Inside:
Volume 22 Issue 13
See Neighborhood Magazine!
June 21, 2014
Branchton Farms: Fresh Produce & More!
The Direct - Mail News Magazines Serving New Tampa & Wesley Chapel Since 1993! THIS INDEPENDENT COMMUNITY NEWS MAGAZINE IS DIRECTLY MAILED TO: NEW TAMPA: Arbor Greene • Cory Lake Isles • Cross Creek • Easton Park • Grand Hampton • Heritage Isles • Hunter’s Green • Hunter’s Key • K-Bar Ranch Lake Forest • Live Oak Preserve • Pebble Creek • Richmond Place • Tampa Palms • The Hammocks • West Meadows WESLEY CHAPEL: Aberdeen • Belle Chase • Bridgewater • Brookside • Chapel Pines • Country Walk • Lexington Oaks • Meadow Pointe • New River • Northwood • Pinewalk • Pine Ridge Saddlebrook • Saddleridge Estates • Saddlewood • Seven Oaks • The Lakes at Northwood • The Villages of Wesley Chapel • Watergrass • Wesley Pointe • Westbrook Estates • Williamsburg
New Tampa HART Route To Change In November, Public Hearing July 8 New Tampa commuters who utilize our area’s lone Hillsborough Area Regional Transit (HART) bus route — Route 51X — should consider attending an upcoming formal public hearing, as the route that connects Pasco County to downtown Tampa is scheduled to change this November. Following two community open-house meetings, during which HART representatives revealed three revision options for the route that connects New Tampa and Wesley Chapel to downtown Tampa, a formal public hearing to record public opinions is set for Tuesday, July 8, at the New Tampa Regional Library (10001 Cross Creek Blvd.). During the first meeting held on June 10 at the New Tampa Regional Library, the HART staff heard a mixed bag of opinions from 22 attendees regarding the three route change options. While some saw a possible change as good for the area, others saw the proposed options as a threat to their way to work. A second open-house meeting was held on June 17 at the New Tampa Rec Center off Commerce Park Blvd. in Tampa Palms, but that meeting was after our press time. HART spokesperson Sandra Morrison says that some rider backlash is understandable. “People don’t like change,” Morrison says. “This meeting was dominated by current users (most of whom) find the current route meeting their needs.”
HART announced on June 5 that it would be proposing revisions to the New Tampa express route to adjust to ridership trends and improve its cost-efficiency. Currently, the 51X route runs weekday mornings from 6 a.m.-8 a.m. at a Park-nRide stop at Victorious Life Church on Old Pasco Rd. in Wesley Chapel, before heading south and west on S.R. 54 to S.R. 56 and then cutting east along County Line Rd., where the buses pick up at CrossRoads Community United Methodist Church, opposite Grand Hampton. Route 51X then heads east towards Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd. and then heads south, making a stop at Lowe’s Home Improvement in Tampa Palms. The buses then take I-75 south to I-4 westbound, when they head south on I-275 to downtown Tampa to make three drop-offs. In the evenings, the buses make four pickups downtown and head north on I-275 to Bearss Ave. and then drop off at the three New Tampa/Wesley Chapel Park-n-Ride stops. HART reports that Route 51X averages about 67 riders per day, or about 17 passengers per bus ride. Three alternative options (see page 14) are being considered for 51X. The first of those options continues the express service between Wesley Chapel and downtown but would add up to three stops along BBD. HART also would add hourly “midday” service (roughly 8 a.m.-4 p.m.) in between the
By Gary Nager Mark your calendars now, because you don’t want to miss all the fun when the Wesley Chapel Rotary Club (which meets Wednesdays at noon at Ciao! Italian Bistro in the Shops at Wiregrass Mall) hosts the third annual Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel Freedom Festival & Fireworks Show at the Shops at Wiregrass on Thursday, July 3, 5 p.m.-9 p.m., where you can celebrate your love for not only our country,
but also for the local community. This year’s activities again include the Bicycle Decorating Contest, Little Miss & Mr. Firecracker Pageant (presented by Parks Ford of Wesley Chapel), as well as a new Watermelon Eating Contest, plus Wesley Chapel’s biggest and best fireworks show. and so much more. And of course, big events like these don’t happen without lots of wonderful sponsors and this year’s Freedom Festival is
Local News, Business & Education Updates
Neighborhood Magazine
By Matt Wiley
HART service planning manager Steve Feigenbaum fields questions during a public meeting at the New Tampa Regional Library on June 10 about the proposed revision options for New Tampa’s Route 51X bus that connects New Tampa & Wesley Chapel with downtown Tampa.
express hours, between HART’s University Area Transit Center (UATC, off 131st Ave. in Tampa, north of the James A. Haley Veterans Hospital) and Wesley Chapel using BBD. “We expect most will favor Option 1,” said Steve Feigenbaum, manager of service planning for HART, at the June 10 meeting. “It keeps the service similar to the current route. We’re trying to respect the riders who have been our patrons for years.” Feigenbaum said that Option 1 also would lower the current monthly fare for
Route 51X riders from $95 to $65. The second option includes discontinuing the direct express service between Wesley Chapel and downtown Tampa in favor of continual hourly midday service (approximately 6 a.m. - 8 p.m.) between the UATC and Wesley Chapel along BBD, also with bus stops along the way. Patrons desiring to go downtown would have access to other services, including the new MetroRapid service, to get downtown.
See ‘HART” on page 14
Freedom Festival To Be Held July 3 At The Shops At Wiregrass Mall!
Also Inside This Issue!
Hillsborough County Issues Request For BBD Segment A Widening Proposals, New Tampa’s FCAT Scores Are In, Plus Lots Of Local Business Features & More!
Branchton Farms Has Freshest Produce, Taste Delicious At Stonemill Artisan Bakery & ColdStone Creamery; Plus More Neighborhood Nibbles & Biz Bytes!
Pages 1-44
Pages 45-60
no exception. In addition to FHWC and Parks Ford, this year’s Freedom Festival sponsors include “White” sponsors McIlwain Family Dentistry and “Blue” sponsors Pasco Hernando State College; Barbizon Modeling & Acting Careers; Mike Moore for Pasco County Commissioner; Ken Chase of Home Buyers Marketing II, Inc.; Habitat for Humanity of East & Central Pasco; Cash for Gold of Wesley Chapel and SmartHealth, Inc., Licensed Health & Life Insurance Agency. For more information, including info about sponsorships (there are still a few available), visit Facebook.com/ FreedomFestivalWesleyChapel.