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School Road Dispute Goes To Consultants

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By JULIA FERRANTE, The Tampa Tribune

Published: December 12, 2007

NEW PORT RICHEY - After weeks of fruitless negotiations about who should pay for road improvements near Pasco County's public schools, officials on both sides punted Tuesday.

A panel, including County Commissioner Ann Hildebrand, school board member Kathryn Starkey, their top administrators and attorneys, decided after a two-hour workshop to let their respective transportation consultants hash it out.

The parties did agree on two things: Pasco officials won't bow to objections by residents living near proposed school sites and close public roads to school traffic, which is illegal. And the school district will work harder to manage traffic by buying more land, altering traffic patterns or building two- or three-story schools.

School and county officials are charged with coming up with a plan to ensure Pasco has enough schools for its growing population. They disagree on who should pay for off-campus road fixes.

A state law requires the county and school district to have a concurrency plan in place by Feb. 1. They do not have to have all their issues resolved by then but they must have a way to deal with differences or face sanctions.

"If we don't make a deal there will be repercussions," Hildebrand reminded the panel. "It will affect our capital plan and school board funding."

School and county officials have been discussing the issue for months. They are close to agreement on many issues but disagree on a central premise. School officials maintain they do not cause school crowding; that county officials do when they approve residential developments. County officials argue schools create additional traffic and should plan for that.

Last month, County Administrator John Gallagher asked school officials whether they would pay for road improvements within a quarter-mile radius of schools, or 1,320 feet. The school board came back with a proposal for one-eighth of a mile.

Those ideas were all but tossed out the window Tuesday until Gallagher suggested county and school transportation consultants may be able to work out a deal. Schools Superintendent Heather Fiorentino agreed.

The district has paid for past off-site improvements, but school board attorney Dennis Alfonso said his clients cannot be obligated legally to pay for such projects in the future.

Pasco officials are watching a pending lawsuit in Hillsborough County in which the school board there has sued the county over who is obligated to pay for such road work.

Reporter Julia Ferrante can be reached at (813) 948-4220 or jferrante@tampatrib.com.

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