Plant City continues to look toward future growth as city leaders Monday moved forward plans to enhance the city’s connections to County Line Road.
Commissioners were presented with the results of a study funded by the Hillsborough Metropolitan Planning Organization and completed by engineering and design firm Gannett Fleming. The studies analyzed potential routes for Sam Allen Road in the city’s northeast sector and an extension of Rice Road to the south, to connect to County Line Road.
While the plan was accepted, it will still need to go through the Project Development and Environment (PD&E) Study phase before funding and construction could begin. Currently, the proposed road extensions do not have funding.
“Now it’s up to all of us to figure out how to make this a reality or if we want to make this a reality,” Mayor Rick Lott said. “Until it finds money somehow, it doesn’t become a reality, but it does give us a plan of an option that we have the ability to, at the appropriate time, we can get behind.”
By the year 2040, Plant City is expected to have a population of more than 71,500, nearly double its current population. Much of that growth is expected to occur in the northeast quadrant. Housing communities are already beginning to pop up. The construction of North Park Isles, a community of more than 1,000 homes, is already underway along Sam Allen Road and the stalled Varrea project is still expected to bring a shopping center and 2,000 home community to the area around Sam Allen Road and Park Road, between Park and County Line roads.
Sam Allen Road currently ends at Wilder Road, just east of Park Road. The study included three potential tracts to connect to County Line Road. A community meeting held in June found that most attendees preferred the southern most option. Plans are also underway to widen Sam Allen Road to a four-lane highway from Park nearly all of the way to Alexander Street. Representatives from Gannett Fleming recommended extending the project to Wilder Road for continuity. The project would also require County Line Road to be extended to terminate at the Sam Allen extension.
The plans also include space for a sidewalk with biking paths on either side.
In the south, the city is looking to connect Rice Road to Coronet and Roberts Ranch roads, allowing Park Road to connect to County Line Road. That connection would be prepared to handle the increasing freight traffic through the city as industrial expansion continues along County Line and Jim Johnson roads. Many of the estimated 34,600 jobs expected to be in Plant City by 2040 are expected in that vicinity and create more freight transportation in the area.
Three proposed alignments of the Rice Road expansion were also presented at the June open house, with the majority of attendees choosing the second proposed alignment.
According to the commissioners, the Rice Road project is the priority.
“Rice Road has been proposed some 20 years ago as an alternative that would be an asset to the community,” Commissioner Mike Sparkman said.
Both road plans will now move into the PD&E phase, after which the city will be presented with a preferred alignment selection. Design and construction can begin after, if funding is secured.