Marjorie Harris Carr

Commission denies new scenic road designations

The County Commission on Tuesday unanimously rejected all 24 road segments recently recommended by an advisory committee for designation as scenic under a county ordinance, believing that the panel had zealously overreached by promoting the classification for a number of Marion's major two-lane rural thoroughfares.

The board also overturned another suggestion from the Scenic Roads Advisory Committee by voting 3-2 to revoke the scenic designation from the southernmost portion of County Road 475A, also known as Shady Road.

That decision targeted the stretch that runs from the southern boundary of the Marjorie Harris Carr Cross Florida Greenway, about 1.5 miles north of CR 484, to where the road links up with CR 475, south of CR 484.

Commissioners did retain the northern end of CR 475A in its scenic roads inventory, which includes portions of 34 roads, most located in the historic Shady area, a farming community south of Ocala.

Created by a 1997 county ordinance, the label is supposed to help preserve the unique character of two-lane country roads that criss-cross rural areas by prohibiting widening and limiting excessive development.

Most of the recommendations considered Tuesday were in the northwest quadrant of the county, the county's designated Farmland Preservation Area and the location recently discussed as a limerock mining zone.

The public had nominated 26 roads for scenic designation. The advisory committee in April supported two dozen of them, dismissed two others and urged the defeat of two proposals to revoke the classification for CR 475A.

The County Commission concurred with its advisers in its rejection of identifying as scenic the portion of Sunset Harbor Road between U.S. 441 and CR 25 and the segment of CR 42 from CR 25 to the Lake County line.

Thirty people spoke during the debate on CR 475A, the most contentious topic of Tuesday's three-hour public hearing.

Two dozen of them advocated keeping the road as is. They predicted removing the designation would clear the path to open the area for widening the road to accommodate new development — especially for the Equine Commerce Support District, a planned business district designed to serve the Florida Horse Park — that would ruin the character of the surrounding community.

The handful of proponents who wanted the classification stripped away said it limited property rights and blocked creation of new jobs. They maintained that new road projects could be tailored to match the aesthetics of the area.

Ocala Mountain Bike Association maintained bike trails on the ...

Volunteer Larry Gibbins, with the Ocala Mountain Bike Association, cuts off a branch overhanging the a trail on the Marjorie Harris-Carr Cross Florida Greenway near the Vortex Trailhead on Thursday, Feb. 10, 2011. Trails were being cleared in preparation for the 12 Hours of Santos race taking place this Saturday, Feb. 19, 2011. Ern said volunteers with the association spent 3,862 man hours last year maintaining 84 miles of mountain bike trails on Greenway, from the Santos Trailhead to State Road 200. He said this saved the Florida Office of Greenways and Trails $70,288.

Rob Ern, vice president of the association, said the effort saved the Florida Office of Greenways and Trails $70,288. Ern said he reached that total by calculating the Florida minimum wage, including benefits, at $18.20 an hour. The association recently presented a big "check," albeit not a cashable one, in that amount to the Office of Greenways and Trails.

"We've got a great group of volunteers. Isn't it silly that we have to present a fake check to prove it?" he said.

Their hard work will be apparent to the public and trail riders during an event today. The 12 Hours of Santos, a team and solo competition, will be held from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. It is free to attend, but parking at the Vortex Trailhead, the closest to the start line, will require a $2 donation.

Ern said the best way the association earns funds for future trail building and maintenance is through events such as Saturday's and festivals, such as the three-day Fat Tire Festival starting March 18.

The nonprofit association was formed in 1993, said Ern, to prevent residents from illegally accessing the property at the request of the Marion County Parks and Recreation Department and the Florida Greenways Commission.

Ern has volunteered since 1996 and said the association has more than 150 members who have volunteered more than 12,500 hours since 2008.

"[Biking] is my addiction and satisfaction. You find a passion and a hobby, and you make it better. Nothing is more satisfying that creating something and being good at it, then using it for years and years," he said.

Ern said continuous improvements to the trail system led to 23,000 visitors last year at the Santos Trailhead, one of the five local mountain bike trailheads.

"This was a dumping ground for years — filled with cars and garbage. Now people come from all around. Think about how much money is spent here, on gas and food, because of people coming in to town," he said.

Marjorie Harris Carr

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