SR 776 & /CR 771/CR775: Lemon Bay/Myakka Trail Corridor Advocacy Group (CAG)

Public Meeting for the Lemon Bay/Myakka Trail (SR 766) Scenic Highway

A Public Meeting was held on September 18, 2007 at the Tringali Recreation Complex from 4:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. The CAG mailed meeting invitations to property owners of parcels adjacent to the corridor. In addition, the CAG distributed meeting announcements to citizens and local groups. A press release announcing the public meeting was provided to local media. The project web site also announced the public meeting. The Englewood Sun Herald published an article inviting readers to attend.

The purposes of the meeting were to present to the public the status of the project to date and to gather public input. The meeting was an open house format where attendees could come and go at their convenience. At the meeting attendees could:

read a project brochure containing the corridor vision and story
review display graphics with project information
watch the continuously-running corridor video
provide written comments
talk one-on-one with a CAG member or FDOT representative
sign a petition expressing support for the designation
register to become a volunteer to help out on future projects

The project brochure contained the corridor vision, the corridor story, and a contact name to obtain more information. Graphical displays included building blocks for the corridor vision, corridor goals, objectives and strategies (Action Plan), tentative timeline for designation, and an aerial photograph presenting the intrinsic resources. Attendees were encouraged to provide written comments either at the meeting or by mail by October 1, 2007. The public meeting materials are provided in Appendix D.

Thirty-eight people attended the public meeting. The five comments sheets that were submitted at the meeting were generally supportive of the scenic highway designation. The comments suggested that the nature of the area be preserved and enhanced with amenities such as bicycle paths and areas to view and enjoy the natural environment and local wildlife. One comment also suggested that appropriate signage be provided along the corridor that denotes special areas of interest.

Sixteen people signed petitions (see Section 8.1 and Appendix E) and one person signed up to volunteer.

ATTENTION: CAG MEMBERS!

Please review the "sample plans" contained herein. They are intended to serve as examples as your work on your respective "committee" tasks. Thank you for your continued dedication and support!