County commissioners hope to accommodate a growing area and encourage more business from Polk to Collier County.
Monday, December 9th 2019, 6:34 PM EST by Zach Barrett Updated: Tuesday, December 10th 2019, 4:58 PM EST nbc-2.com
LABELLE, Fla. — The Florida Department of Transportation, along with nine county leaders, met at the LaBelle Civic Center Monday morning to discuss the future of a toll road that would stretch from Polk to Collier County.
Many county commissioners in attendance at Monday's meeting said they were in favor of the toll road in the hopes of accommodating a growing area, adding an evacuation route in the event of a hurricane and encouraging more business along the corridor.
Mitchell Wills, a Hendry County commissioner, said county leaders are still discussing whether they want the toll road and what benefits they would like to see come to their area.
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It is unknown where exactly the toll road would be built or how much it would cost. A task force is gathering public input in a series of meetings to determine the logistics of building the corridor. Wills said Hendry County could benefit from the perceived economic impact the road could bring.
Those who oppose the road's creation also came out in force to Monday's meeting, holding up signs that read, "No Build." Those who oppose it say it could have a negative impact on local wildlife and water quality, adding that a toll road isn't guaranteed to solve the problems posed.
Public comment was held Monday evening at 4:30 p.m. in LaBelle. Nine additional meetings have been scheduled to run through September of 2020 when the task force will develop a final report and receive additional public comment.
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