Brian Brooker, a Florida Department of Transportation official directly involved with the Suncoast Connector study is thanked by resident Dana Sheffield for trying to provide as much information as he could on the project.
By Terry Witt -Spotlight Senior Reporter
A representative of the Florida Department of Transportation Tuesday said the final report for the Suncoast Connector indicates there isn’t a need to carve the proposed toll road out of forests and farmlands.
Brian Brooker, responding to questions at the Levy County Commission meeting, said the current emphasis is for the toll road to be built alongside an existing highway, a process known as co-location.
His response came after Commissioner John Meeks asked if the no-build option was still on the table. Brooker said the no-build alternative is mentioned five or six times in the Suncoast Connector Task Force report going to the Governor, Florida House Speaker, and State Senate President on Nov. 15
“There’s actually a statement in the task force report that determined that there’s no need for a new greenfield corridor,” Brooker said. “There was a lot of concern about building a brand new trail through the woods or agricultural lands, things of that nature. There is a lot of emphasis on utilizing existing corridors. Obviously, through Levy County, U.S. 19/98 is an obvious choice.”
Brooker said the task force report will be published on the M-CORES toll road website and Florida Department of Transportation website. M-CORES stands for Multi-Use Corridors of Regional Economic Significance.
The state has proposed linking the northern tip of the existing Florida Turnpike at Wildwood with the southern end of the Suncoast Connector in either northern Citrus County or southern Levy County. The Suncoast Connector would run north to Jefferson County.
State officials have designated the proposed 40-mile stretch of toll road from the Wildwood to the west coast as the Northern Turnpike Connector. County Commissioner Rock Meeks was a member of the Northern Turnpike Connector Task Force and County Commission Chairman Matt Brooks was a member of the Suncoast Connector Task Force. Both task forces have been disbanded. Their work is complete, Brooker said.
Brooker said DOT is moving into the planning stage of the Suncoast Connector and Northern Turnpike Connector studies, probably at the first of the year. He said the state will develop “broad swaths or corridors” for the two toll roads, probably by mid-summer. The public will be given an opportunity to comment online or by traditional mail.
Brooker will continue to attend county commission meetings once a month to give the board updates on the Suncoast Connector, which would most likely pass through Levy County. He will respond to questions from the board and the public. He wasn’t listed on Tuesday’s agenda.
Brooker said the use of a pair of task force groups to gather information and public input on the two proposed toll roads was something new for DOT. He said the agency worked with county commissioners and other organizations including environmental groups and state agencies to fashion a plan for each of the proposed toll roads. He said the process was a first for DOT.
Resident Dana Sheffield thanked him for trying to explain what was happening with the toll roads.
“I just want to thank you for trying to explain the thing. I’ve been to most of the open houses. I see you at the meetings. You have always taken the time to answer all the questions except when and where…appreciate the effort,” Sheffield said. “For some reason, all my friends think I should know. I think Matt and Rock should know, but apparently that’s the best answer we’ve got for now. So I do appreciate you coming to the community and all open houses and explaining the best you can.”
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Board of County Commission Regular Meeting November 3, 2020; Posted November 3, 2020
