A Special MEETING OF THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS

November 13, 2019

The Lake County Board of County Commissioners met in a special Lake County Trails session on Wednesday, November 13, 2019 at 5:30 p.m., at Lake-Sumter State College, Leesburg, Florida. Commissioners present at the meeting were: Leslie Campione, Chairman; and Timothy I. Sullivan. Others present at the meeting were: Dale Allen, Executive Director for the Florida Greenways & Trails Foundation; Darren Gray, Clermont City Manager; Michael Woods, Executive Director for the Lake-Sumter Metropolitan Planning Organization; and Josh Pearson, Deputy Clerk.

introduction

Commr. Sullivan noted that the trails effort in Lake County had been underway for almost three decades. He felt that there were some great plans in place and that it was time to move forward with implementing them. He relayed that the current presentation was designed to be informative and to indicate where things stood countywide with trails; furthermore, the goal of this meeting was to establish a core advocacy group to create a grassroots level of support for the county’s trails. He remarked that this could be a collaborative, countywide effort to facilitate the County and the Cities propelling their trails forward. He mentioned the economic impact of trails and that counties which had been successful had conducted similar activity as what was being done tonight. He said that their goal was to be a resource for educational outreach, advocacy, and anything else they could provide as they moved forward to complete the system of trails.

florida greenways & trails foundation

Mr. Dale Allen, Director for the Florida Greenways & Trails Foundation, relayed that his organization was involved with state advocacy for long distance, regionally connected trails. He opined that the State of Florida was the most dangerous state in the United States for bicycle and pedestrian fatalities and felt that many people did not want to ride their bicycles because of danger. He related that there had been efforts to make roads safer for cyclists but that there had not been considerable progress; rather, the number of the traffic fatalities was increasing after a number of years of decline. He mentioned that the trails in the past three years had begun to change this dynamic and that a goal of his organization was to turn the state’s reputation for being the most dangerous state into being the most desirable state for bicycles and pedestrians. He opined that they were making significant progress and that they had managed to convince the State Legislature that trails were for more than just recreation. He commented that there was a lack of funding for recreation in the state due to other priorities but that in 2005, the State Legislature created the Shared-Use Nonmotorized (SUN) Trail program in the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT). He added that as part of the legislation passed in 2015, the FDOT was allowed to commit $25 million annually from the State Transportation Trust Fund to begin building these trails at the regional level; furthermore, to access these funds, trails must be built above the community level and must be connected together into long-distance, cross-county corridors. He displayed a map which indicated the trails that were part of the SUN Trail system and noted that there were over 4,000 trail miles on the system. He said that the Florida Coast-to-Coast Trail ran through the southern half of Lake County and that there were many other priority trails in the county that if built, could make Lake County a destination for trails in the state. He also noted the existing trail segments across the state and said that when his organization began this effort 10 years prior, there were 65 separated trails across the state that they discussed connecting. He felt that if the trails were connected, then they could work as both recreation and safe transportation.

city of clermont presentation

Commr. Sullivan mentioned that Lake County was approximately 1,160 square miles in size and that travelling from one location to another could be a long distance. He felt that the county was perfect for trails, and he mentioned that Mr. Darren Gray, Clermont City Manager, would discuss the City of Clermont’s trail system and how it could be a part of the Florida Coast-to-Coast Trail.

Mr. Gray relayed that one of City of Clermont Councilmember Diane Travis’ top priorities was the city’s trail system. He played a video clip from a State of the City presentation indicating that in 2018, the City of Clermont earned a designation as a Florida Trail Town and that the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) recognized the city’s trails for their abundance of amenities, convenient access to downtown, and close proximity to great dining and lodging options. The video also mentioned that the recently completed Legacy Loop Trail led people to their newest businesses downtown; additionally, the city would soon offer free Wi-Fi along its trails and downtown. He mentioned that the City of Clermont was the fifth city in the state to receive the Florida Trail Town designation, that they were nationally accredited for being a biker and runner friendly community, and that they were also named Florida’s Bicycle Friendly Community of the Year. He commented that their trail ran through the city and that they had about 2.5 miles of trail on the foothills near downtown; furthermore, it had been noted from the community that trails were used after dark, so the City added lighting along the trail. He added that many events occurred along the trail and that the City ensured that on the trail, there were showers, restrooms, bleachers, shade, Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) access, and water fountains for both people and dogs. He then shared that the City had also hired park rangers on the trail to provide security and information. He commented that a bike shop had opened on the trail and that the trail could help open businesses; additionally, clothing stores, gift shops and restaurants had opened in the city’s downtown due to the trail system. He relayed that residents had indicated a desire for the trail system to connect to downtown and that the City was starting to see success and private investment from its capital improvements to downtown, including lodging. He explained that the South Lake Trail connected many major locations in the city and that when they considered placing roads, they also discussed installing trails at the same time. He relayed that the city’s trails facilitated festivals and events such as triathlons and runs, and said that trails increased property values by an average of six percent and assisted the local economy. He mentioned that the City used much of this funding to help maintain the trails and parks, and he relayed a statistic that for each dollar spent on trails, there was almost $2 in direct medical cost savings. He commented that due to the investment in the trail system, 29 new businesses had moved into their downtown over the past year. He said that the City of Clermont was connecting the trail to its downtown and that the master plan would be completed in six to seven years; furthermore, they would also be adding public Wi-Fi on the trail and in their downtown. He mentioned the Legacy Loop Trail, which was under construction currently in downtown, and he noted that some businesses had opened along this trail. He stated that the Victory Pointe stormwater project had one centralized stormwater area so that businesses did not have to be concerned with this issue. He added that this project also decreased the nutrient level in the Clermont Chain of Lakes, and that the trail connected through it. He commented that Lake County and the City of Clermont were in the middle of the Florida Coast-to-Coast Trail and he thought that people would come from all over the world to experience the trail system. He highlighted the city’s Art Walk project which connected two or three blocks of their downtown to the waterfront and the existing trail system, and he elaborated that the City had a public/private partnership with the landowner for this project. He mentioned that the significant incomplete segment of the Florida Coast-to-Coast Trail was in west Lake County and Sumter County, and he felt that it would be great to have a group, such as those currently in attendance, to help lobby for funds. He expressed an interest in connecting all of Lake County with trails, and he said that all of the City’s master plan projects were updated on their website.

Commr. Sullivan commented that the following individuals were in attendance: elected officials from the City of Leesburg; the Mayors of the Cities of Mount Dora, Minneola and Tavares; and representatives from the City of Umatilla, the City of Groveland, and the Town of Howey-in-the- Hills. He commented that the County had been working on the State Road (SR) 50 expansion and bypass in the City of Groveland and that they just received $7.5 million for right of way, part of which included the Florida Coast-to-Coast Trail. He then explained that the Lake-Sumter Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) performed transportation planning which included trails. He noted that the Lake-Sumter MPO Governing Board included Lake County Commissioners and Sumter County Commissioners, along with representation from all fourteen Lake County municipalities and one Sumter County municipality. He also recognized the increase in property values from trails and commented that Lake County had recently finished its Parks and Trails Master Plan.

A member of the audience asked if there had been any consideration for converting railroads to trails.

Commr. Campione commented that there were two of these projects in her commission district, Commission District 4, and that much of the South Lake Trail and the Florida Coast-to-Coast Trail in South Lake through the Cities of Mascotte and Groveland used the old railbed. She said that in northeast Lake County, there was a railbed which went from the City of Tavares to the City of Mount Dora and then to the Town of Sorrento. She explained that the section from the City of Mount Dora to the Town of Sorrento was a primarily inactive railbed which was used for storage and that it was in the County’s plan to utilize it, though there were issues due to CSX Transportation owning the railbed; additionally, the lease hold was with Florida Central Railroad who were in the process of selling it. She hoped to be able to negotiate with them and either have the railbed be railbanked, or purchase the railroad right of way. She related that this could be a trail from the City of Mount Dora downtown area out to the Wekiva Parkway, where it could be incorporated into the road itself that was under construction. She relayed her understanding that a bridge would be finished in 2021 and that an individual would be able to enter the trailhead in the Town of Sorrento area and travel across the bridge into Seminole County, or travel south at Neighborhood Lakes to reach the West Orange Trail that could then be used to travel to the Cities of Winter Garden and Clermont. She felt that the idea of being able to travel from South Lake to North Lake and then on to Astor was becoming realistic. She commented that the North Lake Trail from the City of Umatilla to Astor would be in the Ocala National Forest but that there were parts that could use the old railbed in that area.

lake-sumter mpo presentation

Mr. Michael Woods, Executive Director for the Lake-Sumter MPO, displayed the SUN Trail network for the State of Florida and noted that the following three regional trails touched Lake County: the Florida Coast-to-Coast Trail, which was part of the South Lake Trail and was the State’s number one priority for funding; the St. Johns River to Sea Loop, which was a five county, 250 mile project and was the State’s number two priority; and the Heart of Florida Loop, noting that his organization was studying the final gap in this 250 mile loop around Lake and Sumter Counties. He displayed a map of the Florida Coast-to-Coast Trail and noted that Lake and Sumter Counties had gaps in the trail; however, in Lake County, every gap was currently funded for construction and would begin in 2024. He related that the alignment in Sumter County followed SR 50 and that they tried to use the railbeds through Sumter County, though this was unsuccessful. He said that funded projects in his organization’s area included South Lake Trail 3B, C3 and phase four, which was located on a railbed. He displayed the downtown Groveland realignment project and noted the movement of SR 50 out of downtown so that the city could develop as a walkable, business friendly community. He highlighted the South Lake Trail through the City of Groveland downtown area, and he said that it would use part of the existing SR 50 and that they had some funding this year to move forward. He mentioned that FDOT generally started projects on the west side and moved east, and that they would be doing this for South Lake Trail phase four. He added that this would start on an old railroad bed and that they had to install a cattle crossing due to the trail being above agriculture land. He described the path of the trail to the east and said that it was funded for construction in 2024. He then showed the Heart of Florida Loop trail and noted that while it was not a significant priority for the state, it came together and Lake County was a beneficiary. He also displayed information about the section of the Florida Coast-to-Coast Trail that was being built and the St. Johns River to Sea Loop. He highlighted the path of the St. Johns River to Sea Loop, and he noted that trails were built similar to roads and that they conducted a Project, Development and Environmental (PD&E) study, along with design, right of way, and construction. He mentioned that the last gap in this trail was funded this year for its study phase for a 36 mile project involving three counties and MPOs that the state wanted them to advance in their priorities. He mentioned the feasibility study for SR 40 to determine if there were any significant flaws in the project and to save money, in which they determined what side of the road the trail would be on, which right of way it would be on, and if the area was constrained. He relayed his understanding that short trails had high community value but could have low economic value, though he pointed out that they had a project connecting the City of Mount Dora to the City of Tavares that could be a short six mile trail with high economic and community value. He said that there would be trails of 200 miles or longer in length that could be international destinations and could greatly increase economic benefits. He felt that they could build a new economic engine off the trails and that Florida Trail Towns could assist with this. He encouraged everyone to download a copy of the updated 2018 Parks and Trails Master Plan and for Cities to amend their Comprehensive Plans to reference the master plan. He then displayed the regional trails in the area including the North Lake Trail, the Florida Coast-to-Coast Trail, the Wekiva Trail, and the Gardenia Trail. He said that this was a network of highway trails and that local trails could connect to them to increase accessibility. He began discussing the Lake-Sumter MPO’s current funded projects including the Wekiva Trail, and said that FDOT and the Central Florida Expressway Authority (CFX) would be building about 10 miles of trail along with the Wekiva Parkway; additionally, it would be an elevated trail, would have a trail bridge over the Wekiva River, and would connect to the Seminole-Wekiva Trail. He said that the Neighborhood Lakes Trail would start construction next year on a large piece of conservation land that the State bought for the Wekiva Parkway heading south, and Lake County would manage the property west of the parkway as part of the partnership; furthermore, this project was funded for construction and would begin next year. He noted that Orange County would be building the West Orange Trail to connect to Kelly Park and that there would be a connection from the City of Mount Dora to the Mt. Plymouth-Sorrento area and then on to the West Orange Trail and the City of Apopka. He elaborated that a section in the Mt. Plymouth-Sorrento area was fully funded for right of way this year and that they were looking for construction funds, and he commented that the segment ending at the City of Mount Dora would be on an active rail line. He said that with the City of Mount Dora’s Wolf Branch Innovation District (WBID), they wanted to have another trail north of the site and the Lake-Sumter MPO was studying new alignments there to create a loop. He displayed pictures of the Neighborhood Lakes Trail and noted the main trailhead for the Neighborhood Lakes and Wekiva Trails east of Camp Challenge. He said that a minor trailhead to the south connected to the golf course community in the Mt. Plymouth-Sorrento area, and he showed information for a bird observation blind and bridges for trail crossings over U.S. Highway 441 and South Tremain Street. He encouraged visiting a website for more information on this project and he indicated an interest in his organization possibly creating better materials to promote the Lake County trail program. He then discussed the following projects that had been studied: the Tav-Dora Trail from the City of Mount Dora to the City of Tavares; the Tav-Lee Trail, which was not funded and would require redevelopment; the Gardenia Trail, which headed north from the City of Leesburg and had an alignment in place; and the North Lake Trail, which had been funded for a study for 20 miles from Astor to the City of Umatilla so that they could connect the Heart of Florida trail into north and central Lake County through public lands. He displayed an overview of the alternatives for the North Lake Trail and an evaluation matrix, which was how they determined a preferred alignment. He mentioned that there were local trails south of the City of Umatilla, including the North Lake Trail phase one and two, the Lake May Loop Trail, and the Pine Meadows Conservation Area. He remarked that the system continued south from the City of Tavares to the City of Clermont through the Ferndale Preserve, the Sugarloaf Mountain area, and the Lake Apopka Loop Trail; additionally, the trail extended to the Four Corners and Wellness Way areas. He said that in 2004, the Board of County Commissioners (BCC) adopted the master plan for the Lake Apopka Loop Trail and that his organization was nearly ready to complete the loop around Lake Apopka. He explained the two missing gaps and he relayed that loops were attractive to bicyclists and could be a draw to the area. He displayed an image of an observation tower on County Road (CR) 455 and he felt that the Lake Apopka North Shore restoration area was positive for the area due to its variety of activities. He showed a map of this area, and he noted that there were multiple entrances from each side and that it was a great two county project with significant economic benefits.

Commr. Sullivan commented that they conducted transportation planning 40 years out at the federal and state levels. He said that projects could cost more and continue to decrease on the priority list, though Mr. Woods had a significant amount of information and the county was moving forward. He observed that with the exception of the Town of Astatula, Mr. Woods’ presentation included every municipality and surrounding county area.

ADVOCACY EFFORT OPPORTUNITIES

Commr. Campione said that the audience was invited to be informed about trails, and she expressed support for the individuals in attendance being the start of a core trail advocacy group. She elaborated that they could be contacted about new developments so that they could provide information and build more interest in the community and support for trails. She noted that funding was required for these projects to occur and that one reason why they were starting to materialize was that the State of Florida and the legislature had considered this to be a significant economic generator for the state and had put annual funding in place to help with statewide trails. She commented that there was access to some of that funding, along with multimodal transportation funding, and that the Cities, the BCC, and the Lake-Sumter MPO had to determine how they would prioritize their use of this funding. She also noted that most of this funding was generated from gas tax money. She thought that if there was community support for some of these items, there may have to be some locally focused projects if support could be obtained from taxpayers and residents; additionally, she relayed her understanding that some communities had issued bonds to construct trails sooner. She encouraged the audience to connect with their local officials and noted that these decisions were being made by city councils, city commissions, County government and the Lake-Sumter MPO. She asked if the audience members would be advocates for the trail system in Lake County, and she said that the Lake 100 had offered to support this. She mentioned that bike shops in the community could be a great resource to provide information and she thought that they could be brought into the group. She thanked the elected officials and city managers in attendance, and she said that the existing trails were due to their leadership and that the Cities were doing a great job. She related that the County was trying to tie this together and that the Lake-Sumter MPO was key. She explained that the Lake-Sumter MPO was required by the State of Florida, that all of the counties in the state had to collaborate with these organizations, and that Lake County was paired with Sumter County by statute for transportation planning. She also indicated that Lake County conducted regional planning with urban areas that they touched, such as the City of Orlando and Orange County. She commented that federal and state funding flowed through the Lake-Sumter MPO and the elected officials then prioritized those funds. She recognized Mr. Mike Stephens, with the Lake 100 and the chair for a trail advocacy committee, and she said that he would be the lead on this effort. She felt that it was exciting to see so many trail segments being built and being able to identify gaps. She also expressed excitement that it was realistic to connect these locations together and that there would be scenic locations to enjoy.

questions and comments

Mr. T.J. Fish, with the City of Groveland, recognized Mr. Woods for conducting the county’s trail planning since the 1990s, along with Mr. Allen for the Florida Coast-to-Coast Trail. He also thought that the City of Clermont had set a standard for municipalities. He noted that he was a City of Tavares resident and that he was excited to connect his city with the City of Mount Dora and other trails. He also recognized groups such as Lake County Chamber Alliance, the Lake County League of Cities, and the Lake 100 for suggesting that trails were an economic driver. He mentioned that the City of Groveland would soon be a Florida Trail Town and opined that for each dollar invested in trails, $9 of private investment occurred.

An audience member with the Clermont Chain of Lakes Foundation indicated his organization’s support for this initiative. He thought that a coalition could be positive and that they could come together as organizations for a common goal.

Commr. Campione thought that this was a great suggestion and that it could be a combination of organizations and individuals.

Mr. Chuck Lee, a member of the audience, said that it was great to see so many projects in different phases and asked if there were a small number of items that the community could put all of their energy into.

Commr. Campione thought that this could be challenging because all of the other projects had to be kept in motion due to being at different levels of funding.

Mr. Woods commented that the South Lake Trail was fully funded and that the community needed to support it. He felt that the next significant challenge was the railroad in the Cities of Mount Dora and Tavares, and he opined that this was a large project for the economy and the community. He thought that it needed to be determined how this would be done and that securing the railroad from the Mt. Plymouth-Sorrento area to the City of Tavares could be challenging.

Mr. John Drury, Tavares City Administrator, commented that they were completing a study before May 2020 and that when it was done, information should be available for building the trail from downtown City of Tavares to downtown City of Mount Dora and out to the Town of Sorrento; however, funding would still be required. He felt that Lake County, the City of Mount Dora, the City of Tavares, and a congressman would have to meet due to this requiring a partnership between the federal government, the State, the County, and the Cities to find funding to build the trail. He thought that building a trail from one downtown to another could lead to businesses doing well, and he reiterated that the price and other factors would be clearly laid out before May 2020.

Commr. Campione thanked Mr. Drury for the study and she felt that there had been uncertainty; furthermore, the study would help determine if it would be feasible to move forward on the railbed. She also mentioned the SR 50 realignment in the City of Groveland and thought that it could help the downtown district, along with being part of the Florida Coast-to-Coast Trail. She pointed out the new Lake County logo with the slogan of “Real Florida, Real Close”, which tied into the idea of enjoying the county’s beauty. She thanked the Lake County Chamber Alliance, the Lake County League of Cities, the Lake 100, Mr. Bobby Bonilla, Director for the Lake County Office of Parks and Trails, Mr. Jeff Cole, County Manager, and Mr. Brandon Matulka, Executive Director for the Agency for Economic Prosperity, who was with the Lake County Office of Elevate Lake for economic development. She commented that the County was continuing to explore its hotel taxes and if they could use some of that funding to possibly help with the construction for trails if they could prove the economic benefit of this.

ADJOURNMENT

There being no further business to be brought to the attention of the Board, the meeting was adjourned at 7:03 p.m.

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leslie campione, chairman

ATTEST:

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GARY J COONEY, CLERK