By Terry Witt-Spotlight Senior Reporter

                Levy County Commissioner John Meeks confirmed Wednesday that the Florida Turnpike Enterprise has rescinded its study of four proposed Northern Turnpike Extension routes and will focus on I-75 instead.

                Meeks said he received a call Wednesday from Stephanie Sharp, a Florida Turnpike Enterprise official involved in the Northern Turnpike Extension study telling him that the study of the four routes was ending.

            “She informed me that they’re at the point in the process when they would have a route defined and they would drill down on what that route was going to be,” Meeks said. “But she was informed by her bosses that they are going to take a step back and that there is going to be no further study of the corridors. They’re actually going to repeal all four corridors and focus on I-75.”

            Meeks said he doesn’t think the Northern Turnpike Extension is dead forever. He said Sharp indicated the agency remains interested in extending the turnpike from Wildwood.

            “It does not mean it’s dead forever; I said that to her, and she said, ‘Yes, that’s an accurate statement,’ Meeks said “The four routes they were considering, swaths, have been rescinded and that’s a fact.”

            Meeks said the Florida Turnpike Enterprise may make a formal statement on Thursday about rescinding the four routes.

            He said State Rep. Chuck Clemons made a Facebook post confirming the Northern Turnpike Extension study was dead. He sent a copy of Clemons’ post to Spotlight.

            In the post, Clemons said:

“Let the play develop”

“Wait until we know the facts”

“Everyone else running around with their hair on fire”

“About a road that might not ever be…”

“Guess what? It is never gonna be…”

“FDOT announces no new road through Levy County.”

            Clemons is running against political newcomer Ty Appiah in the Republican House 22 primary contest on Aug. 23. The winner of the Republican primary will advance to the November general election to face the winner of the Democratic primary for House Seat 22, either Brandon Peters or his opponent, Olysha Magruder.

            There is no incumbent in the House District 22 race. State Rep. Joe Harding was moved to the Ocala district by redistricting. Clemons is the only candidate in the race with previous experience in the state legislature. He was moved into House District 22 by the redistricting process.

            Meeks said he believes the decision by the Florida Turnpike Enterprise to rescind the four proposed routes for the Northern Turnpike Extension was influenced by a three-county political block that materialized in opposition to the project. The Levy County Commission, Sumter County Commission, and more recently the Citrus County Commission voted to oppose construction of the Northern Turnpike Extension, establishing a formidable political block that may have been a deciding factor.

            Meeks was asked what he makes of this latest announcement and what happens next.

            “What do I make of it? Once Citrus County said they were out, there was a consensus that we don’t want this beast coming through our community like that. It’s not going to work for us. If you want my honest opinion, I don’t think we’ve seen the last of it and I told Mr. Dean (County Coordinator Wilbur Dean) that same thing when I talked to him on a phone call today,” Meeks said. “The next time we do this it’s going to be a much different process. There’s not going to be as much involvement with local governments. There probably won’t be as much involvement with local stakeholders and there won’t be as much involvement with the public. We’re going to get a map rolled out and they’re going to say, this is where it’s going. You tell us why it can’t go here rather than you all pick us a place to put it, which has kind of been the last two tries. The last two times they said, hey, we’re going to let you all decide what you think is best. Well, next time, I think it will be the opposite. I think the state will say, we’re putting a road there unless you can come up with some really good reason why it won’t work.”

            The Levy County Commission hosted a workshop in Bronson Tuesday to gather information from special guests and input from local farmers, ranchers, and timber owners regarding the possibility of establishing a farmland preservation area in Levy County. Expert guests explained several options for preserving farmland. Conservation easements were discussed extensively. However, Charles Lee, representing Florida Audubon, said nothing can stop the Florida Department of Transportation from building a road through privately owned land, not even land protected by a conservation easement if the agency decides to use the power of eminent domain. He said DOT has the power to condemn private property through eminent domain and build a toll road over conservation land, or farmland if it chooses to do so.

            However, Lee recommended several changes to the Levy County Comprehensive Plan that might discourage the state from building a toll road through untouched rural lands in the county. Meeks said the county’s director of planning and zoning, Stacey Hectus is already working on changes to the comprehensive plan recommended by Lee.

            “We can put some stuff in there as a deterrent and Stacey’s already on that,” Meeks said.

            Meeks said Hectus is also removing outdated language in the comprehensive plan that said Levy County would work with Citrus County on establishing a toll road highway connecting Suncoast Parkway 1 in Citrus County to U.S. 19 at Red Level below Inglis. It is known as Suncoast Parkway 2, which would be a new toll road. As Lee pointed out, Suncoast Parkway 2 is already funded and designed and will be constructed at some point, dumping toll road traffic on U.S. 19.

            Meeks said he doesn’t know what changes the DOT is planning to make on U.S. 19 when toll road traffic is added. The Florida Department of Transportation has an ongoing Project, Development, and Environment (PD&E) study for the portion of U.S. 19 from Red Level to midway between Chiefland and Fanning Springs.

            “Obviously, they’re going to have to widen it (U.S. 19). They may have to add some travel lanes in parts of it, and parts of it they won’t. My concern is what they will do when they get to Chiefland and Fanning Springs. That whole corridor is congested now. If you put 1,500 to 2,000 additional cars on it at the right time of day, it’s going to get more congested,” Meeks said.

            Meeks was asked if adding vehicles from a toll road to U.S. 19 could strain the county’s resources, particularly law enforcement and ambulance services.

            “That’s when we have to work with our state legislators, whoever they may be. You all are coming up with fire stations and EMS stations everywhere else, we need some consideration for once. We need a good working relationship with whoever our state senator and state representative will be,” Meeks said.

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Enterprise Reporting by Terry Witt August 3, 2022; Posted August 3, 2022