By Matt Wiley
Pasco County officials have a long road ahead of them if they want to quell the concerns of citizens living near the S.R. 54/56 corridor, which could house the county’s first privately-funded, elevated toll road—the FL 54 Xpress—in the not-so-distant future.
The controversial, proposed project to link S.R. 54 from Zephyrhills to New Port Richey (between U.S. 301 and U.S. 19) has drawn opposition from citizens and civic groups, alike.
On March 26, the Pasco Alliance of Community Associations (PACA) submitted a letter to the Pasco County Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) officially opposing the project.
“PACA represents about 60,000 Pasco residents living in HOAs, condos and CDD-managed communities. Most of these residents reside along the 54/56 corridor and feel they will be adversely affected by an elevated toll road on 54/56,” wrote PACA president John W. Copeland to the BOCC. “Our membership believes that more suitable solutions can be found and that not enough consideration has been given to possible alternatives.”
The issue has become such a hot topic, in fact, that Pasco County is including several questions about the issue on its annual “Citizen Survey,” which will be distributed to about 1,600 households and will be available on PascoCountyFL.net in coming weeks, says Pasco Strategy & Performance director Dr. Marc Bellas.
Bellas explains that the survey will contain seven opinion questions regarding the future of the S.R. 54/56 corridor. Respondents can choose one of five answers, varying from “strongly agree” to “strongly disagree,” for each of the questions. Bellas says that there also will be an open-ended question so that respondents can input anything not specifically addressed in the survey about the toll road.
“This is a way for us to engage citizens and get their opinions,” he says. “Typically, meetings mostly attract those who are completely against an idea. This helps us to get an idea of what citizens think might be a better solution. It allows us to better hear what they have to say.”
Bellas says that 350-400 respondents would be enough to get a good sample, although, according to 2010 Census data, about 120,000 people live along the S.R. 54/56 corridor.
During the first town hall meeting about the project at Sunlake High School in Land O’Lakes on March 10, about 500 Pasco residents from across the county packed the gymnasium to listen to a presentation about the project from county staffers, including county administrator Michele Baker, commissioners Kathryn Starkey and Jack Mariano, as well as planning and development administrator Richard Ghering and transportation planning manager Jim Edwards.
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The crowd sat quietly through an hour-long presentation, before growing restless, as they waited for their turn to voice their concerns at the podium. Shouts from the crowd of, “Scare tactics,” and “When is it our turn?” became louder as the presentation went on.
However, the meeting turned tense as a photo of a 20-lane highway was displayed on a projector screen, something Ghering tried to explain was not an alternative, but just to give some perspective about the size of a highway that could support the projected for the county in the coming years with the development of Wiregrass and Starkey Ranch. Ghering says that the county no longer can continue to widen the corridor and must look at other options, such as the 54 Express.
The proposed elevated toll road would stretch from U.S. 301 in Zephyrhills west to U.S. 19 in New Port Richey and be built either in the median or along the shoulder of the S.R. 54/56 corridor. The road would be paid for and constructed by Florida 54 Express, LLC, a company formed by International Infrastructures, LLC. and Madrid, Spain-based OHL Infrastructure. The company currently is in talks with the Florida Department of Transportation about leasing the required right-of-way to build the controversial toll road.
“We’re not hear to say we want (the elevated road),” said Dist. 3 Comm. Starkey over the roaring crowd. “But, we have to do something (about S.R. 54). We have to know what our alternatives are.”
Devonwood (Land O’Lakes) resident Susie Hoeller was first on the mic and presented research that showed that the company that could construct the road filed bankruptcy on a similar project in Spain.
“Has anyone actually taken a look at this company?,” she asked the county representatives. “This project needs community support.”
Opponents to the project already have formed a group petitioning the project entitled Pasco Fiasco. A petition can be signed at PascoFiasco.com.
Five more meetings are scheduled across Pasco, the next for Saturday, March 15, at the Shops at Wiregrass mall at 10 a.m. For more information about the project, please visit PascoCountyFL.net.
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