We the people of Sorrento Shores/Lake Norris area and the people who are being affected by this project need your signature to help us stop 🛑 this insanity of a project.
The Saint Johns Water Management District wants to build a lime-rock road thru the Conservation Area of Lake Norris - a bird sanctuary, a black bear throughway to the Ocala National Forest and sanctuary for many endangered animals like the Gopher Tortoise and the Florida Panther. There is also a species of owl that lives on that property. We have scrub Jays, the burrowing owl, Sand Hill cranes, and there are many more!
The Saint Johns Water Management District originally planned to use the old sand mine road (now known as Hart Ranch Road) for their project, but for some reason they want to use Lake Norris Road to remove 1.7 million cubic yards of sand and haul it down Lake Norris Road which was not built for dump trucks! The electric poles are only 4 feet away from the roadside and the road is uneven all the way down. There are Gopher Tortoises walking down the middle of the road that will be smashed to pieces.
We need our County Commissioners to stop them from using Lake Norris Road. They can use Hart Ranch Road instead which was built to handle many dump trucks. However they want to use Lake Norris Road for the next five years?! The school buses already take up a full lane forcing the cars in the other direction to move closer to the shoulder or even off the shoulder.
And the Saint Johns Water Management District wants to build the road thru the Conservation Area no matter what because they claim they want fire trucks and ambulances to be able to get back there if needed?! That is false because the Fire Department said they have no problem getting down there. It is just an excuse to build a new road in the environmentally sensitive conservation area. I smell a rat!
Please give us your e-mail address so we can keep you informed of our progress and future board meetings. Thank You.
Update #55 years ago
This update might be a little late but there is a county commissions board meeting on tues the 7th of August in Tavares at 9am and another in palatial for the SJRWMD on August 14 at 9am. Please see our web page on Facebook for more updates Lake Norris Conservation Friends.
Update #45 years ago
We won! they will not be permitted to use Lake Norris road. I am so Happy about the outcome Thank God a million times .
Now if we can stop them from building a road on the conservation site. But i believe that can only be stopped by deeming that area as a critical habitat. Call FWS ecological team in Jacksonville and have them come and survey this area for panthers and other endangered species 904-731-3336. please don't stop until we are finished saving the Conservation area and wild life
Update #35 years ago
Tuesday meeting this week July 10th at the County Commissions Board meeting 315 W main street in Tavares Fl. at 9:00 am We are still trying to deem this area as a Panther Critical Habitat so they wont be able to build the road thru the Conservation area at all or move the sand. We also need to call the ecological team in Jacksonville to come and assess the area in order for it to be called a Critical Habitat Please call them and stress your thoughts on this matter their number is 904-731-3336
Update #25 years ago
Please come to the county commissions meeting on July 10, at 9:00am
at 315 W.Main st.,2nd floor in Tavares,Fl. We need all the people we can get to show support. Your presence is very important. We truly need your help to fight this.
Update #15 years ago
UPDATE We need to attend several upcoming board meetings.
Our voice is being heard on the local, state and national levels.
The Lake County Water Authority has a meeting next Wednesday, 6-27-18 at 3:30 PM in Tavares. The address is 315 W. Main St. Tavares, FL. 32778. There is an Agenda Item that concerns the Lake Norris Conversation Area and the Black Water Creek.We also need to attend the Lake County Board of County Commissioners meeting on Tuesday, 7-10-18 at 9:00 AM. We need to pack the house
