They got the “No Build” ball rolling in Dunnellon last week!
If you thought Marion County was free from the destructive “Roads to Ruin” toll road project, think again. We have more work to do.
While the M-CORES toll roads “program” was technically repealed last legislative session, not all of the threats were vanquished — chief among them the proposed Northern Turnpike Extension, which would directly impact Marion County. This extension was a disastrous idea when it was proposed in 2019 under the M-CORES banner, and it remains so today.
Once we start to pave over Florida’s remaining natural areas, there’s no going back. The Northern Turnpike extension is a recipe for out-of-control urban sprawl that will cost billions of taxpayer dollars, further strain our water resources, hurt family farms, and wreak havoc on wildlife and wilderness.
The Marion County Board of Commissioners will be addressing the county’s response to this toll road threat next week, and we need your help to stop it. Please participate in this public meeting in one or more of ways:
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Tuesday, 12/21 Marion County Board of County Commissioners regular meeting in the McPherson Governmental Campus auditorium, 601 SE 25th Avenue, Ocala, FL. Commissioners will discuss a letter or a “No Build” NTE resolution.
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Click here for Commission calendar.
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Go here for agenda (when it is available)
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Sign up here for public comment
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NOTE: The deadline for scheduling your public comment is 5 p.m. the Friday before the requested commission meeting (in this case 12/17). Contact Marion County Administration at 352-438-2300 to request to speak.
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When asked for the agenda item/topic please put “Northern Turnpike Extension”
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Before Tuesday, 12/21 please go here to send a strong “No Build” message to all Marion County Commissioners. Go here to find your commissioner.
Whether you email a message or attend in person, please:
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Make clear you support a “No Build” outcome for this project. Raise your environmental, community, cultural and other concerns about the proposed routes. For talking points check out the NTE Fact sheet and NO BUILD handout.
The public showed overwhelming opposition to a Northern Turnpike extension during last year’s M-CORES public comment period, and now we need folks in Marion County to push back against this latest proposed transportation boondoggle.
Share these Facebook events widely in your networks and with your neighbors!
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No Roads to Ruin FB event: https://fb.me/e/l2yKOzT9W
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Suncoast/Northern Turnpike FB group page event https://fb.me/e/1fvekyfJn
If you’d like to get even more involved, please fill out this form and we will be in touch.
Sign up for weekly No Roads to Ruin Coalition Friday news roundup and campaign update emails here.
Background info:
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Proposed route map
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NTE threats to Rainbow Springs
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FDOT Northern Turnpike Extension webpage
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Recent Ocala Star Banner coverage: