Toll road task force meets

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Areas to avoid are topic of concern

Savannah Reams
ECB Publishing, Inc.

The fourth meeting of the Suncoast Corridor Task Force was held on Tuesday, Feb. 11, beginning at 10 a.m. and lasting throughout the day. This time, the meeting was held in the city of Madison at the Madison Church of God.
The Multi-Use Corridors of Regional Economic Significance (M-CORES) are intended to, according to the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) revitalize rural communities, create jobs, expand broadband service, mitigate congestion and enhance hurricane evacuation routes, among other goals. These corridors, or tolled expressways, are proposed for three areas in the state of Florida: the Southwest-Central Florida Corridor, which extends from Collier County to Polk County; the Northern Turnpike Corridor, which extends from the Northern terminus of Florida's Turnpike to the Suncoast Parkway; and the Suncoast Corridor, the area that stretches from Citrus County to Jefferson County, including Dixie, Gilchrist, Lafayette, Taylor and Madison Counties.
The M-CORES program became law in 2019 and the legislation provided for the establishment of task forces to include subject matter experts that embody all aspects of each study area. The goal is for FDOT to obtain information from these local experts and, additionally, hear from the public in order to better establish a route for each corridor. The Suncoast Corridor Task Force, which is the task force established for our area, is filled with representatives from North Florida, including Madison's own Brian Kauffman, County Coordinator; and John Grosskopf, President of North Florida College (NFC).
As the meeting was called to order, District 2 Madison County Commissioner Donnie Waldrep welcomed everyone to Madison, including the 41-member task force; representatives from the State of Florida, FDOT and M-CORES; citizens and officials from counties across the state; as well as Madison County citizens, stakeholders and officials. Business soon got well underway, including discussions on workforce development opportunities, community and regional visions, as well as the corridor planning process, which introduced attendees to similar multi-use corridors already in existence, educated onlookers on traffic analysis methodology and broke down policy framework related to funding corridor development.
Perhaps the most vital portion of the task force meeting, was the discussion of avoidance areas. Each task force member was given the opportunity to address areas within their region where they are opposed to allowing the construction of the corridor (toll road).
District 4 Jefferson County Commissioner Betsy Barfield stressed the importance of avoiding the Red Hills area, which is a distinctive band of rolling, red clay hills that extends for miles throughout Jefferson County and into Madison County. The area holds much historical significance and is a treasured region among locals. Barfield went on to express the importance of avoiding downtown Monticello, addressing rumors of the corridor's potential construction through the town's roundabout. She was reassured by an M-CORES representative that the program is nowhere near the planning stage, that these task force meetings are a part of pre-planning and, above all, any rumors are merely private speculation. The representative went on to say that the only reason townships were not included on the avoidance map is because M-CORES wishes to work with each town or city and their individual preferences.
Other task force members stressed the importance of avoiding springs, aquifer recharge areas, highly-productive agricultural lands, water management district lands, and critical habitat areas so as to avoid threatening endangered species. Another issue addressed by the task force included the avoidance of nearby public facilities such as schools and parks, citing the harmful fumes and hazards relating to a large expressway, such as the proposed corridor.

Next, the public was welcomed to address the task force and M-CORES/FDOT representatives. Jefferson County businessman Troy Avera, owner and operator of the Avera-Clark House Bed & Breakfast, in Monticello, addressed the audience, stating that a toll road would be fine as long as it didn't come directly through the town, negatively impacting residents. “This road will affect every one of our communities economically, culturally and environmentally,” said Avera. “A bypass [through Monticello] will have a negative affect. We're not opposed to the concept of having a new road. But, we would like it to be environmentally-sensitive … it would probably be better if it ran along [Highway] 19, parallel. We are, however, concerned about the bypass … we want traffic in Monticello, we want some growth; all businesses depend on traffic. You starve the traffic, you starve the business to death. We would like to see the tollway terminate south of I-10 and east of Monticello somewhere—I think we can live with that—it would leave our environment in Jefferson County, basically, alone and untouched.”
The Suncoast Corridor Task Force, as well as the task forces for the Northern Turnpike Corridor and Southwest-Central Florida Corridor, will continue to meet throughout the year. Each of the three task forces will issue evaluations in a final report that must be submitted to the Governor, the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives by Thursday, Oct. 1. If you wish to learn more about the Suncoast Corridor and the potential impacts to your area, or share your concerns with the task force, there are several upcoming opportunities to do so. A community open house will be held on Thursday, March 12, at the First Baptist Church fellowship hall, located at 325 W Washington St., in Monticello, from 5:30 p.m. until 7:30 p.m. The fifth Suncoast Corridor Task Force Meeting will be held on Tuesday, March 24, from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. at Monticello First Church of the Nazarene, located at 1590 N Jefferson St., in Monticello.