Lopez To Run For City Council!

Photo by Charmaine George

 I first met Morris Lopez 30 years ago, when he opened the original Amigos Spanish Café (later Las Palmas) restaurant in the same Pebble Creek Collection plaza where I moved the Neighborhood News office in 1995. 

Morris, who was born and raised in Tampa, and his wife Yvette (also in the photo) and their two daughters moved into a 1,600-sq.-ft., $89,900 house in the adjacent Pebble Creek community, “because it was the only place we could afford,” he says. 

At the time, Morris was only eight years into his now-38-year career with the Hillsborough County Fire Department, which did not then (and still does not today) have a location anywhere in New Tampa. 

So, how did the career Hillsborough County firefighter and current shift commander decide that he wants to run for the District 7 Tampa City Council seat being vacated in 2027 (or possibly before) by two-term incumbent Luis Viera? 

Well, first of all, Morris’ childhood home was in District 7 and he moved his family to Tampa Palms after selling Amigos three years after opening it. 

“I’ve been serving the public my entire adult life and I want to continue to serve,” he says. “And honestly, Luis has inspired me.” 

“It kind of came out of nowhere,” Morris said while sitting with Yvette and me in the restaurant at Tampa Palms Golf & Country Club. “Once I got promoted with Hillsborough County, after 38 years and getting promoted into admin, I dealt with a lot of events and the political side of it.” 

He added, “And, I met Luis (Viera) and got to know him a little bit, and became a fan of his, watched what he did out here and I just loved the fact that he was for all of the people and very much into public safety. And, he did a couple of things for us that were unexpected, including the tribute he did — and got City Council to do — for my grandfather, Morris Lopez I — and he’s actually working now on naming a street for him, which I think is very special — and I became a fan.” 

For those who don’t know, or read Luis’ Facebook posts, Tampa Police Patrolman Morris Lopez was gunned down from a passing car while on his patrol in Ybor City on July 9, 1949. He was only 25 years old. The case remains unsolved to this day. 

“I never got to meet my grandfather,” Morris said. “But, it was because of his service that I became a firefighter and I so appreciate Luis recognizing his service and his sacrifice.” 

So, when Viera announced that he was leaving his seat, Morris said, “Believe it or not, that’s the first time that I ever thought about it. For 38 years, I’ve been in public service and now, at an administrative level. The next thing for me, to continue to serve, is to move into some kind of non-partisan position like this — where I can actually have a voice like I have at my job. I think I can transition into [elected office] and do well.” 

A Lifetime Of Service 

Morris started his career with Hillsborough County Fire Rescue in 1987, as a firefighter at the Gibsonton station, but soon moved to his “home” area of District 7 and the University area, “at the two busiest stations in the county. I never thought I’d one day be able to maximize my career, but I’ve done it.” 

When I mentioned that his inspiration for opening his restaurant may have come from him doing a lot of the cooking during his 24-hour firefighter shifts, Morris said, “We don’t even allow the firefighters to cook now until they build their skills, but I’m not in the stations anymore.” 

But now, as a shift commander, he said, “I am responsible for that whole shift [for the entire county], so after 5 p.m. and on weekends and holidays, I’m pretty much running the entire department. It’s a lot different now than it was when I was a firefighter and my only responsibility was to clean toilets (and maybe do some cooking) and I only made $5.87 an hour — which is the reason my wife and I had to have a small business.” 

He started cutting grass out of his truck, “and I would take my crews to that deli that guy had [in the Pebble Creek Collection] and I became the first to bring Cuban food to New Tampa.” 

(L.-r.) Courtney, Danielle, Morris & Yvette Lopez & Yvette’s mom Onellia Martinez (Photo provided by Morris Lopez)

Yvette added, “We got married in 1990 and built our first house in Pebble Creek, because it was affordable. I was working at USAA (the giant insurance headquarters building in Tampa Palms) and we decided to raise our family here.” 

Although they are doing some remodeling at their home, Morris says that he still has the story we published in the Neighborhood News about Amigos back in 1995. 

Yvette also acknowledged that she and her husband were among the very few people living in New Tampa at the time, “who were both originally from Tampa. Most everyone else was from someplace else. They’d say, ‘You’re from Tampa and you live out here?’” 

It wasn’t long before Morris and Yvette decided to move to Tampa Palms. “The reason was because we had two young daughters (Danielle and Courtney) and I was — and still am — a very big advocate of the county’s public school system,” Yvette said. “My dad taught at Plant High School for 37 years. And I said, ‘These schools are good. We want to raise our children here.’ And what an experience we had, taking our children from Tampa Palms Elementary to Liberty [Middle School] to Freedom [High] and then to USF!” 

Morris added, “We’ve only owned two residential homes in our entire lives. Pebble Creek was our ‘starter’ and I worked very hard to save enough money to afford a lot in Tampa Palms, when Yvette was pregnant with our second daughter (Courtney) — in 1997, after I sold the restaurant. I was still doing the landscaping and the money from the sale was the only way we could afford to move here. This is our forever home. We’re not going anywhere.” 

The Election Itself 

Morris said he has heard about some possible opponents for the Dist. 7 seat, but he isn’t concerned about whether or not he will have competition for it. 

“I haven’t really delved into that,” he said. “It’s more about finding out if I had viability [as a candidate] myself. I’ve gone down the list and looked at what kind of support I could get and I feel very comfortable about that. But, the most important thing is my wife and how important she is to me and whether or not she wanted us to take on this challenge.” 

Yvette smiled, “I honestly think it’s more of an opportunity. We’ve just celebrated our 35th wedding anniversary and I always say that the only thing he’s been committed to longer than myself is the Hillsborough County Fire Department. The one thing I will say about him is that he’s a committed, loyal man — as he is to me and as he is to his department, he will be to the people of this District and this city. I’ve watched him grow from being a firefighter to being a Division Chief and he has used that platform to represent where he came from and he can do that now.” 

She also noted, however, that, “We both grew up middle class and I used to think that you can’t really have a voice unless you have money, that money is power. But, you know what? Having a sincere desire to serve and help people and make a difference, I now think that’s what you really need.” 

Morris added, “I maximized my position with the Fire Department and I became a voice and I was able to do things for my people and actually plant seeds and watch them grow. I don’t want that to stop.” 

As an example of his voice, Morris said that, “We’ve made so many changes in Hillsborough County in the Fire Department. We’ve grown so much and to help with that growth — helping with quicker response times, knowing the area and being so involved for so long, and now, we’re going to be one of the best departments in the nation.” 

Morris said that he believes that if elected, he can finally get the additional ambulance unit in K-Bar Ranch that Viera has been fighting for with Tampa Fire Chief Barbara Tripp. “Until I became an admin, I spent 34 years in the union and I have to walk that fine line every day,” he said. “I have to protect my admin family in the Fire Department but also co-mingle with the union. I’ve been that mediator between our union and our admin because I was part of it for so long.” 

He added that, “When we lived in Pebble Creek, if there was a call for a cardiac arrest in our neighborhood, our Ladder Truck [from Hillsborough Station No. 5, north of E. Fletcher Ave.] would drive right past Tampa Station No. 20 on Bruce B. Downs in Tampa Palms. But now, we pay the city to cover [Pebble Creek, Cross Creek and Live Oak] because that’s the best way to get those county residents the best service at this time.” 

Top Priority: Keeping People Safe 

“My top priority will be public safety,” he said, “but also infrastructure and transportation and traffic. We’ve grown so much in Tampa, but there are things we can do to improve the services we provide, so those items will be most important going forward. What I’m going to bring to the table is that I’m an information gatherer and although I’m only one decision-maker (out of seven), I will have a voice. I will do what I do for people in my department and carry that over to the residents of the district and the city. I will have the same passion in office as I do now when I serve my people in my department. That’s what my platform is.” 

Yvette added, “Morris is the person you can go to if you have a problem. He will have a very open-door policy and the people need to know that he’s going to listen to every voice and help the city and county to work together.” 

And finally, he said, “The county has been so good to me, but my heart and soul are in the city. I don’t want this to be about my grandfather, but he gave his life for the city. My dad was two years old when that happened. He grew up without a father and I grew up with nothing. That’s my inspiration. I would feel like I was doing him an injustice if I didn’t try this, no matter how it turns out. 

“I looked into the viability, got my wife’s support and I realized this could happen.” 

If and when Viera vacates his seat next year — if he is able to gets elected to replace House Minority Leader Fentrice Driskell in House District 67 the State Legislature, “I will have an interview with the City Council. If that goes well, I could be appointed to the seat, but I still have to be prepared to run for it, too. I will file all of the paperwork by the first of the year. 

“This isn’t a political aspiration,” Yvette said. “He wants to run to make a difference.”

Viera On The Passing Of Gwen Henderson & The Repaving Of New Tampa Blvd. 

Gwendolyn Henderson (Photo source: Tampa.gov) 
On The Passing Of Councilwoman Gwendolyn Henderson 

My City Council colleague Gwendolyn Henderson (above) has passed on (only five days after attending the kickoff event for Viera’s campaign to be the next Dist. 67 State Representative; see story below). Gwen was many things — a fighter who was hilarious, independent and stubborn and a woman with a beautiful heart. 

Councilwoman Henderson was raised in Carver City — a Tampa community created for returning black veterans in the 1950s. Her Dad, Asbury Henderson, was a Korean War veteran. Her mother, Gladys Henderson, was a caring woman of faith. Gladys was descended from Sam Hightower — an enslaved man who was emancipated in Georgia in 1865 and would die in 1932. 

Gwen owned the Tampa Heights Black English bookstore. If you want to see the heart of Councilwoman Henderson, go to Black English bookstore. It is a love letter to Black History and people like Sam Hightower and Asbury and Gladys Henderson. 

She was proud to be a member of the Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. (a sisterhood comprised primarily of Black, college-educated women with more than 1,050 chartered chapters worldwide), and a Carver City woman. She was proud to be a Dragon from Jefferson High School. She was proud of her Christian faith. She was proud to be a mom. And, she was proud to be a public servant representing the community where Gladys and Asbury Henderson raised a family. 

She was also hilarious. I sat next to her [at City Council meetings] and laughed a lot. But, she was a tough lady, too. She endured some mean political attacks and never flinched. Public service can be a pleasure — but there are those who take the cheapest of all shots from the cheapest of all seats. Councilwoman Henderson punched back against those cheap shots. 

I last saw her at an event she put on for young people attending Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU). I told her: “Look at all of these young people, you are doing what you were meant to do.” 

She brought a passion to the plight of everyday families like the one raised by Gladys and Asbury Henderson. She had a beautiful heart and will be missed. 

On The Repaving Of New Tampa Blvd. 

New Tampa Blvd. — home to God knows how many potholes and broken tires — is finally in line to be repaved. 

This $2.5-million mobility project will repave 1.8 miles of the main road through the West Meadows community — from Meadow Pine Dr. to Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd. The project will include pedestrian accessibility features with safety and ADA improvements. 

This work will begin in Quarter 2 of 2026 and is set to be finished by the end of 2026. 

I am glad we are finally getting here. Had the 2018 penny sales tax not been struck down in court, New Tampa Blvd. would have been repaved long ago. As it stands, I had to fight hard to get it in the budget — and I thank Mayor Castor and my fellow Council members for the support. 

I would be remiss if I did not give a shout out to my long-time friend, Brad van Rooyen of West Meadows, who has been pushing for this project for years. If Brad is Captain Ahab, then West Meadows is his Moby Dick. 

Not long ago, we got portions of Tampa Palms Blvd. repaved. We will finish the rest of Tampa Palms Blvd., too. Remember folks, like the Johnny Cash song goes: “One piece at a time.” Until we get better funding sources for mobility, it’ll have to be just one piece at a time. 

On The Fourth Of July 

The Fourth of July is coming up and I look forward to marching in some Independence Day parades. I love the Fourth of July for many reasons — for sentimental reasons and because I was raised in the 1980s. 

And, I love how it is a good time to celebrate our country. A former President once said: “What is right with America can help heal what is wrong with America.” This Fourth of July, think about what is right with our country and how that good can help overcome what is wrong with our country. It has in the past and it will again. 

Know what a real pleasure it is to represent you all in public office. 


Viera Kicks Off Campaign To Succeed Rep. Driskell 

As we told you back in April, District 7 Tampa City Councilman and New Tampa resident Luis Viera has announced that instead of running for Mayor of Tampa, a citywide Council seat or a spot on the Hillsborough County Commission, he is instead seeking the position currently held by his long-time friend and Dist. 67 Florida Rep. (and State House minority leader) Fentrice Driskell. 

Viera officially kicked off his campaign for the seat at a fund-raising event held at the Columbia Centennial Museum in Ybor City on June 5 that was attended by more than 200 people, including Richard Gonzmart (at microphone, left), the chairman of the 1905 Family of Restaurants (including the original Columbia Restaurant adjacent to the museum), who introduced Viera to the crowd, as well as fellow City Council members Gwendolyn Henderson (who passed away suddenly a few days after the event) and Charlie Miranda and Dist. 1 Hillsborough Commissioner Harry Cohen. 

Unable to attend the campaign event was Leader Driskell herself, who was (and is) still in Tallahassee with the rest of the State Legislature trying to get a Fiscal Year 2026 budget passed. 

Viera, who was actually the second Democrat to enter the race for Driskell’s seat, no longer faces a primary election, as retired U.S. Air Force Colonel William “Will” Atkins, the first candidate to file for the seat, pulled out of the race after reading my profile of Viera (photo, right) — at least, that’s what Will told me when I saw him at the YMCA groundbreaking in Wesley Chapel last month. 

“I come from the heart,” Viera told the crowd at the event. “I always tell people I’m the same guy on Saturday night that I am on Sunday morning. That means that I’m the same guy I was before I got elected, and [I’ll be] the same guy when I go to Tallahassee that I am now. And by the way, I’m gonna be the same guy in the primary that I am in the general election, because you don’t put your finger in the wind on your values. Your values count when they are rock-solid. They come with you, and they don’t change based upon what’s happening. I always believe in dignity for all, which is the idea that you’re entitled to dignity and respect — the idea that we all do better when we all do better.” 

For more information or to make a donation, visit VieraforFlorida.com. — GN 

Spotlight On Luis Viera! 

Now Running For The State Legislature, New Tampa’s City Councilman Is Still Out There Working For You! 

District 7 Tampa City Councilman Luis Viera has announced his plans to run for the State Legislature in 2026 but, in the meantime, he’s still out there working for New Tampa! (Photo by Charmaine George) 

 For those of you who don’t know the story, District 7 Tampa City Council member Luis Viera and I had never met prior to his first run for his City Council seat back in 2016. 

Viera was running against Dr. Jim Davison, who was my neighbor in the same subdivision in Hunter’s Green for more than a decade (until I moved out in 2006). I also knew Dr. Jim from attending many City of Tampa and Hillsborough County governmental meetings with him, especially on transportation issues. 

I was the moderator for the debate between Dr. Jim and Luis, the top two finishers in the special election in November 2016 (Davison was first, by nearly 2,500 votes; Luis was second). They both advanced to the runoff election in December because neither one received 50% of the Nov. vote. 

During that debate, I asked a question about whether or not the candidates would support New Tampa seceding from the City of Tampa and incorporating as its own city, an idea originally floated by former Dist. 7 Councilman (and Tampa Palms resident) Joseph Caetano. 

While Viera said “Absolutely not. I’m running for Tampa City Council,” Davison said that although he wasn’t in favor of the idea, he didn’t think seceding from the city should be taken off the table. The Tampa Bay Times wrote an unfavorable editorial about Davison’s comments following the debate and Viera won the Dec. runoff — where fewer total votes were cast than either candidate received in Nov. — by 65 votes. 

Since then, Viera has kept his promise to be a hard-working councilman who builds bridges across political aisles. He also finally got the city to fund the expansion of the New Tampa Recreation Center in Tampa Palms and build the city’s first All-Abilities Park on the Rec Center property. Viera also is still fighting for a Tampa Fire Rescue station in K-Bar Ranch on or near Morris Bridge Rd., in order to improve response times in that community, since response times from TFR Station No. 23 on Cross Creek Blvd. (more than two miles away from the entrance to K-Bar) are too slow. 

But, fighting for New Tampa (and North Tampa, the other part of his district) is nothing new for Viera. He says he will continue to fight for our area if he wins his next election in Nov. 2026 — for the District 67 State House seat currently occupied by his friend (and State House Minority Leader) Fentrice Driskell, who is term-limited in 2026. 

A Focus On Morris Bridge Rd. 

Unlike many elected officials, who really only make pubic appearances when they are actively running for office, Viera has hosted more community meetings/Town Halls — around 85 — in his tenure as a City Council member than pretty much any “politician” I’ve met in my 31 years as the editor of this publication. 

His most recent community meeting was at Easton Park on Apr. 15, where Viera said the #1 issue for most of the residents was “Morris Bridge (MB) Rd. People were just expressing frustration over Morris Bridge, with the main idea being that there’s so much construction and development that’s happened and yet, the road hasn’t really kept up with that, so there’s a lot of concern there.” 

Viera says he told those in attendance about the county’s plans to improve MB Rd., as we reported in our last issue, “And people were very, very happy about that. $2 million is great but my main issue I stress to people is that I want to put Morris Bridge on the radar of the City of Tampa, because even though it’s a county road, it affects our [city] residents. A lot of times, we defer exclusively to the county on Morris Bridge. I’m not calling out Hillsborough or Pasco, I’m actually saying that the City of Tampa needs to step up and be collaborative on this road for our constituents because it does have an effect on our city residents.” 

In addition, Viera said that many city residents who attend Cypress Pointe or Heritage Baptist Church, the Islamic Society of New Tampa Mosque or the Sikh Gurdwara of Tampa Bay on the road, “have an interest in seeing Morris Bridge Rd. widened and made safer.” 

He added that the residents in attendance at the Easton Park meeting said they feel that MB Rd. is, “very unsafe. They want to see incremental and structural changes — like short-term impact and long-term evaluation changes. So, they were very happy with the short-term changes that the county is doing and I, of course, shared those changes with them in detail.” 

He said that long-term, however, several of the residents wondered what can be done long-term “to transform Morris Bridge Rd. from the ‘rural’ road it still is today to a more modern road. And, those are questions that transportation engineers and professionals have got to answer.” 

He also noted that one of the most important things the city can do is, “continue to have law enforcement presence out there, because a lot of the problems out there are caused by bad actors — speeding, distracted driving, unsafe passing — if we can take care of that, we can take care of a lot of the issues. But, the truth is that we can’t just blame individuals. We’ve got to look at the road itself and be prepared for people who are bad actors.” 

Viera also said that he is going to propose composing a letter from the city to the county asking, “if it’s feasible to build a sidewalk from Easton Park to the Mosque and to Cypress Pointe Church. That is very important because a lot of people walk to their house of worship. It’s not my jurisdiction, but we can at least request that to the county. I believe we’re all on the same team. We all want to protect our constituents.” 

In addition to MB Rd., Viera said that several people at the Easton Park meeting were interested in Viera’s efforts to get some sort of emergency vehicle somewhere near the connection of MB Rd. and K-Bar Ranch Pkwy. to try to get better response times for the K-Bar and Easton Park communities. “They were very interested in that,” Viera says. “I actually texted [Tampa Fire rescue] Chief [Barbara] Tripp about that re-zoning we approved almost a year ago to get a status update on whether that ‘safety connection’ you guys reported about will be made.” 

“We also had Tampa Police Department officers (photo) on hand at the meeting to talk about crime. People always are happy to get updates from the police on that.” 

Election Effects? 

One issue Viera knows he has to deal with is that, now that he’s announced he’s going to run for a different office, how does he continue to see his pet projects and ideas through to fruition? 

“Well, I do have another year and a half or so on City Council, so I’ve got plenty of time to get things done,” he said. “But of course, we will have an election for my seat and many of the things I’ve been fighting for, including Morris Bridge Rd., are real issues so it’s important for my constituents to talk to these candidates and make sure New Tampa’s issues are on the minds of the candidates.” 

In addition to Morris Bridge., Viera says he has had constituents come to him about, “stormwater issues, getting a [city] pool for New Tampa and others,” he says. “These are issues that I can work on now, to a degree, but some of them will have to be done or followed up by the next councilman. So, it’s important for these candidates to have these issues stressed to them by residents.” 

And, speaking of elections, Viera said that several of the residents were interested in getting more involved in city politics. 

“I said, ‘Good!,” Viera says. “Take a look at the voting record in New Tampa in city elections. The numbers aren’t very good. New Tampa needs to get involved in city elections.” 

Viera admits that he has, “wielded a very big hammer on behalf of New Tampa, but we need to have a bigger voice from the people. We vote OK in even-year elections (county and state) but not in odd-year city elections.” 

His proposal to move city elections to even-numbered years, which he says would save the city “about a million dollars every four years per election, got one vote — mine. It’s one of those fights I’ve fought where I’ve said, ‘We fought the good fight, but we don’t got it.” 

As for his announcement about seeking Leader Driskell’s seat, Viera says the reaction so far has been, “Very positive. A ton of elected officials have given me their support. State Legislators haven’t been able to endorse yet, because they’re in session in Tallahassee, but I will keep everyone updated on my supporters as we go through the process. It seems that a lot of people were happy to hear that although I’m term-limited out of City Council, that I’m not planning to leave politics.” 

He added, “Look, a lot of politicians, when they run for office, they step it up — going to community events and such. But, I do that in the course of my work in office. I’m always meeting with constituents. This is how I’m built. I’m the son of Cuban immigrants, so I work hard and that’s what I’m going to do, God-willing, in Tallahassee, with the support of people in the New and North Tampa areas.” 

About Harrison Boonstoppel 

One of the issues he didn’t have to fight for was that Viera made a motion to rename the New Tampa All Abilities Park in honor of Harrison Boonstoppel, the 20-year-old innocent bystander who was fatally shot in an Ybor City gunfight on Oct. 29, 2023, after a fight broke out. Harrison and his friends had just arrived in Ybor City minutes before the shots rang out. In all, 16 people were injured and another 14-year-old youngster also was killed. 

On Mar. 28, Viera made the motion to rename the All Abilities Park for Harrison, whose life was, “a testament to resilience and determination, exemplifying the power of hard work, along with the support of his family. Despite facing many physical and developmental challenges, Harrison overcame many obstacles with unwavering perseverance. He graduated from Pepin Academies in 2022, a remarkable achievement. Honorably remembering Harrison shows that with hard work, support and positive outlook, one can overcome much adversity.” 

Harrison, who was born premature and barely survived his first few months in the neonatal ICU, needed a feeding tube until he was three years old. He developed a hearing disorder and would wear a cochlear implant at age 5. He began middle school weighing only 60 pounds and was developmentally delayed at school. 

Viera, who has gotten to know Harrison’s mother Brucie and his twin sister Ava, has a developmentally disabled brother Juan, so, “This is very near and dear to my heart.” 

Luis Viera Updates Provides Updates On The Plans For The K-Bar Ranch Park 

New Tampa has long felt that, for a growing area, with such a large tax base, we do not get our fair share of parks. So, when I was elected, I worked to build on past successes for more park equity in New Tampa. 

The first step was a nearly $3-million expansion of our New Tampa Recreation Center in Tampa Palms. That same year, I got into the city budget design funding for the New Tampa All Abilities Park – the first of its kind in Tampa funded entirely by city dollars. 

Not long thereafter, we got funding for that All Abilities Park — a fully accessible park for people with sensory and physical challenges. We would then work with the Hillsborough County School District for a seven-figure expansion of (and improvements to) the basketball court at Liberty Middle School. 

But, there was one promise I made to a group of New Tampa residents that I would be hard-pressed to forget about. 

At one of my earliest town halls, New Tampa residents asked about the roughly 65 acres of land at K-Bar Ranch saved for a community park. Among those residents were my friends Nagesh Nayak and Prahlad Madabhushi, who asked about space for cricket — a sport which is very popular in India and with a large number of local residents. 

I promised these constituents that, by the time I left office, I would get the ball rolling permanently on this project. 

I like to think that I am a man of my word. In last year’s budget, I was able to secure $750,000 in the city budget for the K-Bar Ranch park design. This gets us to first base on creating this much-desired park and cricket pitch. 

So, what is next for this park? 

We will have a number of public meetings on park design. I already had one on August 6 of last year for initial public input. In attendance was park booster, State House Minority Leader and Dist. 67 State Rep. Fentrice Driskell — and there will be more such meetings. 

It is anticipated that by Spring of this year, vendor submittals for design will begin and this will last into this summer and be completed with the execution of a contract to design the park. Once this contract is in place, the consultant will conduct the public meetings. It is during this part of the process that design elements with community input and interest will be done. 

In other words, now is the time for you to think about your proposals for this park, with regard to density and lighting. Think about amenities for this park and what accommodations the community will need and will want to see included in this park, which is being funded by the Community Investment Tax (CIT). 

We are now therefore in the design stage. This park is likely include a playground, trails, fields and a conservation area. Residents should begin to think of what they want in this park. The design is anticipated to include an all-purpose athletic field that is adaptable for cricket. For many of our Indian-American friends, I know this is a remarkable passion –it is a passion I share and will fight for. A cricket space would not only be a real win for our area, but it would be an impressive symbol of New Tampa’s rich cultural diversity. 

Much of the K-Bar Ranch leadership has spoken out in favor of the cricket field — a symbol of the solidarity residents have with one another and how we are all Americans. K-Bar Ranch Homeowners Association president Patrick Leduc always speaks proudly of the cultural diversity of this community. 

Every development — including parks — goes through analysis from various city departments, including Fire, Police, Mobility, Stormwater, etc. If you have concerns about any of these areas, please let us know. 

If you have ideas for this park, please email me at luis.viera@tampagov.net. 

And, please know that, no matter your politics, where you come from or who you are, what a real pleasure it is to be able to represent you in office. 

What Is Being Done About Morris Bridge Rd.? 

Will The ‘Rural’ Road’s Flooding Following Hurricane Milton & Clear Need For Widening Ever Be Addressed? 

This is Morris Bridge Rd. looking south from the entrance to Cory Lake Isles on a usual weekday morning. For those who live along this formerly rural roadway, the daily commute to Tampa can be an absolute nightmare. So, what, if anything, is being done about it? (Photo by Joel Provenzano) 

 What are some of the things New Tampa and Wesley Chapel have in common? 

In addition to car washes, nail salons and self-storage facilities, both rely heavily on two “major” north-south roadways — the eight- (in New Tampa) or six-lane (in Wesley Chapel) Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd. and the mostly two-lane Morris Bridge (MB) Rd — as important daily travel routes. 

Due to the explosive growth in both K-Bar Ranch/Easton Park in New Tampa and, especially, in the plethora of new developments in and near Wesley Chapel, dependence upon MB Rd. has continued to grow year after year. 

However, traveling on the winding, two-lane MB Rd. from the Fletcher Ave. exit off I-75 in Hillsborough up into Pasco County can be a white-knuckle experience for any motorist, bicyclist or pedestrian — and for more than just one reason. 

Development has caused this formerly rural roadway to be plagued by flooding (resulting in closures), as well as by heavy traffic, safety concerns, poor road conditions and some other silly stuff that commuters in both New Tampa and Wesley Chapel have to deal with every day. 

With three mattresses tied to a roof, even a single Nissan Altima going 25 mph at rush hour can create havoc on MB Rd., generating a quarter-mile-long backup of angry drivers, all inching over the centerline to see if they can pass. Yes, we observed this while standing outside our vehicle and taking photos from the entrance to Cory Lake Isles! 

We reached out to both Hillsborough County and City of Tampa governmental officials to find out their thoughts, and if there are any “real” projects actually moving forward to improve MB Rd. We provided them with a list of questions that did generate some responses. 

We specifically asked if there were any planned capacity or safety improvement projects in the works, especially any widening plans to handle future volumes, or how the county (since MB Rd. is a county road that serves both city and county residents, as does BBD) plans to handle those traffic volumes that are expected to significantly increase over next few years, due to development on the north end — primarily the continuing expansion of K-Bar Ranch and the massive Two Rivers development, which is really just getting started building near MB Rd. both north and south of the Hillsborough-Pasco county line. 

In short, much-needed flooding countermeasures have been installed (following the multi-week shutdown of MB Rd. north of Cross Creek [CC] Blvd. following Hurricane Milton last October) and both a safety project and resurfacing project are coming, but any real vehicle capacity/ modernization projects are still up in the air. District 7 Tampa City Council member Luis Viera, in his final term in his seat, at least has an idea about how to address the everyday traffic on MB Rd. 

Councilman Viera’s Perspective 

Although MB Rd. is entirely a county roadway, roughly 1/3 of the people living along the roadway live within Tampa’s city limits, with all of those residents (at least until the Hillsborough portion of Two Rivers begins building) living in the city-based New Tampa developments of Cory Lake Isles, Easton Park and K-Bar Ranch. 

As such, we were grateful to interview Viera to get his opinion about some of the county’s responses, and what he’d like to see done as a proven champion of innovative intergovernmental (meaning city and county) collaboration. 

He specifically notes that there’s a, “Need to modernize Morris Bridge. The City has to work with the county on long- term solutions,” indicating that county officials can’t, and shouldn’t have to, try to fix MB Rd. all by themselves. 

Viera believes that one of the biggest issues in the past (in regards to capacity improvements) has been the obvious environmental concerns, since MB Rd. winds past thousands of acres of multiple county parks (Flatwoods, Morris Bridge Park, etc.). He explains that, “We need to be respectful of the environment, but the environmental issues have been the biggest roadblock (to improving MB Rd.).” 

Viera clearly believes that NOW is the time for a change. “You know what?,” he says. “Next week [the week of March 24, or after we went to press with this issue], I’m going to make a motion to City Council,” in regards to creating a shared vision for MB Rd. by having the city reach out to the county. 

Since the road actually winds through two counties, Viera says he also plans to reach out to District 2 Pasco County Commissioner Seth Weightman (who represents the portion of Wesley Chapel directly to the west and north of the county line at MB Rd.) to also try to get Pasco’s buy-in and help with that shared vision. 

Since several places of worship, and multiple new businesses and communities are quickly popping up along the route, he feels the “rural nature” of the road isn’t keeping up with the times or its now more modern suburban context. 

A Little History 

While the original Morris “Bridge” is long gone, a bridge that was originally located just north of the Pasco County line (near where an underwhelming box culvert now sits), MB Rd. still exists as an “old” rural road abutted by suburban communities. 

How old? Apparently, more than 100 years old! In fact, MB Rd. may be one of the oldest surviving (and continually used) county arterial roads in Tampa, coming from a time when maps of the county and state were more likely to show railroads than roads, because that was the primary form of transportation for those traveling long distances. 

Without these primitive roads being shown on maps, their existence, location, and purpose had to be shared by word of mouth and/or in newspaper articles, especially for newer routes. What was written over a hundred years ago about Morris Bridge as a fledgling route was absolutely fascinating. 

In its June 1, 1923, edition, The Dade City Banner (photo, left) had the following article: 

GOOD ROUTE OPEN TO TAMPA 

BY WAY OF MORRIS BRIDGE 

“The recent heavy rains having made the route [where S.R. 39 sits today] to Tampa by way of Crystal Springs and Plant City impassable, there has been considerable inquiry as to another route that could be used by parties who found it necessary to visit the South Florida metropolis and did not care to avail themselves of the convenient train schedules. A number of people have been making the trip lately by way of the Morris Bridge and pronounce that route not only perfectly passable but a surprisingly good one. It is about 12 miles shorter than by way of Plant City. 

To follow this route one turns west at the railroad crossing at Zephyrhills, goes to Will Ryals farm, about a mile from town, from there to Jim Hills’ place. Here take a plain road running southwest and at all forks take the one running in that direction. This road is said to be graded the entire distance and, from the Morris Bridge at the county line to Harney has been clayen [sand-clay]. From Harney a brick road leads to Tampa.” 

This is funny, because to this day, Morris Bridge Rd. still becomes Harney Rd. at its very southern terminus in Temple Terrace. 

Flooding Concerns 

Speaking of flooding and impassable roads, our field review showed where repairs had been done when the road was flooded (and closed) multiple times last year. We asked Hillsborough County staffers if these repairs were permanent fixes that will reduce flooding and road closures in the future, or just temporary fixes to repair the damage? 

Todd Pratt, who is with the Hillsborough County Media Relations Department, says that, “The repairs done after Milton were permanent fixes that consisted of replacing culverts that convey water under and across Morris Bridge Rd. These culverts had collapsed/washed out during the hurricane.” 

Time, and the next major rainy season, will tell if these repairs will hold, or if new ones will be needed. 

Safety Improvement Project 

Regarding MB Rd. safety projects, Hillsborough senior media relations strategist Chris Wilkerson says that, “Morris Bridge Road has a planned safety improvement project (see below) slated to begin later this year. The contract for the project is planned to go before the BOCC (Board of County Commissioners) in April. If approved, the project would address safety concerns on the roadway, including documented consistent high rates of speed and distracted drivers. The project is designed to address speeding and motorist lane departure crashes.” 

Proposed Safety Improvements – $2.1 million: 

• No Passing Zones w/Vertical Delineators 

• Reflective & Profiled Lane Line Markings 

• Speed Feedback Signs, Flashing Beacons for Intersection Ahead & Curve Warning & Signal Head Back Plates 

• Bike Lane & Safety Enhancements at Bridge over Hillsborough River 

• Bicycle Signs and Lane Markings & Wildlife Signs 

Meanwhile, Viera says that, “$2.1 million is wonderful, but we need to push that envelope!,” although he says he is really happy to see that “speed feedback signs” and “no passing” enhancements, are part of the safety project, as these would address issues his constituents have discussed with him. 

Prior 1% Surtax to Fund Resurfacing 

The last time MB Rd. (at least north of CC Blvd.) was resurfaced was way back in 2002. The portion south of CC Blvd. is in somewhat better shape, as it was last resurfaced in 2017. 

A physical review we conducted of the corridor noted aging/deteriorating pavement with potholes, multiple patches, narrow, worn or no shoulders, no sidewalks (except self-funded ones in front of a few businesses) and very narrow lane widths at a few points (mostly north of Cory Lake Isles approaching and into Pasco County). 

So, is MB Rd. on the county’s list of roadways to be resurfaced? We hadn’t previously seen or heard of MB Rd. as being on any 3R (Resurfacing, Restoration, Rehabilitation) project list. 

But, Pratt told us, “The Florida Legislature has identified repaving projects to be completed in Hillsborough County using a portion of the previously collected Transportation Surtax funds (see below). One of the roads to be repaved is Morris Bridge Road. The County will need to coordinate this paving to be done in conjunction with the safety improvement project.” 

Confused? You may recall that back in 2018, Hillsborough County voters had passed a one-cent sales tax to fund needed transportation projects. This tax ended up being legally challenged, and was found to be unconstitutional by the Florida Supreme Court in March 2021. But, by then, the county had already collected about $589 million from local taxpayers. 

After the tax was eliminated, state lawmakers went ahead and made a plan to split that collected money up between county road improvement projects, a Hillsborough tax holiday, reimbursement of the county’s legal fees, and a settlement fund that would allow Hillsborough taxpayers and residents to receive refunds (up to $100 without showing any receipts). 

That plan began about a year ago, when county commissioners met to start dividing up the funds. It was decided that about $256 million would go towards road projects (including road resurfacing). At the beginning of March of this year, the first $17 million of that money started being distributed, with all of the funds expected to reach the long list of target projects by 2030. 

The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) is slated to make sure the county completes these projects by the deadline. That overall plan will be up for approval at one of the upcoming BOCC meetings in April. 

Capacity Concerns 

At our press time, county officials had not yet responded to our most pressing question — How does the county plan to handle MB Rd. volumes that surely will significantly increase over next few years due to development on the north end of the road (from K-Bar Ranch, Two Rivers and other Pasco developments), and what those forecasted volumes (if they’ve been forecasted through traffic studies or other models) might be, compared with recent historic volumes (meaning, how much growth in percentage or number of vehicles is expected?). 

Current state data shows an annual average daily traffic (or AADT) of 15,000 vehicles per day for MB Rd.. (Note-AADT is the total number, in both directions, of vehicular trips taken on that road each day, divided by 365 days in a year.) 

Based on our preliminary calculations, it would not be unreasonable to see an increase of 20% in the traffic volumes over the next few years, given the size of the future developments that will be connected to the road. 

As we had written in a previous article from April of 2024, the final phase of K-Bar Ranch in Hillsborough will add hundreds more homes, and open up ALL of K-Bar to MB Rd. via an extension of K-Bar Ranch Pkwy. to the east, past Easton Park. Once that extension has been completed, this also will subsequently open all of the Union Park and Meadow Pointe developments in Wesley Chapel to MB Rd. as well, via the planned Wyndfields Blvd. extension to the south, and the existing Meadow Pointe Blvd. extension. 

The 6,000-acre Two Rivers development on the edge of Wesley Chapel and New Tampa (although it actually is located in Zephyrhills in Pasco and Thonotosassa in Hillsborough) will be adding an estimated 7,500 more residences, plus commercial developments, the Peak Surf Park and schools, with its north-south traffic to be split between U.S. Hwy. 301 and MB Rd. But, as anyone living in the area might imagine, it will still have a significant impact on MB Rd. 

Bridge Scouring 

The current bridge over the Hillsborough River on MB Rd. was built in 1963. Since then, its piers have experienced significant base erosion, which is referred to as “scouring,” a critical problem that can affect the bridge’s structural sturdiness if not properly addressed. 

Based on a fact sheet put out in January 2025,Hillsborough plans to spend roughly $864,000 to, “install an articulating concrete block revetment system as a scour countermeasure.” Revetment is just a fancy way of saying a sloping structure that is usually made of stone or concrete, used to protect the riverbed around piers from erosion caused by river currents or other forces. Otherwise, the piers can become unstable if too much of the bed is eroded, which is why this is a critical repair. 

Construction of the revetment system is expected to be completed by early 2027. 

So, How Can I Get Involved? 

Believe it or not, your elected officials actually want — or even, make that need — to hear your traffic and safety concerns about MB Rd. 

So, how can you get involved? In addition to contacting your local county representative — District 2 Commissioner Ken Hagan — Councilman Viera wants everyone to know that he has an upcoming New Tampa Community public meeting, on Tuesday, April 15, 5:45 p.m., at the Easton Park Community Pool Clubhouse (10776 Pictorial Park Dr., Tampa). 

Viera says he will be on hand at that meeting to receive input, answer questions, and talk about MB Rd., as well as about crime, education, housing, the progress on the planned park in K-Bar Ranch and pretty much anything else New Tampa or even Tampa-related. 

Viera will be joined by a representative of the Tampa Police Department at that Town Hall-style event, as well as by District 6 (countywide) Hillsborough School Board member Karen Perez. 

For more information about that meeting, email luis.viera@tampagov.net.